Pink Floyd's Gilmour Gives Walls to the Homeless

Reuters (via Yahoo) ^ | 05/20/03

[Drew68]

Pink Floyd's Gilmour Gives Walls to the Homeless

LONDON (Reuters) - Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour (news) donated $5.88 million to charity on Tuesday to house hundreds of homeless people and low-wage workers in central London.

The 59-year-old rock star said he was inspired by a similar community project developed in New York.

"I've seen what has been achieved in New York and am passionately behind this London project," he said in a statement.

The "urban village," administered by the Crisis charity, aims to house 400 residents, including the homeless and public service workers like nurses and teachers who have been priced out of the soaring London housing market.

Crisis said a site for the scheme has yet to be chosen.

Gilmour's searing guitar work featured on Pink Floyd's biggest albums, including "The Wall" and "Wish You Were Here."

His personal fortune from a hugely successful career in music has been estimated at $122 million.

[P.O.E.]

Bump from a long time Floyd fan. I agree with other posters that "Animals" is overlooked, but I must add that so is "Meddle". Echoes is my favorite track from them.

[MikeD]

Yes, Gilmour has the Strat numbered "1," although it isn't the first ever made. IIRC, there were no serial numbers on Strats the first year or two, and they might have restarted numbering at some point.

I think he's got a Broadcaster or two, but I might be mistaken.

MD

[Drew68]

Check out Rolling Stone magazine's 30 Years Of Dark Side Of The Moon

It is pretty a comprehensive and entertaining series of recent articles and interviews.

[sit-rep]

bttt...

[martin_fierro]

Gilmour is the guy on the bottom.

[Yardstick]

My question was more "Can you separate the two players by tone, or is there more to it than that?"

If you're pretty familiar with how a Stratocaster and a Les Paul sound, you can tell the two players apart by their tone. The tone of Clapton's strat is thinner and pluckier. Also, I'm pretty sure that Duane Allman played all the slide, so if you hear slide, it's Duane.

One more thing to consider: if there are multiple guitar players, it's kind of a recording convention to keep them panned to the same side of the stereo image throughout an album. So if, in one song, you've identified Clapton coming out of the right speaker and Duane coming out of the left speaker, then on the other songs it'll probably be the same players on the same sides (I'm not positive this is the way it is on the Layla album, though).

I agree with others that Duane probably played the tastiest licks on that album. I'm pretty sure goosebump-raising outro solo on Layla is all Duane. On the other hand, Clapton's solos on Bell Bottom Blues are really pretty, and he positively burns it up on Have You Ever Loved a Woman. I guess I'd call it a draw.

[VOA]

There are very, very few machine-gun axe slingers that can make a
guitar truly emote the way Gilmour can do in a fraction of the pick strokes.

I'd drink to that.

As a non-guitarist, I'd also nod my hat to Mark Knofler (sp?) and Robby Krieger;
Knofler for smoothness and Krieger for using the guitar as an accent instrument
(like orchestral use of trumpets in short, but perfectly placed, bursts).

[Drew68]

Depends on the song -- Dave used a Telecaster on a number of tunes (Run Like Hell comes to mind) and played plenty of Gibsons in the studio (see the footage from the Pompeii video).

Yes and yes. I've seen pics of him playing both Teles and assorted Gibsons.

As far as "Layla" is concerned, Clapton played his beloved Strat "Blackie" on the entire album (I believe) while Duane used his '58 or '59 Les Paul Standard. Again, I've seen photos of Duane playing a Strat and Clapton often uses Gibsons (335s, Les Pauls, SGs and even Explorers) both live and in the studio.

It is really impossible to say with definate accuracy who was responsible for each solo on "Layla." Even Clapton can't recall (heroin, cocaine and alcohol were endemic in the studio during the recording sessions).

As a rule of thumb, Duane likely played most of the slide work and likely used his Les Paul whereas Clapton likely played most of the non-slide solos and likely used his Stratocaster. (I say "likely" as Clapton is an accomplished slide-player in his own right and Duane can solo well himself.) Both contributed to the rhythm parts.

I'm currently looking into the history of "Layla" on the net and will gladly let you know what I find.

[Yardstick]

Just read the interview with Sid. Wow, he really lost it.

BTW, for kicks I just dug this up on Quad sound. This guy has a really good website devoted to it. Quad was a neat concept, but by the time they got the technology to the point where it sounded really good, the Quad craze had run its course. It peaked too soon.

A Quad quadrant intensity display, circa 1975 or so

[RightOnline]

Krieger......interesting guy. Yes, his use of guitar was fairly different......and unknown to many, largely because he hadn't been playing very long when The Doors 'hit' it big. He was a rookie, and very unsure of himself (understandably). However, he was plenty smart enough to know his limitations and use the guitar appropriately. It worked.

[wardaddy]

Yep...and a hell of a talent.

[wardaddy]

Thanks...amazing that Floyd has such a presence here amongst the neanderthals....myself very much included

[OOPisforLiberals]

Re: Roger Waters

As musically brilliant as Roger Waters is (and he is -quite- brilliant) he is a HUGE liberal. Huge huge huge. Amused to Death is tour de force of bleeding heart (hah) whining.

That said, both Amused to Death and Pros and Cons of Hitchiking are fantabulous albums. They are impossible in that I thoroughly love listening to them while at the same time am disgusted in the back of my mind at the message. Weird.

As for Floyd's overlooked albums : The Final Cut is like the much cooler cousin of The Wall

[RightWingNut]

Water's politics may be just short of being socialist,but I saw him in concert he toured the US a few years ago, and he was incredible !!!!

Waters was the heart and soul of Pink Floyd, even though he was/is an ass !!

Gilmour Mason, and Wright are very talented, but Waters was the difference

[TheStickman]

As a longtime owner of a guitar or 2 who is still learning how to play the damn things I have to agree that David Gilmour's playing and his tone (Stratocasters not withstanding cuz I am a Gibson player all the way!!!) have influenced me as much or more than any other player. Many years ago at a jam night in a bar in WV I played the guitar solo from The Delicate Sound of Thunder version of Comfortably Numb and nailed it. I can still remember the chills I felt as I played those runs. Though I now play that solo *my way* when I do get the chance to play it I will always remember that night with great fondness.

Gary Moore can certainly reach me with his playing as can some other European players like Richie Blackmore (Catch the Rainbow, Mistreated still bring tears to my eyes)Micheal Schekner from UFO (Rock Bottom), Ulrich Roth from the early Scorpions (Listen to the whole LP of Tokyo Tapes), and Pete Townsend as well.

Of the great American guitar players Joe Walsh's older solo stuff and his work with the James Gang still moves me and everything Foghat's Rod Price ever played on. I saw then in Johnson City, TN a few years before Lonesome Dave passed away from cancer and they did a 20 minute version of "It Hurts Me Too". I was standing so close to Rod Price's foot pedals I could have easily changed the settings...anyway, the slide guitar solo that man played that night healed me from my own personal frustration with the music biz in general and reminded me why I still write and try to play live whenever I can find a bass player and a drummer who'll stay sober long enough to gig a while.

"God gave rock and roll to you"

Rock on!!!

[Uncle Meat]

And I liked Dickie Betts as well as Duanne.

Speaking of the Allmans,what do you think of Gov't Mule?I've become a bigtime Mulehead,Allen Hayes ranks up there with Dickie and Duane in my book.That first CD is one of my fav's right next to Floyd's Live at Pompeii.Of course that one isn't released on CD[lifted it off Napster a couple of years back].Do have the VHS version of the movie.Also dig the hell out of Robin Trower,Rory Gallagher,and Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush.

[TheStickman]

Warren Haynes, IMO is the most underrated guitar player in America today. His tone is powerful and still tasteful. His voice absolutely ROCKS my soul. I have yet to hear a bad or wasted note played by this man. Whenever I feel like I need a good guitar lesson (usually 3 times a year or more hehehe) I stick in the Gov't Mule Live CD and get smoked all over again.

[Drew68]

As musically brilliant as Roger Waters is (and he is -quite- brilliant) he is a HUGE liberal. Huge huge huge.

I've read that both his parents were dedicated Socialists and Socialism was the centerpiece of his upbringing.

[SamAdams76]

I never get tired of listening to Pink Floyd. The only album I never really warmed to was "Animals" for some reason. Just about everything else was classic, including the early stuff with Syd Barrett. Speaking of Syd, it's sad what he turned into. I've read numerous stories of him living with his mother and basically sitting in the yard all day talking to himself. He must have fried his brain really bad.

[Benrand]

Animals, as someone said, can be listened to indefinitely...but the lyrics are pure leftist BS.

But what a great album...