‘LUCK AND STRANGE’
https://davidgilmour.lnk.to/LuckandStrange
DELUXE LP, DELUXE CD, LP, CD, BLU-RAY, DIGITAL
‘Luck and Strange’ was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and co-produced by Gilmour and Charlie Andrew, known for his work with alt-J and Marika Hackman. Besides the aforementioned cover track "Between Two Points," the album includes singles such as “The Piper’s Call” and “Dark and Velvet Nights.”
Of this new working relationship with producer Charlie Andrew, David says, “We invited Charlie to the house, so he came and listened to some demos, and said things like, ‘Well, why does there have to be a guitar solo there?’ and ‘Do they all fade out? Can’t some of them just end?’. He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you.”
The video for ‘The Piper’s Call’, the first track of the ‘Luck and Strange’ album, was released on April 26, 2024. Directed by filmmaker Gavin Elder, the video was shot during the making of ‘Luck and Strange’. Filmed at Ely Cathedral, Astoria, and in Brighton, the clip features David along with co-producer Charlie Andrew, Polly Samson, Romany & Gabriel Gilmour, world-renowned drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Guy Pratt, engineer Matt Glasbey, keyboard player Rob Gentry, assistant engineer Luie Stylianou and Wesley the dog.
The majority of the album’s lyrics have been composed by Polly Samson, Gilmour’s co-writer and collaborator for the past thirty years, except for David’s adopted son Charlie Gilmour co-writing lyrics for the final track ‘Scattered’, which inspired the album’s cover image, photographed and designed by Anton Corbijn.
Samson says of the lyrical themes covered on ‘Luck and Strange’, “It’s written from the point of view of being older; mortality is the constant.”
Gilmour elaborates, “We spent a load of time during and after lockdown talking about and thinking about those kind of things.”
Polly has also found the experience of working with Charlie Andrew liberating, “He wants to know what the songs are about, he wants everyone who’s playing on them to have the ideas that are in the lyric informing their playing. I have particularly loved it for that reason.”
Art: Julia Soboleva, a still from ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ video
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Art: Julia Soboleva, a still from ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ video
Art: Julia Soboleva, a still from ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ video
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David Gilmour. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
David Gilmour. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
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David Gilmour. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
David Gilmour. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
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David Gilmour & bassist Guy Pratt. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
David Gilmour & bassist Guy Pratt. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
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David Gilmour & drummer Steve Gadd. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
David Gilmour & drummer Steve Gadd. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ Photo: Sony Music.
View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://suleyera.com/music-life/rock-prog-metal/david-gilmour-luck-and-strange.html#sigProId80505365a7
David Gilmour. ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ . Art: Julia Soboleva, Photos Courtesy of Sony Music.
https://suleyera.com/music-life/rock-prog-metal/david-gilmour-luck-and-strange.html#sigProId80505365a7
The above image (the first in the gallery) is a still from the conceptual ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ music video by Julia Soboleva with animation by Levan Kvan, directed by Gavin Elder, which premiered on August 9. Written by David Gilmour and Polly Samson, ‘Dark And Velvet Nights’ came from a poem Polly had written.
David Gilmour, “The music sprang out one day. It was so exciting to have come across this groove. Polly had given me a beautiful poem for our wedding anniversary, which was sitting on the desk right next to me, so I picked it up and sang it on the track, to hear what it would sound like with words. I played it to Polly, and she said, “Lovely, great, I’ll need to fiddle with it a bit. So she added a couple of verses, and there it was – very serendipitous.“
David Gilmour - Dark and Velvet Nights (Official Music Video)
Musicians contributing to the record include Guy Pratt & Tom Herbert on bass, Adam Betts, Steve Gadd and Steve DiStanislao on drums, Rob Gentry & Roger Eno on keyboards with string and choral arrangements by Will Gardner. The title track also features the late Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright, recorded in 2007 at a jam in a barn at David’s house.
Some contributions emerged from the live streams that Gilmour and family performed to a global audience during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021; Romany Gilmour sings, plays the harp, and appears on lead vocals on ‘Between Two Points.’ Gabriel Gilmour also sings backing vocals.
Of working with his family on ‘Luck and Strange’, David says, “Polly and I have been writing together for over thirty years and the Von Trapped live streams showed the great blend of Romany’s voice and harp-playing and that led us into a feeling of discarding some of the past that I’d felt bound to and that I could throw those rules out and do whatever I felt like doing, and that has been such a joy.”
Gilmour will support the release with live performances this autumn in Rome, London, Los Angeles, and New York, alongside a stellar band featuring Guy Pratt, Greg Phillinganes, Rob Gentry, Adam Betts, Ben Worsley, and vocalists Louise Marshall, Hattie, and Charley Webb.
DAVID GILMOUR LIVE
ROME, CIRCO MASSIMO
27,28,29 September 1,2,3 October
LONDON, ROYAL ALBERT HALL
9,10,11,12,14,15 October
LOS ANGELES, INTUIT DOME
25 October
LOS ANGELES, HOLLYWOOD BOWL
29,30,31 October
NEW YORK, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
4,5,6,9,10 November
Photo: Anton Corbijn | Sony Music
David Gilmour, renowned guitarist, vocalist, and writer for Pink Floyd, has also earned acclaim for his solo work. After meeting Syd Barrett as a child, Gilmour was invited to join Pink Floyd in 1968, shortly before Barrett's departure. His distinctive guitar playing and vocals were pivotal to the success of albums like *The Dark Side of the Moon*, one of the best-selling records of all time. Alongside his Pink Floyd achievements, Gilmour released his first solo album in 1978, followed by *About Face* in 1984.
In 1985, Gilmour took control of Pink Floyd, leading the creation of *A Momentary Lapse of Reason* and *The Division Bell*, both of which topped the charts globally. His contributions to music earned him numerous accolades, including induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and receiving an honorary CBE (Commander of the Order of British Empire) award for services to music. Gilmour’s 2006 solo album *On An Island* debuted at Number 1 in the UK and was followed by a celebrated tour, including a performance in Pompeii.
Beyond music, Gilmour has used his platform for philanthropy, raising $21.5 million from the sale of his instruments to support environmental causes. In 2022, he reactivated Pink Floyd with Nick Mason to release "Hey Hey Rise Up" in support of Ukraine, further cementing his legacy as both a musician and humanitarian.
