On April 30th, Pink Floyd will release full-show audio of the band’s June 30th, 1990 performance at the Silver Clef Award Winners Concert at Knebworth House. The live album will mark the seven-track festival set’s first standalone release after being included as part of the massive 2019 Later Years box set. This past Friday, Pink Floyd offered another preview of the forthcoming live album – dubbed Live at Knebworth 1990 – with the release of “The Great Gig In The Sky”.
Recorded in Hertfordshire, England, Pink Floyd’s set was the pinnacle of a star-studded festival that saw performances from Paul McCartney, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Phil Collins and Genesis, Eric Clapton, and many more. Yet, even with all of those high-profile names, Pink Floyd still served as the ultimate headliner. The concert came following the band’s mammoth Momentary Lapse of Reason tour – which stretched over two years – and saw much of the same personnel return for the Knebworth show.
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With original members David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright on board, the lineup also included Guy Pratt, Jon Carin, Tim Renwick, and Gary Wallis. Backing vocals came courtesy of Durga McBroom, Sam Brown, her mother Vicki, and Clare Torry, who provided the original vocals on “The Great Gig In The Sky”. Also on hand during Live At Knebworth was saxophonist Candy Dulfer and keyboard player Michael Kamen who joined on for this one-off show.
From the iconic opening keyboard work from Wright, this “Great Gig In The Sky” is still able to inspire those same The Dark Side of the Moon vibrations. Though this concert occurred nearly 20 years after the 1973 release of the monumental album – and took place without one of the founding members – it still has a touch of that vintage quality thanks to Clare Torry’s vocals.
Listen to “The Great Gig In The Sky” from Pink Floyd’s upcoming album, Live at Knebworth 1990.
Pink Floyd – “The Great Gig In The Sky” – Live at Knebworth 1990
[Video: Pink Floyd]
In other Pink Floyd news, the band has announced an official Syd Barrett lyric book. This latest release comes after the Barrett family issued the first-ever, officially-licensed collection of photos and artwork from the founding Pink Floyd frontman late last year. The Lyrics of Syd Barrett, which was supervised by Gilmour (the many who replaced Barrett when his mental and substance abuse issues became an impediment for the group) contains the lyrics to 52 Barrett songs in a 92-page illustrated book. The book is out now in the U.K. and will be released in North America on May 6th. Click here to pre-order from Omnibus Press.