Signs of Life (instrumental)
| "Signs of Life" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Pink Floyd from the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason | |
| Published | Pink Floyd Music Publishers Ltd |
| Released |
7 September 1987 (UK) 8 September 1987 (US) |
| Recorded | 1987 |
| Genre | Progressive rock, instrumental rock |
| Length | 4:23 |
| Label |
EMI (UK) Columbia (US) |
| Writer(s) | David Gilmour, Bob Ezrin |
"Signs of Life" is the opening track on A Momentary Lapse of Reason,[1][2] the first Pink Floyd album headed by David Gilmour, in the absence of ex-member Roger Waters.
Music
It is an instrumental piece, although in the version featured on A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the electronically processed voice of drummer Nick Mason can be heard for a few seconds reciting two verses of an unknown poem. The screen film used to accompany the song during concert performances featured Langley Iddins, caretaker of David Gilmour's Astoria houseboat-studio, rowing through "Grantchester Meadows".
The piece is Pink Floyd's first instrumental piece (excluding the live-only "The Last Few Bricks") since 1973's "Any Colour You Like", from The Dark Side of the Moon, although it could be argued that since "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (from Wish You Were Here) is split into pieces, parts I, II, III, V, VI, VIII, and IX count as instrumentals.
The song segues directly into "Learning to Fly", although the segue is a lot more audible in the live performances from the Momentary Lapse tour.
Personnel
- David Gilmour — guitars, synths, programming
- Nick Mason — spoken vocal
with:
- Richard Wright — Kurzweil synth
- Tony Levin — bass guitar
- Jon Carin — synthesizer
References
- ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.
- ↑ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
