All Songs Considered: A Conversation with David Gilmour

Podcast: NPR’s All Songs Considered
Host: Robin Hilton
Guest: David Gilmour
Date: October 7, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This special episode celebrates the upcoming 50th anniversary edition of Pink Floyd’s seminal album Wish You Were Here and explores David Gilmour’s thriving solo career at age 80, including his recent album and live performance projects. Host Robin Hilton and Gilmour discuss the making and legacy of Wish You Were Here, the nuances of music creation and performance, and how Gilmour’s personal and family life now intertwine with his art.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. David Gilmour's Current Projects

• The Luck and Strange Concerts
  • Gilmour discusses the inspiration behind his current solo work, particularly the track “5:00am.”
  • “It is a recording of the sound outside my bedroom window at 5am one morning. And that moved on into inspiring a piece of simple music that suited a bit of guitar playing.” — David Gilmour [02:53]
  • Hilton notes the parallel between how Wish You Were Here and Gilmour’s recent shows open: both prioritize atmosphere over a high-energy start.

2. Creative Process and Atmosphere

• Gilmour prefers setting a meditative tone at the start of live performances.
  • “I want to create an atmosphere that is not your classic rock and roll atmosphere ... I want to set people sitting back in their seats and thinking and relaxing and letting themselves move into the music.” — David Gilmour [04:52]
• He reflects on using ambient recordings as inspiration rather than manipulating samples in production.

3. On Luck, Generational Fortune & Global Changes

• The meaning behind Luck and Strange:
  • Gilmour reflects on the privilege of his post-war generation and how the optimism of the 60s and 70s hasn't fully materialized.
  • “We were a lucky generation. And it is very strange to look back at time from a perspective of right now with the world's problems ... the world is a mess at the moment.” — David Gilmour [07:37]

4. Family and the Power of Musical Connection

• Covering “Between Two Points” with daughter Romany:
  • Gilmour’s daughter sings lead on this Montgolfier Brothers cover, a choice inspired by Romany’s delicate vocal quality.
  • “She's got ... she's been singing things with me since she was three. ... 95% of the singing in that song was the first take.” — David Gilmour [11:53, 12:13]
• On sharing the stage with family:
  • “Yeah, it does. It's just amazing ... there's a thing. ... voices in a family tend to blend nicely together.” — David Gilmour [12:38]

5. Tribute Songs and Collaborations

• “A Boat Lies Waiting” is described as a tribute to Pink Floyd’s late keyboardist Richard Wright.
  • “I think [the lyrics] were sort of a gift to Rick Wright. ... it's just one of those songs that has a real emotional feel to it that, that I love.” — David Gilmour [14:32]

6. Wish You Were Here: The Making and Memories

• Hilton invites Gilmour to reflect on entering the studio after the massive success of The Dark Side of the Moon:
  • Recounts how several song ideas (including “Dogs” and “Sheep”) were written around this time but held for later albums.
  • “Roger suggested we split ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ into two and having them as bookends ... which I wasn't over keen on at the time, but I grew to love that idea.” — David Gilmour [17:33]
• Vivid memory: Returning to Abbey Road for a book launch and hearing Wish You Were Here played in the same room where it was recorded.
  • “That was a very, very odd but lovely feeling.” — David Gilmour [18:52]

7. Studio Insights and Anecdotes

• Recording the iconic album intro—capturing radio static in his car, the feeling of creative lethargy in the studio, and Roger Waters’ intent behind the title.
  • “All of that background radio noise is ... a live moment that just happened while I sat in my car.” — David Gilmour [18:53]
  • “There was a lot of lethargy in the studio ... and that is part of what the title of the album and that song is about ... Roger's view that some of us weren't really there a lot at the time.” — David Gilmour [19:55]

8. Sid Barrett, Fame, and the Aftermath

• Gilmour clarifies that Wish You Were Here isn’t just about Syd Barrett
  • “Wish you were here is about a much broader wish you were here thing. I'm sure there's elements of Sid in it. Shine on, you Crazy Diamond is more specifically about Sid.” — David Gilmour [20:47]

9. Outtakes and Alternate Versions

• Discussion about the use of alternate takes for the deluxe release, including the early version of “Wish You Were Here” featuring jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli:
  • “Everything you do, you're constantly adding and taking away. ... There's a constant process of reassessment going on when you do those things.” — David Gilmour [24:15]
• Early demo of “Have a Cigar” with Gilmour and Waters on vocals before Roy Harper was brought in.
  • “I can't remember the reason why exactly. Roger didn't want to sing it and I didn't really want to sing it and Roy was making an album ... and Roy said, well, I'll do it. ... I think Roy's version of it's great.” — David Gilmour [26:09-27:29]
• Discusses the Talk Box in demos, its later use on Animals, and the natural trial-and-error of incorporating new sounds.

10. Gilmour’s Guitar Approach and Musical Philosophy

• On melody, solos, and playing live:
  • “I'm just hunting for an emotion in the moment. ... I'm not that fast on the guitar ... Even if I could, I don't think I'd be wanting to go that much faster than I can.” — David Gilmour [29:51]
  • Discusses how the Comfortably Numb solo is approached: composed foundation, live variations.
    • “I pretty well always do the same thing for the first half a dozen bars. ... Then I'll ... move off into other directions ... and then come back. It is what I love. It is what I've spent my whole life doing.” — David Gilmour [31:52]

Memorable Quotes

• “It's a lucky moment when [inspiration] strikes you.” — David Gilmour [02:53]
• “We were a lucky generation. ... It hasn't really borne quite the sort of fruit that we hoped.” — David Gilmour [07:37]
• “I could put out an album [of my children singing] one of these days.” — David Gilmour [11:53]
• “We thought we were moving towards a world of peace and prosperity and equality for all races and nations and sexes. It hasn't really borne quite the sort of fruit that we hoped.” — David Gilmour [07:37]
• “I just don't really think about it. ... I'm just hunting for an emotion in the moment.” — David Gilmour [29:51]

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:53: Inspiration behind “5:00am” and the use of field recordings.
• 04:52: On setting a concert’s opening mood.
• 07:37: Reflections on generational luck and a changing world.
• 10:10: Covering “Between Two Points” with daughter Romany.
• 14:25: Tribute to Rick Wright on “A Boat Lies Waiting.”
• 17:33: The creative process of making Wish You Were Here.
• 18:53: Innovative recording approaches—the car radio intro.
• 20:47: Wish You Were Here’s broader meaning beyond Syd Barrett.
• 23:09-24:15: The Stéphane Grappelli outtake and the editing process.
• 25:12-27:29: Alternate vocals on “Have a Cigar” and Roy Harper’s involvement.
• 29:51: Guitar style and the search for emotional resonance.
• 31:52: Evolving live solos, especially on “Comfortably Numb.”

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a deep and personal tour through David Gilmour’s creative world—past and present. Gilmour’s warmth and candor illuminate his approach to making music, collaborating with family, and grappling with legacy and change. Fans of Pink Floyd and new listeners alike will find insight not just into one of rock’s most iconic albums, but also into the universally human forces of memory, evolution, and the quest for meaning through art.

Listen to highlights or revisit the conversation at npr.org/allsongs.