LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES SEPTEMBER 12, 2019-ON THIS DATE IN 1975 PINK FLOYD RELEASED THE ALBUM ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE.’ THIS ALBUM RANKS IN THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF ALL-TIME IS TERMS OF SALES. TO DATE IT HAS SOLD OVER 22,300,000 ALBUMS AND SITS AT NUMBER 41 ON THE TOP 50.
THE ALBUM FEATURES ONE OF THE GREATEST ALBUM COVERS EVER JUST BECAUSE IT WAS DONE BEFORE PHOTOSHOP AND THE PHOTOGRAPHERS ACTUALLY LIT A STUNTMAN ON FIRE 15 TIMES TO GET THE SHOT THAT WAS NEEDED. TWO DIFFERENT ALBUM COVERS WERE ISSUED AT THE TIME OF THE RELEASE, ONE FOR THE U.K. THE OTHER FOR NORTH AMERICA.
THE TITLE TRACK ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE’ WAS A RARE CASE OF PINK FLOYD’S PRIMARY SONGWRITERS ROGER WATERS AND DAVID GILMOUR ACTUALLY COLLABORATING ON A SONG ( THEY RARELY WROTE TOGETHER).
GILMOUR HAD THE OPENING RIFF AND WAS PLAYING IT IN THE STUDIO AT A FAST PACE WHEN ROGER WATERS ASKED HIM TO PLAY IT SLOWER. THE SONG WAS BUILT FROM THERE, WITH BOTH WRITING THE MUSIC FOR THE CHORUS AND VERSES TOGETHER, AND WATERS ADDING THE LYRICS.
HERE’S A GREAT LIVE VERSION OF ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE’
