The Great Gig in the Sky

For the Jamiroquai concert, see Gig in the Sky.

1973 song by Pink Floyd

"The Great Gig in the Sky"

Song by Pink Floyd
from the album  The Dark Side of the Moon
Published| World Copyrights Ltd
Released| 1 March 1973 (1973-03-01)
Recorded| 20 June 1972 – 9 February 1973[1]
Genre|

* Progressive rock
* psychedelic rock

Length| 4:44
Label| Harvest
Songwriter(s)|

* Richard Wright
* Clare Torry[2]

Producer(s)| Pink Floyd

"The Great Gig in the Sky" is the fifth track[nb 1] on The Dark Side of the Moon, a 1973 album by English rock band Pink Floyd. The song features music by keyboard player Richard Wright and improvised, wordless vocals by session singer Clare Torry. It is one of only three Pink Floyd songs to feature lead vocals from an outside artist.[nb 2] The Great Gig in the Sky was released as a digital single on February 10, 2023, to promote The Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary box set.[3]

## Recording

[edit]

### Background

[edit]

Fender 'Duo 1000' double-neck steel guitar (1962), purchased in Seattle in October 1970 by David Gilmour, and used on 'Great Gig in the Sky'; displayed at the Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition

The song began as a chord progression created by keyboard player Richard Wright, which was known in its early stages as "The Mortality Sequence" or "The Religion Song".

During the first half of 1972, it was performed live as a simple organ instrumental, accompanied by spoken-word extracts from the Bible and snippets of speeches by Malcolm Muggeridge, a British writer known for his conservative religious views.

By September 1972, the lead instrument had been switched to a piano, with an arrangement very similar to the final form but without vocals, and with a slightly different chord sequence in the middle. Various sound effects were tried over the track, including recordings of NASA astronauts communicating on space missions, but none was satisfactory.

### Spoken parts

[edit]

On Classic Albums: Pink Floyd – The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon, it is stated that during the recording of the album, in which death and life had been a consistent theme, the members of the band went around asking questions and recording responses from people working inside Abbey Road at the time. Among the questions, they were asked "Are you afraid of dying?". The responses of doorman Gerry O'Driscoll and the wife of their road manager Peter Watts were used, as well as other spoken parts throughout the album ("I've always been mad", "That geezer was cruisin' for a bruisin").

(At 0:39)

> And I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do, I don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There's no reason for it – you've got to go sometime.

— Gerry O'Driscoll, Abbey Road Studios doorman[4][5][6]

(At 3:33, faintly)

> I never said I was frightened of dying.

— Patricia 'Puddie' Watts, wife of road manager Peter Watts[5]

### Clare Torry's vocals

[edit]

Finally, in January 1973,[7] a couple of weeks before the album was due to be finished, the band thought of asking a female singer to "wail" over the music.[8] The band began casting around for a singer, and studio engineer Alan Parsons suggested Clare Torry, a 25-year-old songwriter and session vocalist he had worked with on a Top of The Pops covers album.[9] Torry was contacted to arrange a session for the same evening but she had other commitments, including tickets to see Chuck Berry, so a three-hour session was scheduled for the next day, Sunday 21 January. [7][10][9]

The band played the instrumental track to Torry and asked her to improvise a vocal. At first she struggled to find what was needed, but then she was inspired to sing as if she were an instrument herself.[9] Torry performed two complete takes, the second more emotional than the first, but when David Gilmour asked for a third take she stopped halfway through, feeling that she was becoming repetitive and had already done the best she could. The final album track was assembled from all three takes. The members of the band were deeply impressed by Torry's performance but did not tell her this,[11] and she left the studio, with a standard £30 flat fee, under the impression that her vocals would not make the final cut.[9] She only became aware that she had been included in the final mix when she picked up the album at a local record store and saw her name in the credits. In 2005, an undisclosed out-of-court settlement in Torry's favour included giving her vocal composition credit.[9]

Chris Thomas, who was brought in to assist Alan Parsons in mixing the album, mentions that they were actually in mixdown at the time. On the DVD Classic Albums: Pink Floyd – The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon, various members mention that they had this song and were not sure what to do with it. Wright recalls that when Torry finished, she was apologetic about her performance, even though those present were amazed at her vocal improvisation.[12]

In 2004, Clare Torry sued Pink Floyd and EMI for songwriting royalties, on the basis that her contribution to "The Great Gig in the Sky" constituted co-authorship with Richard Wright. In 1973, as a session singer, she was paid only the standard Sunday flat studio rate of £30 (equivalent to £500 in 2023).[13][citation needed] She told Mojo in 1998, "If I'd known then what I know now, I would have done something about organising copyright or publishing."[14] In 2005, prior to a hearing in the High Court, an out-of-court settlement was reached, although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.[15] On all pressings after 2005, the composition is credited to both Richard Wright and Clare Torry.[2]

## Reception and legacy

[edit]

In a 1973 review of The Dark Side of the Moon, Loyd Grossman of Rolling Stone described "The Great Gig in the Sky" as a track [Pink Floyd] could have "shortened or dispensed with".[16] Craig Jenkins at Vulture wrote, "Torry’s performance manages to express the full range of human emotion without relying on words." He also believed that the song was "pea soup without her".[17] Fraser Lewry of Louder said her vocals "lifted the song to celestial heights" and quipped that her hiring was "the best £30 Pink Floyd ever spent".[18] A readers' poll from Rolling Stone ranked the track second on their list of the greatest vocal performances of all time behind "Bohemian Rhapsody".[19]

A short clip of the song was used in a 1974 TV advertisement for Dole bananas.[20] A re-recorded version was used as the backing music in a UK television advertisement for the analgesic Nurofen in 1990. The band was not involved in this version, but Clare Torry again did the vocal with Rick Wright on keyboards, Neil Conti on drums and Lati Kronlund on bass.[21] Gilmour said he did not approve of its use, but that Wright, as the writer, had the rights.[22]

## Live performances

[edit]

### Pink Floyd

[edit]

An early incarnation of the song, titled "The Mortality Sequence" and lacking the vocals later contributed by Clare Torry, was performed by Pink Floyd during the 1972 shows of their Dark Side of the Moon Tour. In its final version, "The Great Gig in the Sky" was performed live by Pink Floyd from 1973 to 1975, and from 1988 to 1994.

During the band's 1974 tours as well as the Wish You Were Here Tour, David Gilmour played both pedal steel guitar and the Hammond organ, allowing Richard Wright to concentrate solely on piano (his keyboards were positioned where he could not play both). Gilmour's pedal steel for "Great Gig" was accordingly located beside Wright's Hammond. Vocal duties were handled by Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams, both former members of the Blackberries.[23] The 16 November 1974 performance can be found in the Experience 2-CD and Immersion box set editions of The Dark Side of the Moon.

Although the studio version of "The Great Gig The Sky" doesn't continue directly into "Money" because of the former marking the end of side 1 of the LP, all of the 1970s live versions of this song (including the 1972 work in progress ones) continue into the extended SFX intro of "Money". However, during the full live recreations of "Dark Side Of The Moon" in 1994, "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Money" were separated from each other as per the studio versions.

Starting with the 1988 leg of the A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour, additional touring keyboardist Jon Carin took over the Hammond parts. Up to three singers performed the vocals, each taking different parts of the song. On the Delicate Sound of Thunder video, with footage from June and August 1988, the vocals are shared by Rachel Fury, Durga McBroom and Margret Taylor. Clare Torry performed the song in the Knebworth concert, released in 2021 live album Live at Knebworth 1990.

The Division Bell Tour of 1994 featured a version sung by Sam Brown, Durga McBroom and Claudia Fontaine. A recording from the London concerts can be found in the live album Pulse (1995). When the Floyd's manager, Steve O'Rourke, died in 2003, Gilmour, Wright, and Mason played "Fat Old Sun" and "The Great Gig in the Sky" at his funeral.[24] McBroom said Richard Wright liked her version best, and as he had requested, she sang it at Wright's funeral.[25]

### Roger Waters

[edit]

Torry joined Roger Waters to perform the song live during three dates of his K.A.O.S. On the Road concert series in 1987. In the 1999 leg of Waters' In the Flesh tour, only the piano intro was played between the reprise of "Breathe" and "Money".

In the 2006–08 The Dark Side of the Moon Live tour, the album was played in its entirety, with the song being performed by Carol Kenyon. "The Great Gig in the Sky" made a return in his Us + Them Tour (2017–18), performed by lead vocalists of American band Lucius Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. The performance was documented in the concert film and live album Roger Waters: Us + Them (2019).

### David Gilmour

[edit]

The song was occasionally performed in the final legs of his Rattle That Lock Tour, most notably in the Amphitheatre of Pompeii on 7 and 8 July 2016, with Lucita Jules, Louise Clare Marshall and Bryan Chambers sharing the vocals. The Pompeii performance is part of Gilmour's Live at Pompeii live album and film.

## Personnel

[edit]

Pink Floyd

* David Gilmour – pedal steel guitar
* Richard Wright – piano, Hammond organ
* Roger Waters – bass
* Nick Mason – drums

Additional personnel

* Clare Torry – vocals (originally uncredited)

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "The Great Gig in the Sky"  Chart (2023)  | Peak
position

|

UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[26] | 16

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Italy (FIMI)[27]
sales since 2009  | Gold  | 25,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[28] | Platinum  | 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[29]
sales since 2005  | Gold  | 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Some CD pressings merge "Speak to Me" and "Breathe".
2. ^ The other two songs are "Have a Cigar" and "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!".

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Guesdon, Jean-MIchel (2017). Pink Floyd All The Songs. Running Press. ISBN 9780316439237.
2. ^ a b Povey 2007, Discography: The Dark Side of the Moon: "...all pressings after 2005 bear the credit Richard Wright/Clare Torry."
3. ^ "PINK FLOYD STREAMING "THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY" (2023 REMASTER) FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION; AUDIO". 10 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
4. ^ Harris 2006, pp. 135
5. ^ a b Sutcliffe, Phil; Henderson, Peter (March 1998). "The True Story of Dark Side of the Moon". Mojo. No. 52. Retrieved from "Pink Floyd and Company - Pink Floyd Articles and Reviews". Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011. on 23 December 2010. There is confusion in this article over who "Puddie" or "Puddy" Watts is. For clarification see Harris 2006[page needed] or David Gilmour's response to the Mojo article, retrieved from http://pinkfloyd.1accesshost.com/artic/letter.htm
6. ^ Guesdon, Jean-Michel (24 October 2017). Pink Floyd All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Black Dog & Leventhal. p. 300\. ISBN 9780316439244.
7. ^ a b "The Dark Side of the Moon Studio Documents". Retrieved 12 September 2023.
8. ^ Harris 2006, p. 142; Mabbett 1995; Blake 2008, pp. 198\. See also Nerpil, Hannah (19 September 2008). "Richard Wright's Greatest Hits: 10 Pink Floyd Classics". The Times Online. London. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
9. ^ a b c d e John Harris (October 2005). "Clare Torry - Brain Damage - Interview". brain-damage.co.uk.
10. ^ Mark Blake (2007). Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd. Aurum Press. p. 198\. ISBN 9781845137489.
11. ^ "Clare Torry Interview and Great Gig - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 31 January 2019.
12. ^ Wright, Nick. "Interview". Classic Albums: Pink Floyd – The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon (Interview).
13. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
14. ^ Lewry, Fraser (20 April 2023). "The story of The Great Gig in the Sky and the best £30 Pink Floyd ever spent". Classic Rock. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
15. ^ "Seventies singer claims back spotlight". 14 April 2005. Retrieved 23 January 2009.[better source needed]
16. ^ Grossman, Lloyd (24 May 1973). "Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
17. ^ Jenkins, Craig (10 January 2020). "Clare Torry's Voice Is Seared Into Your Brain Whether You Know It or Not". Vulture. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
18. ^ Lewry, Fraser (20 April 2023). "The story of The Great Gig In The Sky and the best £30 Pink Floyd ever spent". Louder. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
19. ^ Stone, Rolling (5 September 2012). "Readers' Poll: The Best Vocal Performances in Rock History". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
20. ^ "Dole Bananas Commercial". YouTube. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
21. ^ "Echoes FAQ". Retrieved 29 August 2006.
22. ^ "The 30-Year Technicolor Dream". Mojo. July 1995.
23. ^ Mason 2005
24. ^ Manning, Toby (2006). "Which One's Pink?". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 147\. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
25. ^ ""Canto lo que no podía hacer con Pink Floyd", confiesa la vocalista Durga McBroom". La Capital. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
26. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
27. ^ "Italian single certifications – Pink Floyd – The Great Gig in the Sky" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
28. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Pink Floyd – the Great Gig in the Sky". Radioscope. Retrieved 19 January 2025. Type the Great Gig in the Sky  in the "Search:" field.
29. ^ "British single certifications – Pink Floyd – The Great Gig in the Sky". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 March 2025.

### Works cited

[edit]

* Blake, Mark (2008). Comfortably Numb—The Inside Story of Pink Floyd. Da Capo. ISBN 978-0-306-81752-6.
* Harris, John (2006). The Dark Side of the Moon (third ed.). Harper Perennial. ISBN 978-0-00-779090-6.
* Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
* Mason, Nick (2005). Philip Dodd (ed.). Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Paperback ed.). Phoenix. ISBN 0-7538-1906-6.
* Povey, Glenn (2007). Echoes. Mind Head Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9554624-0-5.

* v
* t
* e

Pink Floyd

* Nick Mason
* David Gilmour

* Syd Barrett
* Roger Waters
* Richard Wright

Studio albums|

* The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
* A Saucerful of Secrets
* More
* Ummagumma
* Atom Heart Mother
* Meddle
* Obscured by Clouds
* The Dark Side of the Moon
* Wish You Were Here
* Animals
* The Wall
* The Final Cut
* A Momentary Lapse of Reason
* The Division Bell
* The Endless River

Live albums|

* Ummagumma
* Delicate Sound of Thunder
* Pulse
* London '66–'67
* Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81
* The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974
* Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII

Compilations|

* The Best of the Pink Floyd
* Relics
* A Nice Pair
* A Collection of Great Dance Songs
* Works
* Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
* The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door
* 1967–1972: Cre/ation
* The Later Years: 1987–2019

Extended plays|

* 1967: The First Three Singles
* 1965: Their First Recordings

Box sets|

* Shine On
* Oh, by the Way
* Discovery
* The Early Years 1965–1972
* The Later Years
* The Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary

Soundtracks|

* San Francisco
* The Committee
* Tonite Lets All Make Love in London
* More
* Zabriskie Point
* La Carrera Panamericana

Singles|

* "Lucy Leave" / "I'm a King Bee"
* "Arnold Layne" / "Candy and a Currant Bun"
* "See Emily Play" / "The Scarecrow"
* "Flaming" / "The Gnome"
* "Apples and Oranges" / "Paint Box"
* "It Would Be So Nice" / "Julia Dream"
* "Let There Be More Light" / "Remember a Day"
* "Point Me at the Sky" / "Careful with That Axe, Eugene"
* "The Nile Song"
* "One of These Days" / "Fearless"
* "Free Four"
* "Money" / "Any Colour You Like"
* "Time" / "Us and Them"
* "Have a Cigar" / "Welcome to the Machine" / "Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part I"
* "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" / "One of My Turns"
* "Run Like Hell" / "Don't Leave Me Now"
* "Comfortably Numb" / "Hey You"
* "When the Tigers Broke Free" / "Bring the Boys Back Home"
* "Not Now John" / "The Hero's Return"
* "Learning to Fly" / "Terminal Frost"
* "On the Turning Away"
* "One Slip" / "The Dogs of War"
* "Keep Talking"
* "Lost for Words"
* "What Do You Want from Me"
* "Take It Back" / "Astronomy Domine"
* "High Hopes"
* "Wish You Were Here" / "Coming Back to Life"
* "Louder than Words"
* "Grantchester Meadows"
* "Childhood's End"
* "Green Is the Colour"
* "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!"
* "Brain Damage"
* "The Great Gig in the Sky"

Films|

| Concerts|

* London '66–'67
* Live at Pompeii
* Delicate Sound of Thunder
* Pulse

|

Narratives|

* The Wall

Documentaries|

* The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story
* London '66–'67
* La Carrera Panamericana
* The Story of Wish You Were Here

Tours|

* World Tour 1968
* The Man and The Journey Tour
* Dark Side of the Moon Tour
* 1974 French Summer/British Winter Tour
* North American/Wish You Were Here Tour
* In the Flesh/Animals Tour
* The Wall Tour
* A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour (Concert in Venice, Italy)
* The Division Bell Tour

Lists|

* Discography
* Songs
* Unreleased songs
* Videography
* Band members
* Live performances
* Bootleg recordings

Related media
and tributes|

* 19367 Pink Floyd
* The Amazing Pudding
* The Australian Pink Floyd Show
* Brit Floyd
* The Dark Side of the Moo
* "Echoes"
* "Embryo"
* Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd
* Live at the Empire Pool
* The Man and The Journey
* Music from The Body
* Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets
* Pinkfloydia
* Pink Floyd: The Music and the Mystery
* "Proper Education"
* Roger Waters: The Wall
* Synalpheus pinkfloydi
* Umma gumma
* Their Mortal Remains

Related topics|

* The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream
* Azimuth Co-ordinator
* Blackhill Enterprises
* Britannia Row Studios
* The Dark Side of the Rainbow
* Games for May
* Pink Floyd pigs
* Publius Enigma
* Bob Klose

*   Category

* v
* t
* e

The Dark Side of the Moon

Immersion & Experience Editions · 50th Anniversary Edition

Songs|

| Side one|

* "Speak to Me"
* "Breathe (In the Air)"
* "On the Run"
* "Time"
* "The Great Gig in the Sky"

|

Side two|

* "Money"
* "Us and Them"
* "Any Colour You Like"
* "Brain Damage"
* "Eclipse"

Tours|

* Dark Side of the Moon Tour
* The Dark Side of the Moon Live

Tribute albums|

* Dub Side of the Moon
* Dubber Side of the Moon
* The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon
* From the Dark Side of the Moon
* Return to the Dark Side of the Moon
* Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd
* The Dark Side of the Moon Redux

Related articles|

* The Dark Side of the Rainbow
* The Wizard of Oz
* Darkside

* The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
* A Saucerful of Secrets
* More
* Ummagumma
* Atom Heart Mother
* Meddle
* Obscured by Clouds
* The Dark Side of the Moon
* Wish You Were Here
* Animals
* The Wall
* The Final Cut
* A Momentary Lapse of Reason
* The Division Bell
* The Endless River

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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