Tag Archive for "dream academy" tag

It’s Blog Action Day today, the theme this year is Climate Change and all I ask is that you think of, tell us about and listen to songs about the environment, ecology, nature, and what is to many the most pressing of global concerns. A link to the song and some prominent lyrics would be grand.

Here’s the obvious one, but it’s still the finest to my ears: Joni Mitchell’s original ‘Big Yellow Taxi’. (You may not know that the revised version of the song includes an entirely expected price increase for admission to the tree museum; it’s no longer “a dollar-and-a-half”, it now costs “an arm and a leg” just to see ‘em.)

Here are a few more, several of which have been covered by different artists:

- Beach Boys, ‘Don’t Go Near the Water’
- The Cranberries, ‘Time Is Ticking Out’
- Dream Academy, ‘Forest Fire’
- Marvin Gaye, ‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’
- Tish Hinojosa, ‘Something In the Rain’
- Kraftwerk, ‘Radioactivity’
- Rush, ‘Red Tide’
- Cat Stevens, ‘Where Do the Children Play?’
- Stephen Stills, ‘Ecology Song’
- Joe Walsh, ‘Song For a Dying Planet’

A few lines from the aforementioned Joe Walsh number:

“Is anyone out there?
Does anybody listen or care anymore?
We are living on a dying planet,
We’re killing everything that’s alive,
And anyone who tries to deny it
Wears a tie and gets paid to lie.”

If all that’s not enough to keep your minds pre-occupied today, I’d also like to hear about those inspirational musicians that we’ve been talking about lately and their endorsement of environmental campaigns. What are musicians and their record labels doing to help save a dying planet, and which are doing most?

Oh, and here’s something for you all to sign. Please?

You may well have heard about this already, so apologies – not least to Nick – for not being able to mention it, and invite your feedback on it, before my break.

David’s guitar and backing vocals, along with the bass of Guy Pratt, feature on a new song by Nick Laird-Clowes (Dream Academy, Trashmonk) called ‘Mayday’.

It’s part of the soundtrack to Nick Broomfield’s documentary, ‘A Time Comes: The Story of the Kingsnorth Six’, about a group of influential environmental activists who, in a protest against government plans to construct new coal-fired plants across Britain (you can see where they want them, here), bravely scaled a 220m chimney at Kingsnorth power station, Kent, back in 2007.

In all, 50 Greenpeace volunteers took over the site. They immobilised the conveyor belts that carry coal into the plant and chained themselves to machinery.

The resulting trial was historic.

You can watch how their story unfurled in a 20-minute documentary, and download the track, here.

Naturally, I’d like to hear what you think of both, but I’d also enjoy a tasty discussion about coal’s validity in the 21st century and about ordinary people taking up their right to protest, which is what the song is all about.

One fact to bear in mind, if you please: Seven new (marginally more efficient) coal plants would wipe out half of the UK’s carbon budget, making it impossible to reach the target of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% (compared with 1990 figures) by 2050.

That target figure doesn’t take into consideration emissions from shipping and aviation, but that’s a grumble for another day.

A German report commissioned by Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council claims that, by 2050, the USA could be coal-free, drawing nearly all its electricity from renewable supplies, cutting emissions by more than 80% and creating 14 million jobs in the process.

Germany, by the way, although experiencing similar resistance to the construction of new coal-powered plants, is on target to be using 100% renewable energy sources by 2050. (Germany already produces 200 times more solar, and ten times more wind, power than the UK.)

If you’d like to Give Coal the Boot, and let Prime Minister Brown know how you feel about coal (that’s give coal the boot, not Gordon; give him a break, it’s not all his fault), stamp your footprint on the Greenpeace map – it doesn’t matter where in the world you are. The same is true if you’d like to contact energy giant E.ON.

As has been said a million times before, we only have one Earth, so issues such as this have consequences for everybody.

In between discussing wildfires, utopian communes and bad parenting in the chatroom yesterday, we touched upon Dream Academy (anyone spot the connection?); a fine band, it transpired, that some people were not too familiar with.

So, I thought it might be worth pointing out some of the many artists with whom David has worked down the years, starting today, with The Law.

The Law was Paul Rodgers’ supergroup. Formed in the early ’90s with drummer, Kenney Jones, they called upon David, Bryan Adams and Chris Rea to compliment bassist, Pino Palladino, and guitarist, John Staehely.

They only released one self-titled album, a deluxe edition of which has been remastered and was recently released in some areas, including Australia and the United States – on the Friday label. It will be released in the UK later this month.

David plays on the track ‘Stone’. Do you know it?

The chatroom next opens its doors at 13:00 (UK) on Monday, should you wish to join in.

As reported on the Latest News page, David surprised everyone by taking to the stage with Richard Wright and Nick Mason last night to celebrate the life and music of the late, great, Syd Barrett.

The concert, at London’s Barbican Hall, was organised by Pink Floyd’s first producer, Joe Boyd, and David’s good friend, Nick Laird-Clowes (of Dream Academy fame).

They performed ‘Arnold Layne’, accompanied by Jon Carin on keyboards and Oasis’ Andy Bell on bass, as well as returning to the stage for an all-star finale of ‘Bike’.

The above photo, taken by Polly, is of the only rehearsal. Note the time on the clock: a little after half past eight.

You can see the picture in all its glory in the Galleries.

The evening was a fitting tribute to Syd, who passed away in July.

The chatroom will open between 3PM and 5PM (UK) today.

That’s all for another week. Have a good weekend, everyone.

As we acknowledge that many of the people reading are new to David’s recent album, never mind his career outside of Pink Floyd, it might be of genuine interest to make others aware of the sheer depth of material that David has contributed to down the years.

Acts as varied – and wonderful – as Dream Academy, Elton John, Roy Harper and John Martyn, to name just a few… All have called upon David to lend a hand, both in the studio, and on stage.

In return, David has been fortunate to have been able to call upon some fine musicians to compliment his own material, such as Phil Manzanera, pictured above on the ‘On An Island’ tour.

So, if you have a favourite song, don’t keep it to yourself. Others may be interested in locating it, particularly in this age of digital downloads and easy access to music that, in many cases, you once had to hunt down (not that finding the ‘Arnold Layne’ single in North America didn’t require a map and compass, we fully appreciate).

There really is an A (Arcadia) to Z (Zevon, Warren) to consider here, so please tell us about these collaborations. There are some surprising ones.

No long lists, though. Just tell us a song or two and why you’d recommend it to anyone who hasn’t heard it before.

Alas, we’ve sadly come to the last pair of shoes…

Do you know who they belong to? For the very last time, let us know whose shoes you think they are – and include an interesting fact about this person, if you can.

The last pair belonged to Steve DiStanislao. Congratulations to those who guessed correctly.

Stevie has very kindly agreed to answer some of your questions, as Guy did recently. So, if there’s anything you’re itching to find out, please jot your thoughts down - but don’t send them just yet.

Details to follow later in the week, so please hold on to your questions until then.

In the meantime, here’s more from Guy.

What did you get Rick for Father’s Day? (Matt Parish)

Nothing, seeing as he’s not my father. It’s not a big day ’round our house, to be honest.

Do you get along with your father-in-law and have you ever purchased any of his solo efforts? (John NFF)

It is extraordinary that anyone thinks I would actually say I didn’t get on with Rick on a public forum. So, yes, I do. I have been around the world with him four times, and even sailed the Atlantic with him; I truly love the man… I did actually buy ‘Wet Dream’, but by the time ‘Broken China’ came out I was with Gala, so we got given one.

How did you happen to meet David? (Gian Luca)

Through Dream Academy and then Bryan Ferry.

Were you a Pink Floyd fan during your teenage years? (IMcK)

I went to ‘The Wall’ shows at Earl’s Court: front row, every night, both years, once on Acid. I knew then it was the best show I would ever see… and it’s quite sad that, 26 years later, I was right.

What’s your absolute favourite Pink Floyd or David Gilmour song? (Bas Swanenberg)

‘Comfortably Numb’, ‘I Can’t Breathe Anymore’.

What did you think about Roger playing with Pink Floyd at Live8? (Beau)

I was all for it, it was high time they sorted things out, although sadly David asked me to play on ‘Wish You Were Here’ and I had to say no as I was booked to play in Berlin with Roxy Music. That wasn’t easy, I tell you. We’d finished and were having dinner by the time Floyd went on, but there was no telly, so I was getting running commentary text messages from practically everyone I know every 10 seconds. I didn’t get to see it ’til about two weeks later.

Is it true that Roger Waters asked you to play bass on his ‘Amused To Death’ album? (Werner)

Good question! Roger didn’t, but his producer, my dear friend Pat Leonard, did. I asked David if it would be OK, and of course he said yes, but I think Pat bottled out of asking Roger… Probably for the best, as I live over here, if you know what I mean.

We are still clarifying several points with regards to concert tickets, so please bear with us just a little longer. I haven’t forgotten about your questions and will answer them as soon as I have received answers.

Whilst on the topic of questions, I still get lots about the ‘PULSE’ DVD. As I have already explained, I really cannot answer them as it’s a matter for Pink Floyd’s management, not David’s. I’m afraid that these questions will have to be deleted from now on, as I simply don’t have the time to chase people for answers (more than I do at present).

Incidentally, can any of you think of some interesting questions? I’m absolutely swamped with really boring ones, and I’m sure that the witty among you can whip up something that would make David laugh. He’s getting a bit bored by the same old ones all the time, the poor chap.

Please send them to the address on the FAQs page. I don’t like getting long lists of questions, though. That’s too much hard work.

That said, I did get a good one the other day about the session work that David has done and the contributions he has made to the work of other artists, which got a few brains whirring. What do you think? Let us know your five favourite songs that David has contributed to.

That’s songs by other artists, preferably non-Pink Floyd members.

This time ‘five’ really means five. No second postings, please. Five per person only. Once you’ve named five tracks, any others are going to be deleted. Let’s get some more discipline here, seeing as you respond so well to it.

Yes, that was a joke. Forgive me.

Look, I’ll even start you off. Right off the top of my head:

‘Troubled Soul’ – Sam Brown
‘Love, Pain and Sorrow’ – Snowy White
‘No More Lonely Nights’ – Paul McCartney
‘Twelve Eight Angel’ – Dream Academy
‘Sasha’ – Michael Kamen

Today’s picture is another of Polly’s. Here we have David and co-producer Phil Manzanera, with the orchestra.

Another coming soon with news about tickets.