About Face
Studio album by David Gilmour
Released	March 27, 1984
Recorded	1983 - Pathé Marconi Studio, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Genre	Hard rock Blues-rock Progressive rock
Length	45:18 (original album) 45:55 (2006 remaster)
Label	Harvest Records, EMI (UK) Columbia Records, Legacy/Columbia (US)
Producer(s)	Bob Ezrin and David Gilmour
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
David Gilmour chronology
David Gilmour (1978)	About Face (1984)	On an Island (2006)

About Face is the second solo album of the Pink Floyd guitarist, David Gilmour, released in March 1984. The album was co-produced by Bob Ezrin and David Gilmour. Two songs were co-written by Gilmour (music) and The Who's Pete Townshend (lyrics), the rest by Gilmour himself. In May of the same year, fellow Floyd counterpart Roger Waters released his first official solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. Image File history File links David_Gilmour_About_Face. ... A Studio Album is an album of regular studio recordings. ... David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Blues Rock or Blues-rock is a fusion genre of music which combines elements of the blues with rock and roll. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Harvest Records was a record label, formed by EMI in 1969 to promote progressive rock music and to compete with Philips Vertigo label and Deccas Deram labels. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is an English music company comprising the major record company, EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... Legacy Recordings is the reissue division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment which was founded in 1990 by CBS Records (renamed Sony Music in 1991) to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated labels. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Bob Ezrin (born 1949 in Toronto, Ontario) is a musician and legendary record producer. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4. ... David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... David Gilmour is the eponymous first solo album from Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour, released in May 1978 (see 1978 in music) in the UK and on June 17, 1978 in the US. The album reached #17 in the UK and #29 on the Billboard US album charts... On an Island is the third solo album by David Gilmour, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Pink Floyd. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... Bob Ezrin (born 1949 in Toronto, Ontario) is a musician and legendary record producer. ... The Who is an English rock band formed in 1964. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer who is best known as the guitarist and principal songwriter for the rock band The Who. ... George Roger Waters (born September 6, 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and composer. ... The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking is a concept album/rock opera by English musician Roger Waters, released in 1984. ...

The album was recorded in France with engineer Andrew Jackson at a time when Pink Floyd's future was uncertain. The album was mixed by James Guthrie at Mayfair Studios in London.

Some of the musicians helping Gilmour out were the late Jeff Porcaro, Pino Palladino, Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord, and Steve Winwood. Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was a highly regarded session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. ... Pino Palladino Pino Palladino is a noted rock and rhythm and blues electric bass player. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Jon Douglas Lord (born Leicester 9 June 1941) is an English composer, Hammond organ and piano player. ... Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born May 12, 1948 in Great Barr, West Midlands) is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to his solo career, was a member of the bands the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. ...

Gilmour on the In the Studio with Redbeard episode spotlighting his 2006 solo effort On an Island looked back on About Face saying, "Looking back on it, it has some great moments on there but the whole flavour of it is too 80s for my current tastes." In the Studio with Redbeard is a North American radio program hosted by Dallas, Texas rock and roll disc jockey Redbeard. ... On an Island is the third solo album by David Gilmour, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Pink Floyd. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ...

The album featured the disco-style single "Blue Light" (later remixed by François Kevorkian and which was often voted as worst Floyd solo song according to the long defunct Floyd fanzine The Amazing Pudding) and another single, "Love on the Air". "All Lovers Are Deranged" and "Murder" were released as singles for North American rock radio and hit numbers 10 and 11 respectively on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Charts. This article is becoming very long. ... A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. ... François Kevorkian François Kevorkian, alias François K, (born January 10, 1954) is a French-born US DJ, remixer, producer and record label owner. ... The Amazing Pudding was a Pink Floyd and Roger Waters fan magazine, founded by Ivor Trueman and published, variously, by him, Andy Mabbett (, Dave Walker and Bruno MacDonald, for ten years (and 60 issues). ...

The album reached #21 in the UK and #32 in the U.S. and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The RIAA Logo. ...

About Face was re-released by EMI Records in Europe as a digitally remastered CD on August 14, 2006. Legacy Recordings/Columbia Records released the remastered CD in the US and Canada on September 12, 2006.

Track listing

1. "Until We Sleep" – 5:15
2. "Murder" – 4:59
3. "Love on the Air" (Gilmour/Townshend) – 4:19
4. "Blue Light" – 4:35
5. "Out of the Blue" – 3:35
6. "All Lovers Are Deranged" (Gilmour/Townshend) – 3:14
7. "You Know I'm Right" – 5:06
8. "Cruise" – 4:40
9. "Let's Get Metaphysical" – 4:09
10. "Near the End" – 5:36 (the 2006 remaster has a longer fadeout at 5:50)

Versions of "Blue Light"

1. "Blue Light" (Single Edit) – 3:52
2. "Blue Light" (12" Mix from the "Blue Light" 12" Promo Single) – 6:10
3. "Blue Light" (Instrumental Version, B-side of "Blue Light" 12" Promo Single) – 6:13

Unused tune

Another piece of music written for the album was not used by Gilmour.

He asked Roy Harper and, separately, Pete Townshend, to supply lyrics, but felt that those provided were not messages that he could relate to. Harper subsequently used the tune, with his lyrics, as "Hope", on his 1985 album with Jimmy Page, Whatever Happened to Jugula?. Townshend used it with his as "White City Fighting", which has a markedly faster tempo, on his 1984 album White City: A Novel. Roy Harper (born 12 June 1941), is an English singer-songwriter / guitarist who specialises in folk music. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer who is best known as the guitarist and principal songwriter for the rock band The Who. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... White City: A Novel is a solo album by Pete Townshend of The Who. ...

Credits

• David Gilmour - Guitars, Vocals, Producer
• Jeff Porcaro - Drums
• Pino Palladino - Fretless Bass Guitar
• Steve Winwood - Hammond Organ and Piano on "Love On The Air" and "Blue Light"
• Jon Lord - Synthesizer, Organ
• Anne Dudley - Synthesizer
• Ray Cooper - Percussion
• The Kick Horns - Horns
• Mickey Feat - Backing Vocals
• Roy Harper - Backing Vocals
• Sam Brown - Backing Vocals
• Vicki Brown - Backing Vocals
• Michael Kamen - Orchestration arranger
• Bob Ezrin - Producer, Orchestration arranger
• Andrew Jackson - Recording engineer
• Doug Sax - Mastering and remastering
• James Guthrie - Mixing engineer and Remastering
• Joel Plante - Remastering

David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was a highly regarded session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. ... Pino Palladino Pino Palladino is a noted rock and rhythm and blues electric bass player. ... Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born May 12, 1948 in Great Barr, West Midlands) is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to his solo career, was a member of the bands the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. ... Jon Douglas Lord (born Leicester 9 June 1941) is an English composer, Hammond organ and piano player. ... Anne Dudley (born 7-May-1956) is an orchestral composer and pop musician and was the BBC Concert Orchestras Composer in Association between January 2002 and January 2005. ... Ray Cooper Ray Cooper (born August 19, 1942 in Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English musician. ... The Kick Horns are a London based group of highly skilled session brass players who have been playing as The Kick Horns since the early 80s. ... Roy Harper (born 12 June 1941), is an English singer-songwriter / guitarist who specialises in folk music. ... Sam Brown (born October 12th, 1964 in London), daughter of RocknRoll star Joe Brown and singer Vicki Brown, is a British female singer-songwriter best known for her work in the late 1980s, although she has continued to release material since then. ... Michael Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician. ... Bob Ezrin (born 1949 in Toronto, Ontario) is a musician and legendary record producer. ... For other uses, see Andrew Jackson (disambiguation). ... James Guthrie is a British record producer best known for his work with the band Pink Floyd. ...

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Singles - Billboard (North America)