“Comfortably Numb”
Single by Pink Floyd from the album The Wall
B-side	Hey You
Released	1979
Format	7"
Recorded	April–November 1979
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	6:21 (album)[1] 3:59 (single edit)
Label	EMI
Writer(s)	David Gilmour & Roger Waters
Producer	Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Bob Ezrin
Pink Floyd singles chronology
Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) (1979) Comfortably Numb (1979) Run Like Hell (1980)
The Wall Disc Two track listing
"Bring the Boys Back Home" (5) "Comfortably Numb" (6) "The Show Must Go On" (7)

"Comfortably Numb" is a song by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd, which was released on the 1979 double album The Wall. It was also released as a single in the same year, with "Hey You" as the B-side. It is one of only three songs on the album for which writing credits are shared between Roger Waters and David Gilmour – most of the music on "Comfortably Numb" was written by Gilmour, while Waters contributed the lyrics and some additional notes. "Comfortably Numb" is one of the most famous Pink Floyd songs, and is known especially for its guitar solos. In 2004, the song was ranked #314 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Playwright Tom Stoppard said he wrote most of his Tony Award winning The Coast of Utopia during repeated listenings of the song.^[2] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... For other Pink Floyd works based around this album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... Hey You is a song by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... A 12-inch record (left), a 7-inch record (right), and a CD (above) Two 7 singles (left), two colored 7 singles (middle), and two 7 singles with large spindle holes (right). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... For the Canadian writer and television journalist, see David Gilmour (writer), for the jazz guitarist see David Gilmore. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... For the Canadian writer and television journalist, see David Gilmour (writer), for the jazz guitarist see David Gilmore. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... This article is about the three songs by Pink Floyd. ... The Wall track listing In the Flesh (Track 8) Run Like Hell (Track 9) Waiting for the Worms (Track 10) Run Like Hell is a song on the Pink Floyd album The Wall. ... For other Pink Floyd works based around this album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... For other Pink Floyd works based around this album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... Bring The Boys Back Home is a song on the Pink Floyd album, The Wall. ... The Show Must Go On, a song by popular British rock band, Pink Floyd, that appeared on their 1979 rock epic The Wall. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the musical composition. ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... For other uses, see Band. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits is a 2007 compilation album by Van Morrison comprised of 19 songs as featured in various movies. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the genre. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... For the Canadian writer and television journalist, see David Gilmour (writer), for the jazz guitarist see David Gilmore. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1979 Record labels established in 1979 1979 in music (UK) // Stevie Wonder uses digital audio recording technology in recording his album Journey through the Secret Life of Plants. ... For other Pink Floyd works based around this album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Hey You is a song by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... For the Canadian writer and television journalist, see David Gilmour (writer), for the jazz guitarist see David Gilmore. ... Guitar solos are a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. ... Sir Tom Stoppard, OM, CBE (born as Tomáš Straussler on July 3, 1937)[1] is an Academy Award winning British playwright of more than 24 plays. ... The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League [1] at an annual ceremony in New York City. ... The Coast of Utopia is a 2002 trilogy of plays by Tom Stoppard, focused on the philosophical debates in pre-revolutionary Russia between 1833 and 1866. ...

History

While most songs on The Wall were written by Waters alone, most of the music for "Comfortably Numb" was written by David Gilmour, who originally recorded it for his first solo album. Gilmour later decided not to use it for his album, and instead brought his demo of it to The Wall sessions. For the Canadian writer and television journalist, see David Gilmour (writer), for the jazz guitarist see David Gilmore. ... 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...

The song is one of two tracks on The Wall which are completely freestanding and do not fade into or out of an adjacent track. (The other freestanding song is "Mother.") This is because on the original LP there was a break on the music as side three of the album finished. Mother is a song by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd. ... A 12-inch record (left), a 7-inch record (right), and a CD (above) Two 7 singles (left), two colored 7 singles (middle), and two 7 singles with large spindle holes (right). ...

According to Rolling Stone the lyrics came from Roger Waters' experience when he was injected with tranquillizers for hepatitis by a doctor prior to playing a Pink Floyd show in Philadelphia on the band's 1977 tour for the Animals album.^[3][4] "That was the longest two hours of my life," Waters said. "Trying to do a show when you can hardly lift your arm." The experience gave him the idea which became the lyrics to this song. This article is about the magazine. ... Hepatitis (plural hepatitides) implies injury to liver characterised by presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Waters and Gilmour disagreed about how to record the song as Gilmour preferred a more grungy approach to the verses. In the end, Waters' preferred opening to the song and Gilmour's final solo were used on the album. Gilmour would later say, "We argued over 'Comfortably Numb' like mad. Really had a big fight, went on for ages." [Rock Compact Disc magazine, September 1992]

Plot

Like the rest of the songs on the album, "Comfortably Numb" tells a part of the story of Pink, the album's protagonist. Pink, feeling completely isolated from society, cannot stand the pressures of life as a rock star and collapses in his hotel room before leaving for his concert. A doctor is sent into the room and gives Pink an injection that gives him the energy he needs to perform. The lyrics are written as a conversation, with Waters voicing the doctor and Gilmour voicing Pink.

Film version

A large group consisting of Pink's manager (played by Bob Hoskins), the hotel manager (played by Michael Ensign), paramedics, and roadies burst into Pink's hotel room to find an unconscious Pink sitting in a sofa. The hotel manager does not take kindly to Pink's untidyness, but Pink's manager insists that "he's an artist". After injecting a drug into Pink's arm, the paramedics drag Pink out of the hotel and to his limousine. During this time, the drug causes Pink to hallucinate that his body is decaying. Upon being inserted into the limousine, Pink tears off his diseased shell to reveal a Nazi-esque attire. Robert William Bob Hoskins Jr. ... }} Michael Ensign (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American actor. ...

Flashbacks of Pink's childhood are intercut into the scene. In the flashback, a young Pink finds a wild rat and shows it to his overprotective mother. Her negative reaction towards the rodent causes Pink to hide the rat in a nearby shed. Pink later catches a fever that keeps him bed-ridden until the next morning. The next day, Pink returns to the shed, only to find that the rat has died in his absence, forcing Pink to dump the body into the nearby river. This article is about rats. ...

Guitar solos

This song features two guitar solos by David Gilmour, and is a particular favourite with Pink Floyd fans. The final solo (outro, coda, or fade out), is widely revered by fans worldwide as one of Gilmour's best, and is the archetypal rock guitar solo. Guitar solos are a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. ... For other uses, see Outro (album). ... Coda sign Coda (Italian for tail; from the Latin cauda), in music, is a passage which brings a movement or a separate piece to a conclusion through prolongation. ... Fade-out are a manipulatie for sound prerecordings where the sound of the last part of the prerecording becomes gradually weak to absolute silence. ... Archetype is defined as the first original model of which all other similar persons, objects, or concepts are merely derivative, copied, patterned, or emulated. ... Guitar solos are a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. ...

In 1989 the readers of the Pink Floyd fanzine The Amazing Pudding voted this song the best Floyd song of all time. David Gilmour's solo was rated the 4th best guitar solo of all-time,^[5] by Guitar World magazine, in a reader poll. Also on Guitar World there are details on David Gilmour's "Comfortably Numb" solo stating that the solo (most likely the outro solo) was pieced together by several other solos that Gilmour had been experimenting with at the time. In August 2006, it was voted the greatest guitar solo of all time in a poll by listeners of digital radio station Planet Rock.^[6] 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). ... Two issues of Guitar World featuring Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix on the covers, and the accompanying CDs (May 2005, October 2005) Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Planet Rock is a digital radio station in the United Kingdom. ...

Live performances

Pink Floyd

During the 1980–81 The Wall tour, where a giant wall was constructed across the stage during the performance, the song was performed with Roger Waters dressed as a doctor at the bottom of the wall, and David Gilmour singing and playing guitar from the top of the wall on a raised platform with spotlights shining from behind him. According to David Gilmour the final solo was one of the few opportunities during those concerts that he could be free to improvise completely^{[citation needed]}. Gilmour also revised the verses to his preferred^{[citation needed]} more grungy approach when the song was played on 1990s Pink Floyd tours after Waters left the band. Grunge redirects here. ...

When the post-Waters Pink Floyd performs the song without Waters, the verse vocals are arranged for harmonies, rather than attempt to imitate Waters's voice. In both 1987-88 and 1994, these vocals were performed by Richard Wright, Guy Pratt and Jon Carin.

In December of 1988, a video of the live performance from Delicate Sound of Thunder reached #11 on MTV's Top 20 Video Countdown. The video was two minutes shorter than the album version and the video clip had some different camera angles as opposed to the released home video version. Delicate Sound of Thunder is a Pink Floyd live double album from the David Gilmour-led era of the band which was recorded over five nights at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York in August 1988 and mixed at Abbey Road Studios in September 1988. ...

A 10-minute version of "Comfortably Numb" was performed at Earls Court, London on October 20, 1994, as part of the Division Bell tour. The P*U*L*S*E video release edited out approximately 1 1/2 minutes of the ending solo^{[citation needed]} much to the disappointment of Floyd fans^{[citation needed]}. (The original pay per view video has the unedited version). Gilmour is also said to have stated that the version of "Comfortably Numb" as played at the Superdome in New Orleans on the 1994 tour was the best version he has played^{[citation needed]}. The Earls Court Exhibition Centre (also known as Earls Court Arena or often simply Earls Court) is located in West London, England on the boundary between the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... This article is about the Pink Floyd album. ... The Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or even the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

David Gilmour

Gilmour has performed the song during each of his solo tours.

In 1984 the song was referenced in the set list as "Come On Big Bum". The vocals during the verses were performed by bandmembers Gregg Dechart and Mickey Feat. This article is about the year. ...

In 2001 and 2002, the verse vocals were performed at different dates by guest singers: Robert Wyatt, Bob Geldof, Kate Bush and Durga McBroom. This article is about the year. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945, in Bristol) is an English musician, and a former member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine. ... Robert Frederick Xenon Geldof[1], KBE[2], known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951) [3], is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and political activist. ... Kate Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. ... Durga McBroom is a singer and actress, born October 16, 1962 in California, who has performed backing vocals for Pink Floyd. ...

During 2006, Richard Wright sang the Waters' part. On May 29th 2006 at the Royal Albert Hall, David Bowie sang Waters' part as a special guest. The song was often referred to as "C-Numb." Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ...

Roger Waters

After leaving Pink Floyd, Waters first performed "Comfortably Numb" at the massive 1990 concert staging of The Wall Live in Berlin on July 21, 1990. The event's purpose was to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall. Roger Waters sang lead, Van Morrison sang Gilmour's vocal parts backed by Rick Danko and Levon Helm of The Band, with guitar solos by Rick DiFonzo & Snowy White, and backup by the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir. This version was used in the Academy Award winning 2006 movie The Departed that was directed by Martin Scorsese. It is also heard in the TV show The Sopranos episode "Kennedy and Heidi" when Christopher Moltisanti plays The Departed soundtrack on his car stereo before a serious accident. Van Morrison's 2007 compilation album, Van Morrison at the Movies includes this version. This article is about the year. ... For other works based on the Pink Floyd album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... View in 1986 from the west side of graffiti art on the walls infamous death strip Walls poster in memory of the fall. ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. ... Richard Clare Rick Danko (December 29, 1942-December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician and singer, probably best known as a member of The Band. ... Mark Lavon Helm (born May 26, 1940), better know as Levon Helm, is an American rock musician most famous as the drummer for the rock group The Band. ... For other uses, see Band. ... Snowy White (born Terence Charles White, 3 March 1948, in Barnstaple, Devon) is an English guitarist, mostly known for having played for Thin Lizzy (permanent member from 1979 to 1981) and for Pink Floyd (as a back-up player; he was first invited to join the band through Europe and... The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin) is an orchestra in Berlin, Germany. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Departed is an Academy Award winning 2006 crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg. ... Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (b. ... This article is about the television series. ... Episode chronology Kennedy and Heidi is the eighty-third episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos, and the sixth episode of the second half of the shows sixth season. ... Christopher Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes. ... Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits is a 2007 compilation album by Van Morrison comprised of 19 songs as featured in various movies. ...

Waters subsequently performed the song at the "Guitar Legends" festival in Spain in 1991 (guest vocals by Bruce Hornsby) and at the Waldon Woods benefit concert in Los Angeles in 1992 (guest vocals by Don Henley) Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954 in Williamsburg, Virginia) is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Donald Hugh Don Henley (born July 22, 1947 in Gilmer, Texas) is an American rock musician who is the drummer and one of the lead singers and songwriters of the band Eagles. ...

During 1999-2000, Doyle Bramhall II and Snowy White replicated Gilmour's vocals and guitar solos; a role carried out by Chester Kamen and White in 2002 and Dave Kilminster, Jon Carin and White in 2006-2007. Doyle Bramhall II (born 24 December 1968) is a guitarist and vocalist in his band Smokestack and is also the second guitarist in Eric Claptons band. ... Snowy White (born Terence Charles White, 3 March 1948, in Barnstaple, Devon) is an English guitarist, mostly known for having played for Thin Lizzy (permanent member from 1979 to 1981) and for Pink Floyd (as a back-up player; he was first invited to join the band through Europe and... Dave Kilminster performing in Roger Waters band at Arrow Rock Festival, June 10, 2006 Guitarist Extraordinaire Dave K was born in Bristol, UK and currently resides about fifty miles north of London with his partner, flautist and vocalist Anne-Marie Helder. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Cover versions

Various Pink Floyd tribute albums include this song, including Luther Wright and the Wrongs on Rebuild the Wall (2001), Patricia Maertens on Echoes of Pink (2002), Graham Parker on A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd (2003), Billy Sherwood with Yes members Chris Squire and Alan White on Back Against The Wall (2005); Mostly Autumn with Heather Findlay singing verse, Bryan Josh chorus on Pink Floyd Revisited (DVD, 2005); Sarah Slean on Pink Floyd Redux (2006), and Gregorian on Masters of Chant Chapter V (2006). A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of a specific artists songs. ... Luther Wright and the Wrongs are a Canadian alternative country band, consisting of Luther Wright, Camille Giroux, Burke Carroll, Dan Curtis and Sean Kelly. ... Image of the Cover of this album. ... This article is about the year. ... Echoes of Pink: A Pink Floyd Tribute is a tribute album to the music of rock band Pink Floyd. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Graham Parker playing at Brits Pub in Minneapolis, Minnesota . ... A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd is a two CD compilation of Pink Floyd covers released in 2003 by Stanley Recordings of Venice, California. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Billy Sherwood William Billy Wyman Sherwood (born March 14, 1965), is a musician, record producer, and engineer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Christopher Russell Edward Squire (born 4 March 1948), better known as Chris Squire is an English musician and the bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and is the only member of the group to appear on every album (co-founder Jon Anderson appeared on all but... For the former drummer of Oasis, see Alan White (Oasis drummer) . Alan White (born June 14, 1949 in Pelton, County Durham, England) is an English rock and roll drummer best known for his 34 years of work with the progressive rock band Yes. ... Back Against The Wall is an album released in 2005 by a number of progressive rock artists as a tribute to Pink Floyds album The Wall. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mostly Autumn in concert Mostly Autumn is a British band, producing music influenced at least by progressive rock and Celtic music genres. ... Sarah Slean performing at De Helling in Utrecht, the Netherlands. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gregorian is a German band, headed by Frank Peterson, performing Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. ... Masters of Chant Chapter V is an album by German band Gregorian. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bands regularly performing "Comfortably Numb" in concert include Anathema, The Sisters of Mercy (often in medley with the song "Some Kind of Stranger"), and Dream Theater (once with the band Queensrÿche). Staind included a live acoustic version on their compilation album The Singles 1996→2006. Bruce Hornsby performs "Comfortably Numb" as part of a medley with his own "Fortunate Son") on the 2005 DVD Three Nights on the Town. Anathema are an English band from the city of Liverpool, which, together with Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, helped to develop the death/doom sound, a subgenre of doom metal. ... For the religious organisation of this name, see Sisters of Mercy. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Myung, John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, before they dropped out to support the band. ... Queensrÿche (pronounced IPA: ) is an American heavy metal / progressive metal band formed in 1981 in Bellevue, Washington. ... Staind (IPA: , as in the word stained) is an American alternative metal group[1][2] from Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. ... Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954 in Williamsburg, Virginia) is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. ... Fortunate Son is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival on their album Willy and the Poor Boys in 1969. ...

The biggest UK hit single covering of a Pink Floyd song to date was the Scissor Sisters' 2004 disco-oriented version released on Polydor, mixed by Canadian electronic musician and DJ/producer Tiga. The singing, by Scissor Sisters' lead singer Jake Shears, is in a falsetto style reminiscent of the Bee Gees' song "Stayin' Alive". While it irked some Floyd fans, David Gilmour and Nick Mason expressed a liking for the group,^[7] and Roger Waters is said to have congratulated the Scissor Sisters on the version.^[8] Shears was invited by Gilmour to sing "Comfortably Numb" with him in some 2006 shows, but was dropped at the last moment to Shears' public disappointment.^[9] The Scissor Sisters are an American alternative band who formed in 2001. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the music genre. ... Polydor Records is a record label once headquartered in Germany. ... Electronic dance music is a broad set of percussive music genres that largely inherit from 1970s disco music and, to some extent, the experimental pop music of Kraftwerk. ... Tiga is the stage name of Montreal-born DJ/producer Tiga James Sontag (born 1974). ... Jake Shears (born Jason Sellards on October 3, 1977 in Arizona) is the vocalist for the American music group the Scissor Sisters. ... Falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false) is a singing technique that produces sounds that are pitched higher than the singers normal range, in the treble range. ... The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb — that became one of the most successful musical acts of the 20th century. ... Stayin Alive is a song by The Bee Gees, released as a single in 1977. ... Nicholas Berkeley Nick Mason (born January 27, 1944 in Birmingham, England) is the drummer for Pink Floyd. ...

In 2005 Dar Williams included a version with no guitar solo on her album My Better Self, duetting on the track with Ani DiFranco. "I always thought a woman should record it," Dar Williams explains, "So I decided to do it, but I thought it needed another woman. Ani was my dream choice and she just nailed it," Williams says, "The song is a commentary on who we are in the aftermath of the last election, no matter who you voted for. On one level it is about a dream which seems to have died in our society and the ultra convenient numbing I am witnessing these days." Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dar Williams (full name Dorothy Snowden Williams, born 1967) is an American singer-songwriter specializing in what can be described as folk-pop. She frequents folk festivals across the nation, such as the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in Hillsdale, New York. ... Guitar solos are a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. ... My Better Self is a Dar Williams album which was released on September 13, 2005 by Razor & Tie. ... Ani DiFranco (IPA: ) (born Angela Maria Difranco on September 23, 1970) is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. ...

Music sample:

Pink Floyd "Comfortably Numb" (1979) Image File history File links Pink_Floyd_-_Comfortably_Numb. ...

30 second sample of "Comfortably Numb" from the album "The Wall" (1979).

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Personnel

• David Gilmour - guitars,^[10] Prophet-5 synthesizer. vocals (refrain) ^[10]
• Nick Mason - drums^[10]
• Roger Waters - vocals (verses) ^[10], bass guitar ^[10]
• Richard Wright - organ ^[10]
• Lee Ritenour - acoustic guitar ^[10]
• The New York Orchestra ^[10]

For the Canadian writer and television journalist, see David Gilmour (writer), for the jazz guitarist see David Gilmore. ... Nicholas Berkeley Nick Mason (born January 27, 1944 in Birmingham, England) is the drummer for Pink Floyd. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... Richard William Rick Wright (born July 28, 1943 in Hatch End, London) is a self-taught pianist and keyboardist best known for his long career with Pink Floyd. ... Lee Mack Captain Fingers Ritenour (born January 11, 1952) is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, recording artist, composer and producer. ...

References

Alternate uses: Echoes (disambiguation) Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd is a compilation album by Pink Floyd. ... For other works based on the Pink Floyd album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... For other works based on the Pink Floyd album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... Returning from a 12 year long hiatus from the road, the In The Flesh tours were a showcase of Roger Waters best known work from his days with Pink Floyd to his recently released solo album Amused to Death. ... Delicate Sound of Thunder is a Pink Floyd live double album from the David Gilmour-led era of the band which was recorded over five nights at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York in August 1988 and mixed at Abbey Road Studios in September 1988. ... The Departed is an Academy Award winning 2006 crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg. ... P·U·L·S·E (also referred to as Pulse) is a live double CD by Pink Floyd, released in 1995. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Usual types of gramophone record (phonograph record in U.S. English) are discussed in the main article. ...

Bibliography

• Fitch, Vernon. The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia (3rd edition), 2005. ISBN 1-894959-24-8

External links

• Songfacts: Comfortably Numb
• Rolling Stone article 2004-12-09