The Division Bell
Studio album by Pink Floyd
Released	30 March 1994 (UK) 5 April 1994 (U.S.)
Recorded	1993
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	66:32
Label	EMI (UK) Columbia (U.S.)
Producer	Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Blender link Robert Christgau link Rolling Stone link
Pink Floyd chronology
Shine On (1992) The Division Bell (1994) P•U•L•S•E (1995)
Alternate covers
U.S. release cover
European cassette cover

The Division Bell is the final studio album by Pink Floyd, released in 1994 (March 30 in the United Kingdom and April 5 in the United States), and the second album without Roger Waters. It was recorded at a number of studios, including guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour's houseboat studio called The Astoria. It went to #1 in the UK and debuted at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 album charts in April of 1994, spending 4 weeks as the top album in the country. By contrast, Pink Floyd's previous album A Momentary Lapse of Reason had only reached #3. The Division Bell was certified Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum in the U.S. in June of 1994 and Triple Platinum in January of 1999. Its release was accompanied by a successful tour documented in the P•U•L•S•E album released the following year. A division bell is a bell rung in or around a parliament to signal a division and thus call all members of the chamber so affected to vote in it. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ... 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. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 2_stars. ... Blender is an American magazine that bills itself as the ultimate guide to music and more. ... Image File history File links 3_stars. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 2_stars. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... Shine On is a nine CD box set by Pink Floyd which was released in 1992 to coincide with Pink Floyds 25th Anniversary as a recording and touring band. ... P•U•L•S•E (pronounced and sometimes written as Pulse) is a live double CD by Pink Floyd, released on May 29, 1995[1], and is considered widely by many fans to be the best live album released by Pink Floyd, despite the departure of former band leader Roger... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... George Roger Waters (born September 6, 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and composer. ... David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... A houseboat in Amsterdam Houseboat for Students in Zwolle, Netherlands. ... Aerial shot of The Astoria compliments of Google Earth The Astoria is a house boat turned recording studio owned by David Gilmour, guitarist for Pink Floyd. ... Alternate cover US remaster cover A Momentary Lapse of Reason is Pink Floyds 1987 album, the bands first release after the official departure of Roger Waters from the band in 1985. ... P•U•L•S•E (pronounced and sometimes written as Pulse) is a live double CD by Pink Floyd, released on May 29, 1995[1], and is considered widely by many fans to be the best live album released by Pink Floyd, despite the departure of former band leader Roger...

History

Before the Roger Waters-led period, David Gilmour stated that the music and lyrics were in balance, and the importance of the music was understood. The Division Bell's atmosphere is spacier, sounding more like Meddle or Obscured by Clouds than the grittier and harsher tones of Animals or The Wall. David Gilmour and Richard Wright stated on "In the Studio with Redbeard", which spotlighted The Division Bell (including interviews which were recorded for The Division Bell's world premiere special aired one week before its U.S. release) that the album was the band's best since their 1975 release Wish You Were Here. For space rocks, see asteroid. ... Alternate cover U.S./Canadian releases cover Meddle is an album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. ... Obscured by Clouds is a rock album by Pink Floyd based on their soundtrack for the French film La Vallée. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Richard William Rick Wright (born July 28, 1943 in Hatch End, London, England) is a self-taught pianist and keyboardist best known for his long career with Pink Floyd. ... In the Studio with Redbeard is a North American radio program, produced and hosted by Dallas, Texas based rock and roll disc jockey Redbeard. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

This release marks the first time Richard Wright had sung lead vocals on a Pink Floyd album since 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon, although he did provide backing vocals for Wish You Were Here, Animals and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It also marks his first songwriting credit on a Pink Floyd album since Wish You Were Here. This article is about the album by Pink Floyd. ... Alternate cover US remaster cover A Momentary Lapse of Reason is Pink Floyds 1987 album, the bands first release after the official departure of Roger Waters from the band in 1985. ...

The track "Marooned" was awarded a Grammy in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1994. This has been Pink Floyd's only Grammy to date. The song Marooned is an instrumental track on Pink Floyds 1994 album The Division Bell. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... The 36th Grammy Awards were held in 1994. ...

EMI concocted an Internet-based "puzzle" known as the Publius Enigma in connection with the album's release. Officially, it was never solved. The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ... The Division Bell album cover The Publius Enigma is a puzzle connected with Pink Floyds 1994 album The Division Bell. ...

Structure

Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, chose the name of the album, being a friend of David Gilmour. This came about because the three band members could not agree on an album title (with both "Pow Wow" and "Down to Earth" being suggested) and Adams said he would give the band a name if they made a quite large donation to Greenpeace. The band agreed and the name, taken from a line in the final track, "High Hopes", was suggested. The phrase itself derives from the division bell, which is rung in the British House of Commons, and some other legislatures, to signal the commencement of a division (vote) to Members of Parliament. Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ... The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was first and foremost a 1978 radio comedy series written by Douglas Adams. ... Greenpeace protest against Esso / Exxon Mobil. ... High Hopes is a song from the 1994 Pink Floyd album The Division Bell, written by David Gilmour and Polly Samson. ... A division bell is a bell rung in or around a parliament to signal a division and thus call all members of the chamber so affected to vote in it. ... Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... It has been suggested that Division of the house be merged into this article or section. ...

Despite no specific over-arching concept, there is a musical connection between the songs in the form of a linking theme of communication and the lack of it.^[1] Tracks such as "What Do You Want from Me", "A Great Day for Freedom" and "Take It Back" seem chiefly concerned with communication problems within relationships^{[citation needed]}, while "Keep Talking" is more generally about the importance of maintaining a dialogue and the dangers of allowing oneself to become insular.^{[citation needed]} Samples of Professor Stephen Hawking (from a telephone company advertisement) provide the spoken word portions of "Keep Talking". This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... What Do You Want from Me is a song by progressive rock band Pink Floyd featured on their album, The Division Bell. ... A Great Day for Freedom is a song by progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... Take It Back is a song from Pink Floyds 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... Keep Talking is a song from Pink Floyds 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA, (born 8 January 1942) is a British theoretical physicist. ...

While some songs can be interpreted as references to the then ongoing relationship problems between Pink Floyd members, especially the long-standing estrangement between David Gilmour and Roger Waters, Gilmour denies that the album is an allegory for the split and acknowledges only "a couple of hinted mentions that could or could not have something to do with him [Waters]".^[2] Allegory of Music by Filippino Lippi. ...

At the end of the album, Gilmour's step-son, Charlie, can be heard hanging up the telephone on Pink Floyd manager Steve O'Rourke, who had pleaded to be allowed to appear on a Pink Floyd album. Steve ORourke, Pink Floyd manager and keen racing driver, sadly passed away in Miami, Florida, USA, in October 2003. ...

Artwork

The cover artwork, by long-time Pink Floyd collaborator Storm Thorgerson, shows two metal head sculptures, each over three metres tall and weighing 1500 kilograms. They were placed in a field in Cambridgeshire and photographed under all weather and lighting conditions over a two-week period, sometimes with visual effects such as lights between them. Ely Cathedral is visible in the background, as are lights (actually car headlights on poles), shown through the sculptures' mouths. Rumours circulated at the time of the photography that they were in excess of 20 metres high; this was not true. The sculptures are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. The iconic cover of Pink Floyds album The Dark Side of the Moon. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... Front of Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral (in full, The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely) is the principal church of the diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Ely. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ...

The cover photograph is slightly different on each format, and between the United States Columbia and British EMI releases. The Braille writing on the EMI CD jewel case spells Pink Floyd. Braille code where the word (, French for first) can be read. ... Contents // Categories: Stub ...

Two additional head sculptures were made of stone and photographed in the same manner; although they do not appear in the CD artwork, they appeared on the cassette cover, and can be seen in the tour brochure and elsewhere. The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. ...

The artwork inside the lyric booklet revolves around a similar theme, except the heads are made up of various other objects, such as newspapers ("A Great Day for Freedom"), coloured glass ("Poles Apart"), and boxing gloves ("Lost for Words").

Track listing

All lead vocals performed by David Gilmour unless stated otherwise. David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ...

1. "Cluster One" (David Gilmour, Richard Wright) – 5:58
   • Instrumental
2. "What Do You Want from Me" (Gilmour, Wright, Polly Samson) – 4:21
3. "Poles Apart" (Gilmour, Wright, Samson, Nick Laird-Clowes) – 7:04
4. "Marooned" (Gilmour, Wright) – 5:29
   • Instrumental
5. "A Great Day for Freedom" (Gilmour, Samson) – 4:17
6. "Wearing the Inside Out" (Wright, Anthony Moore) – 6:49
   • Lead vocals: Richard Wright and David Gilmour
7. "Take It Back" (Gilmour, Samson, Laird-Clowes, Bob Ezrin) – 6:12
8. "Coming Back to Life" (Gilmour) – 6:19
9. "Keep Talking" (Gilmour, Wright, Samson) – 6:11
   • Lead vocals: David Gilmour and Carol Kenyon
10. "Lost for Words" (Gilmour, Samson) – 5:14
11. "High Hopes" (Gilmour, Samson) – 8:32

The vinyl version was released with edited versions of "Poles Apart", "Marooned", "Coming Back To Life", "'A Great Day for Freedom", "Wearing the Inside Out" and "High Hopes". Cluster One is the first song on Pink Floyds 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... Richard William Rick Wright (born July 28, 1943 in Hatch End, London, England) is a self-taught pianist and keyboardist best known for his long career with Pink Floyd. ... What Do You Want from Me is a song by progressive rock band Pink Floyd featured on their album, The Division Bell. ... Polly Samson, journalist and writer, was born in London in 1962 to a diplomatic correspondent father and a writer mother of Chinese descent (mother, Esther Cheo Ying, wrote a memoir Black County Girl In Red China, about her time serving as a Major in Maos Red Army) . Following a... Poles Apart is a song written by Pink Floyd from the bands 1994 album The Division Bell. ... Nick Laird-Clowes is a musician and was a member of the band The Dream Academy His solo album Mona Lisa Overdrive was released under the name Trashmonk. ... The song Marooned is an instrumental track on Pink Floyds 1994 album The Division Bell. ... A Great Day for Freedom is a song by progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... Wearing the Inside Out is a song from Pink Floyds 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... Anthony Moore (also known as Anthony More a) (born 1948) is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. ... Take It Back is a song from Pink Floyds 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Coming Back to Life is a song from Pink Floyds 1994 album The Division Bell, and is credited solely to David Gilmour. ... Keep Talking is a song from Pink Floyds 1994 album, The Division Bell. ... Lost For Words is the tenth song on Pink Floyds 1994 album The Division Bell. ... The Division Bell track listing Lost for Words (10) High Hopes (11) High Hopes is a song from the 1994 Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell, written by David Gilmour and Polly Samson. ...

Singles

• "Take It Back" / "Astronomy Domine (live)" / "Take It Back" (edit) - Columbia 38-77493; released 31 May 1994
• "High Hopes (radio edit)" / "Keep Talking (radio edit)" / "One of These Days (live)"; released 10 October 1994

is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...

Personnel

• David Gilmour – vocals, guitars, bass guitar, Keyboards, production and programming
• Richard Wright – keyboards, piano, vocals
• Nick Mason – drums, percussion and programming
• Jon Carin – additional keyboards
• Guy Pratt – bass guitar
• Gary Wallis – percussion
• Tim Renwick – guitars
• Dick Parry – saxophone and trumpet
• Carol Kenyon – backing vocals, vocals on "Keep Talking"
• Sam Brown – backing vocals
• Bob Ezrin – drums, production and composing in "Take It Back"
• Anthony Moore - lyrics in "Wearing The Inside Out"
• Michael Kamen – orchestral arrangements
• Professor Stephen Hawking – digital voice on "Keep Talking"

David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... The classical guitar typically has nylon strings. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping,popping or using a pick. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Richard William Rick Wright (born July 28, 1943 in Hatch End, London, England) is a self-taught pianist and keyboardist best known for his long career with Pink Floyd. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... Nicholas Berkeley Nick Mason (born January 27, 1944 in Birmingham, England) is the drummer for Pink Floyd. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged for convenience playing by a single drummer. ... “Percussion” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Guy Pratt is a well-known session bassist and also a songwriter, actor and comedian. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping,popping or using a pick. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... This biography does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The classical guitar typically has nylon strings. ... Dick Parry is a saxophonist born in 1944. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... The trumpet is the highest brass instrument in register, above the French horn, trombone, baritone, euphonium, and tuba. ... Carol Kenyon (sometimes spelt Karol) is a United States singer. ... A backup vocalist is a vocalist that sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, with other backup vocalists, or alone but in the background of a song. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... 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. ... A backup vocalist is a vocalist that sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, with other backup vocalists, or alone but in the background of a song. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged for convenience playing by a single drummer. ... Composing is the art of organizing sound for later performance(s). ... Anthony Moore (also known as Anthony More a) (born 1948) is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. ... Lyrics are the words in songs. ... 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. ... Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA, (born 8 January 1942) is a British theoretical physicist. ...

Chart positions

Album

Singles

References

External links

• Official Pink Floyd site