Have you seen the documentary on Clare Torry? (sorry if I've misspelt that). It's worth a watch if anybody hasn't. Only thing is I've forgot the name, my memory is really bad. Although I can recite the Noodle Doodle advert word for word from the 80s and numerous others, but I can't remember last week 🙄. Anyway, it's on UA-cam somewhere. 💫👌✌
She did not look anything like what I had imagined, based only on her singing voice. How does such a huge voice come out of such a diminutive woman? 🎶🎵😲
LOL, they have it with lyrics!! I would have loved to have been the one with that job. I'd have tried to use every letter of the alphabet. You nailed the interpretation of the song. If you get the opportunity, check out the interview with the singer, Clare Torry. She got the gig and it was scheduled for the same night she was on a date, so she brought him to the session and wanted to blow his socks off. It's been over 50 years, I think he's still barefoot.
Clare Torry's vocals are to represent the 5 stages of grief mourning: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. She improvised the entire vocal portion and she basically just let it rip. Also, Claire Torry's vocal is astonishing, but the chord progressions that Rick Wright plays (and wrote) on piano are unique. He was the soul of Pink Floyd.
You're reading *_way_* too much into it. It was just a few improvised scat/melismatic performances on a single afternoon and edited together later. Settle down. Also, stick to *"Clare."
I have been listening to this album for almost fifty years. My favorite songs are Brain Damage/Eclipse. Two songs that are ALWAYS played together. However, the truth is… The album needs to be played start to finish, in its entirety. From the beginning heartbeat to the ending heartbeat.
So I'm at 37 years in with Floyd and agree here and say further that most of their albums should be listened to all in one sitting. Candles and a darkened room are good. I've posted here before that Wish You Were Here is a must and understanding the back story to the album's them and knowing about Syd Barrett either before, during, or after your reaction is something to consider in terms of its emotional energy and ability to affect the listener.
@Chad Regimbal Crazy idea. How about listening to the actual album? I don't know, maybe cd or even vinyl? There are more media options than just YT you know!
Listen to this another hundred of times... and be grateful that you are in the position of experiencing one of the greatest experiences in modern music... this piece will be discussed and analyzed endlessly within the next 300 years... because yes it is that great! one of the highest peaks of modern music... do not dare to underestimate it
I'm impressed you got it right off the bat , this song is about death and the 3 stages we all go thru, in youth a complete rejection of even the thought , the second singer { middle age} conveys an anger towards it and a desperate rejection of it and the last one {old age } acceptance , well that's how i interpreted the song , maybe yours is different and it's all good . love your expressions ,they keep me smiling
This one of rhe few Pink Floyd songs that uses a female vocal. Clare Torry was not ad lib and sing any words. Pink Floyd keyboard player Rick Wright wrote this song, which is about life, gradually descending into death. Hence the angrier and more intense first half with a dying person refusing to "go gently into that good night."The second half is gentler, as the dying person gives into the inevitable and fades away
Agreed. I have always believed “the great gig in the sky” to have been a sermon, rather like when Moses came down the mountain, with magic words from God to his people. Clare Torry’s vocals have the same vibrational magic. For those with ears to hear. /|\
Pink Floyd were notorious perfectionists, and would spend days or weeks getting a single track just right. Then Clare Torry came in (a little reluctantly) one Sunday evening and absolutely nailed the vocal in one session. In the early part, where she expresses fear and anger, it sounds like she's given it everything she's got, but then she comes back and attacks it again and again, going harder than ever. Simply amazing - and beautifully engineered by Alan Parsons, giving Clare's voice power, vulnerability and remoteness at precisely the right times.
What is amazing about this album, well maybe all of them, is that they truly DGAF about having mainstream success. They just did their thing, and through that, in 2023 there are teenagers of every nationality wearing their shirts. It kind of boggles your mind when you think about it. You are not the first reactor I’ve watched who had previously assumed they were somehow metal or more hard rock. Because they are very much revered by many metal artists and metalheads, even though that’s not what they were. They clearly tapped into something special that many different types of people can appreciate.
It's ironic that an album in which the overall theme is time, seems to be quite timeless. I can't believe it's been 50 years since I first heard it, and it still holds up to this day. It never gets old imho.
@@heliotropezzz333 Not that I agree but by the numbers sold, 1. Thriller - Michael Jackson 2. Back in Black - AC/DC 3. The Bodyguard Soundtrack 4. The Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd 5. Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) - Eagles 6. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf
"Nothing was said and yet everything was said" That's why I enjoy your reactions so much. First impression, and nailed it. There is a chord change in the progression of this song where they introduce a real darkness. In that brief moment it goes from church hymn to the void, and I love it so much.
You nailed it young lady. You and my youngest daughter have renewed my faith in your generation. Keep on keeping on. P.S. Get a nice Indica dominant strain, and listen to the whole album, start to finish, as it was intended to be listened to, and you will get it. You, have a great intellect, and an amazing grasp of life, at such a young age. Peace Young Lady.
Lily Jane. I think you captured the feeling. This song does simulate that process. Always been a favorite from this album. Hope you continue your Pink Floyd journey. Thx!
Death. An event that all of humanity is destined to experience at one point or another, in one way or another be it our own death or the death of a loved one, depending on each individuals level of compassion and acceptance. Persistent, traumatic grief can cause us to cycle (sometimes quickly) through the stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, acceptance. These stages are our attempts to process change brought along by the loss of a loved one or the acceptance of ones own mortality and to protect ourselves while we adapt to our new reality. Pink Floyd's Great Gig in the Sky is about such a journey. The opening lyrics start with denial and ends with acceptance.
I might have missed it in someone else's comments but usually there's the recommendation that you listen to the entire thing in one sitting. Dark Side of the Moon is a concept album where one song flows into the next. The albums Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall are concept albums too, so even if you don't have the time, at least do a few (2-3?) of the songs in a chunk, if possible. I think you will gain an even greater appreciation if you listen to the whole at one time.
I think it's quite promising and satisfying that a young person can listen clearly, and come to grips with this totally emotional and deep piece, and make a good fist of it. Thanks muchly LJ, it was a beautiful reaction that you gave..x
Dark side of the moon. YES. The only album I have bought 4 times. From vinyl LPx2, cassette, and CD. I grew up playing this in the 70's and still love it.
This song was recorded at Abbey Road studios. It just so happen that Paul McCartney was in the studio at the same time. Several people were asked to provide the male voice at the beginning of this song including Paul. The person that was used on the record was Gerry O'Driscoll, the door man at Abbey Road studios.
They told her the concept of what they wanted. She started singing. They said no lyrics. She improvised it on the spot. 2 1/2 takes. The last one she stopped 1/2 way through & said you got what you needed. It was the best she could do. I just wanted to add: You have the best nontechnical reaction I've hear. 👍
For me, it is impossible to pick a favourite song off this album because it is written _as_ _an_ _album,_ and every song loses something being taken on its own. TBF I am amazed at how much you've picked up experiencing it piecemeal like this - it shows how well-written and -performed it is, but also what a great sense for music and meaning you have. You've really tuned into it - thank you for sharing your journey!
Wow, incredible analysis, especially from a single listen. I'm impressed. SUBBED! My favorite song: The whole album with headphones on in a darkened room with a nice hot cup of tea (or adult beverage) with my legs up and eyes closed.
Pick a favorite Pink Floyd song? Hell, I can't even pick a favorite Pink Floyd album! Edit to add: yes, a couple tokes are always good when listening to Pink Floyd.
Nothing better than going to see Pink Floyd back in the day do the entire Dark Side of the Moon live while under the influence. It was an experience I'll never forget.
I'll never forget when I first heard this song, and I still get chills now. First time around, the wailing and screams almost disturbed me but in a good way. I was younger when I first listened and as I listened more I really got the whole message of it, I see it as the 5 stages of grief. Clare Torry delivering one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching vocal performances ever recorded. It's hard to pick a favourite from the album, "Time" would be one of my picks. My dad's favourite is "Us and Them" which I can agree with too. Can't wait for you to get to that one!
If you listen carefully at about 3.33 minutes you can hear the singer (Clare Torri) whisper: “I never said I was afraid of dying”. That always makes me whipe away some tears.
Often misheard, some say it sounds like "if you hear this whisper, you are dying," but having listened to it many times I'm pretty sure you've got it. Spoken by Patricia "Puddie" Watts, the wife of Peter Watts (Pink Floyd's road manager and engineer at the time) and stepmother of British/Australian actress Naomi Watts. (I thought she said "frightened of dying" rather that "afraid...")
I've just watched about five of your Pink Floyd reactions in succession, and I love them. Your Floyd reactions are by far the most intelligent I have seen and you nailed them every time. When Clare Torry went into the studio to sing this, the first thing she did was to ask for the lyrics. She was told 'there are no lyrics, just sing what you feel'. She was told to sing the five phases of death, you picked up on that. Most reactors only go so far as to say her performance was 'really emotional' without giving any more. So she did this in one take (after a little vocal warm-up). They started to do a second take, but she stopped after a few bars and said she couldn't do it again because she put everything into the first take, which was what they used. She recently sued Pink Floyd for shared songwriting credits for the song since she wrote the 'lyrics'. I think Pink Floyd just agreed with her and gave her the credits without even going to court over it. By the way, you said the organ part sounded like a church sermon; it was! Originally the song was styled as a funeral service in a church, then they tried it with a moon-landing commentary, and in the end they settled on this.
Dark Side of the Moon was meant to be heard the way I listened to it 50 years ago. Buzzed wearing headphones. As to my personal favorite on this album, I have to say Us and Them.
me too, I dropped out of highschool, because I wasn't learning anything new, but pink Floyd, on headphones gave me more knowledge than the teachers moving their lips , coming in waves.
Could not agree with you more. Each and every one of PK's albums needs to be listened to as a whole and not parts. They all tell stories and on so many levels.
Thank you for sharing your reaction...I seen pink floyd 6may be 7 times they are a experience..in my listening experience dark side of the moon is like one song... masterpiece it is..🌹
The Great Gig in the Sky is a metaphor for dying. It begins with a panic and dread of the dying process and evolves into acceptance. And then on to 'The Great Gig in the Sky'.
Hello youmg lady! So jappy you found this cut. 45 yrs listening. My go to, when u dont know how the hell your feeling. Claire Torry sure helps with this epoc piece. All the emotioms we can feel. Has always brought me ✌ I sure hope u can find that in this song each listen. Welcome to tje word of Floyd. 50 yrs ago think of that girl!!! Cheers
I think it's incredible how you can listen to a song once and find the deep meaning behind it. I don't know how many times I've listened to this song and not once did I ever think of any kind of meaning to it other than I like the sound of it. I didn't pick up on that it was about death at all (probably because I never could understand what was being said at the beginning, until now, reading the caption). You have a gift, being able to interpret hidden meaning (or perhaps not so hidden, but hidden to me) to so many songs.
Brilliant work, Lilly Jane, looking past the terrible "lyric" video and seeing what's going on in the song. The person actually missed a quiet spoken word part at about 3:32 in the song, where a woman says, "I never said I was frightened of dying." It's a simple, profound push back against the understandable fear of dying. Clair Torrey's vocal performance, which she was embarrassed about, is one of the best vocal solos ever! Thank you for taking time to listen to this!
Those words were actually - if you can hear this whispering you are dying. - I’d been listening to this album since it was released and it was only about 2 years ago that I heard it - it felt like someone just whispered it in my ear and it floored me!
@@rodmacpherson8383 I do understand. A lot of people hear "If you can hear this whispering you are dying," although the audio from Patricia Watts (at about 3:33) is, "I never said I was frightened of dying," answering the one of the question cards used to capture the spoken-word portions used on TDSotM, "Are you afraid of dying," the first answer to which is given by Gerry O'Driscoll (at about 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."
This song allows me to unfold and understand the loss in my life. Everyone I looked up to the most in my life has died. This is a pure expression of how I felt when my brother died. I screamed the same vocals in this song.
Thanks for this great reaction Lily Jane! This song is amazing and stays with you forever. I’ve been playing it on the piano for many years and it always moves me. The whole album is magical, but I would recommend you react to the beautiful Us and Them as I’m sure you will love it 🥰
My first real concert was in April of 1973, Pink Floyd DSOTM. I was a 17 yr old senior in highschool. As much as I appreciate younh people getting into Floyd, we didn't have the internet, we had an album with a sleve/cover that had the lyrics. I have listened to PF for 50 years and really never cared what the lyrics meant that much, the music itself takes you into a realm of your own making. Back in th e day that was fueled by partaking in mind altering substances. I have seen Pink Floyd live 6 times, the first 3 under the influence, the other 3 completely clean (44 yrs now). I can tell you that the music affects me the very same way it did in 1973 and rarely a day goes by that I don't listen to them. I guess what I am trying to say is don't over think/complicate it, just sit back crank up the volume and ENJOY where the music takes you!!! But hey what does an old fart like me know!
While there are a great many songs that I like more than this across the whole of music, I would venture to say that this is the best song ever conceived. My father (from whom I’m now estranged, though we still have the music we shared) once asked me “what does the piano in Imagine by John Lennon sound like?” From that moment, I realized that there are transcendental compositions in music. I’ve heard “Great Gig in the Sky” at least a thousand times in my short life, both isolated from the rest of the album and accompanied with the rest of the album, and still, 18-19 years since I first heard it, I’m blown away that there’s instruments in this song. I completely forget because Clare Torry’s vocals are just so immense.
This album came out 50 years ago. It has been on the top 200 album charts for almost *20 years*. That says all that you need to know about this album. It's depth is almost immeasurable.
Their albums really must be listened to as one piece end to end to get the full context and emotion through each individual song. Every album is a masterpiece.
I told you this the last time you asked, it's really hard to pick a favorite but I have to go with US and Them, it's just such a beautiful piece of music.
Dark Side Of The Moon is one piece. It should never be broken up into "songs", but should be listened to from beginning to end without pause (except to flip the disc if one is listening on vinyl). It is a whole that is much more than the sum of its parts, and should be listened to and understood as such. It comes from a different time, a time when albums were sometimes intended to be listened to in their entirety, instead of just a format to blast as many songs out as possible and hope one of them is a "hit" to make money.
I was 13 when I first heard this song. I didn't know what it was and why there were no lyrics just this beautiful song and mystical wailing. Many years I later, I know what she meant....
The whole album is a masterpiece, and that is news to no one, by now... To me, the song that is most easily appreciated on its own is "Money", which just happens to be the next track if you follow the order. It has a few truly great moments, and a brilliant Bass line so iconic that you may even have heard it in the background, somewhere. I consider it one of their best. ;-]
Yes, pain and dying, that's what Pink Floyd was going for when they hired British singer Clare Torry to do the "wordless vocals", (as it became referred to), in "The Great Gig in the Sky". This song is the last song on side A of Pink Floyds iconic 1973 Concept album, "Dark Side of the Moon". The album tells a story about Life, Death, Time, War, Money, the philosophical and physical ideas of an unfulfilled life that can lead to Insanity, (see Syd Barrett). The GGITS is the Death part, good for you picking up on that!
"In the beginning it sounded almost like a church hymn." If you recall the closing lines from the song just before this on the album (Time), "Far away across the field, the tolling on the iron bell..."
I have always loved this song since it first came out. The loss of two sisters to ovarian cancer in the last two years reenforces, to me,how bang on the message is.
It's my favourite track on the album along with Us and Them. You said it all really about the performance, only I would add it could be interpreted an appreciation of life and going out with a bang. Either way it's beautiful.
I honestly hope Clare watches UA-cam and sees how she's still touching lives decades later without ever having said a word. That's true brilliance.
Her interview is so nonchalant. Humble genius drives us to our destinations.
Have you seen the documentary on Clare Torry? (sorry if I've misspelt that). It's worth a watch if anybody hasn't. Only thing is I've forgot the name, my memory is really bad. Although I can recite the Noodle Doodle advert word for word from the 80s and numerous others, but I can't remember last week 🙄.
Anyway, it's on UA-cam somewhere. 💫👌✌
@@VeteranHedonist Hey, yeah. The brains get full and we have to keep some disposable memory working.
She did not look anything like what I had imagined, based only on her singing voice. How does such a huge voice come out of such a diminutive woman? 🎶🎵😲
@@ErikOosterwal some of the most powerful voices come out of tiny people lol Stevie Nicks, Prince, Ronnie James Dio.
I could listen to the song 100 million times and still get teary-eyed every time.
I dunno... by the 99th million, I think I'd crack. ;-]
100 million times continuously without a break would take 910 years. Are you Methuselah?
So do I.
@@zombie7857 839 years by my calculations 😂
This song makes me bawl my eyes out every time
LOL, they have it with lyrics!! I would have loved to have been the one with that job. I'd have tried to use every letter of the alphabet. You nailed the interpretation of the song. If you get the opportunity, check out the interview with the singer, Clare Torry. She got the gig and it was scheduled for the same night she was on a date, so she brought him to the session and wanted to blow his socks off. It's been over 50 years, I think he's still barefoot.
LOL, well said and I do believe he is.
I disagree with some of the spelling…
@@alundavies1016 yes, should have put it through a spell checker!
Best listened to immediately after "Time".
Clare Torry's vocals are to represent the 5 stages of grief mourning: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. She improvised the entire vocal portion and she basically just let it rip.
Also, Claire Torry's vocal is astonishing, but the chord progressions that Rick Wright plays (and wrote) on piano are unique. He was the soul of Pink Floyd.
You're reading *_way_* too much into it. It was just a few improvised scat/melismatic performances on a single afternoon and edited together later. Settle down. Also, stick to *"Clare."
@@rollomaughfling380 I think that was an un rehearsed take from Clare from memory. I agree with the 5 stages concept, not that is was intentional.
@@andrewstewart8704 It's an edit, dude. Google is your friend, FFS.
It's about the stages of dying, not grief. ✌️
Hey, we tell ourselves the stories we like.
I have been listening to this album for almost fifty years. My favorite songs are Brain Damage/Eclipse. Two songs that are ALWAYS played together. However, the truth is… The album needs to be played start to finish, in its entirety. From the beginning heartbeat to the ending heartbeat.
Dead right! Preferably, on headphones in a darkened room. It's awesome.
THIS. The album is a whole concept, not easily appreciated by little pieces.
So I'm at 37 years in with Floyd and agree here and say further that most of their albums should be listened to all in one sitting. Candles and a darkened room are good. I've posted here before that Wish You Were Here is a must and understanding the back story to the album's them and knowing about Syd Barrett either before, during, or after your reaction is something to consider in terms of its emotional energy and ability to affect the listener.
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars as Roger Waters once said, "you can't watch TV in the dark because it makes light". Applies to UA-cam as well.
@Chad Regimbal Crazy idea. How about listening to the actual album? I don't know, maybe cd or even vinyl? There are more media options than just YT you know!
Listen to this another hundred of times... and be grateful that you are in the position of experiencing one of the greatest experiences in modern music... this piece will be discussed and analyzed endlessly within the next 300 years... because yes it is that great! one of the highest peaks of modern music... do not dare to underestimate it
I'm impressed you got it right off the bat , this song is about death and the 3 stages we all go thru, in youth a complete rejection of even the thought , the second singer { middle age} conveys an anger towards it and a desperate rejection of it and the last one {old age } acceptance , well that's how i interpreted the song , maybe yours is different and it's all good . love your expressions ,they keep me smiling
I love the entire album! Have for 50 years but "Us and Them", is a must listen.
Time.
Every single word rings true.
Aaaaah, the Floyd at full Floyd. I spent so much time stoned just loving this.
Pink Floyd made for being stoned.
You and me both, brother. So many nights, it was just Pink Floyd, me and my stoner cat Lucky...
I love the alternate Spock!
and on head phones lol
I recall listening to this after dropping 2 acid, wow man what a night 🌙
This one of rhe few Pink Floyd songs that uses a female vocal. Clare Torry was not ad lib and sing any words.
Pink Floyd keyboard player Rick Wright wrote this song, which is about life, gradually descending into death. Hence the angrier and more intense first half with a dying person refusing to "go gently into that good night."The second half is gentler, as the dying person gives into the inevitable and fades away
Floyd uses tons of female vocals in their work and has toured with many female vocalists for live performances for decades.
Yes, the 5 stages of death.
@@xhighone Wow, I didn't know that. How many songs have all female vocals?
This is an album that needs to be listend to from begining to end. It's all connected.
Agreed. I have always believed “the great gig in the sky” to have been a sermon, rather like when Moses came down the mountain, with magic words from God to his people. Clare Torry’s vocals have the same vibrational magic. For those with ears to hear. /|\
In the dark with ear phones no one else around … turn off anything that may distract you
@@alphooey Yup
Pink Floyd were notorious perfectionists, and would spend days or weeks getting a single track just right. Then Clare Torry came in (a little reluctantly) one Sunday evening and absolutely nailed the vocal in one session. In the early part, where she expresses fear and anger, it sounds like she's given it everything she's got, but then she comes back and attacks it again and again, going harder than ever. Simply amazing - and beautifully engineered by Alan Parsons, giving Clare's voice power, vulnerability and remoteness at precisely the right times.
What is amazing about this album, well maybe all of them, is that they truly DGAF about having mainstream success. They just did their thing, and through that, in 2023 there are teenagers of every nationality wearing their shirts. It kind of boggles your mind when you think about it. You are not the first reactor I’ve watched who had previously assumed they were somehow metal or more hard rock. Because they are very much revered by many metal artists and metalheads, even though that’s not what they were. They clearly tapped into something special that many different types of people can appreciate.
I H F L A
It's ironic that an album in which the overall theme is time, seems to be quite timeless. I can't believe it's been 50 years since I first heard it, and it still holds up to this day. It never gets old imho.
There is a reason why this album is the fourth best selling album of all time. Pure genius.
4th🙄 should be best
What could possible have beaten it?
@@heliotropezzz333 Not that I agree but by the numbers sold,
1. Thriller - Michael Jackson
2. Back in Black - AC/DC
3. The Bodyguard Soundtrack
4. The Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
5. Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) - Eagles
6. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf
@@dpall38 Thanks for the info. There's no accounting for taste but I can see that the others might be easier to absorb. No thinking required.
@@heliotropezzz333 I get AC/DC, Back in Black was a great album. The rest are just befuddling. Dark Side is truly a work of art.
Pure angelic singing...Clair Torry, the woman with an angels voice struggling though life.
"Nothing was said and yet everything was said" That's why I enjoy your reactions so much. First impression, and nailed it. There is a chord change in the progression of this song where they introduce a real darkness. In that brief moment it goes from church hymn to the void, and I love it so much.
You nailed it young lady. You and my youngest daughter have renewed my faith in your generation. Keep on keeping on. P.S. Get a nice Indica dominant strain, and listen to the whole album, start to finish, as it was intended to be listened to, and you will get it. You, have a great intellect, and an amazing grasp of life, at such a young age. Peace Young Lady.
Lily Jane. I think you captured the feeling. This song does simulate that process. Always been a favorite from this album. Hope you continue your Pink Floyd journey. Thx!
It's the culmination of life, the terror of death, and finally that acceptance
We all must face.
So powerful!!!
Death. An event that all of humanity is destined to experience at one point or another, in one way or another be it our own death or the death of a loved one, depending on each individuals level of compassion and acceptance.
Persistent, traumatic grief can cause us to cycle (sometimes quickly) through the stages of grief:
denial,
anger,
depression,
acceptance.
These stages are our attempts to process change brought along by the loss of a loved one or the acceptance of ones own mortality and to protect ourselves while we adapt to our new reality.
Pink Floyd's Great Gig in the Sky is about such a journey. The opening lyrics start with denial and ends with acceptance.
The whole album. It must be listened to in one sitting from start to finish.
I might have missed it in someone else's comments but usually there's the recommendation that you listen to the entire thing in one sitting. Dark Side of the Moon is a concept album where one song flows into the next. The albums Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall are concept albums too, so even if you don't have the time, at least do a few (2-3?) of the songs in a chunk, if possible. I think you will gain an even greater appreciation if you listen to the whole at one time.
Once you understand the song, it's very deep, all the stages of dying and death are encapsulated in this song.
I think it's quite promising and satisfying that a young person can listen clearly, and come to grips with this totally emotional and deep piece, and make a good fist of it. Thanks muchly LJ, it was a beautiful reaction that you gave..x
Whoever wrote these lyrics is a legend
Dark side of the moon. YES. The only album I have bought 4 times. From vinyl LPx2, cassette, and CD. I grew up playing this in the 70's and still love it.
This song was recorded at Abbey Road studios. It just so happen that Paul McCartney was in the studio at the same time. Several people were asked to provide the male voice at the beginning of this song including Paul. The person that was used on the record was Gerry O'Driscoll, the door man at Abbey Road studios.
They told her the concept of what they wanted. She started singing. They said no lyrics. She improvised it on the spot. 2 1/2 takes. The last one she stopped 1/2 way through & said you got what you needed. It was the best she could do.
I just wanted to add: You have the best nontechnical reaction I've hear. 👍
This is the Third Reaction to this song that came out today!
Algorithm?
Considering more often than not, there are no hard breaks between songs, I'm going to say that my favorite song from the album is - the entire album.
For me, it is impossible to pick a favourite song off this album because it is written _as_ _an_ _album,_ and every song loses something being taken on its own. TBF I am amazed at how much you've picked up experiencing it piecemeal like this - it shows how well-written and -performed it is, but also what a great sense for music and meaning you have. You've really tuned into it - thank you for sharing your journey!
Wow, incredible analysis, especially from a single listen. I'm impressed. SUBBED!
My favorite song: The whole album with headphones on in a darkened room with a nice hot cup of tea (or adult beverage) with my legs up and eyes closed.
Just so you all know, the vocalist on this track, Clare Torry, is 77 this year.
Me too.
Music stripped down to raw powerfull, beautiful emotion.
Everything you said was spot on , A beautiful reaction darling! :) x
Pick a favorite Pink Floyd song? Hell, I can't even pick a favorite Pink Floyd album!
Edit to add: yes, a couple tokes are always good when listening to Pink Floyd.
I laughed out loud at that first line because it's so damn true!
In fact, we did listen to it stoned. A lot. This album was our college soundtrack. Thanks for checking it out!
Nothing better than going to see Pink Floyd back in the day do the entire Dark Side of the Moon live while under the influence. It was an experience I'll never forget.
Clarie is my hero. She captured it perfectly and needs to be honored for this
The scream is "why did we fight so hard"
I'll never forget when I first heard this song, and I still get chills now. First time around, the wailing and screams almost disturbed me but in a good way. I was younger when I first listened and as I listened more I really got the whole message of it, I see it as the 5 stages of grief. Clare Torry delivering one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching vocal performances ever recorded.
It's hard to pick a favourite from the album, "Time" would be one of my picks. My dad's favourite is "Us and Them" which I can agree with too. Can't wait for you to get to that one!
Saw this album live and noticed
Every band member got the spotlight
Centre stage gave them there moment
This song was the three backing singers
If you listen carefully at about 3.33 minutes you can hear the singer (Clare Torri) whisper: “I never said I was afraid of dying”.
That always makes me whipe away some tears.
Often misheard, some say it sounds like "if you hear this whisper, you are dying," but having listened to it many times I'm pretty sure you've got it. Spoken by Patricia "Puddie" Watts, the wife of Peter Watts (Pink Floyd's road manager and engineer at the time) and stepmother of British/Australian actress Naomi Watts. (I thought she said "frightened of dying" rather that "afraid...")
@@campbeld63one time when I listened to this album on acid I heard, “If you hear this whisper, you’re dying.”😂 boy was that thrilling
I've just watched about five of your Pink Floyd reactions in succession, and I love them. Your Floyd reactions are by far the most intelligent I have seen and you nailed them every time. When Clare Torry went into the studio to sing this, the first thing she did was to ask for the lyrics. She was told 'there are no lyrics, just sing what you feel'. She was told to sing the five phases of death, you picked up on that. Most reactors only go so far as to say her performance was 'really emotional' without giving any more. So she did this in one take (after a little vocal warm-up). They started to do a second take, but she stopped after a few bars and said she couldn't do it again because she put everything into the first take, which was what they used. She recently sued Pink Floyd for shared songwriting credits for the song since she wrote the 'lyrics'. I think Pink Floyd just agreed with her and gave her the credits without even going to court over it. By the way, you said the organ part sounded like a church sermon; it was! Originally the song was styled as a funeral service in a church, then they tried it with a moon-landing commentary, and in the end they settled on this.
this was the best selling album for many years, those numbers dont lie and reflect its quality perfectly, Lilly Jane thou art a goddess, i am in love❤
Brain damage/eclipse is my favorite track on this album. Love your channel!
I love that this song has a lyric video. There is a live performance out there where Pink Floyd actually had Clare Torry singing...worth the watch.
Generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest vocal performances ever recorded and she didn't sing a single word. That's genius right there.
you just played my fave PINK FLOYD song...so much emotion...
This sums up the 5 stages of dying. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It's brilliant
Dark Side of the Moon was meant to be heard the way I listened to it 50 years ago. Buzzed wearing headphones. As to my personal favorite on this album, I have to say Us and Them.
me too, I dropped out of highschool, because I wasn't learning anything new, but pink Floyd, on headphones gave me more knowledge than the teachers moving their lips , coming in waves.
This album is worth more in its whole, and not in pieces. The entire album is a masterpiece! Please listen to it from beginning to end. 🌸🍀
Could not agree with you more. Each and every one of PK's albums needs to be listened to as a whole and not parts. They all tell stories and on so many levels.
Thank you for sharing your reaction...I seen pink floyd 6may be 7 times they are a experience..in my listening experience dark side of the moon is like one song... masterpiece it is..🌹
Well done!…you nailed it first time…it’s about resistance and then acceptance
The Great Gig in the Sky is a metaphor for dying. It begins with a panic and dread of the dying process and evolves into acceptance. And then on to 'The Great Gig in the Sky'.
Hello youmg lady! So jappy you found this cut. 45 yrs listening. My go to, when u dont know how the hell your feeling. Claire Torry sure helps with this epoc piece. All the emotioms we can feel. Has always brought me ✌
I sure hope u can find that in this song each listen.
Welcome to tje word of Floyd.
50 yrs ago think of that girl!!!
Cheers
I think it's incredible how you can listen to a song once and find the deep meaning behind it. I don't know how many times I've listened to this song and not once did I ever think of any kind of meaning to it other than I like the sound of it. I didn't pick up on that it was about death at all (probably because I never could understand what was being said at the beginning, until now, reading the caption).
You have a gift, being able to interpret hidden meaning (or perhaps not so hidden, but hidden to me) to so many songs.
A Lyrics video . Hilarious ! although i think the creator missed a very subtle Line . "You can stop whispering anytime"
Agree, although getting the "interview " lyrics was cool/ important
I used to listen to this on vinyl in it's entirely almost every day. I like many types of music but this is my favorite album of all time.
I used to get baked and stick my head between 2 large speakers and crank this album. I had 2 copies so i didn't have to get up and flip the album lol
Brilliant work, Lilly Jane, looking past the terrible "lyric" video and seeing what's going on in the song. The person actually missed a quiet spoken word part at about 3:32 in the song, where a woman says, "I never said I was frightened of dying." It's a simple, profound push back against the understandable fear of dying. Clair Torrey's vocal performance, which she was embarrassed about, is one of the best vocal solos ever! Thank you for taking time to listen to this!
Those words were actually - if you can hear this whispering you are dying. - I’d been listening to this album since it was released and it was only about 2 years ago that I heard it - it felt like someone just whispered it in my ear and it floored me!
@@rodmacpherson8383 I do understand. A lot of people hear "If you can hear this whispering you are dying," although the audio from Patricia Watts (at about 3:33) is, "I never said I was frightened of dying," answering the one of the question cards used to capture the spoken-word portions used on TDSotM, "Are you afraid of dying," the first answer to which is given by Gerry O'Driscoll (at about 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."
This song allows me to unfold and understand the loss in my life. Everyone I looked up to the most in my life has died. This is a pure expression of how I felt when my brother died. I screamed the same vocals in this song.
Rick Wrights Us And Them is my favorite track on this album.
Miss Torrys voice is one of THE GREATS truly moving it touches your soul….
Time is the song that as more meaning with each passing year, and I have listened to it for 50 years,
Can't believe I've been listening to this for 50 years, and it's still rich, beautiful and amazing every time.
You understand much more than I do. Thank you for your insight.
Thanks for this great reaction Lily Jane! This song is amazing and stays with you forever. I’ve been playing it on the piano for many years and it always moves me. The whole album is magical, but I would recommend you react to the beautiful Us and Them as I’m sure you will love it 🥰
I'm glad this version of the video has the lyrics up there and tells me when the piano is playing so i can understand.
"I'm detecting subtle notes of sarcasm..."
Your reaction is much the same as mine on first hearing it in a villa in the south of France (don't ask, I was only 15). Mindblowing!!
Single greatest, most epic vocal ever and not a word spoken.
Favorites from the album, Time, Great Gig in the Sky, and Any Colour You Like,
My first real concert was in April of 1973, Pink Floyd DSOTM. I was a 17 yr old senior in highschool. As much as I appreciate younh people getting into Floyd, we didn't have the internet, we had an album with a sleve/cover that had the lyrics. I have listened to PF for 50 years and really never cared what the lyrics meant that much, the music itself takes you into a realm of your own making. Back in th e day that was fueled by partaking in mind altering substances. I have seen Pink Floyd live 6 times, the first 3 under the influence, the other 3 completely clean (44 yrs now). I can tell you that the music affects me the very same way it did in 1973 and rarely a day goes by that I don't listen to them.
I guess what I am trying to say is don't over think/complicate it, just sit back crank up the volume and ENJOY where the music takes you!!! But hey what does an old fart like me know!
This is my favorite song because of the beautiful art and hope for peace..
While there are a great many songs that I like more than this across the whole of music, I would venture to say that this is the best song ever conceived. My father (from whom I’m now estranged, though we still have the music we shared) once asked me “what does the piano in Imagine by John Lennon sound like?” From that moment, I realized that there are transcendental compositions in music. I’ve heard “Great Gig in the Sky” at least a thousand times in my short life, both isolated from the rest of the album and accompanied with the rest of the album, and still, 18-19 years since I first heard it, I’m blown away that there’s instruments in this song. I completely forget because Clare Torry’s vocals are just so immense.
Very moving,thx Lilly🤘🏼💥🤘🏼
This album came out 50 years ago. It has been on the top 200 album charts for almost *20 years*. That says all that you need to know about this album. It's depth is almost immeasurable.
First there is denial, then fear, then finally acceptance. Beautiful interpretation.
It's amazing that they got that vocal in one take. That was unheard of in 73.
You nailed it!!! It's the seven stages of dying and ultimately accepting it.
50 years after the first time hearing it and Clare's voice still gives me chills!
You nailed this reaction Girlfriend! You totally got the point of the song. You've got my respect. ☺✌💛, PJ
Great analysis. You nailed it.
Their albums really must be listened to as one piece end to end to get the full context and emotion through each individual song. Every album is a masterpiece.
It's raw emotions of transitions into leaving life, stages of dying, anger, fear, resistance and acceptance, extremely moving
I told you this the last time you asked, it's really hard to pick a favorite but I have to go with US and Them, it's just such a beautiful piece of music.
Dark Side Of The Moon is one piece. It should never be broken up into "songs", but should be listened to from beginning to end without pause (except to flip the disc if one is listening on vinyl). It is a whole that is much more than the sum of its parts, and should be listened to and understood as such. It comes from a different time, a time when albums were sometimes intended to be listened to in their entirety, instead of just a format to blast as many songs out as possible and hope one of them is a "hit" to make money.
you got it! well done. exactly re the songs and album.
can always tell when its a genuine 1st listen to this song, as they pick a lyric video 😁
So much emotion with no words.
I was 13 when I first heard this song. I didn't know what it was and why there were no lyrics just this beautiful song and mystical wailing. Many years I later, I know what she meant....
awesome album! Great gig just profound
The whole album is a masterpiece, and that is news to no one, by now... To me, the song that is most easily appreciated on its own is "Money", which just happens to be the next track if you follow the order. It has a few truly great moments, and a brilliant Bass line so iconic that you may even have heard it in the background, somewhere. I consider it one of their best. ;-]
Yes, pain and dying, that's what Pink Floyd was going for when they hired British singer Clare Torry to do the "wordless vocals", (as it became referred to), in "The Great Gig in the Sky".
This song is the last song on side A of Pink Floyds iconic 1973 Concept album, "Dark Side of the Moon". The album tells a story about Life, Death, Time, War, Money, the philosophical and physical ideas of an unfulfilled life that can lead to Insanity, (see Syd Barrett).
The GGITS is the Death part, good for you picking up on that!
Masterpiece. Still goves me goosbumps.
"In the beginning it sounded almost like a church hymn." If you recall the closing lines from the song just before this on the album (Time), "Far away across the field, the tolling on the iron bell..."
Wow, that's the best recognition of what's happening I've heard
I have always loved this song since it first came out. The loss of two sisters to ovarian cancer in the last two years reenforces, to me,how bang on the message is.
It's my favourite track on the album along with Us and Them. You said it all really about the performance, only I would add it could be interpreted an appreciation of life and going out with a bang. Either way it's beautiful.