The Friday song (on a Sunday): ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd

Exactly 50 years ago this past Friday, Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here to a rather muted response. It was probably to be expected after the seismic headphone-obsessive event, Dark Side of the Moon, which had preceded it. But its stature grew and is now considered by many – including David Gilmour and Richard Wright – to be Floyd’s finest moment. It certainly is mine.

All this great music was made before Roger Waters’ polarising dogma overran his songwriting ability. These days, given Waters’ lack of modesty and divisive opinions, trying to write about him is as the saying goes, a case of the juice not being worth the squeeze. In those days however, the brilliance of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, or his take on greed in the music industry on Have a Cigar had few equals. While Waters was Floyd’s lyrical lynchpin, he had a profoundly strong band of musical partners.

I had a commemorative listen to the album again this week and have chosen the title track as the Friday song. You’ll probably know it well. It’s a Gilmour star turn, with the 12-string intro recorded through a processor, so it sounds like it’s coming through an AM car radio. Layered over that is a direct-to-mic overdub that features another guitar, so one “on radio”, one in the studio, playing in unison. While the words are mainly Waters with a contribution from Gilmour, the music and proprietorship of the song are Gilmour’s.

Have a listen to his attack on the acoustic, his note choice and the rhythmic phrasing. Gilmour has become one of the rock greats. His sound “signature”, particularly on electric, where he can switch between subtle and ferocious with effortless ease, makes every shift work with recognisable familiarity.

To that end, l know some of you would have wanted me to choose Comfortably Numb and its two electric solos today but Wish You Were Here, rather unusually, is deceptively simple and features Gilmour on all vocals and acoustic six- and 12-string and pedal-steel guitars, so that’s the pick.

Richard Wright adds some tasteful piano accents with Waters taking a bass back seat and Nick Mason kicks the piece along nicely. I’ve never been able to hear Stephane Grapelli’s violin in the outro beneath “the wind”, but maybe you can? I believe that on the remastered Experience and Immersion version, which I’ve not heard, Grapelli is audible. If you have that version, pull it out and listen. Until next week.

I started a music WhatsApp group in 2023. I send one song a week on a Friday, with links to both Apple and Spotify, and an accompanying narrative/capsule piece. You’ll read it here on a Sunday. If you want to engage about a song, get a playlist or just get in touch, email me on markgrosin@gmail.com. Listen to Wish You Were Here on Spotify here and Apple Music here.

_{Top image: Currency collage.}