Dave Gilmour - ...and on guitar (1985)

Dave Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in 1967, and has been an integral part of the band ever since, appearing on all of their classic albums throughout their long and spectacularly successful career. In between recording and touring with Floyd, he has found time to add his distinctive guitar-work to songs by a number of friends and acquaintances, some that you expect, and some which are something of a surprise. 
In 1973 Unicorn were playing at the wedding reception of Ricky Hopper, who was a friend from Transatlantic days, and Gilmour was also a guest at the wedding. At the end of the evening he got up to Jam with Unicorn, and afterwards expressed an affection for country rock, which came as a considerable surprise to the band. A week later Gilmour invited them to try out his new home studio, and they recorded three songs there, with Gilmour adding guitar to them. He then offered to put up the money to record an album with them, which was recorded at Olympic Studios in London with Gilmour producing and playing electric and slide guitar. This was the beginning of a friendship with the band, which bore fruit later that year when he was given a demo tape of a very young Kathy Bush by Ricky Hopper (from the wedding), and he offered to let her record some of her songs at his studio. He called in Unicorn to act as the backing band, and one of the songs later turned up on the b-side to her 1980 single 'Army Dreamers'. In 1975 he added his guitar to Leo Sayer's friend and collaborator David Courtney's only record 'David Courtney's First Day', and also played pedal steel guitar on Scottish folkies The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver's 'Ain't Too Proud' single. 1976 was a quiet year for Gilmour, but when he offered his services in 1977 it was to the extremely obscure French artist Rachid Bahri, playing on one song on his 'Il Sirvivra' album, alongside Nick Mason on drums. Considering that I had never heard of Bahri before, and the album is impossible to track down, it was astounding to find that it also featured Tim Renwick, Rick Wills, Kenney Jones, Gaspar Lawal, and Stevie Winwood. 
Another two years passed and he was invited to contribute to Paul McCartney's new record, adding guitar to songs destined for the 'Back To The Egg' album, and the following year he appeared on Roy Harper's 'The Unknown Soldier'. Gilmour had known Harper since 1968, and Harper famously sang 'Have A Cigar' on Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' in 1975, and in return Gilmour played on three of Harper's 1970's album, co-writing five songs on 1975's 'HQ'. In 1983 Atomic Rooster were on their third line-up, and for their 'Headline News' album they managed to persuade Gilmour to play on four of the songs, and while it's not really that great an album, 'Hold Your Fire' is an excellent track. Paul McCartney called on Gilmour again in 1984 to add his guitar to a re-recording of the hit single 'No More Lonely Nights', done in a ballad style, which was eventually added to the expanded re-issue of 'Give My Regards To Broad Street', and the following year he appeared on Bryan Ferry's 'Boys And Girls' album, alongside other guests Mark Knopfler and Nile Rodgers. To close the album we have a track from the Duran Duran spin-off band Arcadia, with Gilmour and Sting both featuring on one song, 'The Promise', from their sole album 'So Red The Rose'. Like many of his contemporaries who have guested on others artist's album, Gilmour has never stuck to one style of music, covering country rock, pop, heavy rock, folk, and ballads, and it's a testament to his skill as a guitarist that he can pull them all off effortlessly.       

Track listing

01 The Farmer (from 'Blue Pine Trees' by Unicorn 1974)
02 When Your Life Is Your Own (from 'David Courtney's First Day' by David Courtney 1975)
03 Ain't Too Proud (from 'Reach For The Sky' by The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver 1975)
04 Il Survivra (from 'Il Sirvivra' by Rachid Bahri 1977)
05 So Glad To See You Here (from 'Back To The Egg' by Wings 1979)
06 True Story (from 'The Unknown Soldier' by Roy Harper 1980)
07 Passing Through Air (b-side of 'Army Dreamers' single by Kate Bush 1980)
08 Hold Your Fire (from 'Headline News' by Atomic Rooster 1983)
09 No More Lonely Nights (Ballad) (from 'Give My Regards To Broad Street' by Paul
                                                                                                                      McCartney 1984)
10 Boys And Girls (from 'Boys And Girls' by Bryan Ferry 1985)
11 The Promise (from 'So Red The Rose' by  Arcadia 1985)