On an Island
On an Island is the third solo studio album by Pink Floyd member David Gilmour. It was released in the UK on 6 March 2006, Gilmour's 60th birthday, and in the United States the following day. It was his first solo album in 22 years since About Face in 1984, and was released nearly 12 years after Pink Floyd's at-the-time final 1994 album The Division Bell.
History
The album features Robert Wyatt, Jools Holland, Georgie Fame, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright, early Pink Floyd member Bob Klose and Pink Floyd session and touring musician Guy Pratt. Chris Thomas and Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera assisted with production. Engineering duties were undertaken by long-time collaborator Andy Jackson. The lyrics were principally written by Gilmour's wife, writer Polly Samson.Recording
Much of the album was recorded in Gilmour's private studio aboard his houseboat Astoria. The track "Smile" was heard briefly in an unmastered form on the BBC2 show Three Men in a Boat which retraced a trip on the River Thames that passed the houseboat. Other sections were recorded at David's farm in Sussex and Mark Knopfler's British Grove Studios.Orchestrations on the album were arranged by noted Polish film composer Zbigniew Preisner and conducted by Robert Ziegler. The orchestra was recorded at Abbey Road Studios by Simon Rhodes.
Singles
The album also featured two singles; the title track "On an Island" and "Smile," the latter peaking at #72 on the UK Singles Chart. "On an Island" also peaked at #27 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.Promo Single edits of "Take a Breath" and "This Heaven" were issued to coincide with the U.S. leg of the tour, while "Smile" was the second single in the UK.
Other releases
Copies of the album initially purchased from Best Buy in the United States contained an exclusive bonus audio CD with the instrumental track "Island Jam," which was subsequently released on the CD single for "Smile" in Europe.The album was re-released in November 2006 with a bonus DVD of live tracks and other material.
A 5.1 mix of the album was released as part of the deluxe edition of "Live In Gdansk"
Chart performance
On an Island entered the UK charts at #1, giving Gilmour his first chart-topping solo album. It also reached #1 on the European Chart, and peaked at #2 in Canada, Portugal and Iceland. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, making it Gilmour's first top 10 solo album in that country.Track listing
All music written by David Gilmour.Personnel
- David Gilmour – guitars, lead vocals, lap steel guitars, electric piano, percussion, bass guitar, piano, alto saxophone, cümbüş, bass harmonica, Hammond organ, harmonica
- Guy Pratt – bass guitar
- Richard Wright – Hammond organ, co-lead vocals
- David Crosby – vocals
- Graham Nash – vocals
- Rado Klose – guitar
- Chris Stainton – Hammond organ
- Andy Newmark – drums, percussion
- Jools Holland – piano
- Polly Samson – piano, backing vocals
- Phil Manzanera – guitar
- Leszek Możdżer – piano
- Ged Lynch – drums
- Caroline Dale – cello
- Chris Laurence – double bass
- Ilan Eshkeri – programming
- Georgie Fame – Hammond organ
- BJ Cole – Weissenborn guitar
- Robert Wyatt – cornet, percussion, vocals
- Willie Wilson – drums
- Alasdair Malloy – glass harmonica
- Lucy Wakeford – harp
- Chris Thomas – keyboards
- Zbigniew Preisner – orchestration
- Paul "Wix" Wickens – Hammond organ
Tour