FIRST TIME HEARING Pink Floyd - The Great Gig in the Sky REACTION  

I am listening to this band since 1973 ,, this is not music , this is ART .

It's the transition of death, From terror to acceptance. Simply masterful! You must listen to the whole album. Take 55 mins. And blow your mind!

There’s no better band to apply psychological concepts to than Pink Floyd.

This song holds a special place in my heart. I bought the cassette of Dark Side when it first came out. One Sunday on an extremely rare occasions on our way to Grandma's house I asked my dad permission to play my boom box and play The Great Gig In The Sky. My parents listened silently as I cranked it up. My mom kept staring at my dad. After it was over it seemed like there was a pause for eternity. Then all of a sudden my uncool dad said to ten year old me. Son that was one of the greatest songs I ever heard. Play that whole album as much as you like. All of a sudden mom and dad were cool. Later on I found out that my mom and dad brought the dance the Grind from New York City to the Whiskey a Go Go.

Never has more words been spoken with no words whatsoever.

So glad you did this version rather than a live performance. The background for this track is so interesting.

this is a band without a doubt people will be enjoying 100 years from now! and the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, and Rolling Stones... who'd I miss?

The greatest band the world has ever known.

This album was on the Billboard Top 200 albums for almost 18 YEARS. It may be longer now. I am listening to Pink Floyd more often as I accept my time is running out.

A song about passing and the mourning... an album that you need to listen to from the start... it's a "story album" PHENOMENAL!

The album is called Dark Side of the Moon, and sold almost 47 million copies, roughly 1 million a year every year (average) for 47 years. Pink Floyd is a must exploration. Most start with Comfortably Numb, ideally the Pulse Concert version

The vocalist here, Clare Torry, was a jazz singer whom the sound engineer recommended to the band. They played the piano track for her and then told her to go into the booth and just sing what she felt. Because of her jazz background, her first take was a lot of "ooh ooh baby" type stuff. The lyricist, Roger Waters, then told her it was a song about dying and to "Go in and have a sing at that." What you're hearing now is her second and final take. After she finished she asked the band if they liked it!!! They obviously said yes, paid her the going rate of 30 quid, and she left, not even sure if her work would end up on the album! Years later she "negotiated" a much higher and equitable fee for her contribution to this classic.

I recently finished reading Nicolas Schaffner's book on Pink Floyd (he lived with them for many years), where he says that Clare Torry was recommended by Alan Parsons, the main sound engineer for this album - an employee of Abbey Road studio, where Pink Floyd recorded some of their albums (he later formed the "Alan Parsons Project"). Clare Torry was a singer who was hired by this studio primarily as a backing vocalist. At first she was confused because the song had no words, so she first sang oh yeh, oh baby... Until David Gilmour told her he wanted her to try using her voice as another instrument. She sang it twice more and then refused and walked away with a fee of £30. She was convinced Pink Floyd wouldn't use the song and it wouldn't be on the album. However, she was surprised that they did include it in the end. Years later she was paid a co-writing fee and still receives the royalties today. Here is a short interview with Clare Torry on the subject: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mIW7xZSlZoM.html By the way, this whole album is a real emotional experience and you MUST listen to the whole thing - if only for yourself. When you do, I think you'll be a little happier - trust me...

Knowing what was coming and the ride you were in for, when you said lyrics, I almost peed myself laughing.

Not only were Pink Floyd and Clare masterful in this song but Alan Parsons knew how this needed to be engineered and contributed to it greatly.

This song descibes your feelings when you notice that death comes over you... Denial.. Bargaining... Rage.. Disappointment...Grief about spoilt chances.. Acceptance.

It's a song about dying. From an album about life. One of the greatest albums of all time imho.

Pink Floyd is truly “Album Rock”, and this album and nearly all of their albums should be listened to through from beginning to end. This is a very emotional song, without lyrics, taking us though the transfer to “the other side”, the process of dying. Fighting against it, perhaps through pain, acceptance and succumbing at the end of our lives. The album takes us through life. It is a classic that will live on forever. You should analyze Time from this album next.

This song usually follows the song Time on the album, The Dark Side of the Moon. Whilst touring, this song is performed by three women. It is a beautiful piece.

So much of what you said is also described in the song Time which is found on the same album and leads directly into this track. The whole album is about different aspects of life including money, fame and war. It’s a very beautiful album with profound lyrics. I highly recommend it. Glad I found your reaction and your channel.

I've known this song since it was released and must have heard it more than a thousand times. So I know it inside and out. And now I love the look on everyone's face hearing it for the first time. No one expects this absolute masterpiece of textless vocals. Seeing these reactions is priceless. (Translated with Google translator)

Fantastic analysis and reaction - lovely

The story goes. Pink Floyd asked this girl to improvise some vocals. And when she finished the band walked out the recording studio without saying a word. She thought they were disappointed. She didnt realise they were struck dumb in amazement

This song to me represents a wounded soul trying to leave the body. I noticed her voice sounds strained at first then it kind of just evens out there in the last verse if you want to call it that. It's like her soul is set free

The perfect song when you feel like screaming ❤

There is music and then there is magic...

💗 Came for Pink Floyd. Stayed for psychology. 🌈 🖤

Still my favorite track from this masterpiece of an album... bought it the year it came out and it didn't gain momentum at first, but then....WHOOOOOOSH

I always thought her vocals were all the stages of grieving death and not the process of a person dying. It’s not the first time I misinterpreted a song for 50 years.👍🌹❤️

You need to check the whole alarm songs in order. In bed, in the dark staring at the ceiling and you’ll see and hear the universe in all its glory. The album is the best I have owned in 63 years and I have thousands.

Many people say this song is sung like it has the many stages of excepting grieving and Death with denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

Apparently Clare Torry done these vocal tracks on her lunch break. It wasn't one take, but very nearly. Simply outstanding. RIP Richard

Saw them 94 beautifulwill never forget the experience

Thank you for respecting this amazing tune

Beautiful vocalizations. Soothing instrumentation. And great analysis.

Beautiful

Her Inflection Was Stunning

I was 14 when this came out. I lost a dear friend that year, so it made me cry early on. I still think of her and now cry start to finish when it comes on.

Thank you for your interpretation. Dear Lady.

Clare Torry did this on the fly in 2 1/2 takes on a Sunday afternoon.. She was paid 30 pounds Time & 1/2 for musicians). She was told the concept of the album & kinda what they wanted. Started to sing. They said no lyrics. She collected herself & told them to hit record. The 1/2 take was part of the third take. She stopped 1/2 way through & said they got what they needed. Next thing a friend told her the album was selling allot in America. She bought it & noticed her name was on the album. Allot of what you are talking about is in the song "Time" . That is 2 tracks before this song on the album.

You're such a nice reactor, new subscriber in your Channel! Hope you can do a reaction video of "LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN" (BRUNO MARS, ANDERSON .PAAK, SILK SONIC) sang by a Filipino girl group 4TH IMPACT Thanks.

Clare Torry absolutely created a one of a kind immortal performance.

Saw them live in 94 pulse.best night 🌙 of my life.my life has been shit but this moment gave me hope...❤

Peace and Love 🙏❤

You mentioned 'time' a great many times in your commentary, and rightly so, because Time is track 3. Almost as though it had to be. The word that pops into my head is "Symmetry" . In the narrative and theme particularly. Like they began sketching all those connections out long before recording anything. Constructing music in that way is something I almost exclusively see from the classical/orchestral world. An exception being Tool. I forever have Tool and Floyd linked in my head, despite their differences, because both bands are all about searching the far reaches of the wasteland for something different.

Wonderful, amazing reaction! 👏👏👏 Perhaps the best reaction to a Pink Floyd song I've ever seen! Being so good as you are analysing psichological aspects of the meaning of a complex song, you should react to Pink Floyd's songs all the time! Serious, I do believe so! I got some suggestions for you: "Brain damage"; "Shine on you crazy diamond"; "Time"; "Us and them"; "Run like Hell"; "High hopes"; "Wish you were here"; "Hey you"; "Comfortably numb".

Such a moving song without a single word! I remember going to see a really great Pink Floyd tribute band and the ladies they had singing this were so good it brought me to tears! Also, but sure to check out Shine on you crazy diamond!

Rosalie You are a beautiful woman

the floyd are not a band, not a genre, not a style, they are a phenomenon

Good morning Rose! I got to see Pink Floyd in the mid 90's in Vancouver BC. Amazing show! The highlight for me was Comfortably Numb.

Holy *@#! Hearing you speak of life is BETTER than any therapy one could hope to benefit from! Your should charge for your words of wisdom. Im being serious! That was a coaching unlike I've ever received! And I thought this was just a review. Thank you so much for inspiring me! Oh yea, by the way, look for Rachel Fury in the "Pulse" tour album. She gives a twist to Claire's part that will invoke cleansing tears! Love Pink Floyd...absolute legends

song is about the process of dying and the pain, anguish and acceptance of it.

Always amazes me how much they can say without a single word...

Great reaction!

Clair Torrey, a session singer. With little direction from the band, belted this out in two takes. She mad her voice an instrument. This is the stages of grief.

Great reaction

The song deals with the six stages of drunkenness. Merry, rowdy, miraculous (scottish), eye of the hurricane, melancholy, sleep.

The topic of chasing life brought up here is a main theme of another song of theirs (Time) it fits perfectly with what your discussing! Worth a listen “All kinds of psychology to unpack in that one! Enjoyed your post song commentary 👍🍻

Shout out to Claire Torry did it in one take 🤯🤓

I love here death anology. With this album beautiful woman. X.merry Xmas.

As has already been said, it would be hard to have a channel talking about music and psychology without diving into Pink Floyd's discography. The Wall is a masterpiece of psychology wrapped up into a album of excellent music.

That was deep, and such a deep song! As I've aged, I grew into Pink Floyd and their masterful works. Just didn't click with the younger me. Love them now!

Absolutely Stunning! Not One Word Sung. WOW!

If you haven't listened to the whole album you, I envy you. So much, as you will hear it for the first time. As said, I envy you. Headphones on.. lights off. Awaaay.. you go.

psychology and Pink Floyd - perfect marriage. You were right not to fully expect this - it is a special and unique piece, it is not indicative of most of their songs - though all of them have dynamic and unique facets. This song is the embodiment of the 4 stages of death. The start is seeing a love one die with the harsh wailing, to the serene acceptance that is eventually softens.

I am an absolutely Pink Floyd fan since 1976 it is one of the best groups of all time I have all albums und I saw they life 1994 in Berlin ✊🤘🤘🤘

We Used to sit in a dark smoke filled room just listening to Floyd. Mellow times

According to a documentary I saw, this was recorded by Clare Torrie in a single take!

The absolute genius of it makes me cry every time I hear it.

Near end she whispers " if you hear this whisper you are dying"

The entire '94 concert is outstanding!!! Please do yourself a BIG favor... and save the songs thar are encores... FOR THE END. Ppl watch the grand finale, without being able to appreciate how unique and thrilling the events in the encores really are. The first song, is one of the greatest songs... ever, and it alone has a story that... well... will peak your interests. The last two songs, are from The Wall album. That ENTIRE movie, and album are TOTALLY it your field of interest. Then... Darkside of the moon... then... the darkside of Oz (not the pre-mixed hoopla on the net). Have Darkside to play, in order, and repeat (about 2 1/2 times, repeating the album, for the length of the movie). The Great Gig in the sky is AMAZING, EVERY time it plays. So... music ready to start at a button-press (immediately), start the wizard of Oz movie (original, un-edited). When the MGM lion closes his mouth, after his 2nd roar, start the music, turn down the TV. And enjoy! If you became a little familiar with darkside, first... it will change the story, that you have otherwise, probably know, well. ... and THAT is worth digging into, from someone in your profession, and interests. I know... long... but you will appreciate that advice, as you start your journey. The darkside of Oz, will not make a review. It is just a mind-blowing trick, that you, and any floydians who are also reading will ABSOLUTELY enjoy!

“…what they did vocally…. But also the lyrics “. Little did she know…..! Haha

Brings tears to my eyes every time.

Something that I wrote about the journey of life: “At thirty, we are impatient that we haven’t made more progress towards achieving our potential. At forty, we are nervously aware that the opportunities to achieve our potential are slipping away. But at fifty, if we have the courage to look in the mirror, we face the crushing realization that there is no unachieved potential left, that what we have done is our potential: please pass the hemlock”.©

Actually...you make a lot of sense (according to me) and I enjoyed listening to the whole thing until the end...doesn't happen that often on RU-vid ;) Thanks and have a great weekend!

Great approach!! I'm in the middle of a Music Therapy Master collecting data and this was very useful. I'm not new to your channel, always enjoying and grateful. Greets from Tenerife (Canary Islands)... 🌞🌞

Didn’t know she was on the album until she saw the album in a shop window

Love is the frequency of the creator. This is the great gig in the sky. I wish you well.

The opening lines remind me of this quote from "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare: “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come.”

The only way you understand Pink Floyd, listen to their albums,. “Dark side of the Moon”, “Wish You Were Here”, “Animals”, “The Wall”, on your own, sit back, relax put on your headphones listen to the albums start to finish.

You have just got to love some “Psychedelic Prog”

The perfection captured in this recording is exquisite

It was interesting in your analysis of this song there was so much reference to the precluding song TIME. Loved the reaction and insight/knowledge you added to it.

An inspiring performance

As always Rosalie, your philosophical thoughts of this is so elevated and wise, love it !! You nailed it. The whole album is centered around theese issues and thoughts🧡💛💚🙏🙏🙏

🎶 Comfortably Numb 🎶The Wall 1979

I always imagined this song encompassed an entire life in three parts - We are born and we come out screaming and full of vitality, in the middle we begin to settle down, then the third part where we are wise but energy and life are fading away. The album was so awesome. Death is inevitable and at some point desirable but it does not have to come at 80 years or sooner - why not 180 or 1080? Aging is largely caused by loss of data in our DNA. It doesn't have to be.

As powerful as this is on its own, it's even more powerful in the context of the whole album, which was written to be listened to all in one sitting. Fun fact: she showed up as a session musician for this gig and they told her what they were looking for. Her first take she used some words and they asked her to do it without lyrics. This was the second take. God damn. The music, the chord progressions, the instrumentation and arrangement is fantastic but all overshadowed by Torry's legendary performance. This album remained on the Billboard 200 chart for over 14 years straight and still sells thousands of copies a week. It's an absolute classic and often cited as the best album ever made.

Death anxiety .... I hadn't thought of issues that way. Thanks for that, hadn't come here for any learning but I certainly came away thinking.

recommend - On the Turning Away - from the 1994 Pulse concert.

I’m an American psychotherapist living in Germany, and I really enjoyed your reaction to my favorite band. I have always equated this song as the realization of one’s own mortality. The song takes the listener through the Kubler-Ross stages of grief quite beautifully.

Wow 👌

Alan Parsons was the engineer on this album and he picked Claire Torry to sing this emotional piece about ascending to heaven without words. As a mental health professional you should listen to this entire album...

I am a heavy metal guitarist and I love Pink Floyd!!! I am also into classical and country. So many avenues of music we can take in is the beauty.

Just looked thru our vinyls today. Daughter and grandchildren visited to pick up some records for Xmas weeks.😎. And ofc we went thru the PF ones as well including dark side of the moon. 😋❤️🇧🇻

Gooseflesh is how I know it's real ❤️

You are so amazing with your analysis! I have listened to this album for many years. It has always been important to me and you have unlocked so much more. Thank you x

This is quite an untypical song for Pink Floyd since they don't have a female singer, Claire Torry was just a studio singer, and it has of course no lyrics, and also no guitar solo, a thing thats else a key of their music. David Gilmour is just a great guitar player who is well known for not playing fast but with a lot of feeling and a very unique style. Also I pretty much like this story, not sure if it is true and who actually was it who told it : “The Great Gig In The Sky” - Pink Floyd The vocals were done by a petite British lady studio singer brought in by the Producer Allan Parsons named Claire Torrie. She did not know what they wanted her to sing. David Gilmour suggested she use her voice like a Saxophone… it worked great. I met David Gilmour back stage at a concert in California 1984. I asked him about the meaning - reason for “Great Gig In The Sky”…. David’s answer was something like…. .I was asked if Pink Floyd would ever do a song about Religion like some others have… so I said, You are referring to the great gig in the sky they call god. What words could be used to describe all the pain and suffering caused by religious beliefs. All the crying and wailing from mothers who lost their husbands or sons in a war fought over religious differences. The only vocals should be just the sound of a mothers crying with pain and suffering. The speaking at the start was recorded at Apple records with various employees answering a list of questions next to a small recording machine. The question was…“Are You afraid Of Dying? This one was an elderly gentleman who was a janitor in the place. Roger thought it would fit in the song at the beginning so there it is. We didn’t want to make that public so as to avoid any religious boycott like what happened to the Beatles after Lennon made his comment about Jesus.

If you are into lyrics and psychology, you should listen to more Pink Floyd!!!

""I'm not frightened of Dying Any time will do, I don't mind Why should i be frighten of Dying ? There's no reason for it you got to go sometime ."" If you can hear this whispering your dying " Pink Floyd The Great Gig In The Sky ,