Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By David Gilmour, Sony Music Entertainment 2020.
Pink Floyd singer/guitarist David Gilmour has a new single out and this time it’s a family affair.
Yes, I Have Ghosts is his first new song in five years and up until now it has only been available as part of an audiobook for the novel A Theatre For Dreamers which was written by his wife Polly Samson.
Polly and David have collaborated many times over the years in her role as a lyricist for Pink Floyd and also on David’s solo albums but this is the first time they’ve worked together on a musical connection for one of Polly’s novels.
And to further develop the family connection it is also the first time that David has included his daughter Romany, who provides vocals and harp, in one of his projects.
Romany’s involvement was a result of the COVID-19 restrictions.
David had booked studio time to work with his backing singers when England went into lockdown.
This necessitated cancelling the sessions but the solution was at hand as his daughter stepped in to add her voice and beautiful harp playing.
David is very proud of the outcome saying that he couldn’t be happier with the way that their voices blend.
Polly’s novel, A Theatre For Dreamers, is set on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960 and it captures the hazy, sun-drenched days of an expat bohemian community of poets, painters and musicians including a young Leonard Cohen.
Before the lockdown the family were about to take A Theatre For Dreamers on the road for a series of shows blending her words with David’s music.
COVID-19 interrupted, however, they have found a creative way of at least getting a version of the show out to their fans.
Calling themselves the ‘Von Trapped Family’ they live streamed an adaption to Facebook.
The Facebook show includes readings, poetry, Q&A sessions and music from, and inspired by, the novel including instrumental passages from Yes, I Have Ghosts and songs by Leonard Cohen.
It should be of interest to Pink Floyd and Leonard Cohen fans.
