"Smile" is a single by guitarist and vocalist
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...
, released on 13 June 2006. The song was on the UK charts for 1 week and peaked at 72.
Live
The song was first performed at
Gilmour's 2001 and 2002 live shows (and also on the accompanying DVD) where Gilmour introduced it as: "''This is a new one so if you are bootlegging, start your machines now.''" It was eventually recorded at his houseboat studio, the
Astoria, for the 2006 album ''
On an Island''.
The song is in 3/4 time.
During the three nights at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
during his
On an Island Tour
On, on, or ON may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews
* ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin
* ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995
* ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001
* ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 200 ...
in 2006, empty CD wallets bearing the Smile single cover, and a CD-sticker were left on seats of audience members who would discover them on arrival, each one bearing a unique number. The idea was to download the single from
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
, burn it to a
CD-R, place the CD-shaped sticker onto the burnt CD and keep it in the wallet.
"Island Jam" was initially available via Gilmour's website before being made more widely available.
An unmastered form of "Smile" can be heard briefly on the
BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
show ''
Three Men in a Boat'' which retraced a trip on the River Thames, and visited the houseboat.
Track list
#"Smile"
(David Gilmour/ Polly Samson) – 4:03
#"Island Jam"
(Gilmour) - 6:33
Personnel
"Smile"
*David Gilmour -
guitars, vocals,
bass guitar,
piano,
slide guitar
Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
,
percussion,
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
*
Polly Samson -
backing vocals
*
Willie Wilson -
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
*
Zbigniew Preisner - orchestration
"Island Jam"
*David Gilmour - guitar
*
Guy Pratt
Guy Adam Pratt (born 3 January 1962) is a British musician. He is best known for his prolific work as a session bass player, working with artists including Pink Floyd (also David Gilmour and Nick Mason), Roxy Music (also Bryan Ferry), Gary M ...
- bass guitar
*
Ged Lynch - drums
*Paul "Wix" Wickens - Hammond organ
References
2006 singles
David Gilmour songs
Songs written by David Gilmour
Song recordings produced by David Gilmour
Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
{{2000s-single-stub