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Stephen Hawking sampled on Pink Floyd’s The Endless River Stephen Hawking sampled on Pink Floyd’s The Endless River
(35 minutes later)
Stephen Hawking will feature on Pink Floyd’s new album, The Endless River. The 72-year-old physicist is sampled on a track called Talkin’ Hawkin’, which uses his synthesised speaking voice.Stephen Hawking will feature on Pink Floyd’s new album, The Endless River. The 72-year-old physicist is sampled on a track called Talkin’ Hawkin’, which uses his synthesised speaking voice.
A spokesperson for the band has confirmed that while Talkin’ Hawkin’ is not intended as a sequel to the previous Pink Floyd track Keep Talking, which also samples Hawking, it does borrow a clip of his speech from the same 1994 British Telecom commercial. David Gilmour chose to sample Hawkings originally after he saw the BT advert and it “nearly made [him] weep”. “This was the most powerful piece of television advertising that I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said in a radio interview. “I don’t think he even wrote the words that they used with him, but ... he was in it, in his wheelchair. He looks kind of strange. And I just found it so moving that I felt that I had to try and do something with it, or with him or something, in some way.” A spokesperson for the band has confirmed that while Talkin’ Hawkin’ is not intended as a sequel to the previous Pink Floyd track Keep Talking, which also samples Hawking, it does borrow a clip of his speech from the same 1994 British Telecom commercial. David Gilmour chose to sample Hawking originally after he saw the BT advert and it “nearly made [him] weep”. “This was the most powerful piece of television advertising that I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said in a radio interview. “I don’t think he even wrote the words that they used with him, but … he was in it, in his wheelchair. He looks kind of strange. And I just found it so moving that I felt that I had to try and do something with it, or with him or something, in some way.”
Besides Hawking’s involvement, The Endless River includes 12 tracks written or co-written by the late Richard Wright. Much of the material was drawn from sessions recorded with Wright in 1993, “revisited and reworked” by the band’s current line-up. “The Endless River is a tribute to Rick,” said drummer Nick Mason. “I think this record is a good way of recognising a lot of what he does and how his playing was at the heart of the Pink Floyd sound.” Gilmour sings on four different tracks and Roger Waters, naturally, appears on none. As he curtly reminded fans on 30 September, “I left Pink Floyd in 1985 ... This is not rocket science people, get a grip.” Besides Hawking’s involvement, The Endless River includes 12 tracks written or co-written by the late Richard Wright. Much of the material was drawn from sessions recorded with Wright in 1993, “revisited and reworked” by the band’s current line-up. “The Endless River is a tribute to Rick,” said drummer Nick Mason. “I think this record is a good way of recognising a lot of what he does and how his playing was at the heart of the Pink Floyd sound.” Gilmour sings on four different tracks and Roger Waters, naturally, appears on none. As he curtly reminded fans on 30 September, “I left Pink Floyd in 1985 … This is not rocket science people, get a grip.”
Although Hawking mostly listens to classical music, he considers himself a fan of “music with character” and has gone to see Pink Floyd play live.Although Hawking mostly listens to classical music, he considers himself a fan of “music with character” and has gone to see Pink Floyd play live.
The Endless River is due out on 10 November.The Endless River is due out on 10 November.