Great Gig in the Sky

Capturing the Underrated Vocalist: Clare Torry

Before you read this, I advise you to press play on this song to absorb its entirety.

This is one of the most musically intriguing songs I’ve ever encountered. First of all, Pink Floyd is my favorite band and my album of choice is The Wall. Opinions aside (just kidding, a blog is all about opinions), the vocals in this song have enticed me since I first heard it. Originally titled as “The Mortality Sequence” in 1972, this song improved significantly with the addition of Clare Torry’s vocals. Though the demo had unique expressions and gave the piece a sense of emotion that “Great Gig in the Sky” does not hold, the stylistic improvement is astounding. Clare Torry was asked to sing alongside their demo track, where she continued to improvise a chilling addition to the original.

“I thought, ‘I have to pretend to be an instrument,’” Torry explained in a filmed interview.

But back to the piece itself: the contrast between the soothing and ominous instrumental with occasional spoken additions as her full and and resonating voice gave a full representation of the power held in music.

Clare Torry was exploited by the band, however, after the release of the album. She was paid only £30 for her work on one of the most successful albums in the history of music. Torry won a lawsuit she filed against Pink Floyd in 2004, 31 years after the recording took place.

Torry’s vocals made history and inspired many vocalists, proving that anyone can help create successful music.