David Gilmour is the debut solo studio album by Pink Floyd guitarist and co-lead vocalist David Gilmour, released on 26 May 1978. The album reached number 17 in the UK and number 29 on the Billboard US album charts; it was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA. The album was produced by Gilmour, and consists mostly of blues and guitar-oriented rock songs, except for the piano-dominated ballad "So Far Away".
Production and recording
The tracks used for the album were recorded between February and March 1978 with engineer John Etchells at Super Bear Studios in France. They were then mixed at the same studio by Nick Griffiths. Session musicians included bass guitarist Rick Wills and drummer Willie Wilson, both of whom used to be part of Jokers Wild with Gilmour. It was also recorded later by New Jersey stoner rock band Monster Magnet on their Monolithic Baby! album, and by Iron & Wine on his 2015 covers album Sing Into My Mouth.
One unused tune that was written and demoed at the time would later evolve, with lyrics by Roger Waters, into Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" on The Wall.
Likewise, the song "Short and Sweet" can be seen as a musical precursor to "Run Like Hell" (also from The Wall), with its shifting chords over a D pedal point, using a flanged guitar in Drop D tuning. "Short and Sweet" was written in collaboration with Roy Harper, who recorded a version, on which Gilmour played, for his 1980 album The Unknown Soldier.
Also, Gilmour promoted the album with his first ever interviews with North American media and FM rock radio stations. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard album charts, which - until 2006's On an Island - was Gilmour's highest charting solo album in the US, eventually going Gold.
Release and reception
The album was released in the UK on 26 May 1978,
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|align="left"|Swedish Albums Chart
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|align="left"|UK Albums Chart
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