About Face is the second solo studio album by Pink Floyd vocalist and guitarist David Gilmour. Released in March 1984,it was co-produced by himself and Bob Ezrin. Two tracks, “All Lovers Are Deranged” and the more radio-friendly “Love on the Air”, were co-written by Gilmour and his long-time friend Pete Townshend, the main songwriter for The Who (Gilmour composed the music and Townshend wrote the lyrics). The remainder of the songs are credited solely to Gilmour himself. In May of the same year, fellow Floyd counterpart Roger Waters released his first official solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. About Face reached number 21 in the UK and number 32 in the US and was certified gold by the RIAA.
The album was recorded in France with engineer Andrew Jackson at a time when Pink Floyd’s future was uncertain. It was mixed by James Guthrie at Mayfair Studios in London.
Some of the musicians working with Gilmour were Jeff Porcaro, Pino Palladino, Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord, Roy Harper, Michael Kamen (who also worked on The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking), Sam Brown, and Steve Winwood.
Doing this album I wanted to make a really good record. I didn’t want to do it very very quickly, and I wanted to get the best musicians in the world that I could get hold of to play with me, so I thought I’d just make a little list of all my favourite musicians, you know, best drummer, best bass player, best keyboard player, and I’ll work through the list to see who I can get. Jeff Porcaro was top of my drummers list, Pino Palladino was top of my bass players list, and Ian Kewley, or the Rev, as he’s known, he actually came and did the bulk of the hammond and piano playing, and he was terrific. Steve Winwood was top of my keyboard playing list but he couldn’t do most of the album, but I got him to do a bit. He played hammond organ on “Blue Light.” I had a bit more time and was feeling a bit freer about things on this album… just more “accidents” tend to occur.
—?David Gilmour
Tracks 1 Until We Sleep (David Gilmour) 5:20 2 Murder (David Gilmour) 5:00 3 Love on the Air (David Gilmour, Pete Townshend) 4:21 4 Blue Light (David Gilmour) 4:37 5 Out of the Blue (David Gilmour) 3:39 6 All Lovers Are Deranged (David Gilmour, Pete Townshend) 3:17 7 You Know I’m Right (David Gilmour) 5:07 8 Cruise (David Gilmour) 4:41 9 Let’s Get Metaphysical (David Gilmour) 4:11 10 Near the End (David Gilmour) 5:50
Musicians
Bass - Pino Palladino Drums - Jeffrey Porcaro Guitar - David Gilmour Hammond Organ - Ian Kewley Organ - Steve Winwood Keyboards - Bob Ezrin Piano - Ian Kewley Piano - Steve Winwood Synthesizer - Anne Dudley Synthesizer - Jon Lord Sax - Simon Clarke Sax - Tim Sanders Trumpet - Roddy Lorimer Trumpet - Barbara Snow Percussion - Louis Jardin Percussion - Ray Cooper Background Vocals - Sam Brown Background Vocals - Vicky Brown Background Vocals - Micky Feat Background Vocals - Roy Harper Vocals - David Gilmour
Liner Notes
Producer – David Gilmour, Bob Ezrin Arranged By (The National Philharmonic Orchestra Arranged With) – Bob Ezrin Arranged By (The National Philharmonic Orchestra) – Michael Kamen Mastered By – Doug Sax, Mike Reese Mixed By – James Guthrie Mixed By (Assistant) – Bob Parr, Ollie Fitzjones Orchestra – The National Philharmonic Orchestra Programmed By (Fairlight) – Steve Rance Recorded By – Andy Jackson, Kit Woolven Recorded By (Assistant) – Kevin Whyte, Mark Frank, Simon Sullivan Recorded By (Assistant), Mixed By (Assistant) – Robert Hrycyna Recorded By (Orchestra) – Eric Tomlinson Technician (Equipment) – Phil Taylor Design, Artwork (Production) – STd Photography By – Davies and Starr, Jill Furmanovsky Recorded At – Pathé-Marconi Studios Mixed At – Mayfair Recording Studios Recorded At – Abbey Road Studios Mastered At – The Mastering Lab Copyright (c) – Pink Floyd Music Ltd. Phonographic Copyright (p) – Pink Floyd Music Ltd. Manufactured By – EMI Records Ltd.
