Pink Floyd – A Collection Of Great Dance Songs(1981)

Biography
Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. Distinguished by their use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, extended compositions and elaborate live shows, they are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in the history of popular music. Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by students Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals. They gained popularity performing in London’s underground music scene during the late 1960s, and under Barrett’s leadership released two charting singles and a successful debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined in December 1967; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd

Album & Cover
The album contains alternative mixes of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (which comprises parts 1, 2, 4 and 7) edited down for time reasons, and “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” (which combines the intro from the single mix with the album version which fades out during the “if you don’t eat your meat” ending). Also, the track “Money” was re-recorded as Capitol Records refused to license the track to Columbia/CBS Records. David Gilmour re-recorded the track himself playing all of the drums, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar and vocals and co-producing the song with James Guthrie. Dick Parry reprised his saxophone role on the track. There are some differences between the re-recorded version and the original; mainly in the saxophone and guitar solos and the overall use of reverb and Gilmour repeating “away” at the end instead of the high pitch scat singing on the original. The drumming is noticeably different from Nick Mason’s, especially during the guitar solo, with very little of the tom-tom fills heard on the original. A Collection of Great Dance Songs is a compilation album.

The title is facetious, given that Pink Floyd are not known for making particularly danceable music. This is perhaps evidenced by the album art, which featured a photograph of ballroom dancers anchored to the ground so they cannot move. The inner sleeve had pictures of dancers in either a white (UK) or black (US) background. The picture labels were a black background with blue lines and red sketch lined dancers on side one and reverse on side two. The location in Dungeness is close-by Camber sands where Hipgnosis took another photograph for the album Picnic-A breath Of Fresh Air in 1970 for the Harvest label. According to Aubrey Powell: George Hardy and Storm Thorgerson suggested to Pink Floyd the idea of the two dancers entwined free – spirited but restrained. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Collection_of_Great_Dance_Songs

Cover Location: A beautiful Autumn in Dungeness, Kent, UK.
Who Did What: Cover Design – Hipgnosis/TCP(Thorgerson/Christopherson/Powell). Photography – A. Powell/C. Christopherson.
Label: Columbia Records TC37680(US), Harvest SHVL822(UK),
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Tracklist

Credits
Roger Waters – bass (except on “Money” and “Sheep”), lead vocals on “Sheep”, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II”, backing vocals, rhythm guitar on “Sheep”
Richard Wright – keyboards and synthesizers (except on “Money”), backing vocals
David Gilmour – lead and rhythm guitars, lead vocals on “Wish You Were Here”, “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” and “Money”, bass on “One of These Days”, “Money” and “Sheep”, backing vocals, drums and keyboards on “Money”
Nick Mason – drums (except on “Money”), vocal phrase on “One of These Days”

Additional Personnel
James Guthrie – remastering production
The Islington Green School – vocals on “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II”
Dick Parry – saxophone on “Money”
Doug Sax – mastering and remastering