The “main inspiration” behind David Gilmour’s decision to start a band
Every musician is a product of their favourite artists, especially those who made their way into their lives at a formative period and introduced them to new sounds. All it takes is an introduction to one album which connects on a deep level to change the trajectory of somebody’s life, as was the case with Pink Floyd’s musical maestro David Gilmour.
Gilmour might be best known for his spellbinding work in the mind-bending worlds of psychedelia and progressive rock, but his first love was the simple art of harmony. Long before he came to the rescue of Pink Floyd, Gilmour had already spent several years devoting himself to being an artist, which had taken him from London clubs to busking on the streets of France.
Three years before Gilmour started playing with Pink Floyd, he co-founded his first band, Jokers Wild, with a series of friends who were also based in Cambridge. Rather than attempt to be an all-out rock ‘n’ roll group like The Rolling Stones or The Who, Jokers Wild leaned to the pop realm for inspiration, especially bands built on the strength of their vocals, like The Beach Boys.
Jokers Wild didn’t take off in popularity terms as Gilmour would have liked, but the experience was still invaluable to him as an artist. With the band, he learned the basics of performing to audiences, including crowds across Europe. Furthermore, things could have gone differently for Jokers Wild if Decca Records hadn’t pulled out of a record deal, and after Gilmour fell ill in 1967, they parted ways.
Nevertheless, if it wasn’t for his foray with Jokers Wild, it’s probable Gilmour wouldn’t have ended up in the right place at the right time when Pink Floyd came calling. Additionally, Gilmour would never have felt compelled to take flight on the adventure if it wasn’t for his deep-rooted adoration for The Beach Boys.
When Brian Wilson was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony at London’s Alexandra Palace on November 14th, 2006, Gilmour had the honour of giving a speech beforehand. He used the opportunity to explain how much The Beach Boys founder means to him on a personal level, plus how he inspired him to start a band.
“The first band that I actually formed when I was a young lad was with some like-minded souls from my hometown. We wanted to sing harmony, and the harmony we wanted to sing was Beach Boys harmony. That love of singing harmony remains with me today, and the man who was the main inspiration for that love is the man we are honouring tonight, Mr Brian Wilson,” Gilmour began his speech by saying.
Gilmour then cast his mind back to “the very early days of The Beach Boys” before highlighting ‘In My Room’ and ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ as proof that “Wilson wanted to paint with a much more colourful palette than was served by the surf music that he was so adept at.”
“His brilliance leapt from strength to strength over a very short period. In little over four years, he mastered the arts of songwriting, record production, orchestral arrangements, and every form of studio trickery to culminate with the wonderful songs on Pet Sounds,” Gilmour continued.
On the surface, the musical similarities between Pink Floyd and The Beach Boys are eerily thin, with the two bands operating on two contrasting sides of the psychedelic spectrum. However, if Wilson’s output had never entered the life of Gilmour, he’d likely have never joined Pink Floyd, and they’d likely have never hit the same great heights.
