Even the greatest musicians hit walls in the studio — and for David Gilmour, one moment during the recording of Pink Floyd’s 1975 album Wish You Were Here proved unexpectedly difficult. While Gilmour is celebrated as one of rock’s defining guitarists and vocalists, there’s one track on that classic record where his voice just wouldn’t cooperate the way he wanted.
Though Pink Floyd had just conquered the world with The Dark Side of the Moon and returned to the studio with confidence, the band was determined to push their sound further on Wish You Were Here. The album’s themes — loss, disillusionment, and the pressures of fame — were deeply personal, inspired in large part by Roger Waters’ reflections on the music business and the band’s former member Syd Barrett.
At the heart of that exploration was “Welcome to the Machine”, a scathing critique of the industry’s treatment of artists. Gilmour’s haunting performance became one of the song’s most striking elements, perfectly blending with Waters’ cynical lyrics and the eerie, mechanical atmosphere of the track. Yet behind this iconic recording lay a moment of creative struggle.
In the Wish You Were Here songbook, Gilmour recalled that one specific line in “Welcome to the Machine” sat just a bit too high for him to sing comfortably. Despite being well within his range through most of the piece, the final note eluded him. After countless attempts to nail it naturally, the band turned to the studio’s tape machines for help — a first and only instance in Pink Floyd’s recording history.
Gilmour explained that “the only time we’ve ever used tape speed to help us with vocals was on one line of the Machine song. It was a line I just couldn’t reach, so we dropped the tape down half a semitone and then dropped the line in on the track.”
There was no lack of effort. Gilmour has long been proud of his vocal contributions, once saying that he spent “as much of my life trying to improve my singing as I have practising guitar.”
Yet this particular line — wedged between a complex lead guitar part and a demanding arrangement — proved stubborn. At the time, Gilmour worried he was flat, especially trying to balance singing with intricate guitar work. The analogue trick ultimately not only solved the technical issue but also enhanced the song’s unsettling feel, making Gilmour’s voice sound even more mechanical — a fitting character for a track critiquing soulless corporate machinery.
While Pink Floyd went on to craft even more incisive critiques of the music industry and society on future records like Animals and The Wall, that small adjustment on “Welcome to the Machine” left a unique imprint on one of their most incisive songs. The moment when Gilmour’s vocal hit a technical ceiling became part of the song’s eerie texture — turning a challenge into creative gold.
