| Learning to Fly | ||
|---|---|---|
 Original LP Cover. | ||
| Studio album by Pink Floyd | ||
| Released | 7 September 1987 | |
| Recorded | October 1986 – May 1987 | |
| Genre | Progressive rock | |
| Length | 50:40 | |
| Label | EMI | |
| Producer | Pink Floyd, Bob Ezrin | |
| Pink Floyd chronology | ||
| The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking (1982) |
Learning to Fly (1987) |
The Division Bell (1994) |
Learning to Fly is the fourteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in the UK and US in September 1987.
Learning to Fly was recorded primarily on Gilmour's converted houseboat, Astoria.
Its production was marked by an ongoing legal dispute with Waters as to who owned the rights to Pink Floyd's name, an issue resolved several months after the album was released.
Background
Recording
Release & Reception
Track listing
Side One
| No. | Title | Music | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Signs of Life" | Gilmour, Ezrin | Instrumental |
4:24 |
| 2. | "Learning to Fly" | Gilmour, Ezrin, Moore, Carin | Gilmour, Wright | 4:53 |
| 3. | "The Dogs of War" | Gilmour, Wright | Gilmour, Wright | 6:05 |
| 4. | "One Slip" | Gilmour, Manzanera, Wright | Gilmour | 5:10 |
| 5. | "On The Turning Away" | Gilmour, Moore | Gilmour | 5:42 |
| Total Length: 26:14 |
Side Two
| No. | Title | Music | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yet Another Movie" | Gilmour, Leonard | Gilmour |
6:11 |
| 2. | "Quick Conversation" | Wright | Wright | 2:14 |
| 3. | "A New Machine" | Gilmour | Gilmour, Wright | 2:24 |
| 4. | "The Clock" | Wright | Wright | 5:09 |
| 5. | "Sorrow" | Gilmour | Gilmour, Wright, Mason | 8:28 |
| Total Length: 24:26 |
Personnel
Pink Floyd
- David Gilmour - vocals, guitars, sequencers
- Nick Mason - drums, sound effects, voices in "Signs of Life", co-lead vocals in "Sorrow"
- Richard Wright - piano; vocals; Kurzweil; Hammond organ
Additional musicians
- Tom Scott – alto saxophone; soprano saxophone
- Tony Levin - bass guitar
- Scott Page – tenor saxophone
- Carmine Appice – drums
- Patrick Leonard – synthesizers
- Bill Payne – Hammond organ
- Michael Landau – guitar
- John Helliwell – saxophone
Chart positions
Album
| Chart (1987) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 | 2 |
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 16 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "Learning to Fly" | UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| 1988 | "The Clock" | UK Singles Chart | 24 |
| 1989 | "On The Turning Away" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 29 |