On an Island (song)

"On an Island"
Single by David Gilmour
from the album On an Island
B-side	"On an Island (edit)"
Released	15 February 2006
Genre	Progressive rock, art rock
Length	6:47 (Album version) 4:42 (Single version)
Label	EMI (UK) Columbia Records (U.S.)
Writer(s)	David Gilmour Polly Samson
Producer(s)	David Gilmour Phil Manzanera Chris Thomas
David Gilmour singles chronology
"Love on the Air" (1984) "On an Island" (2006) "Smile" (2006)
On an Island track listing 10 tracks "Castellorizon" "On an Island" "The Blue" "Take a Breath" "Red Sky at Night" "This Heaven" "Then I Close My Eyes" "Smile" "A Pocketful of Stones" "Where We Start"

"On an Island" is the second song and title track from David Gilmour's third solo album, On an Island. It segues from the previous track, "Castellorizon", and is very placid in nature. It was released as a preview of the album some weeks prior to the album's official release. The song is both based on a night Gilmour spent on the Greek island of Kastelorizo, as well as being about remembering and honouring those who have died. It, like the entirety of the album of the same name, was performed live during Gilmour's 2006 tour and appears on the official tour DVD/BD Remember That Night (2007) and the live album/DVD Live in Gdańsk (2008).

Track list

1. "On an Island" – 6:47 (Gilmour/Polly Samson)
2. "On an Island" (radio edit) – 4:42 (Gilmour/Samson)

Personnel

• David Gilmour – guitars, lead vocals, electric piano, percussion
• Guy Pratt – bass guitar
• Richard Wright – Hammond organ
• David Crosby – backing vocals
• Graham Nash – backing vocals
• Rado Klose – guitar
• Andy Newmark – drums
• Zbigniew Preisner – orchestration

References