“Have A Cigar” - Session musician Roy Harper
This track from the 1975 Pink Floyd album Wish You Were Here is a bit of a rarity That’s because of the unusual use of Roy Harper for the vocals. This was one of only three Pink Floyd songs to have vocals by non-band members. The song was written by Roger Waters and intended as a protest against the music industry and greed, perhaps a follow-up to his earlier “Money” song.
The sharp tone of the lyrics and the song itself needed something different on the vocals. Originally intended for Waters to sing, his versions didn't quite work. Neither did versions from David Gilmour or jointly between the pair. Roy Harper was recording nearby and had been dropping in on sessions as a friend of the band. He saw them struggling and suggested he could give the vocals a try.
Harper added a more dramatic, theatrical style to the vocals, which fitted the theme much better and the band went with his voice on the album. It's’ hard to think of it any other way now, although Harper’s contribution was kept quiet for many years leaving fans guessing for a few years. Harper spoke later of agreeing to a lifetime season ticket at Lords as his fee. It may have been an on the spot suggestion, but he will have done well from that compared to the nominal fees typically around at the time.
“The Great Gig In The Sky” - Session musician Clare Torry
It seems only right to continue the Pink Floyd theme and dip back to their previous album, The Dark Side Of The Moon. “The Great Gig In The Sky” was the first song to feature a nonband member on vocals. The third was “Hey, Hey Rise Up” from 2022 to support the Ukrainian cause with vocals by Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band BoomBox.
The vocals on “The Great Gig In The Sky” come from Clare Torry. She was suggested by producer Alan Parsons as able to help provide some improvised vocals for the song. Her part was entirely improvised and was sound and soaring notes rather than words. It has been described as Torry using her voice more as an instrument.
Recorded over three takes Torry left the studio not knowing if her efforts would be used, but with the band very impressed with her contribution. Her work was edited afterward to provide the performance we now hear on the record. It’s such a brilliant part of the song and album.
It’s far more than just some basic backing vocals, it's a huge part of the song. In true session style, though, her initial fee was just a flat rate of £30. A later court settlement in 2005 recognized her contribution and awarded an undisclosed sum for vocal composition credit.