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Pink Floyd may be marking the 20th anniversary of their album The Division Bell with a new record later this year. The news comes via several sources close to the legendary rock group, including guitarist David Gilmour‘s wife, Polly Samson, who possibly leaked the news late yesterday.
“[By the way] Pink Floyd album out in October is called The Endless River. Based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright’s swansong and very beautiful,” wrote Samson on her Twitter account. Meanwhile, Floyd touring vocalist Durga McBroom-Hudson provided further confirmation on Facebook.
McBroom-Hudson, who sang backup for the band throughout the ’80s and ’90s, posted a photo from a recording session, writing, “The recording did start during the Division Bell sessions (and yes, it was the side project originally titled The Big Spliff that [drummer] Nick Mason spoke about). Which is why there are Richard Wright tracks on it.” Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright died of cancer in 2008.
“But David and Nick have gone in and done a lot more since then,” she adds. “It was originally to be a completely instrumental recording, but I came in last December and sang on a few tracks. David then expanded on my backing vocals and has done a lead on at least one of them. That’s the song you see being worked on in the photo.” The Endless River consists entirely of “unreleased songs.”
According to Billboard, the band’s longtime engineer Andy Jackson confirmed the album’s release via fan site Floydian Slip, though there has been no confirmation yet from the band’s label, Warner, nor any indication of whether Floyd’s other principal member, Roger Waters, will be involved.
UPDATE 08/07/14: Pink Floyd have since confirmed that they are releasing a new album The Endless River in October 2014. The band say it will be an album of “mainly ambient and instrumental music”. It will be based on sessions for the band’s last studio album, The Division Bell, which was released 20 years ago.
The Division Bell features David Gilmour, Nick Mason and multi-instrumentalist Richard (Rick) Wright, a founder member of Pink Floyd, who died in 2008. Work is still in progress on the album, but more details to come soon.
Watch: Pink Floyd at Live 8
Btw Pink Floyd album out in October is called "The Endless River". Based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright's swansong and very beautiful.
— Polly Samson (@PollySamson) July 5, 2014
