When Did David Gilmour Join Pink Floyd?

Pink Floyd’s soaring anthems and psychedelic odysseys ooze with David Gilmour’s signature guitar work and vocals. But the story of how this legendary musician joined the band is a winding tale of creative kismet. In the mid-60s, Gilmour crossed paths with Syd Barrett, Floyd’s troubled founder, while performing at insane circus-like events. Their casual friendship morphed into something pivotal when Barrett’s mental state deteriorated. The band faced a crossroads—solider on without their spiritual leader or recruit Gilmour, whose effortless chemistry with the group promised to keep Pink Floyd’s spacey magic alive. Diving into that delicate transition sheds light on an iconic changing of the guard.

When Did David Gilmour Join Pink Floyd?

David Gilmour Joined Pink Floyd at a year was 1967. Pink Floyd stood at a pivotal crossroads. Founding member Syd Barrett, the band’s chief songwriter and creative force, had become increasingly unstable due to mental health issues and drug use. His behavior grew erratic, staging disruptions during recordings and live performances. The rest of Pink Floyd faced a painful choice – continue on and cut ties with their visionary leader or start fresh.

Enter David Gilmour. Gilmour already had a fledgling friendship with Barrett and the band, having crossed paths on London’s swirling psychedelic scene. A chance run-in at a 1967 gig sparked conversation about Barrett’s struggles. Days later, band members Nick Mason and Roger Waters called Gilmour to inquire if he’d fill in for Syd at an upcoming show. There they witnessed David’s flair melding with their avant sound.

Initially brought on as temporary support, the band quickly caught fire with Gilmour on board. His smooth vocals and celestial guitar meshed with the group’s experimental edge. David’s easygoing style gelled personally too. When Syd become fully estranged from the band in ’68, Gilmour stayed on as permanent member and essential musical foil. He brought both sonic chops and steadiness to the role, providing a charting creative force as Pink Floyd cruised into the 70’s progressive rock stratosphere.

What was David Gilmour’s first album with Pink Floyd?

When David Gilmour stepped in as Pink Floyd’s new guitarist in 1967, the band was still seen as a psychedelic novelty act with an avant-garde edge. They had yet to break through to mainstream success. But as 1968 rolled around, Pink Floyd prepared to record their sophomore album armed with plenty of new material highlighting their spacey, atmospheric sound.

A Saucerful of Secrets, released on June 29th 1968, marked a turning point for the band and David Gilmour’s induction into a leadership role. While Syd Barrett penned a mere handful of tracks before his departure, Gilmour contributed significantly across the album’s brooding soundscapes. His writing expanded Floyd’s sonic ambitions while first takes on vocals telegraphed the hypnotic style that defined 1970’s-era Pink Floyd. Songs like the Gilmour-penned “Remember A Day” offered the first peek at his talent crafting wistful progressive anthems.

While not initially a smash success, A Saucerful of Secrets showed Pink Floyd newfound cohesion and creative growth in the post-Barrett era. It kicked off David Gilmour’s ascendance as central musical cog in a band poised to unleash iconic albums like Dark Side of the Moon. For Floyd fans, it remains an intriguing artifact capturing the band discovering its signature grandeur.

Wondering how this epic outfit snagged such an unusual handle? Click here to unravel “how did Pink Floyd get their name“.

What is David Gilmour Doing Now?

While his days touring stadiums with Pink Floyd are behind him, the iconic musician keeps his guitar skills sharp through new projects. Gilmour spent much of 2023 remixing and reworking his prior 2010 collab album “Metallic Spheres” with electronic group The Orb into a remixed edition dubbed “Metallic Spheres In Color.” The ambient effort landed in September 2023 to warm reviews.

Earlier last year also marked a significant one-off reunion. Alongside former bandmate Nick Mason, Gilmour revived Pink Floyd in April 2022 to record the protest song “Hey Hey Rise Up” supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression. While stating it was a singular event for the legendary band, the track echoed Floyd’s political conscience while showcasing Gilmour’s still-piping guitar work.

Further recordings look imminent as 2023 also found David confirming he has started work on a brand new solo record. Details remain scarce but fans anticipate his first album of entirely new solo material since 2006’s “On An Island.”

Beyond music, Gilmour also continues supporting his novelist wife Polly Samson through events celebrating her recent career-spanning short fiction collection “A Theater for Dreamers.”

So while the 77-year old’s best-known band now lives strictly as a storied memory, this influential music pioneer still nurtures fresh creative passions as his next artistic chapter unfolds.

🇺🇦🌻 Pink Floyd’s new single, Hey Hey Rise Up – feat Andriy Khlyvnyuk – is out now worldwide.

Download / stream at https://t.co/1pbIrENapV

All proceeds of the song will go to Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief.

Watch the full video with subtitles in Ukrainian and English below. pic.twitter.com/NqO71NAhaO

— Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) April 8, 2022

David Gilmour’s iconic guitarwork and vocals propelled Pink Floyd to legendary status. Though his touring days have passed, Gilmour still nurtures new creative passions. Fans can celebrate his musical journey by visiting OtherBrick, a store selling Pink Floyd products and memorabilia.