Money (Pink Floyd song)

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“Money”
“Money” cover
Single by Pink Floyd
from the album The Dark Side of the Moon
Released June 23, 1973
Recorded June 1972 - January 1973 at Abbey Road Studios in London, England
Genre Progressive Rock
Length 6:23
Label Harvest, EMI (UK)
Harvest, Capitol (US)
Writer(s) Waters
Producer Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd singles chronology
"Free Four"
(1972)		 "Money"
(1973)		 "Us and Them"/"Time"
(1973)
Alternate cover
Cover of the single's 2003 re-issue (which coincided with the release of the album's 30th anniversary SACD re-issue)
Cover of the single's 2003 re-issue (which coincided with the release of the album's 30th anniversary SACD re-issue)
The Dark Side of the Moon
Tracks
  1. "Speak to Me" (1:08)
  2. "Breathe" (2:48)
  3. "On the Run" (3:31)
  4. "Time" / "Breathe (Reprise)" (7:04)
  5. "The Great Gig in the Sky" (4:47)
  6. "Money" (6:23)
  7. "Us and Them" (7:48)
  8. "Any Colour You Like" (3:25)
  9. "Brain Damage" (3:50)
  10. "Eclipse" (2:06)
"Money (song)" redirects here. For other songs and uses of the same name, see Money (disambiguation).

"Money" is the sixth track[1] from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. It is the only song on the album to hit the top 20 in the United States charts. On the original LP, it opened the second side of the album. It was written by Roger Waters.

"Money" is notable for its introductory passage of cash registers dinging and coins clinking, much like "Time". However, unlike "Time", the 'money' sounds were recorded specifically for the album, and are featured in a 7/4 beat ryhthm.

Contents

[edit] Composition

"Money", a riff-driven song, is notable for the unusual 7 beat time signature. As stated in the song's sheet music, the predominant time signature is in 7/4. Most rock music is in 4/4, or common time, and most of the exceptions are in 3/4 or a similar triple meter. The typical rock offbeats on two and four are instead on two four and six, leaving two notes in a row without a beat. During the guitar solo the song changes to 4/4, then returns to 7/4, then ends in 4/4 again. This was done because David Gilmour thought it would be too complicated to write the solo in seven beat form (this was stated in Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon). Critics have commented[weasel words] that the change in dynamic (maintaining tempo but changing from seven beats to the bar to 4 beats, making the song feel quicker) is one of the track's strengths.

The form and chord progression are based on the twelve-bar blues in B minor key. Two twelve-bar A verses are followed by a twelve-bar instrumental section that features a funk-style tenor saxophone solo along with keyboard, bass, and drums.

[edit] History

The song was created in a makeshift recording studio Roger Waters had in his garden shed, and the released version has a bluesy, transatlantic feel as opposed to the original demo version which is described by Waters as being "prissy and very English" (this was stated in Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon). Though credited solely to Waters, since he wrote the basic music and all the lyrics, it is very much a group effort; the instrumental jam was a collaborative effort from the band, Gilmour overseeing the time change and guitar solo, Dick Parry doing the tenor sax solo, and Richard Wright and Nick Mason improvising their own parts. Gilmour's input is also discernible in the final mix, which combines "wet" sections (featuring heavy echo and reverb) with contrasting "dry" sections (particularly the instrumental break between the two guitar solos, which features simply the unaltered sound of the four band members). His final guitar solo is played on a customized Lewis guitar with a full two-octave range on the neck, allowing Gilmour to reach the solo's distinctive high notes.

The track was played on all performances of the band's 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 concerts in the Dark Side of the Moon sets. Then was performed regularly on the band's 1977 tour in the encore (usually performances would last up to 12 minutes). The group would also perform it on their A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell tours in 1987/88/89/90 and 1994 respectively. Also, the song also was played on David Gilmour's 1984 US tour in support of his About Face solo album in an extended version (up to 12 minutes) and Roger Waters has played the track regularly on his solo tours.

"Money" was re-recorded for the 1981 Pink Floyd album A Collection of Great Dance Songs because Capitol Records refused to license the track to Columbia Records in the US. As a result, David Gilmour re-recorded the track himself playing all of the drums, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar and vocals and co-producing the song with James Guthrie. Dick Parry played tenor saxophone on the track like he did the original.

In the Pink Floyd reunion for Live 8 they performed "Money" along with "Breathe" (with its reprise from "Time"), "Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb". It was also performed by Waters at Live Earth's Concert at Giants Stadium on July 7, 2007.

[edit] Covers

  • "Money" was covered by Velvet Revolver for the 2003 re-make of The Italian Job with a few changes like doubling the opening bass riff with a guitar hooked up to a talk box. The saxophone solo is played by Slash on guitar with talk box. The final riff is played in Slash's own signature style.
  • "Money" was covered by the Maryland band Clutch. It was never officially released, but has made rounds among fans.
  • Easy Star All-Stars played a cover version on their album Dub Side Of The Moon, which included the sound effects of a man smoking a bong and coughing at the beginning in place of the cash register introduction.


[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • The U.S. promo single was edited to 3 minutes and censored to remove the word "shit". This has become commonly known as the "bull-blank" version.
  • In the movie of The Wall, in the middle of "The Happiest Days of Our Lives", there is a short break in the music, during which comes a scene in the school - the teacher mocks Pink's poems. The part he reads out loud is actually from the lyrics of "Money".
  • Parts of the introduction to this song are used on the Dave Ramsey Show, which gives financial advice.
  • The song "Money" by Milli Vanilli features the cash register samples from this song's opening re-ordered to create a 4/4 beat; the two songs contain no other similarities.
  • German indie rock group Sportfreunde Stiller also take cash register samples on their song "Money Mark", which appeares on their album "So wie einst Real Madrid" (2000).
  • This song was used several times throughout the remake of The Italian Job (2003 film).
  • In the 1981 Only Fools and Horses episode Cash and Curry, the song that is played during the sales montage. The DVD Region 2 version has a different music track due to contractual reasons by the BBC.
  • New England-based pro wrestling manager Johnny Fabulous (played by John Cena Sr.) uses this song as his entrance theme. He starts the song with his voice saying "It's good to be great, but it's great to be Fabulous".
  • In Season 10 Episode 7 of Top Gear, the Top Gear crew created a beat that played to the tune of Money with broken upholstery pieces from British Leyland cars. Money was playing in the background.
  • The cash register part of the song is also used in the movie Requiem for a Dream.
  • The Dave Matthews Band started covering this song on their 2008 summer tour.

[edit] Alternative and Live versions

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Charts

Chart (1973) Peak
position
United States Billboard Hot 100
13

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The track number depends upon the edition of the album; some releases merge the two tracks "Speak to Me" and "Breathe".

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Pink Floyd
David Gilmour · Nick Mason · Richard Wright
Syd Barrett · Bob Klose · Roger Waters
Studio albums
Soundtracks
Live albums
Compilations
Films
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