Song of the Week #95 – “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”
Written by admin on February 27, 2012 – 8:28 pm - |
To celebrate the release of the new Experience and Immersion editions of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall,” the band’s non-conformist anthem “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons.
“The Wall” album was released in November 1979 and the “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” single was released the same month in the UK and two months later in the US. |
The inspiration for “The Wall” came about during Pink Floyd’s US tour of 1977 when Roger Waters began to feel a growing sense of alienation from the stadium rock crowds. His sense of there being a wall between artist and audience was the spark that led to the concept for “The Wall” album, where he would explore the psychological “wall” constructed by the central character Pink.
“Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” was the second of three sections of the song, each addressing a specific theme. “Part 1” reminisces about Pink’s father who was killed in World War II, “Part 2” is an attack on the character’s school experience, and by “Part 3” Pink is a paranoid, drug dependent rock star.
On the album, “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” directly follows “The Happiest Days of Our Lives”, with both songs drawing from Roger Waters’ own experiences as a Grammar school student in the 1950s. In a 1979 interview with BBC Radio One’s Tommy Vance, Waters explained:
| “My school life was very like that. Oh, it was awful, it was really terrible. When I hear people whining on now about bringing back Grammar schools it really makes me quite ill to listen to it. Because I went to a boys Grammar school… I want to make it plain that some of the men who taught there were very nice guys. It’s not meant to be a blanket condemnation of teachers everywhere, but the bad ones can really do people in, and there were some at my school who were just incredibly bad and treated the children so badly, just putting them down, putting them down, you know, all the time. Never encouraging them to do things, not really trying to interest them in anything, just trying to keep them quiet and still, and crush them into the right shape, so that they would go to university and ‘do well.'” |
Without the input of former Alice Cooper producer, Bob Ezrin, “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” would have taken a very different form. Ezrin recognised that the song could be a hit, but that it needed to be lengthened for release as a single. His solution was to have the first verse repeated, but sang by school children. This was a great idea, as the attack against “dark sarcasm in the classroom” is more powerful coming directly from those who endure it.
The strong disco beat was also Ezrin’s idea and it was another important decision. This disco beat, along with the infectious bass line, the sublime guitar solo from David Gilmour, and the novelty of having children sing on the track, helped make this one of the biggest hits of 1980 and a standout track on the album.
“Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” – Pink Floyd
“The Wall” story was turned into a movie in 1982 and “Another Brick in the Wall” won Waters the 1983 British Academy Award for “Best Original Song.”
Authorship
“Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” was written by Roger Waters.
Recording date/location
“Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” was recorded beween April and November 1979 at the Super Bear Studios in Paris and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. The children’s voices were recorded at Britannia Row Studios in London by engineer Nick Griffiths.
Musicians
The following musicians played on “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”:
- David Gilmour – lead vocals, guitars
- Roger Waters – bass guitar, harmony vocals
- Nick Mason – drums
- Richard Wright – keyboards
- Islington Green School students – vocals.
Chart performance
The “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” single was a spectacular success for Pink Floyd, reaching number one in many countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and across Europe.
The album “The Wall” was also a huge success, topping the charts for 15 weeks in the US and reaching number three on the UK album chart.
Covers
There have been a number of parodies and remixes of the song, but few cover versions and none that could be considered particularly noteworthy. Here’s something a little quirky though…
“Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” – Luther Wright & The Wrongs
Luther Wright & The Wrongs recorded a country version of the complete “The Wall” album in 2001 titled “Rebuild the Wall.” There’s a lively banjo throughout and a pretty mean fiddle, but you are left with the feeling that the project wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously. This video features a medley of “Another Brick in the Wall Part 1″/”The Happiest Days of Our Lives” and “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”.
There will be a new Song of the Week on March 5.
“Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” is available on the Experience (deluxe), Immersion (super deluxe) and vinyl reissues of “The Wall” that are released this week. Here’s the promo for the Immersion edition:
“The Wall” reissues can be ordered now from:
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The Wall Experience Edition (3 CDs) |
Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
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The Wall Immersion Edition (6 CDs/DVD) |
Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
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The Wall Vinyl Edition (2 LPs) |
Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
Tags: Another Brick in the Wall, Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd the Wall, Pink Floyd the Wall Experience edition, Pink Floyd the Wall Immersion edition, Richard Wright, Roger Waters
Posted in Song of the Week |
