Main Theme
Encyclopedia
"Main Theme" is an instrumental track by the English progressive rock
band Pink Floyd
on their third album, Soundtrack from the Film More.
The track is played at the beginning of the film, when Stefan is waiting for someone to pick him up along a road to Paris
.
that lasts as a drone sound for the whole piece; at 0:30 the Farfisa organ starts a progression of modal chords, that fades at 1:12 into a drum-bass iterative sequence, similar to, but slower than, the one featured at the opening of "Let There Be More Light
". The Farfisa organ played through a wah-wah pedal
(1:20) plays a progression of background notes over the drum-bass line, while the untreated organ plays the main melodic notes (2:10). The slide-guitar plays from the middle of the piece onward.
-funk
y style. It is available on their Discoballs album among other Pink Floyd covers.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
on their third album, Soundtrack from the Film More.
Overview
The piece was performed live only a few times during the 1970 Pink Floyd tour; some notable differences from the studio version include being longer in length, some small screams from Roger Waters, a notable key change, and a David Gilmour solo played with a slide, before returning to its original key and theme at its ending.The track is played at the beginning of the film, when Stefan is waiting for someone to pick him up along a road to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Structure
The track begins with a panning gongGong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
that lasts as a drone sound for the whole piece; at 0:30 the Farfisa organ starts a progression of modal chords, that fades at 1:12 into a drum-bass iterative sequence, similar to, but slower than, the one featured at the opening of "Let There Be More Light
Let There Be More Light
"Let There Be More Light" is the opening track on Pink Floyd's second album A Saucerful of Secrets. It was also released in edited form as the fourth US single by the group. A rare US-only single release contains edited mono versions of this song and "Remember a Day". The single did not chart...
". The Farfisa organ played through a wah-wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
(1:20) plays a progression of background notes over the drum-bass line, while the untreated organ plays the main melodic notes (2:10). The slide-guitar plays from the middle of the piece onward.
Cover
The song has been covered in 1977 by the French group Rosebud with an electroElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
-funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
y style. It is available on their Discoballs album among other Pink Floyd covers.
Personnel
- Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
— bass and gong - Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
— FarfisaFarfisaFarfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
organ - David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
— slide guitar - Nick MasonNick MasonNicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
— drums and percussion