The late 1960s produced an incredible wave of British musicians, and two names that stand out are David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Steve Winwood, known for his work with Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, and his successful solo career. While Gilmour doesn’t often share his opinions about other artists, he has spoken warmly about Winwood on several occasions.
First Impressions in the 60s
David Gilmour first saw Steve Winwood perform when Winwood was just 16 years old and part of The Spencer Davis Group. Gilmour, only a couple of years older at the time, was blown away.
He admired Winwood’s ability to play both guitar and piano with incredible skill at such a young age. Gilmour once joked that Winwood was so good it made him want to “hit him”—a lighthearted way of saying he was amazed (and a little jealous) of Winwood’s talent.
Working Together on About Face
Fast forward to 1984, when Gilmour was recording his second solo album, About Face. Wanting to make the best record possible, he wrote a “dream list” of musicians he admired. At the very top of his keyboard player list was Steve Winwood.
Although Winwood couldn’t contribute to the entire album, he did play Hammond organ on the song “Blue Light” and also worked on “Love on the Air”. At the time, Winwood was already well-known as a solo artist with hits like “Valerie” and “While You See a Chance.”
Gilmour even paid Winwood around $1,000 a day for his time, showing how much he valued his contribution.
Gilmour’s Reflection
Looking back, Gilmour has admitted that About Face feels “a bit too 80s” to him now, but he still stands by the quality of the musicians he brought in. Having Winwood onboard was clearly a highlight.
David Gilmour’s opinion of Steve Winwood is one of deep admiration and respect. From being impressed by a teenage prodigy in the 60s to working alongside him decades later, Gilmour has always considered Winwood one of the very best.
Their connection shows how the greats of British rock have inspired and supported each other, creating music that still resonates with fans today.
David Gilmour is not a big fan of that album which had Steve Winwood as a special guest
Although “About Face” is a praised album, Gilmour thinks the record is a bit dated. He said in an interview with In The Studio with Redbeard in 2006, explaining that even though he had the greatest musicians he wanted, it’s a “bit too much 80s” for his taste.
“1984 was kind of a limbo period. Because we had a pretty unpleasant experience during the making of ‘The Wall’ film. Also (during the making of) ‘The Final Cut’ album with Roger (Waters). Roger still had not officially left the band. But none of us could see that we could do something together as a band. So I was kind of left stuck in a limbo there (and Roger left in 1985). At that moment I was testing the water and seeing how I get on outside of Pink Floyd, heading off into a solo project.”
David Gilmour continued:
“(To make that record) I got some very, very good musicians. (Some were) Jeff Porcaro and Pino Palladino. Looking back, it has some great moments. But the whole flavor of it it’s a bit too much 80s for my taste. I think maybe also I was trying to move into a sort of a Classicaly Rock genre that I felt truly comfortable with. (I was) trying deliberately to be a little different to Pink Floyd. (But) I suspect that’s not really where I am at my best. I should (have) let things flow more naturally,” David Gilmour said
Besides Steve Winwood, that record also had Toto’s drummer Jeff Porcaro, famous session bassist Pino Palladino, Deep Purple‘s Jon Lord on synthesizers, Roy Harper on backing vocals and famous producer Bob Ezrin on keyboards and orchestral arrangement.
Steve Winwood was more prolific than David Gilmour on his solo career, releasing 9 studio albums. The most recent one is “Nine Lives” (2008). His most famous and praised records are “Arc of a Diver” (1980), “Back in the High Life” (1986) and “Roll with It” (1988).