David Gilmour features in Body Count's new video for Comfortably Numb

David Gilmour features in the new video for Body Count's reworking of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb.

"They've made it relevant again," Gilmour said when the single was first released last month. "Body Count's version of Comfortably Numb is quite radical, but the words really struck me," says Gilmour of the collaboration. "It astonishes me that a tune I wrote almost 50 years ago is back with this great new approach."

"For me, Comfortably Numb, is an introspective song – it's me acknowledging that I'm older now," adds Ice T, who has re-written some of the lyrics to reflect today's society. Comfortably Numb, from 1979's The Wall album, famously explores themes of detachment and introspection that run throughout The Wall, and which inspired Ice-T to create new lyrics for the track, which resonated with Gilmour, leading to his offer to play on the song.

"I'm telling the younger generation, you've got two choices: you can keep the fire burning or you can give up," continues Ice T. "It's me trying to make sense of what's happening, but also pointing out that we're all in a place where we don’t have to face reality. We've got flat-screen TVs and popcorn, and we can just sit back and watch the chaos of the world like it’s a TV show. It doesn’t feel real until it shows up at your door. I’m a little numb, too – we all are."

"The initial contact from Ice-T was for permission to use the song, but I thought I might offer to play on it as well," Gilmour continues. "I like the new lyrics, they're talking about the world we’re living in now, which is quite scary. Ice-T and Body Count played in London recently, sadly I couldn't make it, but if another opportunity came up to play with them, I'd jump at it."

Bidy Count will release their new album, Merciless, through Century Media Records on November 22.

Pre-order Merciless.

YouTube

Watch On

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.