Broken China
Encyclopedia
Broken China is a progressive rock
solo album by Pink Floyd
keyboard player Richard Wright
.
which documents Wright's then wife Mildred's battle with depression
, and is very much like a classic Pink Floyd concept album in its structure and overall feel. Two songs, "Reaching for the Rail" and "Breakthrough" feature Sinéad O'Connor
on lead vocals, with Wright singing elsewhere. The album was recorded in Wright's personal studio in France
. Broken China was only Wright's second solo record after 1978's "Wet Dream
" and the last to be released before his death in September 2008.
Wright asked fellow Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour
to perform on the album, to which Gilmour agreed to play one track. However, the approach for the song was changed later on, and Gilmour's performance was not used on the finished album.
On the DVD David Gilmour in Concert
, a guest appearance is made by Wright, who sings "Breakthrough" accompanied by David Gilmour and his band.
The packaging has artwork by Pink Floyd's regular designer, Storm Thorgerson
, and Peter Curzon.
Both remixes are the same, due to copyrights reasons these compilations have different tracks on the UK and USA versions. "Runaway" appears on both.
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...
solo album by 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...
keyboard player Richard Wright
Richard 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...
.
Overview
The album is a four-part concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
which documents Wright's then wife Mildred's battle with depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, and is very much like a classic Pink Floyd concept album in its structure and overall feel. Two songs, "Reaching for the Rail" and "Breakthrough" feature Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
on lead vocals, with Wright singing elsewhere. The album was recorded in Wright's personal studio in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Broken China was only Wright's second solo record after 1978's "Wet Dream
Wet Dream (album)
Wet Dream was the first solo album from Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright, released in 1978. The album went virtually unnoticed at the time...
" and the last to be released before his death in September 2008.
Wright asked fellow Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David 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...
to perform on the album, to which Gilmour agreed to play one track. However, the approach for the song was changed later on, and Gilmour's performance was not used on the finished album.
On the DVD David Gilmour in Concert
David Gilmour in Concert
David Gilmour in Concert is a DVD of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's solo concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London in June 2001, as part of the Robert Wyatt-curated Meltdown festival. It also features additional footage recorded during three concerts at the same venue in January 2002...
, a guest appearance is made by Wright, who sings "Breakthrough" accompanied by David Gilmour and his band.
The packaging has artwork by Pink Floyd's regular designer, Storm Thorgerson
Storm Thorgerson
Storm Thorgerson is an English graphic designer, known for his work for rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, 10cc, Dream Theater, The Mars Volta, Muse, The Cranberries, and Biffy Clyro.-Biography:...
, and Peter Curzon.
Track listing
- "Breaking Water" (Wright/Anthony MooreAnthony MooreAnthony Moore is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, including Flying Doesn't Help and World Service .As a lyricist, Moore has collaborated with Pink Floyd on...
) – 2:28 - "Night of a Thousand Furry Toys" (Wright/Moore) – 4:22
- "Hidden Fear" (Wright/Gerry Gordon) – 3:28
- "Runaway" (Moore) – 4:00
- "Unfair Ground" (Wright) – 2:21
- "Satellite" (Wright) – 4:06
- "Woman of Custom" (Moore) – 3:44
- "Interlude" (Wright) – 1:16
- "Black Cloud" (Wright) – 3:19
- "Far from the Harbour Wall" (Wright/Moore) – 6:19
- "Drowning" (Wright) – 1:38
- "Reaching for the Rail" (Wright/Moore) – 6:30
- "Blue Room in Venice" (Wright/Gordon) – 2:47
- "Sweet July" (Wright) – 4:13
- "Along the Shoreline" (Wright/Moore) – 4:36
- "Breakthrough" (Wright/Moore) – 4:19
Instrumental remix tracks from the "Broken China" (UK promo by The Orb)
- "Night of a Thousand Furry Toys" (Inverted Gravy Mix, an Instrumental remix by William OrbitWilliam OrbitWilliam Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
with Matt Ducasse.) – 8:31 - "Runaway" (Anthony MooreAnthony MooreAnthony Moore is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, including Flying Doesn't Help and World Service .As a lyricist, Moore has collaborated with Pink Floyd on...
) (R. Wright's lemonade mix) – 7:04 - "Runaway" (Anthony Moore) (Leggit Dub) – 7:01
"Runaway" (remixes by The Orb)
Extended "Runaway" remixes, almost the double in length, exist and can be found on two "The Orb Remix Project" compilations:- "Runaway" (Anthony Moore) (R. Wrights Leggit Mix) — 13:42 on "Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond The Call Of Duty Part 2" — Ultra Records 2001 (USA).
- "Runaway" (Anthony Moore) (Leggit Dub) — 13:38 on "Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond The Call Of Duty Part 2" — Deviant Records 2002 (UK).
Both remixes are the same, due to copyrights reasons these compilations have different tracks on the UK and USA versions. "Runaway" appears on both.
Personnel
- 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...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, programming, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Anthony MooreAnthony MooreAnthony Moore is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, including Flying Doesn't Help and World Service .As a lyricist, Moore has collaborated with Pink Floyd on...
– computer programmingComputer programmingComputer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
& arrangements, 'telephone vocal' (2) - Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
– lead vocals (12, 16) - Tim RenwickTim RenwickTimothy John Pearson 'Tim' Renwick is an English guitarist.-Career:Renwick started playing guitar in the 1960s. He performed with many bands, including Little Women, Wages of Sin, Junior's Eyes, The Hype, Quiver and Lazy Racer...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Dominic MillerDominic MillerDominic Miller is an Argentine-English guitarist who toured and recorded with World Party and King Swamp, worked on Phil Collins' solo album ...But Seriously and played guitar on every Sting album and tour since 1990...
– guitars - Steven Bolton – guitars
- Pino PalladinoPino PalladinoPino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Manu KatchéManu KatchéManu Katché is a French musician of Ivorian origin, born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés on 27 October 1958. He is a drummer and songwriter.-Career:Session musician...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Sian Bell – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Kate St. John – oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, cor anglaisCor anglaisThe cor anglais , or English horn , is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family.... - Maz Palladino – backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Design
- Storm Thorgeson, Peter Curzon - sleeve design
- Tony May - photography
- Jason Reddy - ComputerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
- Julien Mils, Finlay Cowan - artwork