The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
Encyclopedia
The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking is a 1984 concept album
and the first solo album
by English musician Roger Waters
. The album was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America
in April 1995.
, and how he dreams of committing adultery
with a hitchhiker he picks up along the way. Along the way he also faces other fears and paranoia, with all of these things taking place in real time in the early morning hours of 04:30:18 AM to 05:12 AM on an unspecified day.
In July 1977, Waters played some of the music demo
s of what he had pieced together, but he also played parts of another album he was preparing titled "Bricks in the Wall" to the rest of his bandmates in his group Pink Floyd
. After a long debate, they decided that they preferred the concept of "Bricks In The Wall" instead, even though their manager at the time, Steve O'Rourke
, thought that "The Pros and Cons..." was a better-sounding concept.
Retitled The Wall
, it became the next Pink Floyd album in 1979, and Waters shelved "The Pros and Cons...". In early 1983, following his split from the band, Waters undertook the shelved project himself. The album was recorded in three different studios between February and December 1983 in London
, the Olympic Studios
, Eel Pie Studios
and in Waters' own Billiard Room, the studio where his demos were constructed. Several people appeared on the album, including musical conductor Michael Kamen
, the vocal talents of actor Jack Palance
, saxophonist David Sanborn
and rock and blues guitarist Eric Clapton
.
and cassette
formats, in keeping with Waters' concept there are a few seconds missing between sides one and two, allowing the listener to flip the record (or turn the cassette), thus keeping the second half starting at exactly 4:50 AM as planned. When the album was released on CD a few years later however, this short gap was lost due to continuous play, throwing the time back several seconds. Also, the times for "4:37 AM (Arabs With Knives and West German Skies)" and "4:47 AM (The Remains of Our Love)" on the first side are incorrect: the songs begin several seconds earlier than indicated, as they start during the seconds of "4:36 AM" and "4:46 AM", respectively.
As for the design of the album itself, Gerald Scarfe
, who had created the album artwork and some animation for Pink Floyd's The Wall album, created all the graphics and animation for the Pros and Cons album. Its cover prompted controversy for featuring a rear-view nude photograph of model and softcore pornography actress Linzi Drew
. It was condemned by some feminist groups and was considered sexist with some claiming it even advertised rape
. Many posters advertising the album worldwide were ripped down and destroyed by protesters. Although it was originally released with the nudity intact, subsequent editions distributed by Columbia Records
censored Drew's buttocks with a black box, and it is this censored version that remains the only version available in regions such as the United States and Japan where the record is distributed solely by Columbia.
, plus animation from Scarfe. He had also drawn caricatures of all the band members for the tour program, and the figure of Roger himself (that he nicknamed "Rog") had a long snout like a dog. Scarfe therefore created a character of a dog in the image of "Rog" and named him "Reg". Reg became the main character of the story and stage animation of the Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking tour.
The stage was set up like a bedroom in which the dream takes place, with a working TV that showed old movies before the show and during the intervals. The back screen was 90 feet across and 27 feet high, designed for three 35mm projectors. The three projectors played film and videos in a synchronising form which used a click track
for the performers and from which sound effects were produced (Allegedly the backdrop film itself cost over $400,000 to produce).
The first half of the concert contained Pink Floyd numbers, while in the second half they performed the album in its entirety. Some of the music on the album uses melodies also found in Pink Floyd songs, such as "In the Flesh", "Mother
" and "The Fletcher Memorial Home
". Lyrics from "5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity)" are used in the film of The Wall
, along with lyrics from "Your Possible Pasts" (from Pink Floyd's last album with Waters, titled The Final Cut
).
CBS
did not support the 1984 concerts as they felt he had nothing to promote, as what they really wanted was a new Pink Floyd record. Clapton left the tour before it came to the United States, citing (according to Rolling Stone
) that he was tired of the tour because "of the rigidity of it ... I was feeling a bit stifled." During the States leg of the tour Waters only played ten concerts in six cities. The concerts went reasonably well, with a special show at the New York concert on March 28, 1985, being the world's first holophonic broadcast.
In the end, due to the massive preparations, set up and expense of the shows, Waters himself lost almost a million dollars by the end of the tour.
album claimed a film adaptation had been completed, though nothing has been heard of it since.
Concept 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...
and the first solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
by English musician Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George 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...
. The album was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in April 1995.
Concept history
The concept, as envisioned by Waters in 1977, rotated around a man's scattered thoughts during a road trip through somewhere in Central Europe, focusing on his midlife crisisMidlife Crisis
"Midlife Crisis" is a song by the American rock band Faith No More. It was released on May 26, 1992 as the first single from their fourth album, Angel Dust...
, and how he dreams of committing adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
with a hitchhiker he picks up along the way. Along the way he also faces other fears and paranoia, with all of these things taking place in real time in the early morning hours of 04:30:18 AM to 05:12 AM on an unspecified day.
In July 1977, Waters played some of the music demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
s of what he had pieced together, but he also played parts of another album he was preparing titled "Bricks in the Wall" to the rest of his bandmates in his group 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...
. After a long debate, they decided that they preferred the concept of "Bricks In The Wall" instead, even though their manager at the time, Steve O'Rourke
Steve O'Rourke
Steve O'Rourke was born in Willesden, London, England. He was well known for being manager of the highly influential rock band Pink Floyd after the departure of Syd Barrett in 1968 until his death. He also had to weather the band's falling-out with member Roger Waters.He first managed Pink Floyd...
, thought that "The Pros and Cons..." was a better-sounding concept.
Retitled The Wall
The Wall
The Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...
, it became the next Pink Floyd album in 1979, and Waters shelved "The Pros and Cons...". In early 1983, following his split from the band, Waters undertook the shelved project himself. The album was recorded in three different studios between February and December 1983 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes, South West London, England. The studio is best known for the huge number of famous rock and pop recordings made there from the late 1960s onward....
, Eel Pie Studios
Eel Pie Studios
The Eel Pie Recording Studios, formerly Oceanic, are not actually located on the River Thames's Eel Pie Island but on the mainland in Ranelagh Drive by Twickenham Bridge. They were the venue for a number of notable rock and pop recordings. Eel Pie Studios' artists include Pete Townshend, Rachel...
and in Waters' own Billiard Room, the studio where his demos were constructed. Several people appeared on the album, including musical conductor Michael Kamen
Michael Kamen
Michael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
, the vocal talents of actor Jack Palance
Jack Palance
Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
, saxophonist David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
and rock and blues guitarist Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
.
Album release and artwork
As the original album was released in January 1984 on the traditional two-sided vinyl LPGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
formats, in keeping with Waters' concept there are a few seconds missing between sides one and two, allowing the listener to flip the record (or turn the cassette), thus keeping the second half starting at exactly 4:50 AM as planned. When the album was released on CD a few years later however, this short gap was lost due to continuous play, throwing the time back several seconds. Also, the times for "4:37 AM (Arabs With Knives and West German Skies)" and "4:47 AM (The Remains of Our Love)" on the first side are incorrect: the songs begin several seconds earlier than indicated, as they start during the seconds of "4:36 AM" and "4:46 AM", respectively.
As for the design of the album itself, Gerald Scarfe
Gerald Scarfe
Gerald Anthony Scarfe, CBE, RDI, is an English cartoonist and illustrator. He worked as editorial cartoonist for The Sunday Times and illustrator for The New Yorker...
, who had created the album artwork and some animation for Pink Floyd's The Wall album, created all the graphics and animation for the Pros and Cons album. Its cover prompted controversy for featuring a rear-view nude photograph of model and softcore pornography actress Linzi Drew
Linzi Drew
Linzi Drew is an English former glamour model, producer, adult model and pornographic actress. During a varied career in the UK sex industry Linzi worked as a Page Three girl, stripper, glamour model and porn actress and was at one time the editor of the British edition of Penthouse magazine...
. It was condemned by some feminist groups and was considered sexist with some claiming it even advertised rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. Many posters advertising the album worldwide were ripped down and destroyed by protesters. Although it was originally released with the nudity intact, subsequent editions distributed by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
censored Drew's buttocks with a black box, and it is this censored version that remains the only version available in regions such as the United States and Japan where the record is distributed solely by Columbia.
Supporting tour
In June 1984 Waters went on tour to promote the album with Clapton as part of the backing band, as he expressed interest in playing anonymously in front of a crowd. The live show was designed by Mark Fisher and Jonathan Park with the aid of film-makers Nicholas Roeg and Bernard RoseBernard Rose (director)
Bernard Rose is an English actor and film director most famous for his direction of the 1992 urban horror film Candyman and the 1994 historical romance film Immortal Beloved....
, plus animation from Scarfe. He had also drawn caricatures of all the band members for the tour program, and the figure of Roger himself (that he nicknamed "Rog") had a long snout like a dog. Scarfe therefore created a character of a dog in the image of "Rog" and named him "Reg". Reg became the main character of the story and stage animation of the Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking tour.
The stage was set up like a bedroom in which the dream takes place, with a working TV that showed old movies before the show and during the intervals. The back screen was 90 feet across and 27 feet high, designed for three 35mm projectors. The three projectors played film and videos in a synchronising form which used a click track
Click track
A click track is a series of audio cues used to synchronize sound recordings, sometimes for synchronization to a moving image. The click track originated in early sound movies, where marks were made on the film itself to indicate exact timings for musicians to accompany the film...
for the performers and from which sound effects were produced (Allegedly the backdrop film itself cost over $400,000 to produce).
The first half of the concert contained Pink Floyd numbers, while in the second half they performed the album in its entirety. Some of the music on the album uses melodies also found in Pink Floyd songs, such as "In the Flesh", "Mother
Mother (Pink Floyd song)
"Mother" is a song by Pink Floyd. It appeared on The Wall album in 1979. The song is notable for its varied use of time signatures.-Composition:...
" and "The Fletcher Memorial Home
The Fletcher Memorial Home
"The Fletcher Memorial Home" is a song by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd. The song appears on their 1983 album, The Final Cut. It is the eighth track on the album, and is arranged between "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert" and "Southampton Dock". It was performed live by Roger Waters for...
". Lyrics from "5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity)" are used in the film of The Wall
Pink Floyd The Wall (film)
Pink Floyd—The Wall is a 1982 British live-action/animated musical film directed by Alan Parker based on the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall. The screenplay was written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters. The film is highly metaphorical and is rich in symbolic imagery and sound...
, along with lyrics from "Your Possible Pasts" (from Pink Floyd's last album with Waters, titled The Final Cut
The Final Cut (album)
The Final Cut is the twelfth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. It was released in March 1983 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom, and several weeks later by Columbia Records in the United States. A concept album, The Final Cut is the last of the band's releases to...
).
CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
did not support the 1984 concerts as they felt he had nothing to promote, as what they really wanted was a new Pink Floyd record. Clapton left the tour before it came to the United States, citing (according to Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
) that he was tired of the tour because "of the rigidity of it ... I was feeling a bit stifled." During the States leg of the tour Waters only played ten concerts in six cities. The concerts went reasonably well, with a special show at the New York concert on March 28, 1985, being the world's first holophonic broadcast.
In the end, due to the massive preparations, set up and expense of the shows, Waters himself lost almost a million dollars by the end of the tour.
Possible film
A film based on the concept was proposed, and in 1987 a press release for the Radio KAOSRadio Kaos
Radio Kaos is Mexican Rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1992. The band currently features Claudio Pérez , David Pérez . The release of their first album Botas Negras under EMI Capitol was a success in Mexico...
album claimed a film adaptation had been completed, though nothing has been heard of it since.
Side one
Side two
Chart positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 14 |
| Norway (VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... ) |
4 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... ) |
3 |
| Switzerland (Media Control AG Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
12 |
| UK Albums (The Official Charts Company UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... ) |
13 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
31 |
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 guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, tape effects, lead 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... - Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals, RolandRoland Corporationis a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
guitar synthesizer - Ray CooperRay CooperRay Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
– 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... - Andy NewmarkAndy NewmarkAndrew "Andy" Newmark is an American musician, best known as a popular session drummer, and for playing with the funk band Sly & the Family Stone from 1972 to 1973....
– drums, percussionDrum 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 .... - David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Michael KamenMichael KamenMichael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
– 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... - Andy BownAndy BownAndy Bown is an English musician, who has specialised in keyboards and bass guitar. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
– hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, 12-string guitar - Madeline BellMadeline BellMadeline Bell is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the United Kingdom during the 1960s, having arrived from the US in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with vocal group The Bradford Singers.-Career:She worked as a session singer, most notably backing for Dusty...
, Katie Kissoon, Doreen ChanterDoreen ChanterDoreen Chanter is a British singer best known for her career as a member of the Chanter Sisters and for her work as a backing vocalist and session vocalist during the 1970s and 1980s.-Chanter Sisters:...
– backing vocals - The National Philharmonic OrchestraNational Philharmonic OrchestraThe National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader / contractor Sidney Sax due in part to the requirements of the Reader's Digest-History:...
, Conducted and Arranged by Michael Kamen
Production
- Produced By Roger Waters & Michael Kamen
- Recorded & Engineered By Andy Jackson
- Assistant Engineer: Laura Boisan
- Mastered By Doug Sax & Mike Reese