Clare Torry | |
|---|---|
 Torry in 2003 | |
| Born | (1947-11-29)29 November 1947 (age 77) London, United Kingdom |
| Occupation(s) | Singer and songwriter |
| Known for | Vocalist onPink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" from the albumThe Dark Side of the Moon |
Clare H. Torry (born 29 November 1947) is a British singer, known for performing the improvised,wordless vocals on the song "The Great Gig in the Sky" onPink Floyd's 1973 albumThe Dark Side of the Moon. She sang the theme of the 1977 filmOCE in the same style, and also covered theDolly Parton single "Love Is Like a Butterfly" for the opening titles of theBBC TV seriesButterflies, which ran for four series between 1978 and 1983.
Clare Torry was born in November 1947 inMarylebone, London,[1] to Geoffrey Napier Torry (1916–1979), who combined careers as Lieutenant-Commander in theFleet Air Arm andFlight Lieutenant in theRAF, and his wife Dorothy W. Singer (1916–2017), who was secretary to sixBBC Directors-General.
In the 1960s Torry began a career as a singer, mostly performing covers of popular songs[2] which included session work atAbbey Road Studios. She later worked as a staff songwriter forEMI.[3]
In January 1973,Pink Floyd were finishing work onThe Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road, and a female singer was needed to add vocals to an instrumental composition byRichard Wright to be called "The Great Gig in the Sky". EngineerAlan Parsons remembered having been impressed by Torry's voice, and she was booked for a session on Sunday 21 January.[4]
"They simply said, 'Who shall we get to sing this?' And I said, 'Well, I know a great singer.' I just knew her through one album of hit cover versions she'd done – you know,the cover albums that proliferated in the early 1970s. They were always done in a day. And I was very impressed with her. There was a bit of direction given: they said, 'Sorry, we've got no words, no melody line, just a chord sequence – just see what you can do with it.' She was only there for a couple of hours. As I remember, she did two or three tracks, from which we assembled the best bits for a master version. But somewhere in the archives are the bits we didn't use, and I'm sure it would make for an interesting remix version one day." –Alan Parsons.[5]
On 4 November 1973, Torry sang "The Great Gig in the Sky" at theRainbow Theatre in London.[2][6][7][8] She sang it with Pink Floyd again at their 1990 concert atKnebworth, and withRoger Waters at some of his 1980s solo shows.[9] She also contributed to Waters' 1986 soundtrackWhen the Wind Blows and to his 1987 albumRadio K.A.O.S..[9]
Torry performed as asession singer on 1970s UK TV adverts, and as a live backing vocalist withKevin Ayers,Olivia Newton-John,Shriekback,The Alan Parsons Project (for whom she also sang lead vocal on one track on 1979'sEve),Procol Harum mainmanGary Brooker,Matthew Fisher,Cerrone,Meat Loaf (a duet on the song "Nowhere Fast", and the hit "Modern Girl"),Johnny Mercer andDoctors of Madness.
She performedDolly Parton's "Love Is Like a Butterfly" as thetheme music to the 1970sWendy Craig/Geoffrey Palmer,Carla Lane sitcomButterflies. The song was released as a single in 1981. Torry also released "Love for Living" in 1969, which was produced byRonnie Scott andRobin Gibb. She sang the theme of the 1977 filmOCE in the same style as "The Great Gig in the Sky".[10]
In the 1970s she appeared on the French disco composerCerrone's "Angelina", the Alan Parsons Project's "Don't Hold Back", and albums byOlivia Newton-John andSerge Gainsbourg.[11] Her voice can be heard singing "Love to Love You Baby" (originally byDonna Summer) during the opening scene of the cult BBCPlay for Today production ofAbigail's Party in 1977.[citation needed] Torry sang backing vocals on the track "The War Song" fromCulture Club'sWaking Up with the House on Fire album in 1984, as well as on the track "Yellowstone Park" on theTangerine Dream albumLe Parc the following year.
Torry is alsocredited on the 1987 albumEn Dejlig Torsdag (A Lovely Thursday) by the Danishpop rock bandTV-2, where she sings in a fashion similar to "The Great Gig in the Sky" at the end of the tracks "Stjernen I Mit Liv" ("The Star in my Life") and "I Baronessens Seng" ("In the Bed of the Baroness").[12]
On 20 October 2010, Torry was presented with aBASCA Gold Badge Award in recognition of her unique contribution to music.[13]
In 2004, Torry sued Pink Floyd andEMI for songwriting royalties on the basis that her contribution to "The Great Gig in the Sky" constituted co-authorship with keyboardistRichard Wright. In 1973, as a session singer, she was paid only the standard flat fee of £30 for Sunday studio work (the equivalent of £400 in 2022).[9] She said in 1998, "If I'd known then what I know now, I would have done something about organising copyright or publishing."[3] In 2005, an out-of-court settlement was reached in Torry's favour, although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.[14] All releases after 2005 carry an additional credit for "Vocal composition by Clare Torry"[15] in the "Great Gig in the Sky" segment of the booklet or liner notes.
In February 2006, Torry releasedHeaven in the Sky, a collection of her early pop recordings from the 1960s and 1970s. In 2011, she released a collaboration with musician and composer John Fyffe.[citation needed]
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