Ice-T Unites Gilmour and Waters for New Version of “Comfortably Numb”
In a surprising twist, Ice-T has managed to bring together David Gilmour and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd to approve a new take on the iconic track “Comfortably Numb.” As reported by Rolling Stone, Ice-T took the initiative to directly reach out to both musicians after their publisher initially rejected the idea for Body Count, Ice-T’s heavy metal band, to record a reworked version with contemporary lyrics.
“When we first contacted their publisher, the response was a firm ‘no,’” Ice-T shared. “This wasn’t out of disrespect, but more like ‘Pink Floyd doesn’t sample or license their music for ads.’ We had hit a wall. I was not inclined to rework the lyrics and attach them to a different track. I was ready to scrap the whole idea.”
In his conversation with Rolling Stone, Ice-T recounted his breakthrough: “Once we connected with David, he enthusiastically responded, ‘Hell, yes! I love this song. I’m on board.’ After that, Roger listened in and asked, ‘Who’s the vocalist?’ Upon learning it was me, he gave his blessing. It’s rare for two artists from such different viewpoints to agree on a song, so it must hold weight.”
Moreover, not only did both musicians approve, but Gilmour even expressed interest in playing guitar for the track, which is set to feature on Body Count’s upcoming album, Merciless. Ice-T reflected on the significance of “Comfortably Numb”:
“I can watch live coverage of the war in Ukraine, or the conflict in Israel, and then switch to sports. I might see a child being killed by police or a tragic domestic violence incident, yet then I might play a video game. We’ve become desensitized to these issues, including global starvation. Both Gilmour and Waters likely resonated with that sentiment. I doubt they would have approved a track named ‘Comfortable Buns’ or something trivial.”
Check out the new version below.
The album Merciless is set for release on November 22 through Century Media Records.
Comment