These are the isolated studio tracks from Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”: Roger Waters’ lead vocal and the school choir on their own, David Gilmour’s guitars, and Nick Mason’s drums. The most striking thing to hear is how little is going on. Strip the song down and you find a tight disco-style groove, a few clean guitar figures and a choir of London schoolchildren carrying the second verse.
Isolated vocals
Isolated guitars (with keyboards and sound effects)
Isolated drums
Isolated bass
What to listen for
- Two vocal textures. In the vocal stem, Waters’ lead in the first verse is dry and close, almost spoken. When the choir takes over, the sound opens up into a room full of voices. The contrast is the song’s whole hook.
- The choir up close. On their own, the kids’ voices sound loose and unpolished, which is the point. It was the opposite of a trained choir and it made the protest lyric believable.
- Gilmour’s rhythm guitar. The guitar stem shows a muted, funky single-note part sitting on the off-beats, far more disco than prog. It leaves plenty of space for the bass and drums.
- The solo. Heard without the band, Gilmour’s solo is all bends and phrasing rather than speed. It’s a good one to learn by ear because every note is clear.
- Mason’s four-on-the-floor. The drum stem is a steady kick on every beat with a disciplined hi-hat. Producer Bob Ezrin pushed the band toward a disco beat, and you can hear how strictly Mason keeps it.
About the recording
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” is from Pink Floyd’s double album The Wall (1979), written by Roger Waters and produced by Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour and Waters, with James Guthrie as co-producer and engineer. Released as a single in late 1979, it became the band’s only No. 1 single in both the UK and the US.
The choir was recorded at Islington Green School in north London, close to the band’s Britannia Row studio. The children’s parts were then layered and built into the finished track. The song sits in the first half of The Wall, between “The Happiest Days of Our Lives” and “Mother”, and its disco pulse made it a dance-floor hit that few prog fans saw coming.
More Pink Floyd isolated tracks
Head to the Pink Floyd isolated tracks hub for everything we have. From the same era, the Hey You isolated vocals, guitar and bass mix is another track from The Wall. For the band’s earlier sound, try Money (multitrack) and Shine On You Crazy Diamond. New to stems? Our guide to isolated tracks explains where they come from and how to make your own.
FAQ
Who sings on Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2?
Roger Waters sings the lead vocal. The second verse is sung by a choir of pupils from Islington Green School in London.
What album is Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 on?
It’s on The Wall, Pink Floyd’s 1979 double album. There are three “Another Brick in the Wall” parts on the record, and Part 2 is the hit single.
Who played the guitar solo?
David Gilmour plays the guitar solo, and you can hear it on its own in the guitar video above.
