This post collects the isolated vocals and isolated guitar from Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” (1979), so you can hear Roger Waters and David Gilmour’s two voices and Gilmour’s guitar parts without the rest of the mix. The thing to listen for is how different the two singers sound when they’re on their own: Waters’ dry, conversational verses against Gilmour’s warm, sustained choruses, then those two guitar solos, which sound even more deliberate when nothing else is playing.
Isolated vocals
Isolated guitar (solo and rhythm)
What to listen for
- Two singers, two characters. The song is written as a conversation. Waters sings the verses as the voice outside the room (“Hello, is there anybody in there?”), and Gilmour answers in the chorus as the numbed character. Soloed, the contrast is stark: Waters’ lines are clipped and almost spoken, while Gilmour holds his notes and lets them ring.
- Doubled and stacked chorus vocals. On the vocal stem you can hear that Gilmour’s chorus lines carry harmonies and a thicker, layered sound than the verses. That gives the chorus its floating, dream-like quality in the full mix.
- The first solo. The shorter mid-song solo is melodic and restrained. Without the band and orchestra, you can hear how much of it comes from bends and vibrato rather than speed.
- The outro solo. The closing solo builds in intensity over a repeating chord sequence. Gilmour has said in interviews that the recorded solo was assembled from several takes. On the isolated track, listen for how each phrase leaves space before the next one starts.
- Rhythm parts under the verses. The guitar stem also shows the quieter rhythm work under the verses, parts that are easy to miss under Michael Kamen’s orchestral arrangement in the full mix.
Credits and background
“Comfortably Numb” appears on The Wall, Pink Floyd’s double album released in November 1979, and was issued as a single in 1980. The music is by David Gilmour, who first developed it as a demo for his solo work, and the lyrics are by Roger Waters. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour and Roger Waters, with James Guthrie as co-producer, and the orchestral arrangement is by Michael Kamen. The song’s arrangement was the subject of well-known disagreements between Gilmour and Waters during the sessions. Gilmour preferred a rougher take and Waters a more orchestrated one, and the released version combines elements of both.
For more from the band, see the Pink Floyd isolated tracks page, including “Hey You” (vocal, guitar and bass isolated) from the same album, “Money” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. New to stems? Our guide to isolated tracks explains where these recordings come from.
FAQ
Who sings on “Comfortably Numb”?
Roger Waters sings the verses and David Gilmour sings the choruses. You can hear the hand-off clearly on the isolated vocal track.
Who played the guitar solos on “Comfortably Numb”?
David Gilmour played both solos. They’re among the most widely studied rock guitar solos, and the isolated track is a good way to learn the phrasing by ear.
What album is “Comfortably Numb” on?
It’s on Pink Floyd’s 1979 double album The Wall.
