The spoken words on DSOTM were mostly from interviews done with guys in and around the studio when the album was being recorded. I think Alan Parsons (the producer) actually did the interviews but I could be mistaken. He'd start the interview innocuously with questions like "what's your favorite color?" and then move on to "when was the last time you were violent?", "were you in the right?" and "are you afraid to die?" The doorman at the studio contributed the "I'm not frightened of dying, any time'll do I don't mind" part, and also "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark" which appears at the very end. And yes, kdiddy33 is correct. TGGITS was originally recorded as just a piano track, but Parsons thought it lacked something. He hunted up Clare Torrey, with whom he had been working on another project, and who happened to be in the building at the time, and told her to think about despair, hopelessness and death and sing whatever came into her head. She nailed it in one take, then apologized for not being able to come up with anything decent. Parsons and the band were utterly, jaw-droppingly speechless. I still laugh when I hear that story. (and yes, she recently sued Pink Floyd for royalties and writing credits. They settled out of court and her name now appears on the re-release of DSOTM as co-writer with Richard Wright.)
The spoken words on DSOTM were mostly from interviews done with guys in and around the studio when the album was being recorded. I think Alan Parsons (the producer) actually did the interviews but I could be mistaken. He'd start the interview innocuously with questions like "what's your favorite color?" and then move on to "when was the last time you were violent?", "were you in the right?" and "are you afraid to die?" The doorman at the studio contributed the "I'm not frightened of dying, any time'll do I don't mind" part, and also "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark" which appears at the very end. And yes, kdiddy33 is correct. TGGITS was originally recorded as just a piano track, but Parsons thought it lacked something. He hunted up Clare Torrey, with whom he had been working on another project, and who happened to be in the building at the time, and told her to think about despair, hopelessness and death and sing whatever came into her head. She nailed it in one take, then apologized for not being able to come up with anything decent. Parsons and the band were utterly, jaw-droppingly speechless. I still laugh when I hear that story. (and yes, she recently sued Pink Floyd for royalties and writing credits. They settled out of court and her name now appears on the re-release of DSOTM as co-writer with Richard Wright.)
Paul and Linda McCartney were actually interviewed but wouldn't let themselves be put on the album.
Paul and Linda McCartney were actually interviewed but wouldn't let themselves be put on the album.