On An Island

On an Island is the third solo album by David Gilmour, best known as a lead vocalist and guitarist for Pink Floyd. It was released in the United Kingdom on 6 March 2006, Gilmour’s 60th birthday, and in the U.S. the following day. It is Gilmour’s first new solo album in 22 years. The song “Castellorizon” received a Grammy Award nomination for best rock instrumental.

The album has achieved platinum status in Canada, selling over 100,000 copies in the first month of its release, and sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.


Background
Notable appearances include Robert Wyatt, Jools Holland, Georgie Fame, David Crosby and Graham Nash, as well as original Pink Floyd member Richard Wright and a member of an early incarnation of Pink Floyd, Bob Klose. Guy Pratt, who has done studio work and toured with Pink Floyd, also appears. Chris Thomas and Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera assisted with production.

Much of the album was recorded in Gilmour’s private studio aboard his houseboat Astoria. The track “Smile” was heard briefly in an unmastered form on the BBC2 show Three Men In A Boat which retraced a trip on the River Thames that passed the houseboat.

Orchestrations on the album were arranged by noted Polish film composer Zbigniew Preisner and conducted by Robert Ziegler