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About

Genius Annotation

As the continuation to the album’s opening track “Speak to Me,” which seamlessly segues into “Breathe,” it is the first time we hear any lyrics.

This track is loosely based off Roger Waters' and Ron Geesin’s performance on “Breathe,” a track made and recorded for the 1970 documentary, The Body. This version saw no help from Geesin, a composer who previously worked on Atom Heart Mother only three years before. Instead, this song is credited to David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Roger Waters.

The song takes heavy advantage of the Uni-Vibe guitar foot pedal-operated phaser performed by Gilmour, the longtime guitarist for Pink Floyd. He later released an acoustic cover on his album Live in Gdansk.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Pink Floyd say about "Breathe (In the Air)"?
Genius Answer

During the recording of a Classic Albums documentary for the album, Richard Wright explained how the track’s keyboard was inspired by what is widely considered one of the best jazz albums of all time, Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue:

The interesting thing about this song … that is totally down to a chord I had heard on, actually, Miles Davis’ album Kind of Blue. … That chord, I just loved.

Credits
Produced By
Bass Guitar
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes]
Mastered by
Mix Supervisor
Percussion
Hammond Organ
Pedal Steel Guitar
Electric Guitar
Recorded At
EMI Recording Studios, St. John's Wood, City of Westminster, Greater London, England
Release Date
March 1, 1973
View Breathe (In the Air) samples
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