One Slip

"One Slip"
Song
B-side	"Terminal Frost/The Dogs of War (live)"

"One Slip" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1987 album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. The album gets its title from a line of this song's lyrics. It was first released as the B side for "Learning to Fly". It was then re-released as the third single from the album in the UK where it was a minor hit and was the fourth single from the album in the US where it did well on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

Sound engineer Andy Jackson entered a wrong code into the studio's security system to record the ringing alarm for the song. Quite interestingly, the instrumental and electro start to the song is quite in itself a homage to the song 'Time' from the 1973 album 'Dark Side of the Moon'. Contrasting to the old, archaic chimes of its predecessor, 'One Slip' begins with electronic beeps and alarms, a reminder that Pink Floyd's pursuit of the experimental bliss is always evolving, amidst the changing times. With fast tempo, the lyrics concern a couple meeting at a party and giving in to their lust, living to regret their mistake, possibly because it results in an unwanted pregnancy.

The track was the final song from the album played live when it was the first encore on the Momentary Lapse of Reason tour from 1987-89. The band resurrected the track on one show on their 1994 The Division Bell tour when the band performed it in Oakland, California.

The video for the track is footage of a vintage 1930s plane flying interspersed with concert clips filmed during the band's three night run at the The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. The live footage was shot in November 1987 and was directed by Lawrence Jordan (who has directed concert films for Rush, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel). Videos for "On the Turning Away" and "The Dogs of War" were also filmed from this concert.

Personnel

• David Gilmour - guitars and vocals'
• Nick Mason - percussion

with

• Jim Keltner - drums
• Tony Levin - bass guitar
• Jon Carin - keyboards
• Bob Ezrin - keyboards