4 Facts About Clare Torry's "The Great Gig in the Sky" Vocal

She improvised the entire vocal in one session Clare Torry was brought into Abbey Road’s Studio Three and recorded the wordless performance in a single take.

Pink Floyd paid her a standard session fee Torry received £30 for the session, a typical rate for session singers at the time.

She later sued for songwriting credit In 2004, Torry took legal action and reached an out-of-court settlement, receiving a share of royalties and a co-writing credit.

The vocal was inspired by gospel and soul music Torry drew from artists like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles to create the emotional, wordless melody.