5 Facts About Pink Floyd’s Division Bell Recording on a Boat

The band recorded most of the album on a houseboat called the Astoria, moored on the River Thames. It was a converted barge with a control room and live room, giving them a private, unconventional studio space.

The floating studio gave Pink Floyd privacy and a unique vibe that a regular studio couldn’t provide. The band used the Astoria for most of the writing and recording in 1993.

You can hear the space in the album’s sound. Lots of ambient sounds, open air, and a slightly damp, atmospheric feel come through in the recordings.

The Astoria was also used for parts of A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Endless River. But The Division Bell is the album that lived on the boat during its creation.

The choice of a houseboat studio is quintessentially Pink Floyd. It reflects their preference for creative isolation and unconventional working environments.