Professor Stephen Hawking (author of A Brief History Of Time) lends his voice synthesizer to this track. It can be heard in "spoken" lines just before the opening verse, again before the guitar solo, and once more toward the end of the song.
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Joe from Brooklyn, NyYes Terry, I do agree that is an excellent use of the TalkBox. Since Frampton, ok, Frampton really popularized it but what about Gilmour's use of the TalkBox on Pigs (Three Different Ones)? Fortunately I'm old enough to have seen & heard Gilmour use it on their 1977 tour. Back to Keep Talking, I truely love this song and until reading the notes here, I did not know that was Stephen Hawking's synth voice. Now that I know, I appreciate this song all that much more.
Terry from Wickford, RiNo, I'm not talking about the Stephen Hawking voice synth. The actual effect on the guitar at the end of the song (more noticeable on the PULSE version) is called a TalkBox. Watch the video attached here and you hear it around 5:30 and see David using it in closeup at 6:16. It's a tube that goes in the mouth and intercepts the signal to the amp allowing the player to affect the guitar signal with his voice. Frampton was famous for using it on the "Frampton Comes Alive" album.
Stu from Philly, PaDude, that's not a talk-box... unless you were kidding. that's the synthesizer used by Stephen Hawkings.
Terry from Wickford, RiBest use of the Talk-Box guitar since Frampton!
Peter from Townsville, AustraliaStephen Hawking's comments were taken from a telecommunications advertisement (typical of PF's irony, methinks). This song was aired on radio in 1994 when I was at Uni and man I loved it then like I love it now. Brilliant stuff!
Alton from Huntington Beach, CaThe best song of the century!
Pete from Nowra, AustraliaStephen Hawking eh??? well there ya go , learn something new every day...is a great song though, same with take it back
the Floyd rules
Ashley from Moncton, CanadaThey have a super-genius on a genius song, it's genius, even though it isn't the greatest Floyd song. I know, I over use the word genius.
Ryan from Christchurch, New ZealandThe song is about the absence of communication between people, which is a theme running through the Division Bell album. Stephen Hawking's appearance only highlights this.
