Though Ice-T and the rest of Body Count are ready to blast us into their Merciless new era, the long-running metal group also know when to salute the greats. Following a pair of recent bruising singles, they’ve now issued a cover of Pink Floyd’s iconic “Comfortably Numb,” which even features a guest spot from the English group’s singer-guitarist, David Gilmour.
A press release explains that the team-up came up when Ice-T reached out to Gilmour directly about Body Count covering the classic track, which first appeared on Pink Floyd’s The Wall double album from 1979. The English guitarist said sure…and then offered to lay down some guitar tracks, too!
Up above, you’ll find the remodeled FM Radio staple, updated for 2024 with Ice-T’s instantly identifiable vocal approach.
For his part, Ice reasoned of tackling the tune: “For me ‘Comfortably Numb’ is an introspective song—it’s me acknowledging that I’m older now. I’m telling the younger generation, you’ve got two choices: you can keep the fire burning or you can give up.”
He adds: “It’s me trying to make sense of what’s happening, but also pointing out that we’re all in a place where we don’t have to face reality. We’ve got flat-screen TVs and popcorn, and we can just sit back and watch the chaos of the world like it’s a TV show. It doesn’t feel real until it shows up at your door. I’m a little numb, too—we all are.”
Gilmour added of the revamp: “Body Count’s version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ is quite radical, but the words really struck me. It astonishes me that a tune I wrote almost 50 years ago is back with this great new approach. They’ve made it relevant again.
Gilmour lamented that he had to miss Body Count when they played London earlier in the year, but added that he’d jump at the chance to hit the song live with BC in the future.
As previously reported, Body Count’s Merciless was produced with Will Putney (Fit for an Autopsy, Better Lovers) and features a vocal guest spot. from Joe Bad (FFAA). The record, which has now officially been fit with a release date of November 22nd, via Century Media Records, will also feature the band’s recent “Psychopath” and “Fuck What You Heard” singles.