Stephen Hawking collaborated with Pink Floyd on “Keep Talking,” which features a sample of his electronic voice.
The song appeared on Pink Floyd’s 1994 album The Division Bell. Rather than recording a conventional vocal part, Hawking’s speech was taken from a British Telecom television advertisement. David Gilmour heard the advertisement and was moved by Hawking’s message, then incorporated the sample into the track.
“Keep Talking” was written by Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Polly Samson. Its central theme is the difficulty of communication and the damage caused when people stop speaking to one another, making Hawking’s computer-generated voice especially fitting. The recording also uses Gilmour’s talk-box guitar effect.
Hawking’s connection with Pink Floyd continued after the song. A related sample appeared in “Talkin’ Hawkin’” on The Endless River, the band’s 2014 final studio album. The song is therefore often described as a collaboration, although Hawking’s contribution was sampled speech rather than a newly recorded sung or spoken performance.