How a Wedding Brought Unicorn and David Gilmour Together
David Gilmour heard Unicorn play at a wedding. Pat Martin recalls the invitation that followed—and the songwriting connection that lasted beyond the session.
Before David Gilmour produced Unicorn, he heard them play at a wedding. Bassist Pat Martin recalls a meeting that led to a home-studio invitation and a lasting connection with Ken Baker's songwriting.
In an interview with Whispering Giraffe Productions, Unicorn's Pat Martin recounted the incredible tale. The band had been invited to play at the wedding of a former record label plugger. While they had heard promises of "famous people" attending such events before, this time was different.
After their first set, David Gilmour approached Martin, expressing his admiration for their original songs. He asked for Martin's phone number, and a few days later, invited the band to his newly built home studio.
The invitation gave Unicorn time in Gilmour's home studio. In his TLAK interview, Martin describes making demos there of songs later recorded for Blue Pine Trees and Too Many Crooks. That first opportunity grew into a much longer working relationship.
The chance meeting ultimately led to Gilmour's manager offering to represent Unicorn. As Martin recalls, "One ball got rolling, and then another."
Gilmour was particularly drawn to Ken Baker's songwriting, especially his lyrics. "He liked that about Ken's songwriting," Martin explained, noting that Gilmour himself struggled with lyric writing.
The collaboration deepened when Gilmour decided to cover one of Unicorn's songs, "No Way Out of Here," on his debut solo album. This iconic track is featured on Unicorn's acclaimed third album, Too Many Crooks, which Gilmour also produced. Think Like A Key Music proudly reissued this album on LP & CD in 2023, allowing fans to experience this timeless collaboration.
Martin's full TLAK interview follows the story beyond that meeting, including the band's work on Too Many Crooks and the archive he helped preserve. It also explains how Gilmour came to record Ken Baker's "No Way Out of Here" on his 1978 solo debut—a recording credited to Baker on Gilmour's official album page.
For a later view into those archives, read the story of Last Orders, the 37-track collection of demos, home recordings and live performances. Explore Unicorn's records and current US and UK store options.
