Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Press

Pink Floyd have released an alternate version of ‘Run Like Hell’.

The demo, recorded between 1978 and 1979 at the group’s Britannia Row studio, is one of four originally available on 2012’s The Wall Immersion boxed set.

It now arrives as the latest in a series of rarities Pink Floyd have shared as part of their Syd, Roger, Richard, Nick, and David Spotify playlist.

“During this period of lockdown, isolation, and uncertainty,” Pink Floyd writes via Facebook, “it might help to make time each day to immerse yourself in music, so each day we will be adding a new track into the playlist that you can find at the top of the band’s Spotify page, if you choose that particular streaming service for this.”

“Each day,” the statement continues, “this will build into the perfect playlist to help you navigate these challenging times. From the best known classics, to deeper album tracks, you’ll find each day’s new track at the top of the playlist. As a bonus, each Friday we will be adding one of the currently unavailable bonus tracks that were featured in the Immersion boxsets a few years back.”

In keeping with Roger Waters‘ fascination with the Second World War – a conflict in which his father died – ‘Run Like Hell’ reflects the terror, fascism and horror of Nazi Germany.

This theme is echoed in the film version of The Wall in which Bob Geldof‘s character of Pink hallucinates he and an army of thugs are traveling about town and committing brutal acts of violence upon anyone seen as being out of line.

“‘Run Like Hell’ is meant to be [Pink]  just doing another tune in the show,” Waters once shared of the song with Radio 1. “So that’s like just a song, part of the performance, yeah… still in his drug-crazed state.”

Despite the song’s grim subject matter producer Bob Erzin convinced the band to add a disco beat to the track, making it one of Pink Floyd’s most danceable numbers.

Unsurprisingly the song proved a successful single.

Released alongside ‘Don’t Leave Me Now’ and ‘Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)’ as a 12″ single in 1980, the song landed the band their first-ever charting Disco hit.

‘Run Like Hell’ would also remain a staple of band’s live set for more than a decade to come.

David Gilmour, who was responsible for much of the instrumentation, would perform the song at his Live in Pompeii concert.

Roger Waters recently delivered his own version of ‘Run Like Hell’ at US festival Desert Trip in 2016.

The full The Wall Immersion tracklist below.

The Wall Immersion Tracklist

Disc 1

• In The Flesh?

• The Thin Ice

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 1

• The Happiest Days Of Our Lives

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

• Mother

• Goodbye Blue Sky

• Empty Spaces

• Young Lust

• One Of My Turns

• Don’t Leave Me Now

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3

• Goodbye Cruel World

Disc 2

• Hey You

• Is There Anybody Out There?

• Nobody Home

• Vera

• Bring The Boys Back Home

• Comfortably Numb

• The Show Must Go On

• In The Flesh

• Run Like Hell

• Waiting For The Worms

• Stop

• The Trial

• Outside The Wall

Is There Anybody Out There: The Wall Live 1980-81 – digitally remastered in 2011 by James Guthrie

Disc 3 (CD)

Is There Anybody Out There? – The Wall Live 1980-81 Part 1

• MC: ATMOS

• In The Flesh?

• The Thin Ice

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 1

• The Happiest Days Of Our Lives

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

• Mother

• Goodbye Blue Sky

• Empty Spaces

• What Shall We Do Now?

• Young Lust

• One Of My Turns

• Don’t Leave Me Now

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3

• The Last Few Bricks

• Goodbye Cruel World

Mastered by James Guthrie and Joel Plante at das boot recording, 2011

Disc 4 (CD)

Is There Anybody Out There? – The Wall Live 1980-81 Part 2

• Hey You

• Is There Anybody Out There?

• Nobody Home

• Vera

• Bring The Boys Back Home

• Comfortably Numb

• The Show Must Go On

• MC: ATMOS

• In The Flesh

• Run Like Hell

• Waiting For The Worms

• Stop

• The Trial

• Outside The Wall

Mastered by James Guthrie and Joel Plante at das boot recording, 2011

The Wall Work In Progress Part 1, 1979

Disc 5 (CD)

Programme 1, Excerpts from Roger Waters Original Demo

• Prelude (Vera Lynn)

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

• 3 Mother

• Young Lust

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

• Empty Spaces

• Mother

• Backs To The Wall

• Don’t Leave Me Now

• Goodbye Blue Sky

• Don’t Leave Me Now

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3

• Goodbye Cruel World

• Hey You

• Is There Anybody Out There?

• Vera

• Bring The Boys Back Home

• The Show Must Go On

• Waiting For The Worms

• Run Like Hell

• The Trial

• Outside The Wall

Programme 2, Roger Waters Original Demo And Band Demos

• Prelude (Vera Lynn) – Roger Waters Original Demo

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 1 – Band Demo

• The Thin Ice – Band Demo

• Goodbye Blue Sky – Band Demo

• Teacher, Teacher – Band Demo

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 – Band Demo

• Empty Spaces – Band Demo

• Young Lust – Band Demo

• Mother – Band Demo

• Don’t Leave Me Now – Band Demo

• Sexual Revolution – Band Demo

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3 – Band Demo

• Goodbye Cruel World – Band Demo

Programme 3, Band Demos

• In The Flesh? – Band Demo

• The Thin Ice – Band Demo

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 1 – Band Demo

• The Happiest Days Of Our Lives – Band Demo

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 – Band Demo

• Mother – Band Demo

The Wall Work In Progress Part 2, 1979

Disc 6 (CD)

Programme 1, Roger Waters Original Demos And Band Demos

• Is There Anybody Out There? – Roger Waters Original Demo

• Vera – Roger Waters Original Demo

• Bring The Boys Back Home – Roger Waters Original Demo

• Hey You – Band Demo

• The Doctor (Comfortably Numb) – Band Demo

• In The Flesh – Band Demo

• Run Like Hell – Band Demo

• Waiting For The Worms – Band Demo

• The Trial – Band Demo

• The Show Must Go On – Band Demo

• Outside The Wall – Band Demo

• The Thin Ice Reprise – Band Demo

Programme 2, Band Demos

• Outside The Wall – Band Demo

• It’s Never Too Late – Band Demo

• The Doctor (Comfortably Numb) – Band Demo

Programme 3, Band Demos

• One Of My Turns – Band Demo

• Don’t Leave Me Now – Band Demo

• Empty Spaces – Band Demo

• Backs To The Wall – Band Demo

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3 – Band Demo

• Goodbye Cruel World – Band Demo

• Programme 4, David Gilmour Original Demos

• Comfortably Numb – David Gilmour Original Demo

• Run Like Hell – David Gilmour Original Demo

Disc 7 (DVD)

1. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives

• Pink Floyd The Wall – Earls Court, 1980

• Film archive courtesy of Roger Waters

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

• Promotional Video – Restored in 2011

3. Behind The Wall

• Documentary

4. Gerald Scarfe Interview

PLUS

• 44 Page 27cm x 27cm booklet designed by Storm Thorgerson

• Exclusive photo book

• 27cm x 27cm Exclusive Gerald Scarfe Art Print

• 4 x Collectors’ Cards featuring art and lyrics

• Replica of The Wall Tour Ticket

• Replica of The Wall Backstage Pass

• Scarf

• Prints/Cards of Mark Fisher’s stage drawings

• 3 x white marbles with design of bricks

• 9 x Coasters (unique to this box)

• 8 page credits booklet

• 96cm x 81cm booklet with all lyrics handwritten by Gerald Scarfe

DISC 3 of the EXPERIENCE EDITION: THE WALL DEMOS

Programme 1 – Band Demos and Roger Waters Original Demo

• Prelude (Vera Lynn) – Roger Original Demo

• Another Brick in The Wall, Part 1 – Band Demo

• Thin Ice – Band Demo

• Goodbye Blue Sky – Band Demo

• Teacher, Teacher – Band Demo

• Another Brick in The Wall, Part 2 – Band Demo

• Empty Spaces – Band Demo

• Young Lust – Band Demo

• Mother – Band Demo

• Don’t Leave Me Now – Band Demo

• Sexual Revolution – Band Demo

• Another Brick in The Wall, Part 3 – Band Demo

• Goodbye Cruel World – Band Demo

Programme 2 – Band Demos

• In The Flesh? – Band Demo

• Thin Ice – Band Demo

• Another Brick in The Wall, Part 1 – Band Demo

• The Happiest Days of Our Lives – Band Demo

• Another Brick in The Wall, Part 2 – Band Demo

• Mother – Band Demo

Programme 3 – (Band Demos)

• One Of My Turns – Band Demo

• Don’t Leave Me Now – Band Demo

• Empty Spaces – Band Demo

• Backs To The Wall – Band Demo

• Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3 – Band Demo

• Goodbye Cruel World – Band Demo

• The Doctor (Comfortably Numb) – Band Demo

• Run Like Hell – Band Demo