Pink Floyd to release first album in 20 years

LONDON, July 07, 2014 (AFP) - British rock legends Pink Floyd are set to release a new album called "The Endless River" in October, their first for 20 years.

The surprise news came in a posting on Twitter by author Polly Samson, who is married to the band's guitarist David Gilmour and has previously written lyrics for the band.

"Btw Pink Floyd album out in October is called 'The Endless River'. Based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright's swansong and very beautiful," Samson tweeted on Saturday.

Keyboard player Wright, a founder member of the band, died in 2008.

Pink Floyd have sold over 250 million copies of albums such as "Dark Side Of The Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" worldwide since they were founded in 1965.

The new album would be the band's first release since 1994's "The Division Bell".

The news was confirmed in a Facebook post by backing singer Durga McBroom-Hudson, who has toured with the band.

"YES. THERE IS A NEW PINK FLOYD ALBUM COMING OUT. AND I'M ON IT. And there was much rejoicing," she wrote beneath a picture of a recording session with Gilmour.

She said that recording for the album had started during sessions for "The Division Bell" but the band had since done significantly more work on it.

Pink Floyd last played a concert at the Live 8 charity show in London in 2005 but it is not clear whether they will tour to promote the new album.