Pink Floyd‘s eternally popular song cycle has sold more than 15 million copies in the U.S. But then I don’t take most pop music very seriously.There are hit albums, and then there’s Dark Side of the Moon. I can’t believe it’s being done for genuine artistic reasons. I’d enjoy that on a tongue in-cheek level but I couldn’t take it seriously. “I heard there was an attempt to make Love-Ins come back. The trend towards reviving psychedelia – there’s a current attempt to make it the Next Big Thing – filled him merely with mild amusement.
He’s had a year to think about it, but I don’t know if he’ll just present it us, or if it will need extra music so we can bully each other into getting a slice of the publishing.”Īs he prepares for an eventual reunion with one of the world’s greatest bands, the ultimate psychedelic underground heroes of the sixties turned vast scale electronic showmen (and masterly, emotional musicians), Gilmour has remarkably little to say on his view of the Floyd, or indeed his view popular music. “He’s got a lot of it written already but I’ve been told nothing about it so far. Next time round, it seems, Waters will be even more in charge than usual. And the man who writes the lyrics has the say in what goes down.” “None of the rest of us has written many lyrics. He, it seems, is the most equal among equals. It’s a little strange.” Normally the Floyds work in “democratic huddles,” developing ideas, while the bass player, Roger Waters, evolves the themes behind the concept albums. You walk into a room, say ‘hello,’ and all sit down and be very quiet for a while. “It takes a bit of time to get to know each other again. The band will eventually get together again at the end of the summer. But he’s certainly been writing hard on Floyd material.” I’m not sure if Roger has been doing one –I’ve only seen him twice.
“I haven’t really been in touch with them since we finished touring last July. His attitude to the band was a slightly odd one – rather as if he had taken a year’s sabbatical away from his marriage. It’s ten years now since he joined the Floyd as guitarist, amidst predictions that the band was finished with the departure of Syd Barrett. I’ve devoted as much time to this as I feel like doing at the moment, I want a holiday, and then I’d like to do some work with the Floyd.” “Everyone’s trying to hustle me, but I haven’t come round to that yet. I mean I believe the whole process of compromise is vital for a group, but it was nice not to have everything vetted.” Being in control meant that Gilmour could send off one song to Roy Harper so he could add lyrics, and ship his band down to the South of France for the recording (“well, it’s good for the tax man”).Ĭontrol also means that Gilmour can resist any attempts to make him perform his new music live. And it was nice not to have to compromise. Gilmour did it “just for fun – after years in a band you feel you should try something on your own.
Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Pink Floyd (L-R: Rick Wright, Dave Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters), 1973.