by Nick Mason
‘Echoes’, 153–4, 157, 179, 181, 185, 300, 303
‘Eclipse’, 174–5, 176
‘Fat Old Sun’, 147
‘Fearless’, 156
‘Funky Dung’, 148
‘Goodbye Cruel World’, 251
‘Gotta Be Crazy’, 204, 219
‘The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party’, 136
‘Grantchester Meadows’, 136
‘Great Gig In The Sky’, 160, 173–4
‘Gunga Din’, 173
‘The Gunner’s Dream’, 125
‘Have A Cigar’, 206
‘Have You Got It Yet?’, 111
‘High Hopes’, 327
‘Household Objects’, 194–5, 204
‘Interstellar Overdrive’, 49, 60, 83, 91–2, 100, 103, 155
‘Jugband Blues’, 123–4
‘The Labyrinth’, 135
‘Learning To Fly’, 289, 293, 296
‘Let There Be More Light’, 125
‘Marooned’, 315
‘Money’, 174, 209, 267
‘The Narrow Way’, 136
‘Not Now John’, 265
‘Old Woman With A Casket’, 124
‘On The Run’, 172, 173, 188, 209
‘One Of These Days’, 155, 180
‘The Overstuffed Closet’, 173
‘Pigs On The Wing’, 219, 220
‘A Pillow Of Winds’, 156
‘Point Me At The Sky’, 116, 133, 248–9
‘Pow R. Toc H.’, 155
‘Raving And Drooling’, 198, 204, 219
‘Remember A Day’, 124
‘Run Like Hell’, 237, 247
‘San Tropez’, 156
‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’, 125–6, 127, 135
‘Seamus’, 156, 180
‘See Emily Play’, 74, 82–3, 85, 86, 87, 101, 208
‘See-Saw’, 124
‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’, 125, 130, 135, 180
‘Several Species…’, 136, 144
‘Sheep’, 219, 220
‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, 198, 204, 208
‘Sorrow’, 286
‘Speak To Me’, 172
‘Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk’, 116
‘Time’, 165, 172, 173, 188
‘Us And Them’, 174
‘Vegetable Man’, 124
‘Welcome To The Machine’, 209
‘Wish You Were Here’, 293
‘Work’, 135
album tours:
Animals (1977), 220, 225–30, 235
Atom Heart Mother (1970), 150–2
The Division Bell (1994), 160, 228, 321–33
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (1987/8), 290–307
The Wall (1980), 250–5, 268
Pink Floyd Music Publishing, 203
Polanski, Roman, 183
Polydor, 60, 62, 63
Pope, Carole, 285
Powell, Aubrey (‘Po’), 127, 189, 273
Prague, 330
Pratt, Guy, 294, 302, 313, 315, 317, 318, 341
Pratt, Mike, 294
Premier Company, 99
Presley, Elvis, 14–15
Pretty Things, 71, 72, 73, 118
Price, Alan, 54
Procol Harum, 178
‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’, 87
Producer’s Workshop, LA, 247
Pye Studios, 134, 200
Queen Elizabeth Hall: ‘Games For May’ (1967), 82–4
Queen’s Hall, Leeds, 63–4
Quiver, 158, 177
Radio Caroline, 84
Radio City Music Hall, 185–6
Radio London, 84
Radio Luxembourg, 14, 19
Rainbow Theatre, North London, 167, 177, 180, 196
RAK studio, 267
Rank Group, 180–1
Rat Scabies, 222, 223
Ready Steady Go!, 31
Redding, Noel, 230
Redgrave, Vanessa, 118
Reed, Lou: ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, 84
Regent Street Polytechnic, 11–13, 18–26, 28–9, 58
Renshaw, Alun, 248
Renwick, Tim, 109, 295, 313, 317, 318, 325, 341
Richard, Cliff, 88, 308
Richards, Keith, 44, 62
Robertson, Robbie, 151
Roger the Hat (roadie), 176
Rolling Stones, 28, 34, 144, 290
Rothmans, 276
Rotten, Johnny, 221
Roundhouse, 50–1, 54, 91
‘Psychedelicamania’, 58
Royal Albert Hall, 45, 84, 126, 127
Royal College of Art, 72, 109, 110, 128
Royal Festival Hall: ‘More Furious Madness From The Massed Gadgets Of Auximenes’ (1969), 134, 136
Royal Horticultural Hall, 257
Russia, 305–7
Rutter, Frank, 32–3
St John, Barry, 174
Sam the Sham, 98
San Francisco, 98–9, 100
Santana, 141
Saunders, Andrew, 223
Saunton Sands, Devon, 256–7, 290
Scarfe, Gerald, 209, 251, 253, 255, 273, 275, 343
Schroeder, Barbet, 133, 134, 168
Scotland, 75, 119
Scott, Tom, 288
Seresin, Michael, 255
Shangri-Las: ‘The Leader Of The Pack’, 92
Shaw, Jeffrey, 223
Sheridan, Bernard, 224
Slade, Chris, 275
Small Faces, 63
Smith, Norman, 63, 87–9, 92, 104, 116, 124, 125, 127, 136
Smith, Tony, 158
Soft Machine, 51, 52, 56, 81, 131, 136, 195, 196
Sound Techniques, 60–1, 62, 66, 70, 73, 85, 87
Spain, 263
Speakeasy Club, 113
Speight, Bernard, 83
Spielberg, Steven, 259
Spitz, Leslie, 182
Stanbury, Linda, 224
Stanhope Gardens, 24–6, 37, 41, 131, 134
Staples, Paul, 291–2, 297
Status Quo, 308
Steele, Tommy, 15, 294
Steppenwolf, 141
Steve Paul’s Scene Club, New York, 130, 131
Stevens, Beecher, 63, 66, 88
Stevens, Peter, 328, 329
Stewart, Al, 219
Stewart, Eric, 285
Stigwood, Robert, 72
Stollman, Bernard, 36, 37
Strawberry Studios, France, 169
Strike, Lisa, 174
Styles, Alan, 119–20, 147, 180
Summers, Andy, 197
Sunday Times, 53
Super Bear, 243, 244
Swinging Blue Jeans, 35
Sykes, Peter, 133
Taylor, Dick, 71
Taylor, Margaret, 295
Taylor, Phil, 198, 200, 208, 212, 247, 285–6, 302–3, 307, 341
Thatcher, Margaret, 264
Third Ear Band, 148
Thomas, Chris, 177–9, 189, 201
Thorgerson, Bill, 189
Thorgerson, Libby, 189
Thorgerson, Storm, 19, 28, 34, 127–8, 148, 160, 186, 189, 197, 208–9, 273, 290, 320–1, 322, 325, 345
Tin Pan Alley, 71
Tonite! Let’s All Make Love In London (documentary), 133
Top Of The Pops, 86, 87, 133, 196–7
Top Rank, 73–4, 117
Torry, Clare, 174, 308
Town magazine, 51, 57–8
Townsend, Ken, 157
Townshend, Pete, 44, 132, 215
Tridents, 29
Trout, The (boat), 286
Troy, Doris, 174
Turner, Ike and Tina, 98
U2, 342
UFO (Underground Freak Out), 55–8, 81–2, 91, 94, 109
Unit Studios, Kings Cross, 198
United States
Dark Side success, 189
equipment stolen in, 152
imported rock music from, 46
Jenner and King visit, 42, 43
Nick’s first trip to, 37–8
Pink Floyd tours, 74, 97–102, 128–32, 150–2,
157, 170, 184, 193, 204–5, 209–11, 225–6, 300, 302, 330
record distribution, 151, 183–4, 189
Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 198
Vanian, Dave, 222
Velvet Underground, 46
Venice, 304–5
Versailles, 303–4
Volkswagen, 328–9
Walker, Hilary, 219
Wallis, Gary, 295, 296, 313, 317, 318, 323
Walton, Jerome, 300–1
Warburg, Andrew, 241
Waters, Carolyne, 239
Waters, Eric, 19, 264, 273
Waters, Harry, 336
Waters, Judy, 18–19, 97, 150, 166, 216
Waters, Mary, 18, 19
Waters, Roger, 12, 13, 53, 65, 80–1, 95, 97, 100, 128, 150, 156, 178, 181, 183, 210, 244, 255–6
family background, 18–19
character and appearance, 18–20, 272
Polytechnic days, 11–12, 18–25, 32–3
start of friendship with Nick, 11–12, 18
early musical activities, 19, 22–3
and emerging Floyd, 25, 27–37, 43
gives up job, 64
show incidents, 75, 101, 130, 235–6
as composer, 116, 125, 134, 136, 144–5, 147, 158, 165, 204, 219, 232, 236–7, 263–5
domestic life, 166, 215–16, 223
as lyricist, 167, 204
as vocalist, 174, 268
marriage to Judy ends, 216
and Rick’s departure, 245–6
takes band over, 247, 265, 271–3
attempts to dissolve Floyd, 277, 281–4
relinquishes Pink Floyd, 300–1
reconciliation with Nick, 335–6
Music From The Body, 144–5
The Pros And Cons Of Hitch-hiking, 236, 237, 275
Radio KAOS, 284, 291, 300
The Wall (re-staging of), 307
Watkins Electronic Music, 77
Watts, Ben, 195
Watts, Naomi, 195
Watts, Peter, 118–19, 120, 150, 155, 167, 180, 195, 199
Watts, Puddie, 176
Westminster School, 41, 53
White, Snowy, 219–20, 232, 251, 294
Whitehead, Peter, 133
Who, The, 131
Whole World, 148
Williams, Carlena, 201
Williams, Robbie, 176, 202, 212, 216, 229, 253, 292, 297, 322, 326
Wilson, Brian, 105
‘Good Vibrations’, 101
Wilson, Willie, 109, 158, 232, 251, 254
Windsor Jazz Festival, 95
Winterland, San Francisco, 98, 99–100
Witchseason Productions, 60
Wood, John, 232
Woods, John, 60
Woods, Pete, 251
Wright, Daisy, 21
Wright, Franka, 263
Wright, Gala, 195
Wright, Jamie, 195
Wright, Juliette, 22, 37, 97, 166, 246
Wright, Rick, 13, 65, 78, 97, 131–2, 149, 178, 308, 311, 344
family background, 21
character and appearance, 12, 21–2
Polytechnic days, 12, 20–4
early musical activities, 21, 22, 30
and emerging Floyd, 30–7
loses band’s equipment, 70
as composer, 116, 124, 147, 167, 174
musical abilities, 116, 188
trombone playing, 158
domestic life, 166, 195, 215
leaves band, 245–6, 263, 265, 266
marriage to Juliette ends, 246
marriage to Franka, 263
works with David and Nick, 275, 289, 293, 317–18
agrees to do Live 8, 339
Wet Dream (solo album), 232
Zee (with Dave Harris), 275–6
Wright, Robert, 21
Wyatt, Robert, 52, 57, 136, 195–6, 218
‘I’m A Believer’, 196–7
Rock Bottom, 196
Wyman, Bill, 193
Wynne Willson, Peter, 78–9, 103, 324
Zabriskie Point (film), 137
Zinovieff, Peter, 172
Zuccarelli, Hugo, 269–70
The Hotrods – left to right: Michael Kriesky (bass), Tim Mack (lead guitar),
me, William Gammell (rhythm guitar) and John Gregory (sax). There are,
as yet, no plans for a comeback tour.
My first car, a 1930 750cc Austin ‘Chummy’, parked outside
the family home in Hampstead Garden Suburb.
My grandfather Walter Kershaw’s banjo band. My mother helpfully told me her father was
‘the one with the moustache’… He is, in fact, second from left in the front row.
The Sigma 6 rehearse at the Regent Street Poly – left to right: Clive Metcalf, Sheila Noble,
Keith Noble, Roger, me and a guitarist previously unidentified but who I can now happily
reveal as Vernon Thompson.
With Roger in our first year at the Regent Street Polytechnic.
Roger assisting Mike Leonard (insert) with one of his light machines.
At Stanhope Gardens – CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bob Klose, Syd, Roger and Rick.
A winter’s day on Wittering beach, where we later shot a promo film for
‘Arnold Layne’ – Roger, me and Syd, with Rick behind.
The Tea Set and (un)trusty Bedford van outside Roger’s mother’s house in Cambridge.
Left to right: Bob Klose, Rick, Roger, Chris Dennis on the roof, and me.
Peter and Sumi Jenner on their wedding day
in August 1966.
Andrew King, clearly
not yet a consummate photographer.
At the Marquee Club, appearing as the Pink Floyd Sound,
with Premier kit and Carnaby Street trousers.
A good example of the kind of light effects we were using at All Saints
– and throughout the Autumn of 1966.
A typical night at UFO, with the audience sitting on the floor.
One of the first Pink Floyd posters, designed
and printed by Andrew King’s girlfriend,
and later wife, Wendy Gair.
John Hopkins, ‘Hoppy’, at UFO,
surveying his fiefdom.
The UFO posters were created by Michael English
and Nigel Waymouth, whose company traded under the name
Hapshash & The Coloured Coat.
Portrait of Syd at UFO, by Andrew Whittuck.
A Dezo Hoffman shot for EMI publicity – note the complete lack of mikes and leads of any sort.
Flyer for our first single, March 1967.
Bryan Morrison at the Abbey Road studios, during the
Piper At The Gates Of Dawn recording sessions in Spring 1967.
Some of our first publicity shots, taken in London’s Ruskin Park by Colin Prime.
The Azimuth Co-ordinator featured in ‘Games For May’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in May 1967. The poster for the event included an illustration by Barry Zaid that captures the whimsy and weirdness of the period.
Syd and Roger on board a ferry taking us to a gig at Copenhagen’s
Star Club in 1967.
Appearing on Top Of The Pops in July 1967, with my double bass drums on prominent display.
A flyer produced by irony-free promoters,
which recycled verbatim the spoof wording
we had used in a Melody Maker ad.
Norman Smith (left) and Andrew King at the Abbey Road studios.
Just outside Studio 3 at Abbey Road – left to right: June Child, Rick, Syd and Peter Jenner.
Out-take from a group portrait session from 1967.
Outside the Palm House at Kew, 1968. Storm, who took the photograph,
assures me that the proffered piece of jewellery was in fact ‘the Ring of Agamotto’.
What an extraordinary piece of luck that he was able to find such a rare gem on
sale in Portobello Market.
The Hendrix tour, December 1967. Jimi Hendrix with Pink Floyd, Mitch Mitchell and Noe
l Redding
from the Hendrix Experience, and assorted members of Amen Corner,
the Move, Eire Apparent and the Outer Limits.
David Gilmour with Jokers Wild – from left: ‘Sunshine’ Geoff Whittaker, David, Johnny Gordon,
Clive Welham and Tony Sainty.
One of the few photographs in existence showing Pink Floyd
as a five-man outfit in January 1968 – Syd’s position hovering
at the rear may have been a fluke or more deliberate.
David recording Saucerful Of Secrets at EMI, 1968.
Capt Mason, R.N. during a break on the Norfolk Broads with
(from left, above) Lindy, Roger and Judy.
At the Scene Club in New York, July 1968.
Roger attacks his percussive duties with customary determination. I’m glad I’m not a cymbal.
Next to the Tiger Moth used in the promo film for ‘Point Me At The Sky’,
shot at Biggin Hill airfield.
All our equipment laid out for inspection on the back cover of
the sleeve for Ummagumma.
Syd in his London flat in 1970, by Mick Rock.
Ron Geesin, and Rick and David, during the recording sessions
for ‘Atom Heart Mother’.
On the beach at St Tropez, summer 1970. Back row, left to right – Miv Watts holding Naomi Watts, Peter Watts, Linda O’Rourke, Lindy Mason, Steve O’Rourke, Judy Waters holding Gaia Wright, Alan Styles, Juliette Wright. Front row, left to right: Ben Watts, David, me, Roger, Rick holding Jamie Wright.
Alan Styles, Peter Watts and Roger on the road.
David and Roger during filming for
Live At Pompeii in 1971, recreating the outdoor amphitheatre
feel for continuity purposes.