NICK MASON UNFILTERED: CANDID, WITTY AND RELAXED. FULL 59 MIN INTERVIEW ON SYD BARRETT & PINK FLOYD. 

That’s a great idea Alison! He’s such a droll guy.

Have you read his book? It is wonderfully and unquestionably written with plenty of little moments of his humor. A standout moment early in the book shows pictures of him and some friends jamming with the caption “Regrettably, these tapes still exist.”

I enjoyed watching Nick Mason and Roger Waters Simple Facts on RU-vid. They answered questions from fans. Nick was hilarious and Roger was quite humble.

@@joelsmith5938 Great book. I am actually reading it for the second time, and right now. His way of speaking is so eloquent too.

His the Rick Wakeman of Pink Floyd.

Then why did they need a second drummer to tour? Deep Purple, The Who, and Led Zep showed that you only need one drummer to produce a full palate of music. Pink Floyd at Pompeii showed they could do it with just Nick? Maybe a Dave LED Pink Floyd just wanted an overproduced live sound with two keyboard players and two drummers with the backup rhythm guitarist

@@SatWise2013 They had percussion, not a second drummer. Mason still yours with Saucerful of Secrets.

Same. Timing and everything.

Totally agree

Thanks for your appreciation!

Including Bob Klose's, I hope! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TZ-tjf8gsr8.html

Salty is fine unless it's downright nasty/ vicious, then I take it down. Glad you enjoyed the interview !

Thanks so much!

Thank you. Thank you !!

I seriously don’t understand what is wrong with some of these people commenting They act like so much info was all around about syd - it was pretty difficult to come by in the 90s, and most US fans had no idea about anything predating dark side of the moon Go watch the ‘classic albums’ series on that. Theres tons of info.

That was May 6, 1994. Did you wait in line for over two years? 😂 Just kidding.

@@user-re5zc2ss5h I was making a guess. Only 2 yrs off. But thanks for the correction. What I do remember was the greatest concert of all time.

@@dennisfitzgerald7626 It was amazing for sure, I saw them on April 3, 1994, Easter Sunday, in San Antonio at the Alamodome. The guy behind me spilled a giant tumbler of beer down my back but I was having so much fun I just kind of shrugged it off.

As i recall,, the tour was division bell… the double album released was pulse… i saw them in Birmingham and yes i was sober !

Glad you enjoyed it!

Oh brother, here we go again. There are a million guitarists out there. From this interview you can easily say that there would be no Pink Floyd if it hadn't been for EMI or Norman Smith.

Good point

I can’t fathom what could possibly be “bad” about Nick Mason’s drumming. Do people think the definition of good is “hard to play” or “technically challenging”? The entire canon of pop music would be considered “bad” if that’s the way people think.

I always liked Nick's drumming, he's not flashy but tasty !!!

​​@@kevinmurtagh4996 Kinda like when people say that Ringo Starr is a bad drummer...but go on, play one of Beatle songs....same with Nick, the atmosphere he creates and the beats, the guys a legend imo.

Thanks so much for your appreciation !!

It's a whole lifetime passing waaw

Thanks so much Peter.That’s a lovely compliment

I remember clinging on to a recorded video of your good documentary of syd on a vhs video from bbc2 or 1 ( as I remember there was no adverts !)this was 2003 and I only had echoes some rec solo songs and piper,our video player wasn't working so I had to watch at my cousin's him saying 'what the hells this'!, mynp 1st glimpse of syd on film loved the unedited DVD and thanks

thanks Phil. do have any problem with the aspect ratio as experienced by the previous poster ?

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Hi John, Yes, it does look out when compared to your previous shorter edited version of the same interview.

@@philhill3359 does it affect your enjoyment of it at all ? Problem stems from digitising v old tapes

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Not at all. Nick has a slight double chin, but I’m sure he would understand 😄

@@philhill3359 thanks Phil ..much appreciated :)

Thanks so much for your appreciation !

I wholeheartedly agree..... Nick's drumming deftly fit and helped set the foundation of Pink Floyd's sound.

Well said, l agree.

Cheers!

Have fun!

Glad you like them!

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES They are brilliant and very natural discussion with artist. Really good.

​@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES agreed. Lots of haters in the comments! I'm 34 and only recently discovered PF and I can't get enough !

Without any offense, of course was PF into drugs, as many, many bands. Regarding groupies? Well, listen to "young lust" and ask Roger.

wasnt Richard wright fired due to his drug abuse after the wall ??

@Jimi Cicchini In 1974 Pink Floyd convened to Abbey Road Studios to start recording a follow up LP to “The Dark Side of the Moon”. After a couple of failed experiments (i.e. “Household Objects”) the songs that ended up on “Wish You Were Here” began to take shape. However… Rick Wright and Nick Mason were doing large amounts of drugs and contributing nearly nothing artistically. Roger Waters and David Gilmour were actively considering firing BOTH of them. Waters has gone on record as stating that the band themselves called it the “Wish WE Were Here” sessions. But eventually through sheer willpower Mason and Wright rose to the occasion and delivered Floyd’s last full group masterpiece ... Think they fired him for the recording the wall ... And rehired him for the tour as a extra... He wasn't a band members

I think the point is they weren't using drugs while PLAYING. All of them admitted to using some drugs, particularly in the sixties, while for 'working' Roger says "I didnt use drugs....except alcohol", which is the most ubiquitous of drugs. From numerous people in the music industry I've heard cocaine wasn't even CONSIDERED a drug it was so common, Fleetwood Mac is the obvious example but most musicians said it was simply used to keep you awake and alert. Drugs are and should be a personal choice and the 'war on drugs' is simply insane, I wish more musicians, particularly the political ones like Roger, would comment more about that. Bands like "the Replacements' were well known to be able to play well and perform all while intoxicated, while in some cases you get occasions like Rick Wright saying he tried pot before a concert once and it seemed like he was holding down a key for ten minutes. I think the big thing about groups like Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, King Crimson, Genesis is that these were guys who took music VERY seriously. How much of that was recognition of what hte public wanted, how much was personal we don't know. The other stuff just comes with it. Pink Floyd always had groupies, what you are talking about is more apt for Genesis and Rush, where the audience WASN"T about drugging but very seriously into the music and very seriously male. As Phil states, they are all guys in MacIntosh's showing up with a thumbs up to get an autograph and saying "nice going Phil". Rush likewise was a very male band and these were three guys who all married their high school sweethearts and who the guys from Kiss now openly admit "sat in their rooms and read and watched TV". And they STAYED married to their highschool sweathearts until Neils' wife passed away. Likewise Mike rutherford and Tony Banks married young and stayed married, now, if you watched The Wall and saw the girl giving the blowjob to the guard so that all the other girls can get into see the band then obviously this is a guy who knows about groupies. The sad part about being a rock star is you ONLY see girls who are like that, when MOST women don't listen to music or go to a concert and think "gee I'd like to get nailed by that sweaty greasy musician who has had sex with a different girl each night this week". Although if you think about it, if you are looking for 'meaningless sex' then a guy who isn't going to be around long would fit the bill nicely so who am I to judge? I think Roger just got married yet again, this time to his DRIVER, which is kind of creepy, even to the point of explaining that he 'met' her while she's driving him and he remarks how pretty she is and she very likely could see a much better life than one as a driver. But again, who am I to judge? Either way, 'by their fruits you shall know them". In particular Rush and Yes have NEVER really stopped making music. Genesis and Pink Floyd have been out of the game for awhile so are mostly interesting as history, but certianly somebody like Jon Anderson is impressive simply for the fact he's NOT just a singer and genuinely is 'about the music' to such an extent that he almost seems to BE music, just in the way he talks. And just finally, Roger points out the band was done after dark side when he admits their dream of being rich and famous came true. So no, not JUST about the music. How much of that is tongue in cheek I don't know because certainly they did a few albums that didn't really seem geared towards 'becoming rich and famous'. I know some musicians, and almost NEVER is even the music 'just about the music', and when your livelihood depends on it it certainly isn't. However, we seem to live in an age where its important to know all about the people whose art we consume, which is odd. Like sports figures these are necessarily self absorbed and introspective people, as all artists almost NEED to be. Its not like we know that much about Stravinsky and how much 'was about groupies'. I could never stand that kind of attention standing on a stage, but certianly from a young age getting girls was somethig of an understandable preoccupation with me. I don't think they should be condemned because girls like them or want to have sex with them. Isn't that a GOOD thing?

@Jimi Cicchini They did say they all caught the clap in America when they performed there in '67.

Thank you for your very appreciative comments! Have you watched the other Floyd interviews on my channel?

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES yeah, I have. Mainly the Floyd stuff but also the Phil Collins video. Another great watch. Any real music fan will appreciate him for what he achieved through his career. He is a master of his craft, whether it be songwriting, singing, and memorably no slouch as a drummer. So, thanks again. For future reference, if you really want to push my buttons, so to speak, try bagging an interview with Neil Finn of Crowded House. An absolute hero of mine who has just pocketed an Aria for best album Dreamers Are Waiting. He is still making great music after being in the industry for the thick end of 50 years. Anyway, not for me to tell you how to do your job! Take care, John.

Hey Chris! What a wonderful compliment! Thank you so much!

Thanks for your appreciation Jacob. At the request of Syd's sister Rosemary, I did not attempt to see Syd while making the film.

Are these recordings old (that is , no longer contemporary)? I believe I’m 10-15 years younger that the band yet Nick looks early 60s if that.

@@GT380man 2001..info is on the videos

Hi, I can't promise JB or PJ but definitely Bob Klose, Duggie Fields, Mike Leonard..soon..ish!

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Great! Ty. :)

Thanks so much for your appreciation!

​@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIESI've learned more listening to Wrights interview than reading Saucerful bio etc.

Indeed. "Have you got it yet..."

This

They certainly wouldn’t be remembered the same if Syd had remained. Likewise as much as David Gilmour is one of my all time favorite guitarists- I don’t think he would have been in the public consciousness had he not become the guitarist in PF.

@@theredshirts7245 They survived without Syd AND Roger, so I think they would have survived without David. As they argued, Pink Floyd was a corporate identity. And the saying goes they were thinking of Jeff Beck, Jeff Beck was a hell of a guitarist.

​​​@@mikearchibald744 Jeff wpuld never accept though, he had his own thing and didnt want to give it away. The guy refused Rolling Stones and Woodstock.

@@cycomiles4225 You never know, Pink Floyd was definitely not the Rolling Stones, and he always says he regrets not working with the stones. However, you are right, although its not like Dave was some huge star, there WERE lots of unemployed guitarists around. In fact they pretty admit that Dave was "just a guy we knew and saw at our shows". As Nick says, they were notoriously lazy on that front, so I'm thinking 'auditioning' is something they would have cringed at. Always fun to speculate though.

@@mikearchibald744 Yeah, and it worked for the best tbh and we have both. Jeffs amazing solo records and early Jeff Beck group and Gilmour with PF. He regrets it bcoz of money, otherwise not really...he always talked about it in that context.

Did you forget Bonham?

@@jamie21641 I like him, but he is not one of my favorites. Ginger Baker said Bonham had the best drum tone ever.

Thanks for your appreciation!

Commercial? Get adblock lol

Thanks so much !

Yes the tour was cancelled during the 'covid' era ,my dad went to it said it was very good .

Fascinating point. Syd only made 1 album But his legacy inspired the band to ultimately iconic status in rock music. It’s sort of strange how one person who only made 1 album to a band around over half a century.

Malcolm?

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Ah my mistake, I meant Storm, I thought you had an interview with Malcolm Jones. He was a producer on Syd's first album (the first half) and mentioned a completely different story than the rest about how working with him was largely uneventful and not a nightmare as the others described it.

You know there’s a couple of Storm interviews on this channel

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES will check them, thanks!

@@tacituscornwall918 Gilmour said it was not so that bad. But it was hard. Of course, you have poor time to spent, so you have to be quicly.

it's the commercial volume the problem

You should try the Rick interview... 🧏🤷‍♂️

Adguard is your friend.

Yes.. hard to get at them however..in storage boxes. In time perhaps

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Thanks for posting all these fascinating interviews, and good questions too.

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Oh man would love to hear their views on things...

Have you not seen Live at Pompeii? Crusts.

@@3milyy_mth I dunno, that's not as funny or humorous as in this interview video where Nick is more forthright with his emotions given the context and situation of the time. Reminds me of when my dad wanted to strangle Mitch Ryder when Mitch suffered his mental breakdown just as Detroit Wheels were about to break nationwide.

@Dan Car Old enough to have been around at the time, but still young enough to be able to view the period objectively. An interesting question.

Oh there's no doubt about it.

Something went wrong with the transfer from tape to digital. Sorry about that .. but glad you enjoyed the interviews. !

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES have you edited these into a single cohesive doc, or were they used as such by someone? Really wondering :)

They were filmed for my 2001 doc “the Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story “

See still new insights hi7😏👍

Things like that happen when the all grewup in middle English Cambridgeshire

Meaning?

@@chrisb8075 I edited my comment to read, not at their MOST caring stage. I didn't mean to imply that men of that age don't care at all. I just meant that most guys in their early to mid 20s are still pretty self absorbed. The members of Pink Floyd have beat themselves up and many fans have also beat them up for the way that they treated Syd. However, even older, wiser, more mature people are not very equipped to deal with someone who is experiencing serious mental health issues, unless they are trained professionals. Pink Floyd was probably way out of their league in terms of trying to help him, especially when they were in the middle of their career growth period. To be completely fair to the band, Roger Waters talked to Syd about getting therapy and he arranged for a visit with a doctor, but Syd did not attend the appointment. They even toyed with the idea of keeping him in the band like a Brian Wilson type of member, who only writes and records, but no longer tours with the band. That wasn't working out either, because Syd's creative output had dropped down to almost nothing. Also, after Syd left the band, Waters and Gilmore worked with Syd when he requested that they help him produce some songs on both of Syd's solo albums. Every producer who worked with him, talked about how difficult it had become to work with Syd. He didn't want to do any retakes or overdubs or work on his song development. He mostly had loose, scattered song ideas and incomplete works. He just wanted to record them in one take, call it good and move on to the next incomplete song. David and Roger helped him get his ideas on the albums for good or bad. It's not like they left him at hotel one day and never looked back. They tried to help him. But, as they got older and more mature, they felt like they should've done more.

The band could not have continued with him involved and in that condition. They helped him do two solo albums. He got his royalties for his music. Not sure what more they could have done for him.

@@jimmycampbell78 My comment was not meant to imply that they did nothing. In fact, I'm not the one who originally criticized them. Nick did that himself. I'm saying, that they shouldn't beat themselves up, considering their ages and where they were in their careers at the time. You're absolutely right. They tried to help pull songs out of Syd for his solo albums. Every person who worked with him on those albums said that it was very difficult to get any good takes out of him. Roger even set him up got him an appointment with a therapist, but Syd never showed up. However, Roger did admit at one point that maybe on some subconscious level, he might have been punishing Syd for being so difficult by not trying hard enough to cover his flaws on his solo albums and just letting everyone see who Syd had become as a musician. Syd wanted to do only one take with no overdubs and just keep moving on. Eventually Roger and David kind of gave up and let him do it his way This of course is Roger, analyzing himself decades later. I would take this in a different direction. I would suggest that maybe by allowing the real Syd to come through on the album, Roger was cleansing himself of any guilt that he had. Maybe it was his way of saying, "Look, this is what we were really dealing with. Please don't hate us for moving on without him. Another producer was angry about what they had captured on tape, but ultimately Syd liked the tracks that David and Roger helped him produce. Also, David Gilmour stated that until his death Syd received royalties from his work with Pink Floyd and he made sure that Syd was getting paid. I think, both David and Roger did what they could to help Syd. Maybe Nick feels like he should've done more. But, Nick is not known for writing, engineering and producing, so I'm not sure what he he thinks he should've done.

It was more to do with the time, not their ages. Mental health issues were not as well understood at the time.