Posted December 22, 2010 by Floydian Slip
John Alldis, who conducted the choir on Pink Floyd’s “Atom Heart Mother” (1970), died Monday. He was 81.
Alldis was the man who stepped in for composer Ron Geesin, when he nearly came to blows with a horn player while recording “Atom Heart Mother.” (Hear Geesin’s account of the incident.)
Alldis’s work with Floyd was a tiny sliver of his long career, which began with The John Alldis Choir in 1962.
Posted November 27, 2010 by Floydian Slip
Peter Christopherson, one third of prolific album cover design team Hipgnosis, has died. He was 55.
Christopherson worked on covers for Floyd’s “A Nice Pair” (1973), “Wish You Were Here” (1975), and “Animals” (1977).
In addition to his design work, Christopherson was a musician, and a member of bands Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV.
Posted March 15, 2010 by Floydian Slip
Singer-songwriter Lesley Duncan, who counted backing vocals on Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album among her many credits, died Friday. She was 66.
In addition to appearing on “Dark Side” and albums by Elton John, Alan Parsons Project, Dave Clark 5, Dusty Springfield, Ringo Starr, Donovan and many other others, her “Love Song” appeared on John’s “Tumbleweed Connection” (1971).
Duncan released five solo albums during her career as well.
Posted December 4, 2009 by Floydian Slip
Actor Richard Todd has died of cancer at age 90. He died in his sleep at his home in Grantham, England, yesterday.
Todd appeared in more than 70 films and TV episodes from 1937 to 2007, but he’s probably best know as Royal Air Force pilot Guy Gibson in the film “The Dam Busters.”
It’s this 1955 movie that’s playing on Pink’s TV in scenes from “Pink Floyd The Wall” (1982).
Todd was a real-life veteran who fought with the British 6th Airborne Division and took part in the D-Day landings of 1944.
He also starred in “The Longest Day” (1962), which re-enacts the D-Day landings.
Todd was Ian Fleming‘s first choice to play the role of James Bond in the first Bond film “Dr. No.” Scheduling conflicts meant he had to pass up the role, which went to Sean Connery.
Posted December 3, 2009 by Floydian Slip
Eric Woolfson, co-founder of The Alan Parsons Project, has died of cancer in London. He was 64.
Parsons was perhaps best known as the engineer of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” when he started his collaboration with Woolfson in the early-’70s.
The two went on to record 10 albums together.
Posted November 12, 2009 by Floydian Slip
Roger “The Hat” Manifold, whose place in Pink Floyd lore was secured when he agreed to be interviewed by Roger Waters during the making of “Dark Side of the Moon,” died Oct. 31.
Manifold, who’s heard on “Dark Side” telling the story of how he nearly got into fisticuffs with a rude driver (“Give him a short, sharp, shock …”), was a roadie for a number of bands, including the Floyd. His nickname came from his habit of wearing a top hat while working.
Services were held yesterday in West Norwood, London.
Posted September 29, 2009 by Floydian Slip
Rick Wright‘s will recently revealed the Pink Floyd co-founder and keyboardist’s estate was worth £23.7 million when he died last year.
Documents made public yesterday indicate the fortune will mostly be shared among his children James, 42; Gala, 39; and Ben.
None of Wright’s three ex-wives were mentioned in the will.
The U.K.’s Daily Mail also reported Wright set aside £20,000 to throw a “really good party” for his friends. The guest list will be the responsibility of James and Gala.
Sometime Floyd bassist Guy Pratt, who is also married to Gala, will receive Wright’s Bosendorfer piano.
Wright died of cancer at his home in London Sept. 15 of last year. He was 65.
Posted September 15, 2008 by Floydian Slip
Keyboardist Rick Wright, a founding member of Pink Floyd, died today at his home in England following a short fight with cancer. He was 65.
His family declined to give more details of his death.
Wright was a member of Sigma 6, which evolved into The Pink Floyd Sound in 1965 — eventually shortened to Pink Floyd. He remained an integral part of the band until 1979’s “The Wall,” when he was forced from the band by Roger Waters, citing lack of creative input.
Wright didn’t participate in Floyd’s 1983 album “The Final Cut,” but returned late in the making of 1987’s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason,” after Waters had left the group.
As a songwriter, he’ll probably be best remembered for “Us and Them” and “The Great Gig in the Sky,” both from 1973’s “Dark Side of the Moon.”
Wright also released two solo works — “Wet Dream” (1978) and “Broken China” (1996) — and paired with ex-Fashion guitarist Dave Harris to form Zee, which release one album, “Identity,” in 1984.
Wright’s most recent Floyd-related work involved playing on Floyd guitarist David Gilmour‘s “On an Island” (2006) album, and subsequent tour.
“He was gentle, unassuming and private but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognized Pink Floyd sound,” Gilmour said today. “I have never played with anyone quite like him.”
Posted March 5, 2008 by Floydian Slip
Norman “Hurricane” Smith died March 3. He was 85.
Smith was a staff producer at EMI in the late-’60s, recently promoted from a successful stint as engineer for The Beatles, when we was assigned to produce Pink Floyd‘s debut, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” (1967). He went on to produce “A Saucerful of Secrets” (1968), “Ummagumma” (1969), and to executive produce “Atom Heart Mother” (1970).
He also did production work for The Pretty Things, Freddie & the Dreamers and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.
As a recording artist, Smith had a #3 hit in the United States with “Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?” in 1972. His cover of Gilbert O’Sullivan‘s “Who Was It?” reached #49 in early ’73.
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