Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

General discussion about Pink Floyd.
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Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by Keith Jordan »

Guy Pratt, the session musician who has played bass for Pink Floyd since Roger Waters left in the 80's, kindly agreed to answer questions from NPF visitors! Well, ten lucky people got their questions put forward and here are the answers....

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1. Who offered you the Floyd gigs and why did you accept them? Ddebil

David asked me if I wanted to do it. I probably accepted because it was the best offer I'd ever had being a lifelong Floyd fan who'd been to practically every night of The Wall shows at Earl's Court.

2. As a session musician do you get much creative control over what you do? David Smith

Depends on the gig. If it's recording then I'm usually called in because they want what they think I can bring to the record.

If it's live then it's often a bit of both. If you just want someone who can learn a part and copy it there's probably better people out there..

3. Were you told to primarily stick with the original bass parts or were you encouraged to bring your own stuff to the table? Olzen

I can't really remember to be honest. I don't think I was, as I certainly stuck a lot of my own style on the first tour, for which I've got a lot of stick over the years, rightfully in most cases, and I don't think I can apologise anymore than I already have. Although no one seems to have noticed that on David's 2006 tour I was playing all the Floyd stuff on a Precision with a pick and being more faithful to the originals than ever!

4. What is your favourite Pink Floyd song to play and why? PinkFloyd69

It's hard to say. Some of them, like C Numb it's always fun to play just because I love the song so much, but obviously the one's that I played on originally, like 'What do you want from me' are great fun because I don't ever feel I'm treading on anyone's toes. 'Sorrow' is also good, because although David played the bass on the record I kind of feel I've made it my own. Echoes was actually my favourite floyd song to play and to be around David And Rick playing together like that will stay with me always.

5. Before Richard Wright's tragic death, it was announced that he was working on a new solo album. Were you involved in it, and do you know how much of it was done and if it will ever be released posthumously? Tenniru

I can't really comment on this too much. To be honest apart from the recordings we did at David's in Jan 2007 I'm only aware of there being a few sketches.

6. Guy, is it true that in summer 2006 you were close to playing with David in a roman amphitheatre in Pula, Croatia, but for the technical reasons Burg Clam was chosen instead? Bran from Croatia

I have absolutely no idea. Sorry.

7. How did you come to write the original soundtrack for the television show 'Spaced'? PI

It's not a particularly exciting story, I 'd been doing quite a bit of TV writing, mainly documentaries and a drama or two, and happened to know Nyra Parks who was producing it. As soon as I met Simon and Edgar I thought this sounds like a dream gig...And it was.

8. I've seen your name associated with The Dream Academy. Did you play on "Life In A Northern Town?" Mossy

No, there's not actually a bass on it. I played on a lot of their records and in fact the first time I met David was when we supported him at the Birmingham Odeon in 1984.

9. Have you any plans to write another book or to release your show on DVD/through a website? Snifferdog

I'd love to write another book, as mine's done a lot better than I expected, it's just knowing how to do it, as I can't really write another autobiography. I'd love to release a DVD, and there was a recording made in Adelaide, but I don't know if it's good enough. What I really want is an American tour as that would be the place to film one...So anyone reading....

10. Who are you listening to these days that you expect would really surprise your fans..? leahcim3360

I've recently joined a record club called Toccata classics who specialise in overlooked and obscure classical composers and I'm listening to stuff like Donald Tovey and Viktor Kosenko. Pretentious enough for you?

I usually just have the itunes on shuffle and tend to favour old Latin and Reggae stuff round the house..To be honest I find it hard to get excited about much new music anymore, I've just been disappointed too many times.
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by Hogtown »

Interesting answer to the last question. I have the same problem with new music.
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by Damn!t »

I had the longest question and got the shortest answer. ](*,) :lol:
I guess thats life.
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by moom »

Damn!t wrote:I had the longest question and got the shortest answer. ](*,) :lol:
I guess thats life.
Who's keen now ;) ?



Btw, don't you think questions 2 and 3 are pretty much the same?
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by David Smith »

not really, one is about the creative process as a session musician whereas the other is about joining a mega-rock band and the pressure one may have to follow the traditions of the previous bass player.

Cheers and Keith and Guy :D
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by Damn!t »

Yes, cheers Guy and Keith. :D

So, next is Rog or Davey?
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by jtull »

So, next is Rog or Davey?[/quote]

You mean Rog and Dave together, Bran? 8-[
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by moom »

David Smith wrote:not really, one is about the creative process as a session musician whereas the other is about joining a mega-rock band and the pressure one may have to follow the traditions of the previous bass player.

Cheers and Keith and Guy :D
1. no, both were about Guy's input. About joining was #1

2. I 2nd that :D and boy, that was fast!
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by ddebil »

moom wrote:
David Smith wrote:not really, one is about the creative process as a session musician whereas the other is about joining a mega-rock band and the pressure one may have to follow the traditions of the previous bass player.

Cheers and Keith and Guy :D
1. no, both were about Guy's input. About joining was #1

2. I 2nd that :D and boy, that was fast!
!. I can see your confusion, mr. moom! :lol:

2. Nah, Keith wrote the answers himself. :twisted:
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by David Smith »

Moom, the subtext of each questions is as follows:

- 1: HOW did you get the gigs with Pink Floyd?

-2: WHAT do you usually do as a session musician?

-3: DID YOU get told to simply recreate the pink floyd experience when starting with them?

In my eyes those are three very different (although related) questions sir
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by wiped »

Keith Jordan wrote:8. I've seen your name associated with The Dream Academy. Did you play on "Life In A Northern Town?" Mossy

No, there's not actually a bass on it.
:lol: That pretty much answers that Mossey ..
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by Keith Jordan »

Mossy has been Pratified! Well done! 8)

4. What is your favourite Pink Floyd song to play and why? PinkFloyd69

It's hard to say. Some of them, like C Numb it's always fun to play just because I love the song so much, but obviously the one's that I played on originally, like 'What do you want from me' are great fun because I don't ever feel I'm treading on anyone's toes. 'Sorrow' is also good, because although David played the bass on the record I kind of feel I've made it my own. Echoes was actually my favourite floyd song to play and to be around David And Rick playing together like that will stay with me always.
Echoes is a good choice. Happens to be my favourite Floyd song from the first time I heard it until now! Many moons later.
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by Massed Gadgets »

Pity about Richard Wright's solo album. It doesn't sound like there was much done on it before he passed away.
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by hhh »

I'm very disappointed, are these really the best 10 questions that were submitted? Makes me wish I had submitted a few of my own. You gave Guy very little to work with and his answers reflect that...

1) Really, who else but David was the musical leader after Roger's split? Would any session musician turn down a tour with a major band, let alone one of Floyd's stature?

2) 3 answers to this question, yes, no or depends. Guy picked depends.

3) Good question, good answer.

4) Great question.

5) Good question, too bad about his answer. Certainly he knows SOMETHING, is he worried about lawyers stepping in? What recordings in January? How many songs? Instrumental or with vocals? Other personnel?

6) I'm amazed that a question that appeals to such a small percentage of people was included and stunned and amazed that another wasn't posed in light of his "I don't know" answer. I don't get it, if the answer is "yes", so what? If the answer is "no, it was for another reason", so what? "Man, I missed that show that Guy wasn't a part of"?????

7) Again, like question 1, what else COULD the answer be other than "I was offered a gig, it was the best gig available at the time, I took it"?

8 ) (<-- to avoid the smiley) This is actually not a bad question, as there really isn't that much written about The Dream Academy. For example, Wikipedia does not list personnel for their debut album, which that song is off of. But, Holy Cow, listen to the damn song, it's a 2 note bass part at best, and in light of Guy's answer, epic OUCH!!!

9) A book? Is this a musician interview still? If I get an interview with John Grisham, I'll make sure to ask him about his recording project.

10) Great question, even better answer.

4 out of 10 does not make for a great interview.
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Re: Q&A With Pink Floyd Bass Player Guy Pratt - The Answers!

Post by Damn!t »

Yes. Meybee question no. 6 was a bit stupid and important only to me and some other guys I know, but thats the question I wanted to ask the man. So I asked him. And he answered. Now I know the information.
All this wasnt designed to be some kind of a huge interview with Guy from the start, just a bit of friendly Q&A and to promote this place and bring it to the eyes and ears of the people who played with the Floyd. We are not Q magazine journalists.

And you are pissing me off a bit with your 2nd post.