Richard Wright - Fired During Recording The Wall Album

[Keith Jordan]

So, what are your thoughts on this nasty event whereby Rick Wright got fired from Pink Floyd by Big Bad Rog?

What was the build up to this, where did it take place and what are your thoughts on it?

[Damn!t]

I have to check up on this, but Rick got fired by all of them actually.
It was sort of an agreement. Rog was of course at the top of it all and he was one of the
main causes that Rick got out at that time.
He was also very much into sailing and not much into Pink Floyd, so I guess that pissed off Waters even more.

It could be described as another Syd situation - member of the band that didnt do much so we had to dump him.

[mosespa]

I can't quite recall the exact dates, but the straw that broke the camel's back was Wright's refusal to end a break that he had scheduled in order to go back to work on the album to meet a new, closer deadline.

Remember, the band were practically broke at the time due to the Norton-Warburg debacle. If I remember correctly, the label offered to give them more money if they turned The Wall in to them in time for a Christmas release.

This meant picking up the pace a bit. When Wright was informed of all of this, he reportedly refused to end his holiday and return to the studio.

Either Waters or Mason commented on how easy it is to take it personally whenever someone in a band is falling by the wayside; as if they're intentionally trying to sabotage the success of everyone else in the band. This was said in regards to Syd, but looking at the events as history has them, it's not too hard to see Roger taking Wright's refusal to return as a personal attack. Especially since Roger seems to have been taking everything else at the time as a personal attack.

Schaffner quotes some insider (I forget if he names names or not,) who says that the way Waters treated Syd was very similar to how he was treating Wright.

Gilmour was probably just tired of listening to Waters bitch about Wright. Waters claims that Gilmour's response to the proposed firing of Wright was "let's get rid of Nick Mason, too." But I think that that could have been more of a sarcasm thing.

Gilmour has also said that he went along with it because he agreed with Waters that Wright wasn't pulling his weight; but, he's also said that he feels it could have been handled differently.

I'd have to agree. The way I understand it, the way that it was presented to Wright was by Roger basically saying "leave, or I'll scrap this album and none of us will get any money." Wright agreed to leave, but wanted to complete The Wall project.

As for my thoughts, even as someone who wasn't there, it's obvious to me by listening to the albums that WYWH was the last of the "classic albums" that Wright had much input on as far as writing goes.

He was still present enough to add some classic atmospherics to Animals, but it's long been said that most of the best keyboard work on The Wall was provided by session musicians...and there's really little that I can hear which is distinctively Wright.

[moom]

I see it wasn't much about disagreements over music. Or are we missing that bit actually? I've never been enlightened on that.

P.S. love the Big Bad Rog bit, Keith?

[mosespa]

The only disagreements over music that I know of are Wright claiming that Roger wouldn't allow any of Wright's contributions to be used.

Waters, however, maintains that he'd have happily used anything Wright brought in...if only he'd have brought it in.

*shrug*

I've not heard many good things about Wet Dream (which, presumably, would have been made up of all the stuff that Roger'd rejected up to that point,)...is it any good? Can one see why that stuff didn't make it to a PF album?

[PinkFloyd69]

According to Roger, Rick told Steve O'Rourke to "tell Roger to fuck off" when Steve told him to come back from his vacation

Regarding Wet Dream: it's not that bad, it's largely instrumental, and it is really just an atmospheric album. Wouldn't have fit in well with what Roger was doing at the time anyway. "Holiday" is still an awesome song, though

[moom]

The only disagreements over music that I know of are Wright claiming that Roger wouldn't allow any of Wright's contributions to be used.

Waters, however, maintains that he'd have happily used anything Wright brought in...if only he'd have brought it in.

*shrug*

I've not heard many good things about Wet Dream (which, presumably, would have been made up of all the stuff that Roger'd rejected up to that point,)...is it any good? Can one see why that stuff didn't make it to a PF album?

Yes, it does seem like Rick and Roger went completely different ways. I thought yesterday that Rick probably agreed to do The Wall because it has more keyboards. Or maybe, if he told to fuck off, maybe he just went with all the rest but O'Rourke...

[Damn!t]

He was short of cash, thats why.

[moom]

He was short of cash, thats why.

Yet wanted no job done himself? What a slacker!

[cwta eugene]

Just a question:

Where is Rick's contributions to The Wall? I've always wondered this but just never took the time to analyze the music closely enough. I can always distinguish Dave and Roger but where is Rick's voice? I think he is on "The Show Must Go On" right? Anywhere else? And what keyboard playing is distinctively his?

[stryder]

Just a question:

Where is Rick's contributions to The Wall? I've always wondered this but just never took the time to analyze the music closely enough. I can always distinguish Dave and Roger but where is Rick's voice? I think he is on "The Show Must Go On" right? Anywhere else? And what keyboard playing is distinctively his?

I not actually aware of Rick did any singing on The Wall; I thought that he was generally disinterested in singing after Dark Side, and was happy to let Roger and David do vocals. In terms of keyboard playing input, I seem to remember someone saying in Schaffner's book something along the lines that Rick did more keyboard work than most people think. I personally still don't think that this particually amounts to a lot, and I suppose the only people who really know how much music he contributed are those who worked during recording.

For my view, I think it was hard to contribute music for what was an already heavy concept-driven piece; it would have been hard to advocate a several minutes long organ-lead solo for most of the songs. The general consensus of the band was that Rick wasn't pulling adequate weight, which suggests that was proberly true, but again, as Roger veered the ship towards concept pieces, Rick's songwriting weren't particually required, and may have felt he was being sidelined a bit. Also, I think that Roger's and Rick's personality differences came to a head, which may have lead as a catalyst in Roger saying he should leave the band.

[douggie]

Apparently Rick wrote the chord sequence under the solo of Brick in the wall pt 2...if that doesn't constitute writing I don't know what does...

[mosespa]

Well, the question now becomes one of whether Wright "wrote" that chord progression before or after Gilmour did the solo.

If he wrote it before the solo, then I guess it could count.

However, if he wrote it AFTER Gilmour did the solo, then I'd have to say that all he really did was extrapolate something from the harmonic selections already made by Gilmour and Waters.

That's NOT writing, to me.

[TheLazenby]

Didn't cocaine have something to do with Roger's dislike of Rick? (I've heard that a few times, and I find it funny that the most mellow and quiet member of the group was coked up....)

Did Richard ever actually realize his importance in the group? I mean, his contributions were obviously very valuable when he was willing to make them.

[Peter Harold]

The only disagreements over music that I know of are Wright claiming that Roger wouldn't allow any of Wright's contributions to be used.
/.../
I've not heard many good things about Wet Dream (which, presumably, would have been made up of all the stuff that Roger'd rejected up to that point,)...is it any good? Can one see why that stuff didn't make it to a PF album?

There is this story of Mr Wright urge to still have production credits. For I while Mr Waters agreed, but on Mr Ezrins admission Mr Wright was sent out of teh studio.

The recording of "Wt Dream"-album took place before the recording of "The Wall". It is possible that Mr Waters was writing it during the same time. So I don't think Mr waters got anything to reject as Mr Wright already was done and his canon was left empty.

Apparently Rick wrote the chord sequence under the solo of Brick in the wall pt 2...if that doesn't constitute writing I don't know what does...

If Mr. Wright wrote this at all. The keyboard duties was shared by others; I think Mr Ezrin took a large part of it, and Mr Gilmour too.

Didn't cocaine have something to do with Roger's dislike of Rick? (I've heard that a few times, and I find it funny that the most mellow and quiet member of the group was coked up....)

Did Richard ever actually realize his importance in the group? I mean, his contributions were obviously very valuable when he was willing to make them.

I think it was true Mr Wright was into cocaine, and Mr Gilmour also refers himself recently to having a "cocaine life-style" during the AMLOR-tour. I think both of them used this drug on relaxing purpouses. Judging the nasal voice of Mr Waters, I do think use of cocaine was common in the band.

Anyway, Mr Gilmour hints that the use of this drug could have affected Mr Wrights creative process in the time of recording "The Wall".

Best regards,
Peter