US Radio show In The Studio is to air Rick Wright Tribute

[atottduke1]

The US radio show In the Studio is set to air a tribute to Rick Wright the week of September 29. I emailed host Redbeard and he loved my heartfelt email I wrote about Rick which I will share with you all:

As you well may have heard, Pink Floyd co-founder/keyboard player Rick Wright passed away Monday from cancer at age 65. I don't know where to start, I've been a longtime Pink Floyd fan since I was in diapers. Thank my mom (may she RIP) for getting me heavily into PF's music when I was a child. By age 5, I knew who each guy in Pink Floyd was and was a devoted fan since childhood and remained that way to this day. Alot of people don't know that Rick started the band with the late guitarist Syd Barrett, drummer Nick Mason, bass player Roger Waters and guitarist Bob Klose in 1965. Klose quit and then as Barrett became mentally incapacitated, David Gilmour came in as a fifth member on guitar and became Syd's default replacement.

Some people say he was just a "keyboard player" but Rick's keyboards and harmony vocals and lead singing* were responsible for many of the band's pieces like "Matilda Mother"*, "Astronomy Domine"*, "Pow R Toch" and "Interstellar Overdrive" on The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967. Also the 1967 B-side "Paint Box"*. "Remember a Day"* and "See Saw"* on 1968's A Saucerful of Secrets. 1968's "Careful With that Axe Eugene" and "It Would Be So Nice"*, the instrumentals on the More Soundtrack like "Up the Khyber" and "Main Theme" and Quicksilver", "Sysyphus" on 1969's Ummagumma, on 1970's Atom Heart Mother he co-wrote the title suite and "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" and his own "Summer 68"*. On Meddle in 1971, he contributed hugely to "One of These Days" and "Echoes"*. 1972's Obscured by Clouds he contributed to "When You're In" "Burning Bridges"*, "Mudmen", "Stay"* and "Absolutely Curtains". Let's not forget that the classic albums (both of which had episodes devoted to) Dark Side of the Moon (namely "Breathe","Time"*, "The Great Gig in the Sky", "Us and Them" and "Any Colour You Like") and Wish You Were Here (notably the epic 26 minute 9-part "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") would not have been as memorable as they were without his writing, keyboards and singing. His keyboard work on Animals and The Wall (two other albums spotlighted) were still great but underappreciated and overlooked as soopsed to the 1971-75 era (the live album of the group's 1980-81 Wall concerts released as Is There Anybody Out There? in 2000 saw Rick's keyboards more alive than on its studio counterpart). He was wrongfully fired by Roger Waters in 1979 but stayed for The Wall shows (albeit as a salaried player). On 1983's The Final Cut he wasn't there (the album was their weakest). He was back on A Momentary Lapse of Reason on some tunes as he rejoined late in album's sessions but was there on the tour. Then 1994's The Division Bell, his keyboard work returned with a vengeance and co-wrote "Cluster One", "What Do You Want From Me", "Marooned", "Wearing the Inside Out"* and "Keep Talking". Also, your interviews with Rick were excellent and heartfelt to listen to during that album's premiere. Also on the live PF albums Ummagumma, Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81, Delicate Sound of Thunder and PULSE live albums and the concert films Live at Pompeii, Delicate Sound of Thunder and PULSE (and The Wall shows from Earls Court and Nassau Coliseum which are out on the video bootleg market as is the 1987 Atlanta show and 1989 Venice show) with PF he played with a fire and passion at his Hammond B3.

In addition to his PF work, he made two great solo albums Wet Dream and Broken China. Also, he did a techno album in the 1980s with Zee called Identity. Then as you know he was in David Gilmour's solo band in recent years and played the organ on the title cut to Gilmour's On an Island album and did harmonies on "The Blue" on the same album. Plus Rick played flawlessly on the tour and got the biggest ovations nightly (the Remember That Night DVD, The Music Sessions DVD which came with On an Island's reissue and the DVDs coming with the Live in Gdansk live album out next week proves Rick still had it). This sad news comes before the release of surviving bandmate David Gilmour issues his new live CD/DVD Live in Gdansk which is now Rick's swan song and his last mark on a musical journey that will leave a legacy that will live on forever. My favorite PF albums were (in no order) The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, Obscured by Clouds, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, The Wall and The Division Bell. Both of Rick's solo albums were superb. This is a very sad moment in rock and roll history. Rick Wright's passing is the saddest moment in my life since my mom's death last year (preceded by Syd Barrett's passing in 2006). Now we have lost four people in the Pink Floyd family in this decade alone (first was longtime manager since 1968 Steve O'Rourke in October 2003, then arranger/orchestrator Michael Kamen in November of 2003, then Syd Barrett in 2006 and now Rick Wright). After this, I think Pink Floyd's over (Live 8 was Pink Floyd's perfect way to end their career). Any future reunion plans are gone for good, Thankfully I got to see Rick play with Pink Floyd back in May of 1994 in Foxboro Stadium in Boston and was the best stadium show I ever went to and is tied as best concert experience aside seeing Genesis' reunion last year in Boston.

Richard William Wright July 28, 1943 - September 15, 2008
RIP Old Buddy

After reading this, he has decided to do a In the Studio special one-hour tribute the week of 9-29 featuring the entire unedited never-before-heard Rick Wright interview that no one has ever heard.

[Beowulf]

I imagine there will be a huge number of tribute radio shows - hopefully they will celebrate his life and talent sensitively.

On a similar theme, I understand that the Soundscape show on http://www.thedividingline.com (Tuesdays at 10:00 - 02:00 GMT, 17:00 - 21:00 EST) will be including a short tribute, including playing some of Rick's music both in Pink Floyd and as a solo artist.