Guy Pratt Q&A Session – Pink Floyd Bassist Answers Your Questions

Links – Discuss Guy’s answers on the NPF Forum | Lots of info about Guy on Wikipedia | Guy Pratt’s Website | Info on Breakfast of Idiots tour with interview for NPF |


Guy Pratt Interview with NPFGuy Pratt, the session musician who has played bass guitar 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 his answers are below.

Guy has worked with many people over the years including The Smiths, Madonna, Roxy Music and Michael Jackson.  Guy has also just completed his Australian stand-up comedy tour called Breakfast of Idiots.

Judging from Guy’s answers below, he is quite eager to find a promoter in the USA!

Q&A

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.


Your Response?

So, there you have it! If you have any thoughts, opinions or questions about the above, there is a topic on the NPF Forum for you to air your views.

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