The band Richard Wright regretted not seeing live: “The problem with being in a band yourself”
When Pink Floyd unshackled themselves from their foundations in rhythm and blues in the mid-1960s, they embraced Syd Barrett’s lyrical eccentricities and created progressive rock soundscapes to match. Barrett established Pink Floyd as a distinctive proponent of the psychedelic rock wave in the early singles and the 1967 debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. His unmistakably English annunciation, shimmering guitar work and evocative lyricism were indispensable but often eclipsed his bandmates’ efforts at this early juncture.
During Pink Floyd’s early psychedelic phase, keyboardist Richard Wright was perhaps at his loudest. Not only did he provide skeletal melodies to some of the band’s highlight tracks, but he also took on lead vocal duties in some early songs, including ‘See-Saw’, ‘Stay’, and ‘Paintbox’. Over time, Wright’s vocal and lyrical contributions diminished as he focused on the keys and supported Roger Waters’ dominant concepts.
Despite appearing in the songwriting credits of just ten of Pink Floyd’s 217 released songs, Wright was a pivotal force behind some of the band’s most memorable moments during his long-lived tenure. During the band’s iconic run throughout the 1970s, Wright made central contributions to beloved tracks like ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’, ‘Us and Them’, ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ and ‘Sheep’.
By the time Pink Floyd began piecing The Wall together in 1979, their most seminal contributions to rock music were behind them. The Dark Side of the Moon was undoubtedly the band’s magnum opus, thanks to its progressive composition and conceptual orientation. Though their prog-rock sensibilities stood in stark contrast to the emerging punk scene, Pink Floyd’s most iconic album proved to be an inspiration to artists from all walks of life.
During The Wall sessions, Wright became increasingly withdrawn, unwilling or unable to humour Waters’ concept with the enthusiasm he demanded. At the time, the keyboardist was in a rough patch with his first marriage and sacrificed some of his musical commitments to spend more time with his children. Waters was unimpressed with Wright’s lack of engagement and ultimately dismissed him from the band in 1981.
“Both myself and Dave [Gilmour] had little to offer, through laziness or whatever,” Wright reflected in a conversation with Classic Rock. “Looking back, although I didn’t realise it, I was depressed.”
It appears that, alongside his personal struggles, Wright was uninspired by the band’s creative outlook in The Wall. By the time The Wall arrived, Pink Floyd’s significant contributions were a few years in the past, and the vanguard had moved on. One man operating at the cutting edge of musical evolution gained much of Wright’s attention in the late 1970s and ’80s. “I’ve often eulogised [Brian] Eno’s musical abilities, but alongside his talent, he’s also a very nice guy,” the keyboardist praised in a 1996 interview with Howard Johnson. “Sickening, isn’t it?”
While sitting down with Johnson, Wright discussed some of his all-time favourite albums, including two of Eno’s early 1980s collaborations with David Byrne. Picking out the pair’s 1981 album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts first, he praised Eno’s innovative use of samples and rhythmic production. “This knocked me sideways when I first heard it – full of drum loops, samples and soundscapes, stuff that we really take for granted now, but which was unheard of in all but the most progressive musical circles at the time,” he said.
Eno and Byrne created My Life in the Bush of Ghosts as a side-project while working on Remain in Light, the third of the trilogy of albums Eno produced as a de facto member of Talking Heads. Wright also picked out Remain in Light as a favourite in his collection. Again, he praised Eno and Byrne’s rhythmic work, which deftly bridged the gap between colourful accessibility and intrepid musicianship. “If you want to hear some incredible rhythmic things that are really working, then the title track’s the place to be,” he said. “Of course, I didn’t analyse it when I first heard it, but I just knew that there was something different going on. Eno does it all the time as well, which is probably why he and David Byrne get on so well.”
After picking out ‘Once In A Lifetime’ as his favourite song on the album, Wright lamented never grabbing tickets to watch the live show. “I’ve never seen Talking Heads live, although I wish I had,” he said. “That’s the problem with being in a band yourself. You never have the time to see anyone play. When they’re on somewhere, you’re invariably on somewhere else.”
Fortunately for Wright, Talking Heads made a landmark concert film during their prime in 1984. Titled Stop Making Sense, the film consisted of material captured across four nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre and included material from Wright’s favourite album, Remain in Light. One can only hope that Wright had a chance to watch the film during his downtime after rejoining Gilmour and Mason in Pink Floyd in the late 1980s.
