new Pink Floyd 'Dark Side' era memoir on the way
When one of Roger Waters‘ oldest friends, Nick Sedgwick, died of brain cancer back in 2011, Roger took to Facebook to share his grief with his fans. He also mentioned that Nick left behind a completed transcript detailing his journeys with Roger and Pink Floyd in 1974 and 1975, first with Roger in Greece, and then on the band’s Dark Side of the Moon tour. Roger wrote:
One of my oldest friends, Nick Sedgwick, died this week of brain cancer. I shall miss him a lot. I share this sad news with you all for a good reason. He leaves behind a manuscript, IN THE PINK (not a hunting memoir). His memoir traces the unfolding of events in 1974 and 1975 concerning both me and Pink Floyd. In the summer of 1974 Nick accompanied me, and my then wife Judy, to Greece. We spent the whole summer there and Nick witnessed the beginnings of the end of that marriage.
That autumn he travelled with Pink Floyd all round England on The Dark Side Of The Moon tour. He carried a cassette recorder on which he recorded many conversations and documented the progress of the tour. In the spring of 1975 he came to America with the band and includes his recollections of that time also.
When Nick finished the work in 1975 there was some resistance in the band to its publication, not surprising really as none of us comes out of it very well, it’s a bit warts and all, so it never saw the light of day. It is Nick’s wish that it be made available now to all those interested in that bit of Pink Floyd history and that all proceeds go to his wife and son. To that end I am preparing three versions, a simple PDF, a hardback version, and a super delux illustrated limited edition signed and annotated by me and hopefully including excerpts from the cassettes.
Watch this space.
Roger
I’ve been “watching this space” for nearly six years, but I am happy to finally report that IN THE PINK (not a hunting memoir) will be published on August 24, and is currently available for preorder HERE. Packed with rare and unseen pics and unbelievably intimate commentary on the state of Floyd at such a pivotal time in their career, this item is indispensable to Pink Floyd superfans and classic rock aficionados alike. Sadly, it looks like, so far, it shall only be available as a paperback, contradicting Roger’s hopes for a multi-tiered release as outlined above and completely bucking the Floydian tendency to have something released in a variety of iterations, from the simple to the insane. However, if you happen to be a Floyd fan toddling around London for the next few weeks, you can pick yourself up a copy immediately at the Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition at the V&A Museum, which closes on October 1, 2017.
In the meantime, listen to Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason wax about 50 years of Pink Floyd below. Oh, and don’t forget about the five upcoming NYC area Roger Waters gigs happening in September (though some are trying to get his Nassau Coliseum shows canceled). OH! And don’t forget to catch David Gilmour‘s Live At Pompeii screenings, happening worldwide, one night only, on September 13. If you can’t make a screening, David Gilmour : Live at Pompeii will see a very Floydian multi-format release on September 29; purchasing options will include a 2-CD set, a BluRay, a 2-DVD set, a BluRay + CD deluxe edition box set, a 4 X LP box set, or, of course, digital downloads. Choose your weapon here.
