Nick Mason über Live At The Roundhouse, Abbey Road und Pink Floyd

Nick Mason ist einer, dem ich stundenlang zuhören kann! Es gibt nichts Besseres, als wenn er von den Pink Floyd Tagen erzählt! Gestern war der offizielle Veröffentlichungstag von Live At The Roundhouse. Während des Mixing-Prozesses des Albums im vergangenen Jahr im Abbey Road Studio 3 stattfand, gab Mason ein Interview, in dem er sich an dieses und jenes erinnerte.

Abbey Road talks to Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason

Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets’ concert film, ‘Live at the Roundhouse’. Whilst mixing the project in Studio Three, we sat down and spoke with Nick to discuss his earliest memories of recording at Abbey Road, the Pink Floyd track with his favourite drum sound, and how he feels about bringing the earlier music of the iconic group to a new generation of people.

What are your earliest Memories of Recordings at Abbey Road?

NICK MASON: Jerry the doorman, Piper recordings, Beatles.

Was that the first time you met the Beatles, when they were recordings Sgt. Pepper?

NICK MASON: It was not actually because at least two of them turned up at UFO.

What was a typical Week at Abbey Road like?

NICK MASON: It was very regulated and there was disapproval looks if you decide touching the machinery.

Did you ever expect your recordings to have the impact they did?

NICK MASON: No, of course not.

Were there any interesting collaborations that occurred during these sessions that we might not know about?

NICK MASON: Most interesting collaborations was when we were working on Wish You Were Here and Yehudi Menuhin was in Studio 1 with Stéphane Grappelli, and we visited them, and they visited us.

What is about at Abbey Road that matter so much to musicians? What keeps you coming back?

NICK MASON: The Music Industry became destroyed by pirating and streaming, there was simply not the money to use those facilities, which is the sad thing. Olympic and sop many other studios are gone. Abbey Road is one of the last iconic studios left. Now the record and the stream is the trow away and the live experience is worth the money even if they all watching it through an iPhone.

What are you working on at Abbey Road this week?

NICK MASON: We recorded and filmed a show at the Roundhouse about three weeks ago, and we are now doing a remix. This will be the CD-Mix with a 5.1 Mix as well and it will be basis for the film soundtrack as well.

What triggered the decision for Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets?

NICK MASON: I think after 25 years almost doing nothing I thought maybe it’s a bit early to retire. I really missed playing and really wanted to go out and play the drums again.

How does it feel to be bringing the music of Pink Floyd and you current Band to a new generation?

NICK MASON: Of course, it feels good when it works and at the end of the day you never get enough of showing off.

Which Pink Floyd track has your favorite drum sound and why?

NICK MASON: I suppose probably something like Comfortably Numb because it was a record where we sort of switched the way we worked before and sort of sent someone out to search for the hottest newest engineer which turned out to be James Guthrie. He came with a complete new set of ears and built a drum sound for me that was different.

Which Song is your favorite to perform live and why?

NICK MASON: Well, I think two tracks. Comfortably Numb because it always gets its response it’s a little like Stairway To Heaven, the dynamic is fun to play, it starts very pulled back and it unleashes itself, that’s great to play. The Song I never get tired of is Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. It’s terrific to play.

What are you listening to that no one would expect?

NICK MASON: I always have an affinity to American sort of Bebop. There is always a Thelonious Sphere Monk record close to hand.

Ich habe seine Aussagen stark zusammengekürzt, dass komplette Interview in voller Pracht findet ihr auf YouTube: Abbey Road talks to Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason.