RIP Richard William Wright

Yesterday brought the sad news of the passing of Rick Wright, founding member and keyboardist for Pink Floyd.

Wright was the consummate “quiet Floyd” member. He was seldom in the spotlight (seldom were any of his cohorts there, either), content to provide the atmosphere and “soul” to the Floyd’s sonic tapestry. His weapons of choice - Farfisa and Hammond organs, Moog, Fairlight, Yamaha and Kurzweil synthesizers, and grand piano - were not the flashy ones in the group. David Gilmour’s guitar, Roger Waters’ bass and Nick Mason’s drums were always more overtly brash in their presence. But Rick used his intuitive sense of music and tone (he was ear trained in classical music but preferred to play jazz, and was self-taught on keyboards) to provide the perfect atmosphere for the often weighty (and, as Waters took over the libretto, dark and depressing) lyrics that are a hallmark of the Pink Floyd sound.

Wright was often under-appreciated by both music fans and his fellow Floyd members. As Gilmour said on his website noting Wright’s passing, “In the welter of arguments about who or what was Pink Floyd, Rick’s enormous input was frequently forgotten.” Not being an alpha dog, he was often content to simply fill his role in the band - a move that cost him his place in the group during the recording of The Wall. He did embark on solo projects - two solo albums, in 1978 and 1996, and a group called Zee in 1984 - but was mostly content to just play his keyboards, sing a vocal here and there, and otherwise enjoy a quiet life.

That’s not to say he didn’t love his time in Pink Floyd. After rejoining the group in 1987 (becoming afull partner in the band by 1992), he seemed reborn in his role as “the keyboard guy who sits on stage right.” And at the 2005 reunion of the four primary Floyd members at Live 8, Rick seemed giddy to be playing with that group of men at that particular time.

In 2006, Rick recorded with David Gilmour on the latter’s latest solo project, On An Island, and toured behind the album. Gilmour let Rick flourish on the tour, giving him lead vocal duty on some old Floyd nuggets. Most available footage from that tour shows a beaming Wright.

So I offer up this small tribute to the incomparable Rick Wright.

First, some video:

“Echoes (Part 1)” from Live at Pompeii (1971)

Now for some audio:

1. “Paint Box” - Pink Floyd (single, 1968)
   One of the first post-Syd singles from Pink Floyd, and somewhat atypical of a Wright composition, but trying for a late-60s pop sound. Playful and simple, this song shows that not all Wright songs are dirges.
2. “Us And Them” - Pink Floyd (live on the BBC, 16 November 1974)
   A live performance of one of Wright’s musical gems from Dark Side Of The Moon, married to lyrics by Roger Waters.
3. “The Great Gig In The Sky” - Pink Floyd (from Dark Side Of The Moon, 1973)
   The classic instrumental from Wright, with vocals by Clare Torrey, a song that’s ostensibly about death, yet is amazingly life-affirming (and life-creating, as it’s standard make-out/sex fare for many teenage boys)
4. “Summer Elegy” - Rick Wright (from Wet Dream, 1978)
   From Wright’s 1978 solo project (also recorded at the time were solo albums from Gilmour and Mason, as well as demos of The Wall and The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking by Waters), an ode to the passing of summer. Much of this album carried a summer relaxation/maritime theme, as Wright lived in Rhodes at the time.
5. “Astronomy Domine” - Pink Floyd (live in Miami, 30 March 1994, from the “Take It Back” CD5)
   As the opening salvo of its 1994 tour, Pink Floyd dusted off this old nugget by Syd Barrett. In doing so, they performed as a 5-piece band: Gilmour and Tim Renwick on guitars, Mason on drums, Guy Pratt on bass, and Wright on keyboards, with Gilmour and Wright singing vocals. The swarming keyboard parts are one of Wright’s best performances with Pink Floyd, to my ears.
6. “Night Of A Thousand Furry Toys” - Rick Wright (from Broken China, 1996)
   Wright’s second solo album (third if you count the Zee album from 1984) was an ambitious affair, with a lot of keyboard sequencing, modern beats, and dark lyrics. Mostly overlooked by critics, it’s a solid affair.
7. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part IX)” - Pink Floyd (from Wish You Were Here, 1975)
   This is the closing part of the epic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”: a funeral march, written entirely by Wright, that sends the album into a solid closing. I hope they play this at Wright’s funeral, as it’s my favorite piece of his music: solid, melodic, moving, and very much “Rick.”

Rest in peace, Rick.

Download: “Paint Box” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Us And Them” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Great Gig In The Sky” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Summer Elegy” - Rick Wright (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Astronomy Domine” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Night Of A Thousand Furry Toys” - Rick Wright (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part IX)” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)