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‘It’s my project’: Roger Waters says he’s re-recorded Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon by himself

‘They never have had a single idea between them,’ musician said of former bandmates

Jacob Stolworthy
Thursday 09 February 2023 07:37 GMT
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Roger Waters says David Gilmour 'thinks he owns Pink Floyd'

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Roger Waters hars re-recorded one of Pink Floyd’s most-acclaimed albums – by himself.

The musician’s project, which he has been working on in secret, has seen him create a new version of 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon.

According to a new interview, Waters proceeded without telling his former bandmates, including David Gilmour, and has not sought their permission.

Discussing the re-record, Waters, 79, told The Telegraph: “I wrote The Dark Side of the Moon. Let’s get rid of all this ‘we’ crap. Of course we were a band – there were four of us, we all contributed – but it’s my project and I wrote it, so, blah.”

It’s worth noting that, while Waters wrote the album’s lyrics, he didn’t compose the music for five of the album’s 10 tracks.

According to the outlet, the new album includes narration by Waters, who speaks over many instrumental parts of the record.

Waters acknowledged a potential issue with the release, stating: “I’m no copyright expert, but might there be some obstacles to that? I have no idea.”

The musician also tore into his bandmates, including the late keyboardist Rick Wright, claiming they “can’t write” lyrics.

“Well, Nick [Mason, drummer] never pretended. But Gilmour and Rick? They can’t write songs, they’ve nothing to say. They are not artists. They have no ideas – not a single one between them. They never have had, and that drives them crazy.”

Wright died in 2008.

Roger Waters
Roger Waters (Getty Images)

Waters’ new version of The Dark Side of the Moon , which features songs “Time”, “The Great Gig in the Sky” and “Us and Them”, is currently scheduled to be released in May.

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The original version is considered one of the great progressive rock records of all time. The Independent has contacted Gilmour and Mason for comment.

Earlier this week, the feud between Waters and Gilmour intensified when Gilmour’s wife, novelist and lyricist Polly Samson, accused Rogers of being “a Putin apologist”.

Gilmour supported his wife, replying: “Every word demonstrably true.”

Their remarks come after Waters’ controversial comments about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Find a breakdown of the pair’s rivalry here.

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