Why David Gilmour Wants to ‘Be Rid’ of the Pink Floyd Catalog
David Gilmour says he wants to "be rid” of the Pink Floyd catalog, but his motive for selling has nothing to do with money.
During a recent conversation with Rolling Stone, the guitarist admitted that a sale of Pink Floyd’s catalog is “something that is still in discussion.”
Rumors have suggested that such a deal could net the band $500 million, however that’s not the reason Gilmour is eager to sell.
“To be rid of the decision making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going is my dream,” the rocker declared, alluding to the ongoing drama he’s endured with former bandmate Roger Waters. “I am not interested in [a catalog sale] from a financial standpoint. I’m only interested in it from getting out of the mud bath that it has been (going) for quite a while.”
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Gilmour further noted that Pink Floyd decisions are made “on a veto system,” and that they often end up being “three people saying yes, but one person saying no.”
In 2022, reports indicated that the band was on the cusp of a massive deal, but negotiation hold ups – as well as a new round of controversial political remarks from Waters – brought those conversations to a halt. Despite Gilmour’s willingness, it seems a catalog sale is no longer imminent.
Gilmour Calls His Feud With Waters a 'One-Way Thing'
In a separate part of the Rolling Stone interview, Gilmour eluded questions about his ongoing disputes with Waters.
“It’s something I’ll talk about one day, but I’m not going to talk about that right now,” the guitarist insisted. “It’s boring. It’s over. As I said before, he left our pop group when I was in my 30s, and I’m a pretty old chap now, and the relevance of it is not there. I don’t really know his work since. So I don’t have anything to say on the topic.”
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When reminded of the strongly worded tweets he and wife Polly Samson shared in 2023 – including Samson calling Waters “antisemitic to your rotten core” – Gilmour was forthright.
“People talk about the battle, but to me it’s a one-way thing that’s been going on since he left with different levels of intensity,” he explained. “I agreed with [Polly’s] piece and said so. Again, that’s all. I don’t really have anything extra to add to this, any other lights to shine on that.”
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso