Nick Mason | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Nicholas Berkeley Mason |
Born | Birmingham, Warwickshire, England | 27 January 1944
Origin | Hampstead, London, England |
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Years active | 1964–present |
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Nicholas Berkeley Mason CBE (born 27 January 1944) is an English drummer and a founder member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member since the band's formation in 1964, and the only member to appear on every Pink Floyd album. He co-wrote Pink Floyd compositions including "Echoes", "Time", "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" and "One of These Days".
In 2018, Mason formed a new band, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, to perform music from Pink Floyd's early years. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Pink Floyd. Mason collects classic cars and competes in motorsport races, and has produced books and documentaries on the subject.
Mason was born on 27 January 1944 in Birmingham to Ailsa Sarah (née Kershaw) and Bill Mason, a documentary filmmaker; [1] one of his paternal great-grandfathers was Rowland Hill Berkeley, who was Lord Mayor of Birmingham in 1904–1905. [2]
Mason was brought up in Hampstead, London, and attended the Hall School, Hampstead, and Frensham Heights School, near Farnham, Surrey. While studying architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), he formed a band, Sigma 6, an early incarnation of Pink Floyd, with Roger Waters, Bob Klose and Richard Wright in 1964. [3] In September 1963, Waters and Mason moved into a flat near Crouch End in London, owned by Mike Leonard, a part-time tutor at the nearby Hornsey College of Art and the Regent Street Polytechnic. [4] [nb 1] Mason moved out after the 1964 academic year. [5] [nb 2]
Pink Floyd released their debut album, ThePiper at the Gates of Dawn, in 1967. [6] Mason has played on every Pink Floyd album since. [7] The only Pink Floyd compositions credited solely to Mason are "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" (from Ummagumma ) and "Speak to Me" (from The Dark Side of the Moon ). [7] The track "Nick's Boogie" was named after him. [7]
The only occasions on which Mason's voice has been included on Pink Floyd's albums are "Corporal Clegg"; the single spoken line in "One of These Days"; and spoken parts of "Signs of Life" and "Learning to Fly" (the latter taken from an actual recording of Mason's first solo flight) from A Momentary Lapse of Reason . [7] He does, however, sing lead vocals on two unreleased but heavily bootlegged tracks, "Scream Thy Last Scream" (1967), penned by original group leader Syd Barrett, and "The Merry Xmas Song" (1975–76). In live performances of the song "Sheep", Mason delivered the spoken section. [7]
Despite legal conflicts over ownership of the name "Pink Floyd", which began when Waters left the group in 1985 and lasted roughly seven years, Waters and Mason are reportedly on good terms. [7] Mason joined Waters on the last two nights of his 2002 world tour to play drums on the Pink Floyd song "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", and he also played drums on some concerts of Waters' European tour in 2006, and during performances in Los Angeles and New York City in the United States.
In July 2005, Mason, Gilmour, Wright, and Waters played together on stage for the first time in 24 years at the Live 8 concert in London. [7] Mason joined Gilmour and Wright again for the encore during Gilmour's show at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 31 May 2006. Mason has claimed to be the link between Gilmour and Waters. He also stated in 2006 that Pink Floyd had not officially disbanded, but with the death of Wright in 2008, the band effectively came to an end, as confirmed by Gilmour. [8] While Gilmour and Waters continued to quarrel, Mason remained close to both. [9]
On 12 May 2007, Mason joined Waters on stage at Earls Court to play The Dark Side of the Moon . On 12 May 2011, Mason was featured (along with Gilmour) on the encore "Outside the Wall" at a concert by Waters, who was performing The Wall in its entirety (Gilmour also performed on "Comfortably Numb" that night).
Mason has worked with other musicians, including Steve Hillage (as drummer and producer), Robert Wyatt (with whom he appeared on Top of the Pops [7] ), the Damned and Gong. [10] He also drummed for Michael Mantler. [10]
Mason's book, Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd , was published in the UK in October 2004. [7] It is also available, abridged, as a 3-CD audio book, read by Mason. [7] An updated edition was published in paperback in 2011.
He performed in the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games on 12 August 2012. He produced and played on the charity single "Save the Children (Look Into Your Heart)", which also featured Beverley Knight, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood and which was released in May 2015 in aid of Save the Children's Nepal Earthquake Appeal. [11] On 17 October 2012, Mason was presented with a BASCA Gold Badge Award in recognition of his contributions to music. [12]
In 2018, Mason formed a new band, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, to perform Pink Floyd's early psychedelic material. [13] Along with Mason, the band comprises former Blockheads guitarist Lee Harris, bassist and Pink Floyd collaborator Guy Pratt, vocalist and guitarist Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet, and Orb keyboardist Dom Beken. [14] As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd with The Dark Side of the Moon, Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience. [14] The band toured Europe and North America in 2018 and 2019, with a third tour postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [15] In September 2020, they released a live album and film, Live at the Roundhouse. [16]
Influenced by jazz and big band music, Mason embraced acoustic drums (both single- and double-headed), tuned percussion, electronic drums and Rototoms, melding all of these into a melodic whole. His snare drum sound shifted from harsh demarcation of beats 2 and 4 ("Careful with that Axe, Eugene") to a fatter and gentler timbre ("Echoes") — a change that reflected growing studio skills. [17]
Mason's style was gentler and more laid back than that of other progressive rock drummers of the time. He soloed on a few Pink Floyd compositions including "Nick's Boogie", "A Saucerful of Secrets", "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party", "Up The Khyber", "Skins", and "Time". Due to the dynamic live performances of Pink Floyd, Mason's style was more energetic and complex live, and can be heard on such albums as Ummagumma and Live at Pompeii .
He used Premier drums in the 1960s and occasionally in the 1970s[ according to whom? ]. After that, he used Ludwig drums from 1970 until 1992. He currently uses Drum Workshop (DW) drums, pedals and hardware. His kit is a DW double bass kit with the Dark Side of the Moon logo on the drums. He has also used Paiste cymbals during his entire career with Pink Floyd and currently uses a mixture of Paiste Traditional, Signature and 2002 cymbals. He also endorses Remo drumheads, Latin Percussion and Pro-Mark sticks.
Nationality | British |
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24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
Years | 1979–80, 1982–84 |
Teams | Dorset Racing Associates EMKA Productions Dome Racing GTi Engineering |
Best finish | 18th (1979) |
Class wins | 0 |
As Pink Floyd's recording and touring schedule grew more sporadic, Mason was left with more time to pursue his favourite hobby, motor racing. This interest was documented in the 1986 short film Life Could Be a Dream. [18] He owns (through his company Ten Tenths [19] [20] ) and races several classic cars, and has competed successfully at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. [21] His racing cars include: Alfa Romeo 8C; [22] Bentley 4½ Litre (his father's racing car); [22] Bugatti Type 35; [23] Jaguar D-Type; [22] Ferrari 250 LM; [23] Ferrari BB LM; [22] [23] Maserati Tipo 61; [24] McLaren F1 GTR; [23] and he previously raced a BRM P30. [25]
In 1998, Mason published a book, Into the Red, in which he documents his experience with his cars, along with some histories. [26] It was followed in 2010 by a second book, Passion for Speed: Twenty-four Classic Cars that Shaped a Century of Motor Sport. [27]
Mason is associated with the Italian manufacturer Ferrari, and estimates he has owned 40 Ferrari cars. [25] His first purchase in the early 1970s was a Ferrari 275 GTB/4, which he comments would regularly wet-plug (when spark plugs are coated with unburned fuel). [25] His most notable purchase was in 1977 from his proceeds from the sale of the Pink Floyd album Dark Side Of The Moon, when he paid £37,000 (equivalent to £290,360in 2023) for one of only 39 Ferrari 250 GTOs. He still owns the car, valued now in excess of £30 million. [24] Mason and Gilmour drove the first two Ferrari F40s back to the UK from Maranello. [25]
Mason was invited by Ferrari to purchase one of the 400 Enzo models. He appeared in an episode of the BBC motoring programme Top Gear in which he allowed Jeremy Clarkson to borrow it for a review, on the condition Clarkson promote the release of the book Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd . [28] Skirting BBC advertising rules prohibiting product endorsements, Clarkson referenced Pink Floyd songs and album titles in the review of the Enzo and the Stig drove around the Top Gear test track with "Another Brick in the Wall" playing, despite the fact that the Enzo does not come equipped with a stereo. [29] Mason later sold the Enzo, [30] and replaced it with a Blu Scozia-coloured LaFerrari. [31]
Mason appeared on Season 2, Episode 8 of The Grand Tour . He won against the Police drummer Stewart Copeland for the title of "fastest rock drummer from a band that begins with a P" (driving not drumming) in the Celebrity Face Off segment. [32]
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
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1979 | Dorset Racing Associates | Brian Joscelyne Tony Birchenhough Richard Jenvey | Lola T297 Ford-Cosworth | S 2.0 | 260 | 18th | 2nd |
1980 | Dorset Racing Associates | Peter Clarke Martin Birrane | Lola T297 Ford-Cosworth | S 2.0 | 263 | 22nd | 3rd |
1982 | EMKA Productions | Steve O'Rourke Richard Down | BMW M1 Gr.5 | IMSA GTX | 266 | DNF | DNF |
1983 | Dome Racing | Chris Craft Eliseo Salazar | Dome RC82 Ford-Cosworth | C | 75 | DNF | DNF |
1984 | GTi Engineering | Richard Lloyd René Metge | Porsche 956 | C1 | 139 | DSQ | DSQ |
Mason's first marriage (1969) was to Lindy Rutter, with whom he had two daughters. During this time she contributed uncredited tin whistle and flute parts to two Pink Floyd albums, More and Ummagumma . [35] The couple divorced in the late 1980s;[ citation needed ] Mason is now married to his second wife Annette (Nettie) Lynton, an actress. They have two sons and live in Hampstead, London. Since 1995 they have also owned Middlewick House, the Grade II listed former home of Andrew and Camilla Parker Bowles, just outside the Wiltshire town of Corsham. [36]
His wealth amounted to £75 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2015–2016. [37] He is a qualified helicopter pilot, and flies an Aerospatiale AS 350 Squirrel helicopter in specially painted colours. [38]
Mason is part of Football Ventures, a consortium that bought Bolton Wanderers Football Club out of administration in August 2019. [39] He is a supporter of Arsenal F.C. [40]
Mason's portrait was painted by semi-finalists in a December 2021 episode of Portrait Artist of the Year . [41]
In common with Roger Waters, Mason has played concerts to raise funds for the Countryside Alliance, a group which campaigned against the ban on fox hunting with the Hunting Act 2004. [42] In 2007 they both performed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire in support of the group. [43]
He is a board member and co-chairman of the Featured Artists' Coalition. [44] [45] As a spokesman for the organisation, Mason has voiced his support for musicians' rights and offered advice to younger artists in a rapidly changing music industry. [46]
In 2014, Mason joined Waters in expressing support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel over the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and urged the Rolling Stones not to play in Israel. [47]
Also in 2014, Mason designed a "Wish You Were Here"-themed Paddington Bear statue, exhibited outside the O2 Arena in London (one of 50 placed around the city). The statues were auctioned to raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). [48]
On 26 November 2012, Mason received the Honorary title of Doctor of Letters from the University of Westminster at the presentation ceremony of the School of Architecture and Built Environment (he had studied architecture at the university's predecessor, Regent Street Polytechnic, 1962–1967). [50]
Mason was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours, "for services to music", [51] and was presented with the award by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace on 2 May 2019.
On 24 July 2023, ahead of his Pompeii concert with his current band, Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, Mason was awarded with the honorary citizenship of the Italian city of Pompeii. [52]
Box set
A Saucerful of Secrets is the second studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 28 June 1968 by EMI Columbia in the UK and in the US by Tower Records. The mental health of singer and guitarist Syd Barrett deteriorated during recording, so guitarist David Gilmour was recruited; Barrett left the band before the album's completion.
Ummagumma is the fourth album by English rock band Pink Floyd. It is a double album and was released on 7 November 1969 by Harvest Records. The first disc consists of live recordings from concerts at Mothers Club in Birmingham and the College of Commerce in Manchester that contained part of their normal set list of the time, while the second contains solo compositions by each member of the band recorded at EMI Studios. The artwork was designed by regular Pink Floyd collaborators Hipgnosis and features a number of pictures of the band combined to give a Droste effect. It was the last album cover to feature the band.
"A Saucerful of Secrets" is a multi-part instrumental composition by English rock band Pink Floyd from their 1968 album of the same name. It is nearly 12 minutes long and was composed by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour. The track features guitar feedback, a percussion solo section and wordless vocals.
Guy Adam Pratt is a British bassist. He has worked with artists including Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Michael Jackson, the Smiths, Robert Palmer, Echo & the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, Icehouse, Bananarama, Iggy Pop, Tom Jones, Debbie Harry, Whitesnake, Womack & Womack, Kirsty MacColl, Coverdale•Page, Lemon Jelly, the Orb, All Saints, Stephen Duffy, Robbie Robertson and A. R. Rahman.
"Corporal Clegg" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd and is featured on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was written by Roger Waters and features David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright sharing the lead vocals, which is the only Floyd song to do so. The song also features a kazoo.
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, appearing on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was written by Roger Waters, taking lyrics from a Chinese poetry book, and features a drum part by Nick Mason played with timpani mallets. It is the only song recorded by Pink Floyd to feature material from all five band members, as there are several different guitar parts recorded by both David Gilmour and Syd Barrett, although the guitar parts are buried in the mix.
"Let There Be More Light" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd and the opening track on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets. It was also released in edited form as the fourth American single by the group.
"Fearless" is the third track on the 1971 album Meddle by Pink Floyd. It is a slow acoustic guitar-driven song written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, and includes audio of football fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone".
"Remember a Day" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, written and sung by their keyboardist Richard Wright, appearing on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was performed by Pink Floyd only once, as an encore in May 1968; it was subsequently performed by David Gilmour in September 2008 in memory of Wright, who had recently died of cancer, on Later... with Jools Holland, and by Nick Mason during his Saucerful of Secrets tour. The dreamy, poetic lyrics are about nostalgia for the lost paradise of early childhood.
"Arnold Layne" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd. Released on 10 March 1967, it was the band's first single and was written by Syd Barrett.
"Astronomy Domine" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The song, written and composed by the original vocalist/guitarist Syd Barrett, is the opening track on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). The lead vocal was sung by Barrett and the keyboard player Richard Wright. Its working title was "Astronomy Dominé ". Domine is a word frequently used in Gregorian chants.
"Burning Bridges" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1972 album Obscured by Clouds. It shares a similar tune to the instrumental "Mudmen" on the same album.
"Childhood's End" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1972 album Obscured by Clouds. It was the last Pink Floyd song to feature lyrics written by David Gilmour, until A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987. The song gets its title from the 1953 science-fiction novel of the same name by Arthur C. Clarke, though the theme of the song shares little with the story. The 2016 remixed version of "Childhood's End" which appears in The Early Years 1965–1972 box set was released as the second single to promote the box set in October 2016.
"Green Is the Colour" is a track on Pink Floyd's 1969 More. It was composed and written by Roger Waters and sung by David Gilmour. A tin whistle is heard in the song, played by drummer Nick Mason's then-wife Lindy. A live version of the song was released as the third single to promote The Early Years 1965–1972 box set in October 2016.
Pink Floyd World Tour 1968 was a Pink Floyd world tour spanning February to December 1968 in which the group visited Europe and North America.
Oh, by the Way is a compilation boxed set by Pink Floyd released on 10 December 2007, by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States through Capitol Records.
Richard William Wright was an English keyboardist and songwriter who co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He appeared on almost every Pink Floyd album and performed on all their tours. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Pink Floyd.
The Early Years 1965–1972 is a box set that compiles the early work of the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 11 November 2016. It was released by Pink Floyd Records with distribution held by Warner Music for the UK and Europe and Sony Music for the rest of the world.
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets are an English rock band formed in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. The band comprises the Pink Floyd drummer and co-founder Nick Mason, the bassist Guy Pratt, the guitarists Gary Kemp and Lee Harris, and the keyboardist Dom Beken. As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd with their bestselling 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon, Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience.
Live at the Roundhouse is a live album and film by the English rock band Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, released on 18 September 2020 through Legacy Recordings. It features performances of the early music of Nick Mason's band Pink Floyd.
my grandfather was lord mayor of Birmingham
Further to the postponement of their 2020 tour, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets 'Live at the Roundhouse' concert video and audio releases have also been delayed. Owing to the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic, the release has been pushed from April, and will now hit store shelves on September 18th 2020.
a future episode [...] will see Nick Mason and Stewart Copeland competing for the title of fastest rock drummer.
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