The legendary Pink Floyd singer and guitarist David Gilmour is currently promoting his new solo album “Luck and Strange.” In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he discussed Floyd’s recent catalog sale. The band recently sold their music rights to Sony for an estimated $400 million.
He was asked if he thought the sale could lead to uncertainty about how the music might be used in ways he wouldn’t like. He then explained why the group ultimately decided to go through with the sale.
David Gilmour explains why Pink Floyd sold the rights to their music
“No (I am not worried about how the music will be used). It’s history — it’s all past. This stuff is for future generations. I’m an old person. I’ve spent the last 40-odd years trying to fight the good fight against the forces of indolence and greed to do the best with our stuff that you can do.”
“And I’ve given that fight up now. I’ve got my advance — because, you know, it’s not fresh new money or anything like that. It’s an advance against what I would have earned over the next few years anyway.”
“But the arguments and fighting and idiocies that have been going on for the last 40 years between these four disparate groups of people and their managers and whatever — it’s lovely to say goodbye to. And I haven’t sold the publishing rights.
He was then asked why he still has the publishing rights and said: “That’s a very, very different issue. You have to have an agreement about synchronization licenses and all that sort of stuff. (Sony) bought the records, the recordings, and can do what they want. But if it comes on an advert, I’m not gonna give a shit. I’m just not going to. There are all sorts of things that are just as distasteful as that.”
Formed in London, England back in 1965, Pink Floyd is not only the most successful Progressive Rock band of all time but one of the best-selling groups in the history of music. They have sold an estimated amount of more than 250 million records worldwide.