Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.
Presented by Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp, who wrote and performed megahits like ‘Gold’ and ‘True’, and Guy Pratt, a bass player who shaped songs for the likes of Madonna and Pink Floyd, you’ll hear exclusive stories of life on the road, in the studio and what really happened behind the scenes from artists who wrote, performed and produced the some of the biggest classic rock and pop tracks of all time.
Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.
This weeks upcoming episode is Number 42 and features guest Marianne Faithfull
David Gilmour released Rattle That Lock , the fourth solo album, in the summer of 2015.
His French fans especially remember the song that gives the album its title because it incorporates the jingle of the SNCF , the national railway company. The four musical notes that make up the jingle (C, G, A flat and E flat) have been used by the SNCF since 2005, in particular to introduce announcements in stations.
It was precisely taking the train in the summer of 2013 in Aix-en-Provence that David Gilmour fell in love with the melody. He urged his managerPaul Loasby to research the rights. It turned out that the melody was created by Michaël Boumendil , a specialist in jingles for companies, also author of a ringtone for Samsung mobile phones, music on hold for Orange, etc …
A very profitable business: his company Sixieme His Communication , created in 1995 just 23 years after leaving Edhec, achieved a turnover of 4.5 million euros in 2018, with a net margin of 19%.
David Gilmour‘s manager contacted Michaël Boumendil . They met on October 31, 2013 and made him listen to a first version of the song. On December 5, 2014, a contract was signed between David Gilmour and Michaël Boumendil . According to the agreement, the Frenchman would have been “co-author” of the song, would have received 12.5% of the proceeds and, even, 25% for the exploitation of the music alone. Then, Michaël Boumendil signed an agreement with the SNCF that granted his authorization free of charge. Finally, on 23 June 2015, Michaël Boumendil went to the Astoria , David Gilmour‘s boat / recording studio moored on the Thames near London, where the Pink Floyd guitarist played him the final version of the song.
With great pride, Michaël Boumendil told his story to the RTL TV station on July 9, 2015, just before the song was released: “It makes me really happy […] David Gilmour told me: ‘what you have done is truly unique , it’s very well done, surprisingly groove, and it made me want to write a song ‘” . In the interview Michaël Boumendil assured: “It is not a question of money at all” . In addition, the SNCF was also launching a competition to win tickets to a David Gilmourconcert.
But Michaël Boumendil‘s interview with RTL didn’t please David Gilmour‘s entourage ; they believed that the Frenchman had violated the confidentiality agreement while the song had not yet come out; as a result, they excluded him from promoting the album.
Relations between the two deteriorate. In December 2016, Michaël Boumendil denounced David Gilmour for “counterfeiting” before the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris, asking € 493,619 in damages. He argued that the agreement signed two years earlier only covered copyright but not its production right. In other words, he claimed to have only granted the musical score (the four notes), but not their recording (the jingle that David Gilmour had recorded at the station and then inserted into his song).
Instead, on May 31, 2019, the court rejected Michaël Boumendil‘s claim , condemning him to pay 40,000 euros in legal fees. In the sentence, the judges observed that, the day after the meeting with Gilmour , “Michaël Boumendil had expressed the memory of the meeting in a message, leaving no trace of surprise or disappointment” . Furthermore, the sentence still states that the enthusiasm expressed during the interview with RTL “does not appear to be compatible with the hypothesis of violation of the contractual provisions, negotiated between professionals under conditions that do not lead to the presumption that the rights of the producer would have been ‘forgotten. ‘, as claimed ” by Michaël Boumendil .
Who did not give up and appealed, but again in vain. The Paris Court of Appeal has just rejected him, condemning him to pay an additional € 10,000 in legal fees. The appellate judges noted that the contract “states that David Gilmour is authorized to integrate the sample, modify it and use it; therefore, the sample can be understood as the excerpt of the sound recording ” of the SNCF jingle .
Pink Floyd‘s 1970 album Atom Heart Mother is to be reissued in Japan as a special CD+blu-ray package with restored video footage of the band’s performance at Japan’s first outdoor rock festival, Hakone Aphrodite.
Recently discovered 16mm film has been restored and digitised resulting in a transformative visual image, as can be seen by the comparison below.
Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother (Hakone Aphrodite 1971) Original VS New Discovered Film
The festival was on the 6 and 7 August 1971 and this was Pink Floyd’s first visit to Japan.
This combo-pack features the album on CD and the video of the live performance on the blu-ray along with ‘Scott & Watts’ – Hakone Aphrodite B-roll footage.
Because this is a Japanese release, (exclusive – thought to be down to licensing issues), it is lavishly packaged.
It comes in traditional Japanese ‘paper sleeve’ packaging but it’s seven-inch square, not standard five-inch, CD-size. In fact, if you order from Amazon Japan what they are calling a ‘mega-jacket’ (24cm x 24cm, or about 9.5 inches) is also included, although these are limited on a first-come-first-served basis.
This presentation comes with a whole host of paper items including a reprint of the OBI-strip, a photo booklet of unpublished photos, a Hakone Aphrodite programme reprint, a reproduction of the venue guide map, an Osaka performance poster, a Hakone Aphrodite ticket reprint and access to a special digital booklet, Recollection Hakone Aphrodite 1971.
Atom Heart Mother limited Japanese-only CD+blu-ray will be released on 4 August 2021.
As well as Amazon Japan, this is also available via CDJapan (note that Amazon Japan doesn’t except existing Amazon credentials, you have to create a new account).
Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.
Presented by Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp, who wrote and performed megahits like ‘Gold’ and ‘True’, and Guy Pratt, a bass player who shaped songs for the likes of Madonna and Pink Floyd, you’ll hear exclusive stories of life on the road, in the studio and what really happened behind the scenes from artists who wrote, performed and produced the some of the biggest classic rock and pop tracks of all time.
Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.
This weeks episode is Number 42 and features guest Paul Stanley. (Kiss) Paul is a huge fan of soul and talks to the chaps about his beautiful new solo soul record on his new album ‘Now and Then’. Paul pays homage to some of the greats with a collection of classic covers and also a set of stunning original tracks that totally hold their own. Paul Stanley explains the roots of the iconic Kiss look that originated from their love of some classic British artists…
LOST SOULS – A Fictional Journey Through 50 Years of Pink Floyd by Edwin Ammerlaan
Reviewed by Richard Hobo
Like most dedicated Pink Floyd fans, I have amassed quite a collection of literature about the band, (a quick glance at my bookshelves reveals at least thirteen tomes by various scribes) and have even considered writing one of my own, but I have never considered the format chosen by Edwin Ammerlaan in his book Lost Souls – A Fictional Journey Through 50 Years of Pink Floyd where the author has placed himself as a fictional central character in the work called Matt.
As the story progresses, Matt becomes an observant bystander to the very inner workings of the band’s lives. It’s a great idea and I would especially recommend this book to younger fans who are just embarking upon their voyage of discovering Pink Floyd. For well-read old dogs like myself, it is fun to spot paragraphs lifted verbatim from interviews that have been published down the ages.
Pink Floyd refer to old friends of the band who hailed from Cambridge, (Dick Parry, Storm Thorgerson, Tim Renwick, etc), as The Cambridge Mafia and the premise of the book is that the narrator finds himself circulating in one of the band’s outer circles after a chance meeting involving a bike, Roger and Syd in Ibiza, Spain. Over the years, he is drawn closer towards the band’s beating heart to see what life is really like behind the wall of rock and roll. The style is languid and easy to read, not at all pure gonzo in the Hunter S Thompson vein and is a wonderful journey through the band’s existence.
As Lost Souls is written in an evolutionary, chronological layout, one can listen to the band’s music in a similar fashion, starting out with the early albums and moving on to the later, massive hits such as The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall as the story progresses. Matt’s not always around in the Floyd circus, however; he has his own life to run as well. He dips in and out of the band’s lives during the barren, rocky years of the Floyd Wars and beyond the horizon of The Division Bell and onwards to Roger Waters’ latest solo album Is This The Life We Really Want? Oddly, David Gilmour’s solo albums On An Island and Rattle That Lock and his utterly brilliant live albums Live in Gdansk and his incredible return to Pompeii aren’t mentioned at all.
The band’s performance at Live 8 is a fitting way to tie up the many loose ends of the Pink Floyd story and a meeting with Roger Waters in a London hotel room proves that the old dog that has broken away from the pack still has teeth.
The final paragraphs cover London’s Victoria and Albert Museum’s Their Mortal Remains exhibition and the narrator’s amazement that this quirky underground band formed by three architects, an artist and a van-driving guitarist had gone on to become one of the biggest musical forces in the world.
Our sincere thanks go to Richard for all his efforts and contributions.
This weekend, local rock legend Alan Parsons told the world about his latest accolade, and it’s a big one.
He has received the Order of the British Empire.
“Many of you will have already heard that I have been awarded an OBE at the annual Queen’s Birthday Honours,” Mr. Parsons, who lives in the Santa Barbara area, said in a statement Saturday on Facebook. “I am hugely chuffed and very grateful for the countless congratulatory messages from family, friends, business associates, and fans.
“I’ve actually known about the honour since May but was asked to keep it confidential until today,” Mr. Parsons continued. “It’s tremendously satisfying to be listed among an amazing array of musicians, actors and music producers who have also received The Queen’s Honours in the arts. “For those of you who may not know about the British Honours System, the Honour of OBE stands for ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire,’” Mr. Parsons said.
The OBE recipient has excited fans of classic rock and concept albums for more than 40 years. Mr. Parsons is known for everything from his sound production work for Pink Floyd to his performances with The Alan Parsons Project and his touring band, The Alan Parsons Live Project.
“For the over-50 crowd, or even the over-40 crowd, there’s a need for strong, melodic, song-driven music,” the British rocker told the News-Press in 2016. “I think that’s what I’ve always delivered.”
The London native’s career began as an assistant sound engineer on The Beatles’ albums “Abbey Road” (1969) and “Let It Be” (1970). He received industry attention with his engineering work on Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” (1973), before joining the late Eric Woolfson as his songwriting and performing partner in The Alan Parsons Project, a British progressive rock band.
“It was a wonderful series of being in the right place at the right time,” said Mr. Parsons, who moved to Santa Barbara in 1999 from London and the south of England.
Set the controls for your diaries… The Saucers have just added more dates to their 2022 tour, all of which have gone on sale right NOW!
Irish fans will be delghted to know they have added Dublin and Belfast shows, and there’s an additional ten concerts in mainland Europe!
Some of these are new dates and locations, and some are more of the rescheduled gigs (for example, most of the German shows). The band are still working on squeezing a few more of the rescheduled gigs onto the new schedule where they can (depending on availability of the venues on suitable dates) so keep checking back.
Sadly, They have been unable able to find a suitable date to squeeze in the Freiburg show in Germany, or the Sete show in France, despite trying their hardest. Sorry for any disappointment!
Ticket holders can of course get a refund from their point of purchase.
New Dates For 2022
April 13th 2022 – Convention Centre, Dublin, Ireland April 14th 2022 – Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland May 16th 2022 – The Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark May 17th 2022 – Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Norway June 6th 2022 – Volkswagen Arena Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey June 28th 2022 – Theatre du Leman, Geneva, Switzerland June 30th 2022 – Liederhalle Beethoven-Saal, Stuttgart, Germany July 1st 2022 – Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany July 2nd 2022 – Insel Grafenwerth, Bad Honnef, Germany July 4th 2022 – Circus Krone, Munich, Germany July 5th 2022 – Haus Auensee, Leipzig, Germany July 6th 2022 – Grosser Saal, Messe Und Congress Centrum Hall Munsterland, Munster, Germany
Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.
Presented by Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp, who wrote and performed megahits like ‘Gold’ and ‘True’, and Guy Pratt, a bass player who shaped songs for the likes of Madonna and Pink Floyd, you’ll hear exclusive stories of life on the road, in the studio and what really happened behind the scenes from artists who wrote, performed and produced the some of the biggest classic rock and pop tracks of all time.
Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.
This weeks upcoming episode is Number 41 and features guest Noel Gallagher
UPDATE: Guy Pratt has been in touch to say in this podcast, Noel Gallagher confirmed the cultural significance of the 88 Maine Road Pink Floyd gig that Guy has been banging on about for years! Nice to be proved right now & again Guy!
Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters has announced rescheduled dates for his North American This Is Not A Drill Tour, which will now be taking place in the summer of 2022.
Waters was forced to cancel the original 2020 tour due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns and tickets for the new dates will be honored at the 2022 shows.
The tour will feature 36 concerts at 31 cities across the United States and Canada beginning on July 6th in Pittsburgh, PA at PPG Paints Arena and wrapping up on October 8th in Dallas, TX at the American Airlines Center.
Roger had this to say, “This Is Not A Drill is a ground breaking new rock and roll/cinematic extravaganza, performed in the round, it is a stunning indictment of the corporate dystopia in which we all struggle to survive, and a call to action to LOVE, PROTECT and SHARE our precious and precarious planet home.
“The show includes a dozen great songs from Pink Floyd’s Golden Era along side several new ones, words and music, same writer, same heart, same soul, same man. Could be his last hurrah. Wow! My first farewell tour! Don’t miss it. Love R.”
Roger Waters: This Is Not A Drill – Mexico Rescheduled Dates:
Wednesday 7th October 2020 moves to 14th October 2022 at Palacio de los Deportes Thursday 8th October 2020 moves to 15th October 2022at Palacio de los Deportes
Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.
LOST SOULS – A Fictional Journey Through 50 Years of Pink Floyd by Edwin Ammerlaan
This weekend, local rock legend Alan Parsons told the world about his latest accolade, and it’s a big one. 
Set the controls for your diaries… The Saucers have just added more dates to their 2022 tour, all of which have gone on sale right NOW!