An interview with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason was broadcast this afternoon on Scotland Today, the news programme on Scottish TV. Recorded when he was in Edinburgh for a signing session for "Inside Out - A Personal History Of Pink Floyd", we have a transcript of the interview below, which was also streamed online for some time (but now not available).

The interview is intercut with clips from the forthcoming DVD of PULSE, taken from the Earls Court 1994 concerts. Much thanks to John Kilbride from Scotland Today for letting us know about this interview!

Nick Mason interview, Scotland Today, Scottish TV, October 22nd 2004

Nick Mason spoke to Scotland Today's Billy Sloan, who began by asking him about their most famous work Dark side of the moon, and when they thought it was a major piece of work that it turned out to be.

He said: "I think really towards the end because the whole thing was assembled right at the end. Until then it really was bits and pieces; the voice tracks weren't on, the heartbeat wasn't there, the backward piano chord at the beginning. It was just a collection of songs that needed to be assembled. And even when it was assembled and finished we thought "great record" but still didn't guarantee that it would sell."

Asked why he thought it had become such an influential record, he replied: "Well, my view on this, again, is perhaps having talked to other people that the record to be that successful it needs more than one thing. I mean I think there's Roger's song writing, David's guitar playing, Rick's keyboards, obviously drums the main feature of the thing. But it's also the fact that it happened to be at the time when people were particularly interested in stereo and people buying new, better stereo systems and the engineering standards and the stereo standards of that particular record are particularly good."

With a band of Pink Floyd's stature, they were inevitably going to have a few Spinal Tap moments. One of those was when their flying inflatable pig escaped when they were making the cover of their Animals album.

Asked if it was a clever publicity stunt, he said: "No, it wasn't. And frankly it would have been far too dangerous to be a stunt. I don't think...it weighed in an enormous amount and it went off at incredible speed. And if it had either hit something in the air or indeed landed on someone it would have caused quite a lot of damage. It could have hurt someone quite badly. But the pig was originally made in Hamburg where they made the Zeppelins and there was a belief that the pig was heading home but it only got as far as Kent. And apparently landed in a pig farm."

Did he think there would ever conceivably be a day that they would all get back together and do something?

He replied: "Well, I'd have to say it's very unlikely and I think possibly on one occasion I said something like this and it was misunderstood and everyone announced that the band was reforming in its original guise which definitely is not on the cards. What I said was I though the only thing that might draw us all together it would not be for a big tour or big money, it would be for the equivalent of a new Live Aid, something that was worthwhile that we all felt more important than everyone worrying about their ego, their career prospects or whatever. And it just would feel worthwhile enough to do something."

Asked if he missed the band, he said: "I still see all of them now and again. But I suppose perhaps the book, to some extent, has reminded me of the really good times but...I miss playing because I really have not, I don't have a great interest in playing with other people as such.

"What I really enjoyed was the work we did as a band. So, yes I do miss that."