Rick Wright’s Ghost Role on A Momentary Lapse of Reason: Hired Hands, Tensions, and the Keys That Held It Together

When Pink Floyd reconvened in 1987, Rick Wright wasn’t a member. David Gilmour had fired him during The Wall sessions in 1979, and now Wright was brought back as a paid session musician — on a weekly salary, no less. That power imbalance immediately created tension. Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason reportedly felt Wright was being paid too much for too little work, while Wright chafed at being treated as an outsider in the band he’d co-founded. Producer Bob Ezrin later described the atmosphere as “uncomfortable,” with Wright often arriving late and keeping to himself.

Despite his non-member status, Wright’s contributions were subtle but significant. He played Hammond organ on tracks like “Signs of Life” and “Yet Another Movie,” added Kurzweil synthesizer textures to “A New Machine” and “Sorrow,” and sang backing vocals throughout. His most distinctive moment came on “On