Why Pink Floyd Embraced Collaboration Again on ‘The Division Bell’ and How Richard Wright’s Return Shaped Its Sound

After the acrimonious sessions for The Final Cut (1983) and the tense, Gilmour-dominated A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987), David Gilmour was tired of being the sole songwriter. The legal battles with Roger Waters had left the band fractured, and Gilmour later admitted that carrying the creative weight alone felt hollow. For The Division Bell (1994), he actively pushed for a more democratic, band-oriented writing process — partly to heal old wounds, but also because he genuinely missed the chemistry of three minds working together.

Richard Wright’s reinstatement as a full member — his first since being fired during The Wall sessions — was a direct outcome of that mentality. On A Momentary Lapse of Reason, Wright was only a hired sideman due to lingering legal restrictions; his contributions were minimal. This time, Gilmour and Nick Mason insisted Wright be credited as a co-writer on five tracks. The result was the most keyboard-forward Floyd album since Wish You Were Here. Wright’s lush Hammond organ pads, layered synth washes, and signature jazz-influenced chord voicings (hear the intro to “Cluster One” or the atmospheric drift of “Marooned”) gave The Division Bell a warm, textural depth that had been absent for over a decade. Without his full return, the album would likely have sounded far closer to Gilmour’s solo work.