Frequently Asked
Questions
The following is a list of frequently asked
questions about the book, Comfortably
Numb-A History of “The Wall.”
Q: How many copies of the deluxe limited edition of
the book were printed, and where can I buy a copy?
A: Only
5,000 copies of the deluxe edition of the book were printed, and quite a few
copies are being kept by the authors, and given to other parties. The remaining
copies are available for purchase by the public on a first come/first serve
basis. Each copy is numbered, so the sooner you buy a copy, the lower a number
you will receive. This deluxe version of the book will not be reprinted, so
once it sells out, it will be gone. This book will certainly become a
collectors’ item, and the price is expected to appreciate.
Copies of the book can be purchased directly from
the publisher PFA Publishing, Inc. at www.PFApublishing.com.
Q: How long did it take to write this book, and
what research methods were used in researching the history of The Wall?
A: This
book is the culmination of a research project undertaken by Vernon Fitch and
Richard Mahon that took over ten years to complete. It began with an
examination of every bit of information previously in existence about The Wall,
in books, magazines, radio interviews, etc. After sorting through all of the
existing information, the process of verification began, and missing parts of
the story were then researched and filled in. Attempts were made to contact
nearly everyone involved in the history of The Wall. More often than expected,
information that had been previously taken for granted as fact proved to be
wrong. By discussing every facet of The Wall story with the actual people that
participated in the project, this history of The Wall was written.
Q: Who are some of the people that contributed to
the information included in the book?
A: The
number of people who were involved in the writing of this book is quite amazing.
Nearly everyone who participated in the Wall album and Wall stage shows were
contacted, and most people were enthusiastic about talking about what was, in
many cases, a life changing event for them.
Gerald Scarfe, the artist who worked with Roger Waters in
developing The Wall story and created the animated films that were projected on
The Wall during the concerts, explained exactly how The Wall evolved. Scarfe
clarified many parts of the history of The Wall for this book.
James Guthrie, one of the Wall album producers/engineers, and
chief sound mixer for The Wall concerts, spent a great deal of time discussing
both the recording of The Wall album and the Wall concerts with Vernon Fitch.
Guthrie, who played an integral part in the history of The Wall, contributed
significant pieces of information that now appear for the first time in this
book.
Bob Ezrin, the hall-of-fame producer who helped to
co-produce The Wall album, generously volunteered to answer any questions about
The Wall sessions. Ezrin helped to piece together the story of the Wall album,
and proved vital in helping to document recording sessions that none of the
other producers or band members attended.
Mark Fisher, the stage designer who helped construct The Wall
for live performances contributed detailed information to the book. Fisher
reviewed an early draft of the chapter on preparing to stage The Wall live,
made numerous corrections and clarifications, and added technical details that
had never been revealed before.
Phil Taylor, Pink Floyd’s equipment chief, who was in charge
of all the equipment for The Wall recording sessions and who designed the
equipment setup for The Wall concerts, added unique information about all the
sessions. Both Taylor and Guthrie worked together with Vernon Fitch over the
course of a year to put together, for the first time ever, listings of the
equipment used for the recording of the Wall album, and the equipment used to
perform The Wall concerts. This is one
of many exclusive sections of the book.
These are just a few examples of the numerous
contributions made to this book by people who were directly involved in the
history of The Wall.
Q: Did Roger Waters participate in the writing of
this book?
A: No.
This is not Roger Waters’ version of The Wall story. This book is an
independently researched account of the history of The Wall. Roger Waters was
notified of the writing of this book, and was sent drafts of the book as work
progressed. Certain parts of the book were changed at Waters’ request, and
Waters did contribute to the book by granting permission to print the lyrics
that are sung on The Wall album. But Waters did not participate in the writing
of this book.
Q: Did David Gilmour provide information about The
Wall for this book?
A:
Yes. David Gilmour researched The Wall studio sessions exclusively for this
book. There had never been any accurate credits published as to who played on
each song on The Wall album. Gilmour was the musical director for The Wall, and
he, together with James Guthrie, compiled a list of who played every instrument
on each song. Gilmour’s Wall album credits can be found in Chapter 3 of this
book.
Q: Is The Wall movie included in this book?
A: No.
The Wall movie will be covered in a separate book published by PFA Publishing
in 2008. There was too much information to include a history of The Wall movie
in The Comfortably Numb book. It would have made the book just too large. By
keeping The Wall movie as a separate book, the movie will be covered in greater
detail. In addition, a history of The Final Cut album will be included as part
of the book, which will be a fascinating look at Pink Floyd history from 1981-1983.
Q: Is the Comfortably Numb book a paperback or
hardcover book?
A: Comfortably Numb-A History of “The Wall” is a deluxe hardcover book with a glossy black
cover. It features a beautiful full-color dust jacket, black end leaves, a
Smythe sewn binding, and glossy full-color pages throughout. It also includes
over 400 full-color pictures throughout the book.
Q: What are the rare and previously unpublished
photographs that are featured in the book?
A: In
researching the history of The Wall, people who were interviewed for this book
were asked if they had any photographs that were taken during The Wall period.
In so doing, many rare photographs that had resided only in personal photo
collections were unearthed. These include pre-production drawings that were
done for The Wall stage shows, photographs of Super Bear Studios during The
Wall recording sessions, pictures of the mixing desk and sound equipment during
The Wall concerts, sketches of equipment layouts, photos of The Wall stage
shows, etc., etc. These are just a few examples of the rare pictures that are
published for the first time in this book. You will certainly be amazed by what
you will see in it.
