Roger Waters’ comments on Israel, Ukraine could sink $500 million ‘Pink Floyd’ catalogue deal

Los Angeles, Oct. 5 (IANS): Although there hasn’t been any official word put out, British psychedelic rock band ‘Pink Floyd’ have been shopping their recorded-music catalogue and other assets for several months, seeking as much as $500 million, according to the Financial Times, with both major music companies and investment firms as the top bidders.

But sources say that an explosive new interview with founding member, main songwriter and stakeholder Roger Waters – in which he makes extensive remarks about Israel, Ukraine, Russia, the U.S. and other political matters that one could politely characterise as controversial – is giving at least one potential buyer cold feet and seems likely to lead others to rethink their positions, reports Variety.

For years, Waters has sounded off about politics in the press and at his concerts, most controversially Israel’s policies. But the new interview in Rolling Stone raises (or lowers) the bar considerably.

During the interview, the former ‘Pink Floyd’ singer argues emphatically that some Jewish people in the US and UK bear responsibility for the actions of Israel “because they pay for everything”; that well-documented accounts of Russian war crimes in Ukraine are “lies, lies, lies”; that the United States is “the most evil (country) of all by a factor of at least 10 times”; that Russia’s brutal military involvement in Syria is justified because “they were there at the invitation of the Syrian government” (which is led by one of the world’s most murderous dictators, Bashar Assad), and more.

Variety further states that on a purely business level, the Pink Floyd recorded-music catalogue, not to mention its merchandising rights, is one of the most valuable in contemporary music, with classic albums like ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, ‘The Wall’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘Animals’, ‘Meddle’, ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ and more.

And after the sales of catalogues by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen (both for around $600 million), Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, James Brown and many others, it is one of the most lucrative and desirable brands known to be on the market.