Listen To The Rare Guitar Solo On Pink Floyd’s 8-Track Version Of ‘Pigs On The Wing’

Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals begins and ends with the first and second parts of the song “Pigs On The Wing.” Most versions of the concept album conceived by bassist Roger Waters start with “Pigs On The Wing 1” and end with “Pigs On The Wing 2,” but not all of them.

For its 8-track release, the two parts of “Pigs On The Wing” were put together to form a single opening song. In order to seamlessly segue between the two disparate parts, a guitar solo – performed by session/touring guitarist Snowy White instead of Floyd guitarist David Gilmour – was included on the 8-track version of Animals.

In November 2020, Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene spoke to White, who performed with Pink Floyd on their 1977 In The Flesh Tour and subsequently played in Roger Waters’ solo band. During the interview, White was asked about the circumstances surrounding his joining Pink Floyd as a touring member and his solo on “Pigs On A Wing.”

Were you a fan of Pink Floyd before you went on tour with them in 1977?

No. I didn’t know anything about them. I think I was the only guy in England that hadn’t heard Dark Side of the Moon. I was a narrow-minded blues-er and they played all that funny stuff. It didn’t cross my horizon, really.

So how did you wind up joining them?

I sort of drifted into it, really. I love the blues and I knew Pete [Peter Green] and listened to Eric [Clapton] and B.B. King. That was my world. Things outside of that world didn’t really impress me much. I didn’t know that Pink Floyd were a really big band. It didn’t occur to me because they didn’t play blues. I didn’t register.

Someone told me once that Pink Floyd’s manager was trying to get in touch with me since they were looking for an augmenting guitar player for live stuff. And so I went to the office in London. He sort of explained that they were looking for another guitar player and I’d been recommended by a few people. He said, “Actually, do you want to go and see the band? They’re finishing recording the album at their studio on Britannia Road.” It was the Animals record. I said, “Yeah, OK.”

I got to the studio and they were all in there. It didn’t occur to me that this was anything to think much of [laughs]. I know it sounds funny, but I’m like that, especially in those days. I was so narrow-minded in my music, to be honest. I did think it was interesting. And then Roger [Waters] said to Dave [Gilmour], “Why don’t you take Snowy into the office and explain what the gig is about?”

We went into the office and he said, “Well, you need to play a 12-string and some lead, a bit of harmony and some rhythm. You need to play quite a bit of bass. You can play bass, can’t you?” I said, “Yeah, yeah.”

He said, “So, do you want the gig?” I said, “Well, yeah. OK. Maybe we should have a jam so you can hear me play?” He said, “You wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t play, would you?” I said, “No.” He said, “Well, alright then.” That was it, really. I just sort of drifted in like that. I didn’t really understand what it was all about.

Do you know how they heard about you?

Yeah. I think a guy called Jim Cregan. He’s a really good friend of mine and he used to play with Rod Stewart and a few other people. Somebody told him and he said, “You should try Snowy.”

How did you wind up on the 8-track version of “Pigs on the Wing”?

It was that same day. We went back in the control room after I was offered the gig. Roger said, “As long as you’re here, you might as well record something.” They’d been recording “Pigs on the Wing.”

He said, “Why don’t you do a solo in the middle? Use any guitar you like.” There was this white Strat there. I picked it up and played a solo. A few days later, Rog said to me, “We’ve got some bad news.”

I thought, “Oh, no. The tour is canceled or I’m not on it.” He said, “We’ve decided to split ‘Pigs on the Wing’ between the first half of the beginning of the album and the second half at the end. We’ve lost your solo.” I said, “Is that all?” It didn’t mean anything to me.

Because of the 8-track, they didn’t used to stop. They used to turn around and carry on. They put the solo back in for that. That’s why it’s on that. I have an original here still in its cellophane wrapper, the old 8-track.

An unbroken 8-track version of “Pigs On A Wing” was included on Snowy White’s 1995 compilation album, Goldtop: Groups & Sessions ’74–’94 that also featured tracks he recorded with Thin Lizzy and Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, among others. Stream the full, unabridged recording of Pink Floyd’s “Pigs On A Wing” featuring Snowy White’s rarely-heard guitar solo below (and the Goldtop track starting at 18:18):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCkWnm09-Ow?t=1098

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Source: JamBase.com