David, what were your first steps in the world of music, the ones that allowed you to become an extraordinary bass player, also endowed with a splendid voice, and which allow you to boast today an enviable international career?
I picked up my first guitar when I was 11-years-old. I’d been on a family holiday in San Sebastian, in Spain. The Running of the Bulls was a memorable part of that trip and I somehow managed to get caught up in it and was chased down the main street by several angry bulls. One big impression left on me and a kind of awakening, was seeing a Spanish boy about my age playing a guitar. He was sitting on a window-sill and I sat on the pavement watching and listening to this beautiful sound. I pestered my parents to buy me a guitar until they relented. It was placed in a cardboard box for the journey back to Edinburgh and amazingly emerged on the airport conveyor belt without a scratch. I sat for months learning how to play from the guitar tutors and any kind of sheet music I could get my hands on. When I was 16, my sister noticed an ad in the Evening Newspaper for a lead guitarist wanted. The band was the Beachcombers and the auditions were being held at a local club. I didn’t have an amp or a decent guitar but my sister’s fiancé was a gigging musician, he let me use his Selmer amp and Fender Stratocaster to do the audition. I got the gig and couldn’t believe my luck. The Beachcombers were one of Edinburgh’s top bands and they were great. The music was bordering on soul/R&B: Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, 634-5789, I’m A Soul Man, Baby I Need Your Loving.

Your first big step in the world of record industry took place in 1974, with Pilot. The band saw you creating a very special connection with the late Billy Lyall, keyboard player and co-author along with you of the tracks included in the first FROM THE ALBUM OF THE SAME NAME. What is your memory of Billy and your artistic partnership?
Billy and I met in the Bay City Rollers. We became friends and would visit the music library in Edinburgh to borrow music for guitar and flute (Billy was an excellent flautist). I left the Bay City Rollers and I kept going to the music library. One day I met Billy as I was leaving the library. We met at the door and he seemed embarrassed to see me and went red in the face and kind of mumbled at first. It was raining as we stood in the doorway and made polite conversation, the significance of that is that I wrote a song about it, The Library Door, I tried to describe that meeting in the song, it really was the birth of Pilot so an important meeting for both of us. He said he finished with the Rollers shortly after I left and was now working at Craighall studios as a sound engineer. Craighall was a subsidiary of EMI and as well as recording many Scottish artists. We talked about getting together and he said he could arrange studio time to record original songs: “You can play bass and guitar and I’ll play piano and flute”, is what he said. He invited me down to see the studio the next again week. I was really knocked out by Craighall, it was a very professional studio and the lay out was excellent. Billy played me a few of the songs he had written and recorded, it was interesting because Billy handled the recording, playing and singing all on his own. His songs were really good and I was captivated, this was just the right kind of motivation for me to put more time into writing songs. We arranged a date to start and I left Craighall feeling very excited about the prospect of recording with Billy. Early recordings were very basic and the writing was a little immature, we could only get better. Billy and I did spend a lot of time listening to and playing music together. Elton John was a big favourite and we loved his album MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER. We also attended a few concerts including a performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.  We took our music very seriously and the studio time was really well appreciated and treated with respect, although it was relaxed we had work to do. We could usually complete a song from Billy and a song of mine in the same night, heads down we got the work done with no distractions, it was like a mission. It was a really good musical partnership and we were good friends socially too.

Pilot marked the beginning of your collaboration with Alan Parsons and, shortly thereafter, the birth of The Alan Parsons Project has seen you playing a decisive musical role giving substance to the ideas of Alan and Eric Woolfson.
Eric called me and started to explain his ideas for The Alan Parsons Project. We met at Heathrow airport and had our initial discussions there. Eric had also asked Billy, Stuart and Ian to play on the first album, TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION, so this would be Pilot back together again in Studio 2 Abbey Road with Alan at the helm. The recordings got off to a great start and I was very impressed with Eric’s song writing and piano playing. He had a happy way of putting over his music to us, sitting at the piano playing one note and saying: “Right guys, what can you do with that?”. We did spend a lot of time reshaping the songs and arrangements. We had a great working relationship and most of the times the music went well. Alan's involvement was as a producer, he was not active in a musical sense. He produced what we created and he did it very well.

The alchemy between Alan and Eric created a series of albums that remain today in the history of international pop-rock music. How was it for you, at the time, the feeling of being an important part of that project – as bass player and occasional vocalist – and what is your feeling today thinking back about that experience?
I enjoyed the work with APP, the music was good and the studio time was relaxed. We played what we felt was sympathetic to the songs Eric was writing. I wish they had agreed to play live while we were having success. They dismissed me everytime I suggested it. That made me unhappy and when Elton John asked me to tour I couldn’t resist the offer, so I left the Project just before GAUDI was recorded.
 
Anyway, few years later, you joined the band for the first and only live appearance of The Alan Parsons Project, which took place at the musical festival called Night Of The Proms, in Belgium, in 1990. On that occasion you sang Old And Wise and you played acoustic guitar on various tracks. How did that specific employment happen for you?
Alan called me and mentioned the concert, I thought: “‘At last’ he wants to play live!!!”. I was not contacted after that concert.

Together with guitarist Ian Bairnson, you are one of those who always have done the greatest efforts convincing Alan and Eric in bringing their music live. Needlessly, at least until the beginning of Alan’s solo career with TRY ANYTHING ONCE and the first real tour in 1994. Didn’t Alan contact you to take part in the live band? Why was there never a chance for you to play again for Alan after the Night Of The Proms in 1990, unlike other members like Ian, Stuart Elliott, Richard Cottle and Andrew Powell?
I didn't understand why they didn't ask me to perform with them. I am now happy I did not perform with them after hearing the nightmare stories from Stuart and Ian. Perhaps my angels were looking after me.

Very interesting, could I dare asking you what stories Ian and Stuart told you regarding touring with Alan?
I was told that the agent ran off with all the money, no one was paid. That’s the story that was told to Ian and Stuart. Is it true? Did someone else keep the money and not pay Ian and Stuart?

In recent years you have released two tribute CDs to the Project, where you reinterpret some of Alan and Eric’s greatest songs. Despite everything, you seem to have a strong feeling towards the Project and, in particular, many of your statements suggest deep admiration and sincere gratitude towards Woolfson.
I tried to help make it clear that the brains behind the Project was Eric Woolfson. He was totally in charge of the music, the subjects for each album, the artwork, the musicians and dealings with the record company. Alan wrote a couple of the instrumentals, but that was his only contribution to  the music. I thought it was very unfair that Eric was not recognised or given credit for his role as creator of the Alan Parsons Project. Also, Ian had been very upset that Alan had decided to continue live gigs without him, he was actually devastated. In 2014 Ian was diagnosed with a dementia problem, I suggested to Ian that we record some of the tracks just for fun. We were happy to be collaberating together again so we ended up making the album. It was released on Ian's birthday as a tribute to him as well as to Eric.

Being at home at the legendary Abbey Road Studios has allowed you to get in touch with a big amount of artists with different musical backgrounds. Including Camel for THE SINGLE FACTOR (1982) and STATIONARY TRAVELLER (1984) albums.
Andy Latimer asked me if I was available for the NUDE album, unfortunatly I wasn't. He then called me about the recordings for THE SINGLE FACTOR. I was free to record with Camel and enjoyed the work very much. Andy is a very gentle and sincere guy. One thing led to another and I became more involved with the work Andy was doing. We got on well together socially as well as in the studio.

You also appear fleetingly alongside Latimer for DUST AND DREAMS (1991) and HARBOUR OF TEARS (1996), albums that mark the beginning of Camel’s rebirth after they relocated to the USA. Are you still in touch with Andy today?
I'm not in touch with Andy now. I did write to him when Chris Rainbow passed, he answered my email but we did not continue with correspondence.

The KEATS album (1984) features the core members of The Project alongside with Pete Bardens on keyboards, under Parsons’ production. In your career you played with so many keyboard players: what do you specifically remember about him and his way to approach the keyboards?
I first met Pete Bardens in 1982 when we recorded the Camel album THE SINGLE FACTOR. He was only there for a day to play on the track Sasquatch. He was quiet and totally absorbed in what he was doing musically. Although I think a few people misunderstood him and found it difficult to strike up a friendship with him, I liked him and understood his passion. Pete obsessed about music and was very forthright with the ideas he had. It was sometimes difficult to get him to comply with how the other band members were thinking. As a keyboard player, he was really good at finding the right solo or sound for the song he was working on and he was quick at finding ideas. Davey Johnstone was very much like that with Elton. Pete’s contribution to the KEATS album was very important. His songs and his playing set the mood of the album. I really liked his writing and I’d visit him at home in London. We’d have fun evenings relaxing, playing and listening to music. They were good times. I’ve learned that nothing lasts forever. KEATS had a lot of promise and it’s a pity that EMI didn’t take up the option for another album.

Fish, the historical leader of Marillion, is another who asked for you in the early Nineties, both for various albums (INTERNAL EXILE, SONGS FROM THE MIRROR, SUITS), and for live concerts. How do you remember him and his music?
The band were great and pieced the music together in the studio. He was an ogre, a bully boy and not very pleasant to be around. I believe I made a mistake by being involved in his band.

The prog scene seems to have taken you seriously in that period: even Rick Wakeman wanted you at his side in those years and also for him it was a double engagement, recording studio and live on stage.
My friend Jon Turner knew Tony Fernandez (Rick’s drummer). Rick had a concert in Edinburgh and Tony invited Jon +1 to the concert, I was the +1. I wasn’t sure about Rick’s music, it is far removed from Yes and I found it difficult to enjoy the gig. After the show we met Rick and the band at their hotel. It’s 1988, Elton had informed the band that he’d be taking a year out. I was still living in Berkshire. There was a studio nearby in Wraysbury owned by Brian Adams (not the Bryan Adams). Brian was a bit of a wide boy, a bit of a Jack the lad, but a likable rogue. He managed Rick as well as Denny Laine, Denny sang with the Moody Blues (Go Now). I was asked along to do a bass session for Rick. When I arrived, Rick was in the control room with the engineer. They were playing back a fairly complicated piece of music. We did our introductions and I instantly liked him and his friendly happy way. He asked if I’d be ok with the piece they just played, I said I’d need to hear it a couple of times then I’d be ready to record. He said: “Ok, no problem”, and disappeared into the studio. I was asked to get more involved with his musical projects which I was happy to do. The album I was working on was TIME MACHINE. I enjoyed this music better than the pieces I’d heard at his concert. We had just finished rehearsing for a tour and dates were in the diary when I received a call from Charlie Morgan saying that Elton wanted to do some gigs and I was interested. That put me in a very awkward position. I told Charlie I’d really be letting Rick down if I backed out of his tour, so my answer was: “No, I couldn’t do it”. That was I big regret for me, I sacrificed a great opportunity because I didn’t want to let Rick down, I’ll always regret that decision. We started gigging as a band, Tony Fernandez (drums), Ashley Holt (vocals), Rick and myself, occasionally Dzal Martin(guitar) would join us. It was great, I started to love the complexity of the music and Tony and I were soon a well locked rhythm section. THE NEW GOSPELS album followed and we headed off to Israel to play with the Haifa symphony orchestra. In 1990, we recorded the AFRICAN BACH album. A South African company wanted us to record a video for them in Johannesburg, I told Rick I couldn’t do it because of Musicians’ Union Rules at that time. I had called the Musicians’ Union and asked them about doing a video in Johannesburg, I was threatened with blacklisting if I performed in South Africa. Eventually it was agreed that we would film in Swaziland. We finished a gig in Brighton and Rick spoke to me on the quiet. He said let’s go for a walk. We took a walk along the beachfront and Rick told me he wanted to do some concerts as a duo, he wanted a more classical theme to his concerts, just me on bass and classical guitar and Rick on keys. I liked the idea but when I asked about the fee, he told me that the fee for each gig would remain the same is it currently was. I told him I wasn’t happy with that as my contribution would be a lot more than just bass player plus he wouldn’t be paying the other guys. He pleaded poverty, I mentioned that he had a Rolls Royce, his answer was: “You can be poor with a Rolls Royce in your garage”. So, I told him that his wage wouldn’t sustain me and I’d need to do extra work with other musicians, he seemed happy with that. We did a lovely tour together playing the music from his THE CLASSICAL CONNECTION album.

Ok, you had to say no to Elton, but it seems you had great time with Rick anyway, spending nice live experinces with him for long time. So, I’m wondering why it was a big regret for you.
I love music. Making music is fun and working with Rick was fun. Working with Elton was a different league.

Many works in which you appear as session musician between the late 1970s and early 1980s saw you playing under the production of the great Andrew Powell (David Courtney, Chris de Burgh, Elaine Paige, Chris Rea, Kate Bush and many others). What can you tell us about your connection with Andrew?
Andrew was a friend of Alan Parsons. He arranged the orchestra for Magic and a few other Pilot songs. We struck up a good friendship and we kept in touch regularly. Andrew was always calling me with interesting sessions. We still see each other and I worked with him on a project at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios just a few years ago. I have great respect for Andrew and his musical capabilities.

Speaking of Kate Bush, I’ve always wondered why you and the other members of The Alan Parsons Project – band at her side for the first two studio albums, THE KICK INSIDE and LIONHEART– did not get on stage for her first and only tour, the so called Tour Of Life held in 1979.
When we started working with Kate she had her own band. They lacked studio experience at the time so we did the studio sessions, I didn't expect us to be used for any live work.

Being a member of Elton John’s band for different albums and tours between 1985 and 1988 also gave you the opportunity to get on stage at Wembley Stadium in London for the historic Live Aid in 1985, in front of an audience of 72,000 people.
Yes, that was very much a highlight in my carreer. It was a huge privilege and thrilling to step out on the stage with Elton John.

After many albums and concerts, which of the two experiences do you think gave you the most satisfaction?
I enjoy both for very different reasons. Creating in the studio is a great joy for me and listening back to the creations is a fantastic experience. Studio work requires the musicians to be very acurate and you're always aware that what you play is heard by many people. It's there for ever so you need to get it right. Being on stage requires less disipline and there's room for improvisation if the song allows for it. The feedback from an audience is also a big part of playing live.

You showed off your bass skills often also using fretless. What is your approach to this instrument? Have you referred to any bass players in particular for the fretless bass?
Fretless is more expressive than a fretted bass. Just being able to use vibrato makes for more passion from the instrument. I listened to Jaco Pastorius – when I was younger, I loved his playing even although I could never play that quickly, but it gave me something to aim for.

It should not be forgotten that you are also a skilled guitarist. Few are fully aware that on FROM THE ALBUM OF THE SAME NAME by Pilot, the great Ian Bairnson plays a very marginal role. In your heart, do you feel more like a guitarist, a bass player or a singer?
When I gig I'm a bass player. When I create my own music I'm also a guitar player. I'm not a true lead guitarist like Ian Bairnson, but I play classical guitar and get great enjoyment from that as well as constructing a guitar solo or guitar part.

You also released a long series of solo albums, mostly self-published and sold directly on your website. How do you see the future of the record industry? You seem to be one who still believes, fortunately, in physical support and not in the so-called liquid music.
I would not like to predict the future of music. I download now like everyone else but I still prefer to release a physical CD.

You always had a strong connection with Scottish traditional music, as showed by your first solo album, PASSIONS CRY, released in 1991. Is there where your musical roots lie?
My art teacher at school (Roy Williamson) went on to write one of Scotland's most famous songs, Flower Of Scotland. He was in a folk group called The Corries. I like traditional music and I've worked with many Scottish artists. It's in my blood.

Between the late Eighties and early Nineties you also served for some Italian artists, such as Ron, Renato Zero and Matia Bazar. What do you remember about these experiences?
I love Italian music. Listening to Puccini is still a very emotional experience for me. My father introduced me to opera at a very early age. Leoncavallo, Pagliacci had a big impact on me when my father explained the story. Working with Ron had a similar impact. APRI LE BRACCIA E POI VOLA was the album I worked on, it's still a favourite. Spending time in Genoa was also a great pleasure.

Musically speaking, what do you think are the three peaks of your career?
Three peaks? OK, recording in Abbey Road would be the first peak, it was after all the Beatles workshop. For every songwriter writing a number one is the goal, I managed that with January. As a mucisian working with Elton is my reality which for so many is just a dream.

And which albums do you still feel more in love with and more proud of?
I enjoy all the albums I've been involved with. I know them intimately and they all give me pleasure. It's not always my bass that I listen to, I like to hear the music as a listener wants to hear it, as a complete sound.

Recently you stated that you withdrew from the live scene after going on stage for a long tour with Albert Hammond. Are you firmly convinced of this statement or can we still have any hope of seeing you play live again?
I have just turned down a series of Pilot concerts in the UK. Intially I said yes, then I thought it through and decided that my heart and soul was not in it. I do what I do for fun and pleasure, I see more stress involved in putting a tour together now and I don't want stress in my life anymore. If I'm happy with live work I'm offered, I might consider stepping on stage again. I think the 4 years working with Albert Hammond has made me want to get back in the studio and be creative. Since leaving Albert in October 2019, I have released ANOTHER PILOT PROJECT, completed the album with the Japanese band Sheep and started on another solo album so I see studio time as being much more constructive than live work.

What is there in David Paton’s musical future?
It's in being creative in the studio. The Sheep was a challenge and great fun. It's an album I have given a lot of input to. I have written and co-written the songs with my Japanese friends. I also sing all the songs, play bass and guitar and I'm delighted with the collaboration. My next solo album is well on the way with 60% of the songs already written. So I don’t see me giving up studio work anytime soon.