Pink Floyd's 'Brick in the Wall' Inspires Unexpected Movie

A new Pink Floyd-related movie is in the works — but it's about a relatively peripheral chapter in the band's long history. Andy Harries, a producer of The Queen, is working on a film about the schoolchildren who sang on the 1979 hit "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" and their teacher, according to Deadline.com.

Harries, who described the film as "Dead Poets Society meets School of Rock," told Deadline that he has optioned the life story of music teacher Alun Renshaw — whose unorthodox methods included smoking in class and swearing at students — whose students sang on the track.

The song, of course, was immediately taken up by rebellious students all over the world and was even banned in South Africa at the time.

Renshaw ended up leaving the school and moving to Australia not long after the album was released, according to the BBC. Harries told Deadline that he has not yet procured the rights to the song, so filming and release details were not available at press time.

Roger Waters has been performing a concert version of The Wall on tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album's release.

Photos: Live Shots From The Wall kickoff show in Toronto

In other Pink Floyd news, drummer Nick Mason explained why he didn't take part in the July event that saw Roger Waters and David Gilmour reuniting to play several Floyd songs to aid the HOPING Foundation, which raises money for young Palestinian refugees.

Mason told England's Daily Telegraph that he decided not to go ahead with the performance when he learned that the venue was owned by the wealthy daughter of late financier James Goldsmith.

"That particular event wasn't right for a reformation of Pink Floyd," he said. "I said I would do it, but it was a charity event for suits, and it felt wrong to turn a small thing into a big deal just because Jemima Khan was in attendance. Why play for a lot of posh totty instead of some of the other things we should save that up for — a Live 8 type of thing?"

The Live 8 event was the last full Pink Floyd reunion. Keyboardist Rick Wright died in 2008.

"Queen" Producer Plans Pink Floyd Movie [Deadline.com]

Just Another Brick in the Wall? [BBC]

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Song Stories

“Too Close”

Next | 1998

Next was formed in Minneapolis when the uncle of Terry "T-Low" and Raphael "Tweety" Brown, who was a gospel choir director, introduced the brothers to Robert Lavelle "R.L." Huggar. Sounds of Blackness singer Ann Nesby groomed the R&B group before handing them over to Naughty by Nature's KayGee, who wrote and produced "Too Close." The idea for the song was sparked "from a conversation we had with several girls at a nightclub," explained T-Low. "It's talking about the club scene, with guys getting out of hand and the female telling him to back up, asking, 'What are you doing?'" 

More Song Stories entries »

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