Nick Mason “assumed” certain recordings from the soon to be released Pink Floyd archives had been lost.

The drummer with the legendary ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ hitmakers is pleased to be unveiling remastered versions of their 14 albums, as well as multi-disc sets containing many alternate takes and unreleased tracks, and one particular version of their song ‘Wish You Were Here’, recorded with late violin virtuoso Stephane Grappelli particularly sparked his interest.

He told The Sun newspaper: “I had assumed it had been lost. The incredible thing is that [another violinist] Yehudi Menuhin was there as well. Someone plucked up the courage to ask them both if they’d like to play something on the record. Stephane absolutely was up for it and I think Yehudi would have liked to, but he’s not an improviser and I think he just felt he couldn’t do it.”

Nick, 67, also feels the mammoth set of reissues – under the banner Why Pink Floyd? – will be the last time the band physically release material, before downloaded music eclipses other formats.

He added: “There is a slight sense that we are coming to the end of the period where people will buy the physical record with all the packaging and the information and so on.

“I think it’s really important to try and have a last go at that, because if we do end up just downloading everything from now on it would be a shame if there wasn’t on record all that good artwork and the things that went with it.”