“If I’d put a live act together we’d have conquered the world. But it was a fear I had – what does a record producer do onstage? It was unfounded. We should have done it”: Studio veteran reveals big regret to a fan who’s now a big name himself

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - APRIL 8: British musician Alan Parsons attends a press conference on April 8, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images).

Never meet your heroes, the saying goes. But The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord has never been one to follow the crowd, so when Prog asked if he’d like to interview Alan Parsons about 2023’s Alan Parsons Project box set for The Turn Of A Friendly Card, he leapt at the chance. Here’s what happened when Bruce met Alan (virtually).

On a Thursday night in February, Bruce Soord is about to chat to one of his musical heroes, Alan Parsons, over Zoom. Prog sits in to chaperone The Pineapple Thief producer-frontman and The Beatles and Pink Floyd producer-performer in case either of them faint. But once conversation has commenced, focusing on the 1980 Alan Parsons Project album, The Turn Of A Friendly Card, just re-released in expanded form – the pair are swapping trade secrets and away.