the complete history of pink floyd glenn povey · leave”. “double-o-bo” was a bo diddley...

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THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF PINK FLOYD GLENN POVEY

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Page 1: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF PINK FLOYD GLENN POVEY · Leave”. “Double-O-Bo” was a Bo Diddley tribute of sorts - a pun on the James Bond 007 thing. The title was the main lyric!

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF PINK FLOYD

GLENN POVEY

Page 2: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF PINK FLOYD GLENN POVEY · Leave”. “Double-O-Bo” was a Bo Diddley tribute of sorts - a pun on the James Bond 007 thing. The title was the main lyric!

remember when you wereyoung 1962–10

a certain unease in the air1976–1977 198

streaming through thestarlit skies 1966–196730

set the controls for the heartof the sun 1968–196976

the sound of music in my ears1970–1971116

playing different tunes

1972–1973

152

running over the same oldground 1974–1975180

the show must go on1978–1985218

a new machine 1986–1993238

the nights of wonder 1994–2006258

solo careers 288 syd barrett 290

david gilmour 296 nick mason 316

roger waters 320 richard wright 340

pink floyd discography 342

Page 3: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF PINK FLOYD GLENN POVEY · Leave”. “Double-O-Bo” was a Bo Diddley tribute of sorts - a pun on the James Bond 007 thing. The title was the main lyric!

MIND HEAD PUBLISHING

Meanwhile the band continued to perform in the locality,

notably The Woodman and The Winchester pubs on

Archway Road, Highgate. Mason remembers at that time

they learned their repertoire from a clutch of albums,

‘Authentic R&B Volumes 1-3 and Syd’s collection of Bo

Diddley.’(10) (Note: There was only ever one Authentic R&B

release – an LP in 1964 on Stateside. Mason is probably

thinking of the Pye International R&B LP series.)

The band then apparently adopted the name

Spectrum Five, although this appears to have been a very

brief flirtation – and then maybe only for a single gig at

Camberwell School of Art. Significantly, it soon became

apparent that the band lacked a front man of any

substance. Barrett and Klose fumbled through the vocals

as best they could, but neither had the confidence or

vocal range to carry it off effectively in the style that the

band was aiming for. Therefore, during the autumn break

of 1964, Barrett was dispatched to Cambridge to try to

convince his former band mate Geoff Mott to join them in

London. But there was hardly any incentive for Mott to

join a group that had very few gigs, no agency, no

manager and, on the face of it, no prospects.

Although he couldn’t persuade Mott to join, by

extreme good fortune, Waters and Klose bumped into a

face they vaguely knew from Cambridge in a West End

music store: Chris Dennis. At that time he was serving

with the Royal Air Force at its Uxbridge base in west

London and had, until recently, been the lead vocalist in a

not long disbanded but quite successful Cambridge group

called The Redcaps. He was looking for another band and

accepted the offer immediately. ‘At this stage we were

like a lot of other bands, doing R&B stuff. Syd did a lot of

Bo Diddley numbers on his white Fender guitar. He’d do

“No Money Down” and I would sing Jimmy Witherspoon,

Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry stuff along with Lazy

Lester’s “I’m A Lover Not A Fighter” and “I Got Love If

You Want It” by Slim Harpo.’ (11)

It is also during this period that the band started to

use the name The Tea Set - a pun on the technical

drawing instrument. The name wasn’t in constant use but

was certainly adopted for many bookings in the coming

months and indeed right through to early 1966 - even

after they had found their new and more permanent

name of “Pink Floyd”. Accounts vary considerably but it

has been said that the new name was adopted mid-way

through a dance at RAF Uxbridge where, and it does

seem highly unlikely that two bands would be booked,

another band was also performing under the name The

Tea Set. As improbable as this story may seem, there was

indeed another north London based band with that name,

and they went on to perform across the city throughout

the coming year.

The name-change was all very spur-of-the-moment

stuff and in the absence of any better ideas this

suggestion was immediately adopted, although initially

and according to Keith Noble, they called themselves “The

Pink Floyd Blues Band”. Far from coming to him in a

blinding flash while in an LSD induced trance or being

beamed to him by passing aliens from space, as some

might have it, the name’s true origins lay in Barrett’s

record collection. It is the amalgamation of the first

names of two old Carolina bluesmen whose work was

very familiar to him: Pink Anderson (1900-1974) and

Floyd ‘Dipper Boy’ Council (1911-1976). As Waters once

put it, if they had opted for the other combination –

Anderson Council – it would have sounded like a local

authority.

By the end of January 1965, Dennis had received a

posting to the Persian Gulf, leaving Barrett, as the most

charismatic member, to take on what was for him the

unnatural role of lead singer. Something of an introvert,

he may have been a far

more disciplined musician

and indeed of greater

ability, but he lacked

Barrett’s spontaneity and

raw talent. As Gilmour

reflected, ‘The thing with

Syd was that his guitar

playing wasn’t his strongest

feature. His style was very

stiff. I always thought I

was the better guitar player. But he was very clever, very

intelligent, an artist in every way. And he was a

frightening talent when it came to words, and lyrics. They

just used to pour out.’(12) These changes also gave the

band their opportunity to finally nudge Leonard out in

favour of Wright, who was invited back on board.

Confident that they now had a stable line-up the

band attempted to record some of their repertoire

including the tracks ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Lucy Leave’, both

Barrett originals; ‘I’m A King Bee’, the Slim Harpo blues

standard, and ‘Double-O-Bo’, a group composition. ‘Lucy

Leave’ and ‘I’m A King Bee’ was then pressed as an

acetate single to send out to clubs in order to obtain live

bookings. Copies have since found their way onto the

bootleg market – a studio acetate having been unearthed

in the late Eighties - albeit of poor quality, and whilst it is

clearly Barrett on lead vocals, the R&B style

performances are distinctly average. As Klose later

recalled, ‘We recorded a few numbers... I can’t remember

exactly where we did them… it was some place where a

friend of Rick Wright’s worked as an engineer. I think

they were recorded on two-track. It was definitely a

professional set-up. The songs themselves were mainly

group compositions, although I think Syd wrote “Lucy

Leave”. “Double-O-Bo” was a Bo Diddley tribute of sorts -

a pun on the James Bond 007 thing. The title was the

main lyric! I think we had one verse written out, and then

dreamt up a second whilst we were in the studio. I can’t

remember the title of the last number… it was a shuffle

type thing in E as far as I can recall. Nick Mason played

them to me during a visit a couple of years after they

were recorded. Very embarrassing!’(13)

Although the band had picked up a short-lived

residency at The Countdown Club in Kensington, in reality

a private members club, where at least one show was

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BELOW: PINK FLOYD PHOTOGRAPHED IN

HIGHGATE, LONDON IN EARLY 1965.

PICTURED WITH ROGER ‘SYD’ BARRETT,

NICK MASON, ROGER WATERS AND

RICHARD WRIGHT IS RADO ‘BOB’ CLOSE

SHORTLY BEFORE HE LEFT THE BAND.

DAVID GILMOUR << The th ing wi th Syd was that h i sgu i tar p lay ing wasn’ t h i s s t rongest feature . H i ssty le was very st i f f . I a lways thought I was thebetter gu i tar p layer. But he was very c lever , veryinte l l i gent , an ar t i s t i n every way. >>

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Tuesday 28 MarchCONCERTChinese R&B Jazz Club, Corn Exchange, Bristol,England

Wednesday 29 MarchRECORDING SESSIONEMI Studios, Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood, London,EnglandMixing for the album The Piper At The Gates OfDawn.

Wednesday 29 MarchCONCERT The Dance Hall, Eel Pie Island Hotel, Twickenham,England

Thursday 30 MarchCANCELLED TV SHOWBBC Lime Grove Studios, Shepherd’s Bush, London,EnglandPink Floyd were filmed for the UK’s most watchedpop music show, BBC TV’s Top Of The Pops,performing ‘Arnold Layne’ on this date, but itsintended broadcast the following week (Thursday 6April) was cancelled. A statement was issued by theshow’s producer, Stanley Dorfman, to Melody Maker,(published week ending Saturday 8 April), explainingthe omission: ‘We filmed the Floyd and the Movebefore last week’s show because they were bothplaying out of town on Thursday night [6 April].Naturally we wanted the film in the can in case therecord entered the chart. In fact, on our combinedchart the Floyd dropped three places so it ruled themout of the show.’

Friday 31 MarchCONCERT Top Spot Ballroom, Ross-on-Wye, EnglandSupported by Group 66.

Saturday 1 AprilPRESS RECEPTIONEMI Records,ManchesterSquare, London,EnglandPink Floyd werewheeled out for thepress at EMI’sheadquarters.

Saturday 1 AprilCONCERT The Birdcage Club,Eastney, Portsmouth,England

Monday 3 AprilRADIO SHOWBBC Playhouse Theatre, Charing Cross, London,EnglandPink Floyd performed ‘Arnold Layne’ and ‘Candy AndA Currant Bun’ live for the BBC Radio LightProgramme’s Monday, Monday! broadcast at 1.00pm.Curiously at this time the BBC had a policy ofauditioning all bands for live appearance by playingthe recordings to a committee for approval fortransmission. However, in Pink Floyd’s case the BBCarchives indicate that their tracks were transmittedand considered a ‘live audition’ in view of the fact thesingle was already charting.

Thursday 6 AprilCONCERT City Hall, Salisbury, EnglandSupported by The Nite Shift.The set list included: Untitled Instrumental / ‘ArnoldLayne’ / ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ / ‘Matilda Mother’.

Friday 7 AprilCONCERT Floral Hall, Belfast, Northern IrelandSupported by The Jimmy Johnston Showband.Rick Wright commented in Melody Maker that, ‘Thebest reaction so far to the Floyd’s lights and soundswas in Belfast. The kind of place where if they don’tlike you they let you know in no uncertain manner. Wewere worried about Belfast, but they really rave overthere. We were completely knocked out and stunnedat the reaction.’ The show featured an unusuallightshow with 35mm slides of the abstract paintingsof local artist Cecil McCartney projected over theband as they performed.

Saturday 8 AprilCONCERT Rhodes Centre, Bishops Stortford, EnglandEarly show. Supported by The New Generation.

Saturday 8 AprilCONCERT The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London, EnglandLate show. With The Flies, Earl Fuggle, The ElectricPoets [Soft Machine], The Block, Sandy & Nardadancers and Sam Gopal.

Sunday 9 AprilCONCERT Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham, England

Monday 10 AprilCONCERT The Pavilion, Bath, EnglandThe Bath & Wilts Evening Chronicle reported that:‘Three electricians should have taken a bow at thePavilion last night. Instead four people took theapplause - four people who had, apparentlyhaphazardly, thumped out music. The four were thePink Floyd, one of the most intriguing groups to visitthe city. The overall effect created by the noise ofthose onstage and the lighting from those off-stagewas interesting to say the least. Jaundiced blotchesran down mottled multi-coloured backgrounds.Flashing lights transformed the group into ghouls,with giant prancing shadows of distorted beingsdwarfing the performers as the lighting changed withthe pounding rhythm. The group admits its lightingtechniques - which are strictly secret - and sound willand must improve. Roger Waters said, “We aregetting better all the time and our techniques aredoing the same.” But the group denies the

“psychedelic” tag it has been branded with. “Ifpsychedelic is producing LSD feelings then we arenot,” said Nick Mason. “But if psychedelic is light andsound, then we are.”’

Tuesday 11 - Thursday 13 AprilRECORDING SESSIONSStudio 3, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, St. John’sWood, London, EnglandRecording for the album The Piper At The Gates OfDawn. Pink Floyd began recording a song entitled‘Percy The Ratcatcher’ which eventually becameknown as ‘Lucifer Sam’.

Thursday 13 AprilCONCERT Tilbury Railway Club, Tilbury, England

Saturday 15 AprilCONCERT Kinetic Arena - K4 Discoteque, Main Ballroom,West Pier, Brighton, EnglandSet list included: ‘Candy And A Currant Bun’ /‘Astronomy Dominé’ / ‘Matilda Mother’ / ‘Pow R TocH’ / ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ / ‘Lucifer Sam’. Pink Floyd were invited by Hornsey College of Art’sAdvanced Studies Group to perform in their ‘kineticaudio-visual environments’ - collectively entitled ‘K4’.They played in front of a sixty-foot-wide whiteprojection screen with a PA system suspended fromthe ceiling.

Monday 17 & Tuesday 18 AprilRECORDING SESSIONSStudio 3, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, St. John’sWood, London, EnglandRecording for the album The Piper At The Gates OfDawn. Pink Floyd began recording a new Barrettcomposition on 18 April entitled ‘She Was AMillionaire’, which remains unreleased.

Wednesday 19 AprilCONCERTBromel Club, Court Hotel, Downham, Bromley,England

Thursday 20 AprilCONCERT Queen’s Hall, Barnstaple, EnglandSupported by The Gordon Riots.

Friday 21 AprilCONCERT Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, EnglandEarly show.

Friday 21 AprilCONCERT UFO, The Blarney Club, Tottenham Court Road,London, EnglandLate show. With The Gas Company.

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ABOVE: PRIOR TO FILMING ‘ARNOLD LAYNE’ FOR THE FAN

CLUB TV SHOW IN AMSTERDAM ON 29 APRIL 1967.

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set the controls for the heart of the sun

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them other than say that in every other performancein this country and in England they ably demonstratedthat they are the best psychedelic group in the world.They have never claimed to be the world’s bestmusicians, and they are really at best with their ownlight show, so unless you have a light show of yourown - just close your eyes and turn your amplifierfully on, and your parents fully off by putting ASaucerful Of Secrets on. Although the album is by nomeans indicative of what the group is really - oh well,there is absolutely no point in saying this. Either youdig the Floyd or you don’t. I do.’

Saturday 13 JulyCONCERTFifth Dimension, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USASupported by The Rationals.

Monday 15, Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 JulyCONCERTSSteve Paul’s The Scene, New York City, New York,USASupported by Fleetwood Mac on 15 July and TheJohn Hammond Trio on 16 & 17 July.Set list on 15 July: ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ / ‘Let ThereBe More Light’ / ‘Set The Controls For The Heart OfThe Sun’ / ‘Astronomy Dominé’ / ‘Flaming’ / ‘ASaucerful Of Secrets’.Billboard reported that: ‘Pink Floyd overpowered apacked house at the Scene on Monday in a variedprogramme with a strong emphasis on space andoriental sounds. In the first night of a three-dayengagement the quartet was joined by FleetwoodMac, which made an excellent impression in its initialset. While both British acts were well received, theinventiveness of Tower Records’ Pink Floyd was themost remarkable. From opening “InterstellarOverdrive” to closing “A Saucerful Of Secrets”, thegroup displayed top-flight musicianship andconsistent interest. An act that requires top effortfrom each member, Pink Floyd drew just that. RogerWaters played a mean guitar, but that was only thebeginning as he also played gong and cymbals andsang. Drummer Nicky Mason was strong throughouton both sticks and mallets. David Gilmer, the newestmember of the unit, not only played guitar and sangwell, but showed he knew how to use feedback toadvantage, an important part of the Floyd’s electronicsound. And Rick Wright clearly is one of the finestorganists around. Whether producing high pitchsounds or conventional Bach-like music, Wright’sperformance was masterful. He also aided in vocals.But, little of what Pink Floyd did was conventional. In“Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun”, Watersproduced vocal sounds from whisper to high-pitchedscreech after returning to guitar. The number is onthe group’s latest Tower album A Saucerful OfSecrets, whose title song produced the wild ending tothe set, which ran for more than an hour. In this

number, Waters assisted Mason by playing onecymbal, then two. He even shattered a glass byflinging it at the gong. But even this number has quietmoments as Mason varied the intensity of his playingand Wright turned to church-like sounds. Gilmer’s useof feedback had its greatest use in this number. Theselection that made greatest use of church organeffect, however, was “Astronomy Dominé”. Gilmer’sbest vocal was “Flaming”. But, it was theirinventiveness, musicianship and ability to saysomething musically, whether playing and vocalisingsoftly or overwhelming with cascades of sound.’

Friday 19 JulyRECORD RELEASETonite Let’s All Make Love In LondonUK album release. The original film soundtrack album,featuring ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ was recorded on 11and 12 January 1967. The release date given here isthat of the New York cinema opening of the film, asno exact date for a UK record release can be found. Itis generally accepted this opening occurred shortlyafter the release of A Saucerful Of Secrets althoughthe film had been previewed at the New York FilmFestival on 26 September 1967. Pink Floyd also lent acompletely different take of the track ‘InterstellarOverdrive’ to last the full-length of Anthony Stern’s15-minute rapid-fire day-in-the-life-of documentaryentitled San Francisco. Funded by the British FilmInstitute, it was occasionally shown at specialscreenings at the BFI and also the ICA over thefollowing two years.

Thursday 18, Friday 19 & Saturday 20 JulyCONCERTSThe Boston Tea Party, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Monday 22 JulyRECORD RELEASE‘See Emily Play’ / ‘Scarecrow’US 7-inch single re-release.

Wednesday 24 JulyCONCERTPhiladelphia Music Festival, John F. KennedyStadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAWith The Who (headline), The Troggs, Pink Floyd(billed as special guests replacing the advertisedProcol Harum who cancelled), The Mandala, FriendsOf The Family and The Joshua Light Show.Set list included: ‘Set The Controls For The Heart OfThe Sun’ / ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’.Friends Of The Family and Pink Floyd were the onlytwo bands to appear at this show. When the thirdband on the bill, The Mandala, began their set alightning strike hit the stage and forced the closure ofthe event.

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Friday 28 JuneCONCERTStudents Celebration Dance - The End Of It All Ball,Music Hall, Shrewsbury, EnglandPlus the Miss Shropshire Student Contest andsupporting groups.

Saturday 29 JuneCONCERTMidsummer High Weekend, The Cockpit, Hyde Park,London, EnglandAfternoon show, with Tyrannosaurus Rex, Roy Harperand Jethro Tull. Pink Floyd headlined the first everHyde Park free concert, organised by BlackhillEnterprises.Set list: ‘Let There Be More Light’ / ‘Set The ControlsFor The Heart Of The Sun’ / ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’(with Roy Harper on cymbals) / ‘InterstellarOverdrive’.

Saturday 29 JuneCONCERTTown Hall, Torquay, EnglandEvening show. With Phydeaux Lime and The Phaze.

NORTH AMERICAN TOURPink Floyd’s second US tour was also beset byproblems concerning their work permits, which againhad not been issued in time. This meant a delayedstart to the tour and their entry to the US in NewYork on 4 July was on a tourist visa, thereforeperforming shows through to 17 July illegally. Theydecamped to Canada to square the paperworkimmediately after the shows in New York, returning intime to perform in Boston.Despite some glowing reviews it was a patchy tour atbest and since the band were spending far too muchtime holed up in hotels between shows it was decidedtowards the end of August they would cut theirlosses and return to the UK. This resulted in thecancellation of their appearance at two festival shows(both of which went ahead without Pink Floyd): SkyRiver Rock Festival and Lighter Than Air Fair, BettyNelson’s Organic Raspberry Farm, Sultan, Washington,USA with Kaleidoscope, Muddy Waters, PeanutButter Conspiracy, Santana, Country Joe & The Fish,John Fahey, HP Lovecraft, Steppenwolf, TheYoungbloods and many others (31 August) and theOakland Pop Festival, Baldwin Pavilion, OaklandUniversity, Rochester Hills, Detroit, Michigan, USAwith Procol Harum, Howlin’ Wolf, Chris Chrysalis, TheRationals, SRC Thyme, MC5, Jagged Edge,Psychedelic Stooges and The Frost Children (1September).Additionally, Nick Mason has stated in his book InsideOut that the band performed at the Whisky-A-Go-Go,

West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA butvenue advertisements in the local press throughoutthis period do not include Pink Floyd, so this is highlyunlikely.Due to the extension of the existing tour anadvertised show in the UK was cancelled at The RoyalLido, Central Beach, Prestatyn, Wales on 24 August.

Monday 8 JulyCONCERTKinetic Playground, Chicago, Illinois, USAIt was reported that one of Gilmour’s guitars wasstolen en route to the show.

Tuesday 9 JulyPRESS RECEPTIONMichael Mann’s, Manhattan, New York City, NewYork, USATower Records held a press reception for the band atthis popular New York restaurant nightclub.

Friday 12 JulyCONCERTGrande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan, USASupported by The Thyme and The Jagged Edge.Set list: ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ / ‘A Saucerful OfSecrets’ / ‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’/ ‘Astronomy Dominé’ / ‘Flaming’.Detroit City Estate reported that: ‘Pink Floyd is a veryweird group. I know that they were unbelievably badat the Grande and I’m not about to try and excuse

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ABOVE: ROY HARPER JOINS PINK FLOYD ON STAGE FOR

SOME CYMBAL BASHING DURING ‘A SAUCERFUL OF

SECRETS’ AT THE FIRST HYDE PARK FREE FESTIVAL, 29

JUNE 1968.

> j u n e 1 9 6 8

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sounds good.”’(9) The headline appears on page

9 of the 16 July edition and reads, ‘The Atom Heart

Mother Is Named’ and refers to 56 year-old Mrs.

Constance Ladell who received Britain’s first plutonium

based pacemaker.

Gilmour spoke at the time of the problems in

taking the new work on the road: ‘Something on the

scale of ‘Atom Heart Mother’ really takes a lot of getting

together. The problem is that we’ve never done it more

than twice with the same people. The choir is usually all

right because they’re used to working together, but some

of the brass people have been really hopeless. We had

problems with the sound equipment, getting it miked up

and balanced and stuff. The trouble was also not having

enough rehearsal time everywhere we did it, because we

used a different brass and choir group in Europe than the

one we used on the East Coast, and another one on the

West Coast. So we used three completely different sets

of people performing it. We tried to hire musicians from

local symphonies, so we’d just get the session musicians.

We found our conductor, Peter Philips, by coming over

and looking for someone a couple of months before the

tour…’(10)

The album Atom Heart Mother has

contributions from each member of the band except

Mason, who is only part-composer of the title track.

There are only four other numbers on the album, three of

which have a very summery, bluesy feel to them: Waters’

‘If’ (performed rarely at this time, but more frequently on

his later solo tours); Wright’s ‘Summer ‘68’; and Gilmour’s

‘Fat Old Sun’, which was performed live throughout the

year, and had been written at the time as Waters’

‘Grantchester Meadows’.

The closing track, ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’,

is a typical but flawed Floyd experimentation. As Waters

explained: ‘It was the usual thing of an idea coming out

of the fact that we’d almost finished an LP but not quite

and we needed another so many minutes. We were all

frantically trying to write songs, and initially I thought of

just doing something on the rhythm of a dripping tap,

then it turned into this whole kitchen thing. On the record

it’s a carefully set up stereo picture of a kitchen with

somebody coming in, opening a window, filling a kettle

and putting it on the stove. But instead of the gas

lighting, there’s a chord, so he strikes a match and there’s

another chord, and so on until it finally goes into a piece

of music.’(11)

The kitchen sounds, along with an amusing

conversation with Alan Stiles, one of the band’s roadies,

were recorded for the most part in Mason’s kitchen. The

music was added at Abbey Road. Because of its novelty,

the track was rarely performed live – only a handful of

UK shows in the run-up to Christmas featured it. Waters

was anticipating the problems it would cause when he

spoke to Sounds about it shortly before the tour: ‘The

logistics of doing it live are quite difficult – we can’t

obviously take a set of a kitchen round with us and do it

all, but we’ll have to have some table arrangement to fry

eggs on and boil kettles and everything.’ This was a task

eventually left to the roadies, who, to the accompaniment

of BBC broadcaster and DJ Jimmy Young’s trademark

‘Oft we jolly well go’, fried eggs and bacon and made tea

on stage. To round off the festive spirit, Mason often

dressed up as Father Christmas.

The album’s title track also caught the attention

of Stanley Kubrick, who wanted to use the music in his

adaptation of Anthony Burgess’s novel A Clockwork

Orange. ‘He wanted to use ‘Atom Heart Mother’, said

Waters, ‘and chop and change it about. He just phoned

up and said that he wanted it and we said, “Well, what

do you want to do?” and he didn’t know, he just said he

wanted to use it, “How I want – when I want”. And we

said right away, “Right, you can’t use it.”’(12) It is difficult

to imagine the film carrying this music – maybe it is just

as well it wasn’t used after all.

Atom Heart Mother, with its striking sleeve

picture of a cow, was in keeping with Pink Floyd’s already

established sense of the absurd. Posters for the album

depicted herds of cattle on The Mall in London (which

was supposedly closed at dawn to create the image). The

success of the promotion played a part in gaining the

band their very first number one in the UK album chart.

With 1971 barely started there was already

mounting pressure on Pink Floyd to release new product

hot on the heels of the success of Atom Heart Mother.

Losing little time, they entered the studio in early

January for their usual round of brainstorming sessions.

It was the first time they were not contractually obliged

to use EMI’s facilities at Abbey Road and much of the

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ROGER WATERS << We were a l lf rant i ca l l y t ry ing to wr i te songs ,and in i t i a l l y I thought of j ust do ingsometh ing on the rhythm of adr ipp ing tap , then i t turned in toth i s who le k i tchen th ing . >>

RIGHT: PINK FLOYD ON STAGE AT

BILL GRAHAM’S FILLMORE EAST,

NEW YORK ON 27 SEPTEMBER

1970. EARLIER IN THE YEAR

GRAHAM’S LACK OF

CONFIDENCE IN THEIR DRAW

RESULTED IN THE BAND HAVING

TO HIRE THE VENUE FROM HIM.

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‘Careful With That Axe, Eugene’ / ‘Atom HeartMother’ / ‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’/ ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’ / encore: ‘InterstellarOverdrive’.Sponsored by Coca-Cola, the Holland Pop Festivalremains the largest event of its kind in Netherlandswith an estimated attendance exceeding 350,000. Itran from the 26 to the 28 June and had a reciprocalagreement with the organisers of the Bath Festivalthat enabled many of the same artists to perform atboth. Pink Floyd finally took to the stage at 4.00amon 29 June but this time minus the special effects,lightshow and orchestra. A film was made of theevent that included Pink Floyd’s performance of ‘SetThe Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’ and ‘ASaucerful Of Secrets’ and was released in cinemas asStamping Ground. It has also been released on videounder this title and Pink Floyd’s performance has alsoappeared on many Various Artists video compilationsincluding Psychomania!

Wednesday 8 – Tuesday 21 JulyRECORDING SESSIONSEMI Studios, Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood, London,EnglandDiscontinuous recording for the album Atom HeartMother.

Sunday 12 JulyCONCERT1st Open Air Pop Festival, Reiterstadion Soers,Aachen, West GermanyPink Floyd headlined on the third and final day of thisfestival which featured many acts including Taste,Hardin and York, Keef Hartley, If, Fat Mattress,Champion Jack Dupree, Quintessence, Caravan,

Golden Earring, Amon Düül II, Kevin Ayers And TheWhole World, Traffic, Edgar Broughton Band,Tyrannosaurus Rex and Deep Purple.Set list: ‘Astronomy Dominé’ / ‘Green Is The Colour’ /‘Careful With That Axe, Eugene’ / ‘Atom HeartMother’ / ‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’/ ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’ / encore: ‘InterstellarOverdrive’.

Thursday 16 JulyRADIO SHOWBBC Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London,EnglandPink Floyd recorded a live audience show on this dayfor BBC Radio One in which the band performed inorder, ‘The Embryo’, ‘Fat Old Sun’, ‘Green Is TheColour’, ‘Careful With That Axe, Eugene’, ‘If’ and‘Atom Heart Mother’ (with the Philip Jones BrassEnsemble and the John Aldiss Choir). It wasbroadcast on the Peel Sunday Concert on 19 July at4.00pm and repeated on Sounds of The Seventies on22 July at 6.00pm. This show also marked thenaming of the track ‘Atom Heart Mother’ for the firsttime.

Saturday 18 JulyCONCERTBlackhill’s Garden Party - Hyde Park Free Concert,Hyde Park, London, EnglandWith Third Ear Band, Kevin Ayers And The WholeWorld, Edgar Broughton Band and DJ Jeff Dexter.Set list: ‘The Embryo’ / ‘Green Is The Colour’ / ‘CarefulWith That Axe, Eugene’ / ‘Set The Controls For TheHeart Of The Sun’ / ‘Atom Heart Mother’ (announcedas ‘The Atomic Heart Mother’ with the Philip JonesBrass Ensemble and the John Aldiss Choir, conductedby John Aldiss) / encore: ‘Atom Heart Mother’(reprise).Disc & Music Echo reported that: ‘Over five hours ofvaried and contrasting music was topped by aperformance from the Pink Floyd, who treated thegathering to a preview of their forthcoming album.But most of all, the weather was kind. The onlyunusual incident to be witnessed by everybody camejust after Edgar Broughton finished his set. A middle-aged father, who had apparently lost his son in thecrowd, was handing in a message when he suddenlygrabbed the microphone from Jeff Dexter. Thebewildered man spluttered into the PA: ‘I just want totell you kids - because that’s all you are - that I thinkthis bloody music of yours is a load of rubbish!’ Theremark was met with uproar, and a shower of emptycoke cans rained down on him from the audience...The Pink Floyd gave an hour of beautifully maturemusic, soothing and inspiring to listen to. They keptthe numbers short, apart from the finale, andcarefully restrained. With the sun glinting on NickMason’s drums and the clouds breaking up overhead,it seemed as if the sounds were dropping from thesky itself. After a quiet and lazy, bluesy, introduction,

they went gently into “Green Is The Colour” and“Careful With That Axe, Eugene”. Even in the latterthe volume was down, and the mood reflective. “SetThe Controls For The Heart Of the Sun” was at itsmost ethereal, the smooth crescendos flying awayover the heads of the captivated audience. To end, abrass section and choir were brought on for the 25-minute finale. The piece began with an arrangementfor the brass, and then switched into a lengthy choirpattern, followed by a dash of marvellous Floyd rock-jazz. In came the brass again, pursued by incantationsfrom the choir and swirling special effects in twin-channel stereo. A reprise took up the original theme -based on a simple chord progression akin to the finaleof “The Man” - and group, choir and orchestraprojected it together in fine combination.’

FRENCH FESTIVAL TOURPink Floyd, members of their family and road crewrented a villa in St. Tropez to use as a base for acombined holiday and season of French Rivierafestival appearances. Unfortunately many of thefestivals, including appearances in Bandol and LeBarcares that never even got beyond the planningstage, were cancelled or disrupted by violence and inthe end Pink Floyd appeared at only three events.

Sunday 26 JulyCONCERTXI Festival International de Jazz, Pinède Gould,Antibes Juan-les-Pins, FranceAs part of this month-long series of events French TVreportedly recorded this show but the content andbroadcast details remain unknown.

Saturday 1 AugustCANCELLED CONCERTFestival d’Aix-en-Provence, Parc de Saint Pons, Aix-en-Provence, FranceWith Derek And The Dominos, Soft Machine, Trafficand Balls. Pink Floyd were due to headline the secondday of this three-day festival (30 July – 2 August),organised by local dignitary General Claude Clementbut it was abandoned on the first day because ofrioting and was closed by the city authorities as a firehazard and threat to public safety.

Wednesday 5 AugustCANCELLED CONCERTPopanalia Festival, Autoroute De L’Esteral, Biot,FranceWith Joan Baez, Soft Machine, Eric Clapton, Traffic,Balls, Ex Plastic Ono Band, The Moody Blues, KingCrimson, Spencer Davis, Kevin Ayers And The WholeWorld, Alan Price, Daevid Allen’s Gong, Alice, AmeSon, Alan Jack Civilization, Art Ensemble Of Chicago,Archie Shepp, Sonny Scharrock and Don Cherry.Planned to last 36 hours, with Pink Floyd due toappear on the 6 August, this event was abandonedsoon after it started. When Soft Machine were told

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ABOVE: PINK FLOYD ON STAGE AT THE HYDE PARK

FREE CONCERT, LONDON, 18 JULY 1970. ALTHOUGH NOT

PICTURED IT WAS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES THE BAND

PERFORMED ‘ATOM HEART MOTHER’ WITH A CHOIR

AND ORCHESTRA IN AN OPEN AIR SETTING.

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1974

– 1975

running over the same old ground

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Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23, Thursday 24 & Friday25 FebruaryCONCERTSPavillon de Paris, Porte de Pantin, Paris, FranceSet list at all four shows: ‘Sheep’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing,Part 1’ / ‘Dogs’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 2’ / ‘Pigs(Three Different Ones)’ // ‘Shine On You CrazyDiamond, Parts 1-5’ / ‘Welcome To The Machine’ /‘Have A Cigar’ / ‘Wish You Were Here’ / ‘Shine OnYou Crazy Diamond, Parts 6-9’ / encore: ‘Money’.ORTF TV broadcast a pre-recorded interview withDavid Gilmour and Roger Waters for the artsprogramme JA2 20H. It was broadcast on ORTF2 on21 February at 8.00pm.

Sunday 27 & Monday 28 FebruaryCONCERTSOlympiahalle, Munich, West GermanySet list at both shows: ‘Sheep’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing,Part 1’ / ‘Dogs’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 2’ / ‘Pigs(Three Different Ones)’ // ‘Shine On You CrazyDiamond, Parts 1-5’ / ‘Welcome To The Machine’ /‘Have A Cigar’ / ‘Wish You Were Here’ / ‘Shine OnYou Crazy Diamond, Parts 6-9’ / encore: ‘Money’.

Tuesday 1 MarchCONCERTOlympiahalle, Munich, West GermanyThe last night of the tour.

ANIMALS - UK TOUR

Tuesday 15 MarchCONCERTEmpire Pool, Wembley, EnglandSet list: ‘Sheep’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 1’ / ‘Dogs’ /‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 2’ / ‘Pigs (Three DifferentOnes)’ // ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5’ /‘Welcome To The Machine’ / ‘Have A Cigar’ / ‘WishYou Were Here’ / ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts6-9’ / encore: ‘Money’.

Wednesday 16 MarchCONCERTEmpire Pool, Wembley, EnglandThis show was rescheduled from 20 March due to abadminton tournament commencing on 21 Marchleaving insufficient time for the courts to be prepared.The show of 15 March was the last show to beannounced.Set list: ‘Sheep’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 1’ / ‘Dogs’ /‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 2’ / ‘Pigs (Three DifferentOnes)’ // ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5’ /‘Welcome To The Machine’ / ‘Have A Cigar’ / ‘WishYou Were Here’ / ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts6-9’ / encore: ‘Money’.

Thursday 17 MarchCONCERTEmpire Pool, Wembley, EnglandSet list: ‘Sheep’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 1’ / ‘Dogs’ /‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 2’ / ‘Pigs (Three DifferentOnes)’ // ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5’ /‘Welcome To The Machine’ / ‘Have A Cigar’ / ‘WishYou Were Here’ / ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts6-9’ / encore: ‘Us And Them’.

Friday 18 MarchCONCERTEmpire Pool, Wembley, EnglandSet list: ‘Sheep’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 1’ / ‘Dogs’ /‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 2’ / ‘Pigs (Three DifferentOnes)’ // ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5’ /‘Welcome To The Machine’ / ‘Have A Cigar’ / ‘WishYou Were Here’ / ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts6-9’ / encore: ‘Us And Them’.

Saturday 19 MarchCONCERTEmpire Pool, Wembley, EnglandSet list: ‘Sheep’ / ‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 1’ / ‘Dogs’ /‘Pigs On The Wing, Part 2’ / ‘Pigs (Three DifferentOnes)’ // ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5’ /‘Welcome To The Machine’ / ‘Have A Cigar’ / ‘WishYou Were Here’ / ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts6-9’ / encore: ‘Money’.The Financial Times reported that: ‘It gets easier andeasier to review a Pink Floyd concert withoutmentioning the music. The group has always exploitedtheatrical effects and now, as it stands passivelyplaying in the background, the lights swoop aroundthe stadium; the smoke oozes along the sides;inflatable pigs and persons slide down wiressuspended above the audience; images splash on to agiant screen. And all the time the expensivelyamplified Floyd sound of soaring guitar notes andfree-flowing keyboards fills any senses not satiatedwith the sight. Whether the music is any good or notis a more difficult question - the Floyd is the Cecil B.DeMille of the pop world, which is probably enough.But it is not just the props that create a barrierbetween the Pink Floyd’s music and the reviewer, noreven the elusive, but basically inhuman, nature of themusic itself. It is the fascination of the Floyd success,for the Pink Floyd must be among the half dozen topacts to come out of the contemporary musicphenomenon. Not only did the Floyd pack the 10,000seat Empire Pool five times last week, but the crowdsof loitering hopefuls, nestling close outside theauditorium to catch the remnants of the sound, wouldhave been considered a healthy audience inthemselves by most artists. As for the new music, thelyrics seem unnaturally aggressive for a band which isnow extremely rich and mature, but then lyrics have

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RIGHT: ROGER WATERS IN FULL SNARL AT THE EMPIRE

POOL, WEMBLEY, MARCH 1977.

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Thursday 22 JuneCONCERTLatrun Monastery, Neve Shalom, IsraelShow moved from Ha-Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv, Israeldue to protests from Palestinian pressure groups.Latrun Monastery is situated in a village of Israeli-Palestinian co-existence. The show was broadcast liveon Israel’s 88FM radio and Reshet Bet radio.

Saturday 24 JuneCONCERTVasilyevsky Spusk, Moscow, RussiaShow moved from Red Square, Moscow, Russia dueto a clash with state ceremonies.

Monday 26 JuneCONCERTViking Stadion, Jåttåvågen, Stavanger, Norway

Thursday 29 JuneCONCERTLive At The Marquee, Showgrounds, Cork, IrelandRoger Waters appeared as part of a season of eventsat this venue. Nick Mason played drums on The DarkSide Of The Moon and the encores at this show.

Saturday 1 JulyCONCERTHyde Park Calling, Hyde Park, London, EnglandRoger Waters headlined on the first day of this two-day multi-artist festival. Nick Mason played drums onThe Dark Side Of The Moon and the encores at thisshow.

Sunday 2 JulyCONCERTRoskilde Festival, Orange Stage, Roskilde, DenmarkRoger Waters headlined on the third day of thisthree-day multi-artist festival (30 June – 2 July2006).

Friday 7 JulyCONCERTSportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Saturday 8 JulyCANCELLED CONCERTOlimpiyskyi Stadium, Kiev, UkraineShow cancelled due to a contractual dispute.

Monday 10 JulyCONCERTLoxol Car Park [formerly The Parade Grounds],Pembroke, Malta

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RIGHT: ROGER WATERS PERFORMING IN HYDE PARK,

LONDON AND WITH NICK MASON AS SPECIAL GUEST.

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ECHOES ALSO COMBINES, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, A METICULOUSLY

RESEARCHED CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF EVERY SINGLE PINK FLOYD AND SOLO

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WORLD, THE PINK FLOYD STORY IS A ROCK LEGEND.

THIS REMARKABLE BOOK IS A CELEBRATION OF PINK FLOYD’S ENTIRE CAREER

– 2007 MARKS THE OFFICIAL 40TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE THEY STARTED

RECORDING. IT CONTAINS A BIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF THE BAND’S

COLLECTIVE AND INDIVIDUAL CAREERS FROM THEIR PRE-FLOYD ORIGINS IN

1962 RIGHT THROUGH TO THE PRESENT DAY.

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