(The Lady's) Pink Floyd Homage

ladyislingering

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Pink Floyd
CRF's Band of the Month
August 2010

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Amongst the likes of elaborate artistic endeavors masqueraded by Peter Gabriel's Genesis and the psychedelic vibe of Soft Machine surfaced a new dimension to the UK's underground music scene: Pink Floyd.

In 1963, two architecture students from London's Regent Street Polytechnic university when they performed together, by chance, in a band that would soon be named Sigma 6. These two were Nick Mason and Roger Waters, who were recruited by Keith Noble, his sister Sheilagh, and Clive Metcalfe.

Sigma 6 performed songs originally recorded by The Searchers, who are best known for their covers of classic songs such as "Needles and Pins" (originally by Jackie DeShannon) and "Love Potion No. 9" (The Clovers). However, they also performed songs written by a friend and fellow student, Ken Chapman. Incidentally, Ken was also Sigma 6's manager.

Sigma 6 changed their name on many occasions; for a while they were the Abdabs (also adopting several variants of one such moniker, such as the Architectural or Screaming Abdabs), the Megadeaths, and finally settled on Tea Set.

One of Regent Street Polytechnic's tutors, Mike Leonard, provided shelter for Nick and Roger in September of 1963. Mike was also a technician of light machines - projectors that provided crazy backdrops for all kinds of situations - and a keyboardist. Guitarist Bob Klose moved into Mike's flat when Nick moved out. By 1964, Clive Metcalfe and Keith Noble left Tea Set to create their own band. However, Bob and Roger were soon to join a 17-year-old musician from London's Camberwell College of Art.

Syd Barrett and Roger Waters were childhood friends; they knew each other well but hadn't collaborated in an actual band until this point. Roger had visited many performances orchestrated by Syd and his band, The Mottoes, which was formed with the encouragement of Syd's mother to aid him in coping with his father's recent death.

Tea Set was without a proper vocalist once Clive and Keith left, so Bob recruited Chris Dennis (who was also a technician for the Royal Air Force). Shortly thereafter, Syd discovered another local band sharing their name (and that they would likely perform at the same venues) thus, Tea Set was named The Pink Floyd Sound. Tea Set's new name was created by Syd, who was influenced by Pink Anderson and Floyd Council - two artists in his record collection. When Dennis left for a job in Bahrain, Syd took over as The Pink Floyd Sound's new frontman.

At the Coundown Club in London, The Pink Floyd Sound was well-received, and well-known. They often played for many hours at a time, pulling off three sets in a row, all 90 minutes long. This was when they discovered that a song could be significantly lengthened by the use of epic compositions and solos. After appearing on Ready, Steady, Go! and in many other paid venues, The Pink Floyd Sound earned a gig at The Marquee Club (which was the site of the Rolling Stones' first gig four years earlier) in 1966. It was there that they were discovered by a professor from the London School of Economics, Peter Jenner. (Peter would later move on to producing for bands like T-Rex and The Clash.)

Peter was astounded by what he was seeing (and hearing); he teamed up with one of his colleagues, Andrew King, and together they would manage their new discovery. Neither of these men had much of any experience in the music industry, but were able to round up enough money for the foundation of Blackhill Enterprises. They then provided the band with new instruments and soon set them up with a gig at the newly-opened Roundhouse. Among this audience were approximately 2,000 people - including Marianne Faithfull and Paul McCartney. It was because of Peter and Andrew's social connections that The Pink Floyd Sound gained recognition from The Financial Times and The Sunday Times, thus propelling them into social awareness practically overnight.

Syd's high-energy frontman antics became quite a spectacle, and the audiences the band played to were often strung out on a wide array of drugs, while the band was completely clean. By 1967 psychedelic rock was in full swing, and the band was welcomed by American record producer Joe Boyd, who was working for Sound Techniques in West Hampstead. Here, the band recorded (with the help of booking agent Bryan Morrison) a set that featured "Arnold Layne". Joe and Bryan were impressed with The Pink Floyd Sound, as were producers from Polydor, though they signed with record label EMI. It was a £5,000 contract - of which Joe had no involvement.

During this time The Pink Floyd Sound became, simply, Pink Floyd. "Arnold Layne" was released as their first single on March 11, 1967. Its B-side was called "Candy and a Currant Bun" which included the notorious Waters scream (also heard on "Careful With that Axe, Eugene). Both songs saw controversy - "Arnold Layne" for its crossdressing references, and its B-side for its original lyrics containing a drug reference: "I'm high, don't try to spoil my fun". The single wasn't present on Pink Floyd's debut record.




Pink Floyd's performances were glittered with new lighting concepts strained through ordinary objects, such as mirrors and stretched condoms. They traveled to over 200 locations with their new tour manager, Peter Willson, who had once been a roommate to Syd. One such performance occurred at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, where they introduced their new single (released in June of 1967) "See Emily Play". The single shot up to #17 in the charts after only having been released two weeks prior. Its B-side was called "Scarecrow". The band appeared on Top of the Pops to promote their new single, but their next appearance, scheduled at the Beat Club, was cancelled when Syd refused to play. His behavior would continue to be erratic, disturbing, and driven by his increased use of LSD.

*note: please refrain from comments until I can get a fair chunk of text in the thread. it's being written little by little. thanks.
 
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ladyislingering

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

"The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" was Pink Floyd's first studio album. Before we delve into the magics present in this record, let's have a look at the backgrounds of its personnel.

Syd Barrett

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Syd Barrett, who provided vocals and guitar, was born Roger Keith Barrett to Winifred and Arthur Barrett on January 6th, 1946. He grew up in Cambridge, England, and was nicknamed "Sid" as a reference to jazz bassist Sid Barrett. Syd opted for a variable spelling for his own personal identity. His father died in December, 1961, shortly before Syd turned 16. During and after the recording of Pink Floyd's debut album, he developed a serious drug problem that rendered him unable or unwilling to play attentively with the band on stage. His unpredictable nature was combated with the addition of guitarist David Gilmour, in 1968.

During his healthy and productive times with Pink Floyd, Syd wrote a number of songs (including their first batch of singles). After straying from the public eye for some time, Syd embarked on a solo career that only lasted two albums. "The Madcap Laughs" was released on January 3rd, 1970 and also featured the bass of both Roger Waters and David Gilmour, who were only present to help Syd finish the album, despite the deterioration of his mental state. His second album, "Barrett" was released on November 14th, 1970, with an equal amount of trouble and triumphs in the studio.

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His last performance was on June 6th, 1970 at The Olympia Exhibition Hall in London. It was a complete failure; David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley were the only other musicians on the stage. Syd's vocals were incoherent and inaudible, and before the three could play the 5th song, Syd put his guitar down and left the stage.

In the early 80s Syd returned to Cambridge and lived in his late mother's flat. He started using his birth name, and took up painting instead of music. He was mostly a hermit, and his only connection to the world outside his window was through his older sister, Rosemary. Though he decided to remain reclusive, he was still pestered by the press on many occasions, which, coupled with his suffering from diabetes and his rapidly declining mental health, saddened and irritated him. Since his interests had shifted mostly to art, he was uncomfortable with being reminded of his musical past with Pink Floyd.

Syd died of pancreatic cancer on July 7th, 2006. He was only 60 years old.



Roger Waters


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Roger Waters, the bassist and extra vocalist from Pink Floyd's debut, was born George Roger Waters on September 6th, 1943 to Eric and Mary Waters of Great Bookham, Surrey. His father, a teacher, fought in World War II and was killed in combat in Italy when Roger was only four months old. After this tragic event took place, Roger and his older brother moved with their mother to Cambridge. It was there that he met Syd Barrett, who would join him in the founding of Pink Floyd in 1967.

Though Roger played second-string to Syd, his writing talent was showcased in "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk", which was the only track from Pink Floyd's first album not written by Syd. Once Syd's mental state began to dwindle, Roger tried to help him in any way he could. Syd declared himself beyond help, and his absence was both a loss and an opportunity for Roger to steer Pink Floyd into a different artistic direction.


In 1969, Roger married Judy Trim. By 1976 they were divorced; shortly after the divorce, he married Carolyne Christie, with whom he had two children: Harry and India. They were divorced in 1992. His youngest son was born in 1997 with his third wife, Priscilla.

Beginning with "The Dark Side of the Moon" Roger wrote the lyrics to 5 consecutive albums, mostly or entirely by himself. Shortly after "The Final Cut" was released in 1983 (which was dedicated, in the liner notes, to Roger's father) he departed from the band, though legal issues were still present well into 1987.

Roger has recorded 9 solo albums, as well as the score to the 1970 film "The Body".

Rick Wright

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Richard "Rick" Wright, who contributed his piano, vocals, and hammond/farfisa organ to "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" was born on July 28th, 1943 in Hatch End, Middlesex (England). When he was 12 years old, he taught himself the guitar, as well as trumpet and piano. Though Rick would go on to master several other instruments, such as the bass, harpsichord, saxophone, and drums, he started out taking private music lessons at the Eric Gilder School of Music. In 1962 he chose to further his education at the Regent Street Polytechnic university, where be became acquainted with Roger Waters and Nick Mason. Rick only spent a year at this particular university before moving to the London College of Music.

During his early days with Pink Floyd, he had little to offer in terms of songwriting and decided to focus more on his contributions to the band's skill and ability with lengthened instrumental compositions. He also sang lead on some of the band's most well-known tracks, such as "Echoes", "Time", and "Us and Them". In 1978, he released his first solo album, "Wet Dream", which was a commercial failure. During the recording of "The Wall" in 1979, the other members of Pink Floyd began to increasingly feel as if Rick wasn't actively participating as much as they would have liked him to. He was forced to leave the band, though was kept around as a session musician for live appearances of "The Wall" up until 1981. However, he didn't show for the premiere of the film adaptation of the album in 1982. It goes without saying that he also didn't appear on Pink Floyd's last album, "The Final Cut", in 1983. Rick released one more solo album in 1996, called "Broken China".

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Rick joined David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Roger Waters on stage, for the last time on July 2nd, 2005 for the Live 8 Concert, in London. On May 10th, 2007, his final solo performance was for a tribute concert to Syd, who had died in 2006, entitled "The Madcaps Last Laugh". The concert was organized by Joe Boyd; Roger played amongst the likes of Chrissie Hynde, Roger Waters, and many others. He would join David Gilmour and Nick Mason to perform "Arnold Layne" at the end.

Rick died of cancer on September 15, 2008 in the midst of working on a final solo album. He was 65 years old.

Nick Mason

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Nick Mason, the drummer/percussionist present on Pink Floyd's first album, and son of filmmaker Bill Mason, was born on January 27th, 1944 in Edgbaston, Birmingham (England). He was the drummer on each album released by Pink Floyd, though only two tracks in their catalogue have been solely credited to him, those being "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" (which is the only song in which he plays instruments other than drums) and "Speak to Me". His voice was seldomly heard on any of the tracks, though he often provided the speaking part in "Sheep" during live performances.


Nick has been married twice and has four children. Aside from music he fancies auto racing. He hasn't released any solo material but has collaborated as a producer with Robert Wyatt, Gong, and the Damned.
 

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

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Pink Floyd's first album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" was released on August 5th, 1967 (though not until October in the United States) and reached #6 on the UK albums chart that year. It was recorded at the EMI Studios of London over the course of 6 months. While they were recording, the Beatles were nearby recording "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". They were even gifted with Norman Smith as their engineer, who had also worked on every Beatle recording up to their release of "Rubber Soul".

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Two of their album's tracks were recorded in one take: "The Gnome" and "Scarecrow". On the American release, "Bike" and "Flaming" were nowhere to be found. Most of the songwriting (and vocals) on the album is credited to Syd Barrett (who also drew and designed the back cover). It was well-received in the psychedelic underground scene; the album has also been cited as one of the most important turning points in the history of progressive rock.


The album was never technically performed live or promoted via touring; Pink Floyd performed in Ireland and Scandinavia, then attempted to tour America. The American tour was a mess, mostly due to the increasing severity of Syd's mental illness; therefore they missed their chance to perform at the National Jazz and Blues Festival. Peter Jenner and Roger Waters referred Syd to a psychiatrist, and had even made his appointment, of which he didn't show. After his bizarre behavior at the Winterland Ballroom (in which he stripped the strings from his guitar by detuning it) and his failure to perform on The Pat Boone Show, he was sent back to England with the band. Shortly thereafter they toured in support of Jimi Hendrix during his tour of Europe, but were forced to resign as Syd was becoming progressively worse.


After Syd left Pink Floyd, David Gilmour took his place. Syd was unhappy with this, as he was working side by side with David until 1969. Syd would appear on his last record with Pink Floyd, "A Saucerful of Secrets", in 1968. David stayed with Steve O'Rourke (who was a right-hand man to producer Bryan Morrison) and earned 30£ per week for his services.

A Saucerful of Secrets

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Pink Floyd's second album, "A Saucerful of Secrets" was released on June 29th, 1968 after a 4-month recording session with Abbey Road Studios in London. It reached #9 on the UK Albums Chart that year and spawned one single, "Remember a Day" (B-Side "Let There Be More Light") that was only released in the United States. Its title track was originally called "The Massed Gadgets of Hercules" and had also been featured on the 1969 album "Ummagumma". Unlike "A Piper at the Gates of Dawn", the only song from the album that was written by Syd was "Jugband Blues". Nick Mason's vocals can be heard on "Corporal Clegg".




The record's cover was designed by a group of British artists called Hipgnosis, who would also design several other covers for Pink Floyd, as well as Syd Barrett's "Madcap Laughs". The album was promoted at a free concert at Hyde Park that year. Pink Floyd returned to America to embark on their first complete tour, with Soft Machine and The Who.


Film Scores (1969-1970)​

The band's next project was orchestrating a score for British indie film "The Committee", an hour long laissez-faire of murder and a particularly unclear and unstable plot. In 1969 the band was also responsible for the score accompanying Barbet Shroeder's "More", a film about an ambitious young man who goes out in search of the most life has to offer. The soundtrack proved to be a significant piece of Pink Floyd's history, as much of its material was performed alongside that of "A Saucerful of Secrets" during live appearances. In 1970 they took up a month-long residency in a posh Rome hotel to record the soundtrack to Michelangelo Antonioni's film "Zabriskie Point". One of the songs they recorded during this time was called "The Violent Sequence", of which Michelangelo turned his nose up toward. The song would later be called "Us and Them" and appear on the band's 8th album "Dark Side of the Moon" in 1973.

Ummagumma

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"Ummagumma" would be the first album containing the line-up that would remain consistent for the rest of Pink Floyd's career together: David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. It was released as a double album on October 25th, 1969 in the UK (and November 10th, 1969 Stateside). Record 1 contains live material from April of 1969, recorded at Mothers Club in Birmingham as well as the Manchester College of Commerce in May. Record 2 features solo compositions: one for each member of the band.


Though it has been rumoured that the album's title is Cambridge slang for sex, the band's members have insisted over the years that it's only a nonsense word. The album's cover was born by the hands of Hipgnosis, who had worked on their previous cover. The back cover, featuring two roadies coexisting with the band's equipment stacked up on an airport runway, was the brainchild of Nick Mason, whose wife at the time played the flutes on "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party".

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"Ummagumma" reached #5 on the UK album charts that year, and at #67 on the charts in America.
 

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

Atom Heart Mother​

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Just one year later, "Atom Heart Mother" was released on October 10th, 1970. Like "A Saucerful of Secrets" it was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios of London; similarly, it was also released on the Harvest label like their previous two albums. Recorded within only 6 months, it climbed to #1 on the UK Album charts for that year, and #55 in America. Its cover was very simple: a cow in a pasture, inspired by Andy Warhol's cow wallpaper. The photo of this particular cow was taken by Storm Thorgerson (one of the leaders of Hipgnosis), who allegedly took a drive and simply took a snapshot of the first cow he passed.


"Atom Heart Mother"'s title came about when Roger Waters found an article in the newspaper about a woman being fitted with a pacemaker, the headline reading "Atom Heart Mother Named". Its title track is nearly 24 minutes long and takes up one full side of the record; amongst its orchestration are a brass section and full choir (both of which they required on tour for the sake of properly performing the epic).




After touring to promote "Atom Heart Mother", the band returned to England to begin working on "Meddle" which was recorded in eight months, and released on October 30, 1971. It reached #3 in the UK Albums chart that year. Since the album had virtually no central focus, the band was forced to create a new strategy. The album's epic focal point, "Echoes" was one such experiment, clocking in at almost 24 minutes and taking up the entire second side of the record. The shortest song on the album, "Seamus" was named after Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott, who David Gilmour was babysitting at the time. It features the dog howling along to the melody, and a brief glimpse into the delicate humour of the band.

Meddle

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"Meddle"'s cover features an ear underwater, slightly obstructed by waves (supposedly sound waves). Its original concept, suggested by Hipgnosis' Storm Thorgerson, was meant to be a baboon's anus. One of Storm's partners, Aubrey Powell, has expressed distaste and disappointment with the way the album cover turned out, basically stating that the project therein was half-assed and insignificant.



Obscured By Clouds

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In 1972 the band traveled to France to record a score for the film "La Vallée" by Barbet Schroeder. It was released on June 3rd and named "Obscured By Clouds". They had already been working on their next album when this particular project came up. Nonetheless the album turned up two singles: "Free Four" (B-Side "Stay") and "Burning Bridges" (B-Side "Childhood's End"). It reached #6 on the charts in the UK that year.





The Dark Side of the Moon

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Arguably Pink Floyd's most popular and well-known album "The Dark Side of the Moon" was released on March 10th, 1973. It was recorded in 7 months at the Abbey Road Studios of London. It reached #1 on the album charts in America, Canada, and New Zealand; it charted at #2 in the UK, Italy, and Norway. It sold over 15 million copies in the United States alone.

DSOTM is a concept album that explores many different issues including social distress, time escaping mankind, death, mental illness, and selfishness/greed - much of which alludes to the issues faced by their friend and former bandmate Syd Barrett. It was even worked on by engineer and symphonic/progressive rock musician Alan Parsons. The entire album has been covered several times; once, and most notably, under the name of "Return to the Dark Side of the Moon: A Tribute to Pink Floyd" which was graced by the presence of several artists including Tommy Shaw, Dweezil Zappa, and Rick Wakeman.

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The album spawned two singles; Money (B-Side "Any Colour You Like") and "Time" (B-Side "Us and Them"). The profits from the album were so massive that the band members were able to do quite lavish things with it, as Rick and Roger bought large houses on the countryside, and Nick started a collection of classic cars. It continues to be one of the bestselling albums of their catalogue; the image of its cover has been relentlessly advertised in countless mediums, be it posters, t-shirts, or bumper stickers. "The Dark Side of the Moon" has left an impact on music that is still felt and within media consciousness to this day.



 

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

Wish You Were Here​

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Pink Floyd's next album, "Wish You Were Here" was recorded in 6 months and released on September 12th, 1975. Its cover was designed yet again by Storm Thorgerson, the album itself being cited by both Rick and David as their favourite Pink Floyd record. It reached #1 on the album charts in both the UK and America, and #2 in both Norway and Austria. Its cover depicts a concept that suggests a person's fear, that in a business deal or partnership, that someone is bound to get burned, hence the presence of two men shaking hands - while one is on fire.


"Shine On You Crazy Diamond", a tribute to Syd Barrett, was one of the album's highest points, and longest compositions, broken up into two pieces and clocking in at a total time of almost 28 minutes. At some point during the recording of the album, a large man with a bald head and shaved eyebrows walked into the studio with a plastic bag. The band figured he was just an associate of the company until one of them recognized him as Syd Barrett.

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Upon this discovery, Roger was so disturbed he cried. Syd talked a bit with the band, but his mind was in a completely different dimension.

Roy Harper sang lead on "Have a Cigar", a composition which expresses contempt and distrust for the music industry (which was released as a single, B-Side "Welcome to the Machine"); upon touring with the band there was one instance where he noticed one of his stage costumes was nowhere to be found, and proceeded to trash their tour bus, managing to hurt himself in the process. The album has sold approximately 13 million copies worldwide.


Selections of "Wish You Were Here" were introduced to the public on July 5th, 1975 at a music festival in Knebworth, Hertfordshire (England). Soon after their appearance at this festival, the band purchased a series of church halls - an entire block of building for them to inhabit while creating and recording their tenth album, "Animals".

Animals

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"Animals" was recorded over the course of 7 months and released on January 23rd, 1977, in the midst of great social unrest in Britain. Unemployment, violence, and inflation were amongst the issues society faced during this time. A new musical concept was taking form as well: punk rock, whose musicians had no priority for progressive rock. The band was facing an entirely different breed of competition, though "Animals" was similar, conceptually, to much of the anger and distaste for society present in punk rock.


The album was minimally influenced by George Orwell's 1945 book "Animal Farm" - a satirical, if slightly prophetic look at communism and society. Its similarity to "Animals" is present in the fact that the "sheep" (or the underlings) overcome the "pigs" (or the ones at the head of the food chain). Roger Waters wrote "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" to vaguely reference social figures (such as Margaret Thatcher, Mary Whitehouse, and businessmen in general) he felt were at the top of the social food chain. The track itself clocks in at just over 11 minutes, and was the first use of a talk box in Pink Floyd's history.


The album reached #1 in New Zealand, and #2 in Norway, Austria, and the UK. To promote their new album, the band embarked on their "In the Flesh" tour, in which they traveled Europe and North America between January and July of 1977. They were reaching a tough audience; Roger sometimes resorted to screaming at noisy audiences during more mellow moments of their concerts.

Further adding to the stress brought on by the production of "Animals", the relationship between Roger Waters and Rick Wright was beginning to strain; David Gilmour was welcoming a daughter into the world, and creative differences were beginning to clash as Roger apparently began taking over. Due to this, Rick threatened to ditch the band on more than one occasion. David was beginning to feel as if Pink Floyd had run their course, and was fed up with playing to large stadiums, as was Roger, who allegedly spat at a rude member of the audience at one of their venues.

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

The Wall

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The situation between Roger and Rick grew much worse upon the composition of their next album, "The Wall". The lyrics were written almost solely from Roger's point of view from issues sprouting from his past, including that of the death of his father. Roger was living vicariously through the concept album's main character, Pink, who faced abuse from schoolteachers, a mollycoddling mother, and social isolation, of which the "wall" itself was a metaphor. Pink begins to build the wall as his rock star life begins crumbling down due to drug use, failed romance, and violence. Once the wall is completed, he has succeeded in isolating himself from the entire world. Despite the comfort that may have been on the other side of his newly constructed wall, Pink begins to feel guilty and pressured by the voices inside his head to tear down the wall.


"The Wall" was recorded over the course of 11 months and released as a double-album on November 30th, 1979. It turned out three singles; "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" (B-side "One of My Turns"), "Comfortably Numb" (B-side "Hey You"), and "Run Like Hell" (B-side "Don't Leave Me Now"). Between 1979 and 1980, the album reached #1 in 7 different countries: France, Norway, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, Austria, and the United States. It reached #3 in their homeland. Their single, "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" reached #1 on the singles charts in the UK, America, and Norway. It has sold approximately 23 million copies since its release in the United States alone.


The album was recorded in several different locations, including Super Bear Studios in France from January-July of '79, CBS studios of New York and Cherokee Studios as well as The Village Recorder in Los Angeles during the entire month of September. Producers of many aspects included Michael Kamen (who had also worked with David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Jim Croce, and Kate Bush by this point) in supervision of the orchestration, James Guthrie (who had produced records for Alvin Stardust, The Bay City Rollers, and Marshall Hain) and Brian Humphries, who was allegedly burned out from 5 years with Pink Floyd.


Many special effects were used about the album (as in concert). For instance, theatrical voices were provided by Roger Waters (the crazy schoolteacher) and Trudy Young (the groupie); the singing children on their most successful single from the album were told to shout with a Cockney accent rather than sing. Their school was given a donation of £1,000 and the children who performed were each given copies of the album. Its cover was the first since Pink Floyd's debut album that was not designed by any associate from Hipgnosis. The sketches on the gatefold sleeve were provided by Gerald Scarfe, an editorial cartoonist who had appeared in popular newspapers in Britain and America since the 1960s.

Gerald Scarfe

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Rick and Roger were skating on thin ice as Roger began pressuring Rick into performing to his standards, on-stage and off. Rick began to suffer from anxiety under Roger's regime and his productivity slowly slumped, thus frustrating the rest of the band even further without really meaning to. During this time, he also suffered from depression caused by a failing marriage. He quit the band soon after recording was finished, and was originally not credited anywhere on "The Wall". However, when it came time to promote the album on tour, Rick was recruited as a session musician.

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Live performances of "The Wall" were quite a spectacle; throughout the course of the concert, a wall made of cardboard bricks would slowly be constructed between the band and their audience. Finished, it stood at 40 feet and served as a backdrop for projections of Gerald Scarfe's drawings. Images of the album's characters were presented as giant inflatable figures; lighting was set to be dramatic and theatrical, and, at the end of each performance, the wall would come tumbling down, reuniting the audience with the band once more.

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Despite the massive success of the tour, the band grew further apart than they'd ever been. Between shows they resided in four separate Winnebagos, placed in a circle, of which the doors were turned away from one another. Communication during downtime was minimal.

In 1982, a film adaptation of the album was released with Bob Geldof playing the leading role of the story's protagonist, Pink. 15 of its 95 minutes of run-time are filled with animated storylines created by Gerald Scarfe. It was directed by Floyd fan Alan Parker, who had recently finished up on 1980's "Fame". The film was created on a budget of 12 million dollars, and raked in an estimated total of just under 23 million dollars.

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

The Final Cut​

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Rick Wright was to be permanently absent after this point. Therefore, Roger took over for the next Pink Floyd record: "The Final Cut". It would be his last album with the band despite the fact that its entire body of lyrics was credited solely to him. His vocals were present on every track, except for "Not Now John" (released as a 7" single, B-side "The Hero's Return") which was also credited to David Gilmour. Rick's control over the album came off as a complete abomination to the rest of the band; it was slammed by Rolling Stone magazine as seeming more like "a Roger Waters solo album" than anything. Its original title was intended to be "Spare Bricks", as its original use was to be for the soundtrack of "The Wall"'s film adaptation.


"The Final Cut" was recorded over the length of 5 months and released on March 21st, 1983. It topped the album charts in the UK and even spawned a short film in its wake, which was just under 20 minutes long. The film basically consisted of four music videos, one of which featured the album's only single. Roger Waters took the lead.

In 1984, David recorded a solo album, "About Face", which included a track called "Murder" which dealt with the untimely death of legendary musician and ex-Beatle John Lennon. It was released on March 27th, a month before Roger's solo album "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" (which was released on April 30th). Roger's record was the more successful of the two, charting at #13 in the UK, whereas David's record only reached #32.

DavidGilmourAboutFace2041453_f.jpg



In 1985, Roger Waters left Pink Floyd, feeling as if they had been played out, and his presence (or the band's, at that) was no longer a necessary force. He also went to the High Court in order to attempt to claim the Pink Floyd name; he proved unsuccessful on the technicality that the name was never formally accredited to either of the musicians. Nick Mason, their drummer (essentially) had become increasingly detached from the band while suffering the effects of marital distress. However, it was he and David who were left with what remained of their dream.

Roger teamed up with David Bowie to arrange the score for the 1986 stop-motion/animated film "When the Wind Blows" as well as Genesis, Squeeze, and techno guru Paul Hardcastle. In June of 1987 he released another solo album, "Radio K.A.O.S." which was released on the 15th, approximately 3 months before the release of Nick and David's next Floyd project.

A Momentary Lapse of Reason


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Several session musicians were carefully recruited for the creation and recording of the next Pink Floyd album: "A Momentary Lapse of Reason". It was significantly more successful than Roger Waters' newest solo album, charting at #2 in both Norway and Sweden, and #3 in the UK and America. Three singles were released from the album: "Learning to Fly" (B-side "Terminal Frost"), "On the Turning Away" (B-side "Run Like Hell" (Live)) and "One Slip" (B-side "The Dogs of War" (live)). For their bassist they recruited Tony Levin, who had previously worked heavily with King Crimson. He was only one of many musicians who aided in making "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" a reality.


The album's title was chosen out of three other names, which were "Signs of Life", "Of Promises Broken", and "Delusions of Maturity". Its cover featured 800 hospital beds, all placed by Hipgnosis associate Storm Thorgerson's colleague, Colin Elgie. The photograph itself, taken by Robert Dowling, earned a gold award at the Association of Photographers Awards for that year.
 

ladyislingering

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

The Division Bell

normal_Pink%2BFloyd-The%2BDivision%2BBell.jpg


Rick Wright was taken back under the wing of the band, but only as a session musician, manning the keyboards and some backing vocals for a wage of $11,000 a week. David Gilmour felt his presence would strengthen the album, and lay to rest the legal disputes.

A tour in support of the album was carried out from September 9th, 1987 until July 18th, 1989, with a stray performance on June 30th of 1990. The band traveled with over 10 extra musicians, including Rick, over North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe. They performed a total of 197 concerts during this time.

Within the next few years, David, Nick, and Rick persued different lives and hobbies. David took up sports car racing, most notably at Mexico's Carrera Panamericana. In early 1993 they reunited and started throwing some new ideas around. Rick was a little weary of a potential project, since he was not, in terms of contracts, technically a member of Pink Floyd.

On March 28th, 1994, the band's final studio album was born: The Division Bell. Its lyrics were mostly written by David Gilmour, his new wife, Polly, and Rick Wright. Despite typically dismal reviews, the album reached #1 on the album charts in 5 different countries: Norway, Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and America. The album had one very special guest, who offered his speaking voice on the track "Keep Talking". The album spawned two singles: "Take it Back" (B-side "Astronomy Domine" (live)) and "High Hopes" (B-side "Keep Talking"/"One of These Days" (live)).


The central theme of "The Division Bell" has been said to be the trouble with poor communication. This is accentuated at the end of the record with a recording rendered from David's stepson, Charlie, hanging up on Pink Floyd's producer Steve O'Rourke. Its tracks were painstakingly nailed down to 11 after the band created approximately 65 compositions, which were stripped down to just 15. Four more were nixed before deciding on the final line-up.

Polly's presence proved to be important in both David's life (in his triumph from becoming clean of cocaine) and the life of "The Division Bell". Management was slightly offset by her contributions in the studio, but much of the songwriting on the album features her cooperation. Much like Pink Floyd's previous album, "The Division Bell" was completed with the addition of 11 studio musicians, 5 of which were backing vocalists.

The album's cover was provided by longtime contributor Storm Thorgerson. He created two metal faces the each the size of a double-decker transit, and placed them facing one another, as if in conversation (or, keeping with the album's concept, communication). The placement of the statues is meant to project the illusion of a third face (perhaps a symbol of infidelity/poor communication interrupted by an outside source). The two icons are presented at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Though they were photographed and placed by Storm, the statues were created by Aden Hynes.

Pink Floyd's last tour took place between March 30th and October 29th, 1994. They played a total of 110 gigs, and traveled much of North America and Europe. The three traveled with 7 extra musicians. The tour marked the end of Pink Floyd's 20 year journey as one of the greatest active progressive rock groups in music history.

Pink Floyd's last tour took place between March 30th and October 29th, 1994. They played a total of 110 gigs, and traveled much of North America and Europe. The three traveled with 7 extra musicians. The tour marked the end of Pink Floyd's 20 year journey as one of the greatest active progressive rock groups in music history.

For the first time in over two decades, the original (sans Syd, of course) band performed together for the Live 8 event, on July 2nd, 2005. The legacy of Pink Floyd still lingers to this day. During their career together, their accomplishments included winning a Grammy award in 1995 for "Marooned". It has been estimated that the band sold over 200,000 albums worldwide. They have also influenced many popular musicians; among those: David Bowie, Jean-Michel Jarre, Nine Inch Nails, and Radiohead. Pink Floyd: gone, but never forgotten.

 
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rtbuck

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

Lady, you did a phenomenal job on this! I'm a casual fan of Pink Floyd but never read too much into their history. I was a big fan of the Wall & I also liked Dark Side of the Moon & Wish You were Here. In the early/mid 80's I bought Umma Gumma at a used record store & thought it was a strange album but there was something about "Astronomy Domine" that kept me going back & listening to the album. I also fell in love with the title "Several Species of Small Furry Animals..." & that crazy tune(if you can call it that) is still one of my favs along with "Careful with that Axe Eugene". From there I got into the earlier stuff & I really enjoy the Barrett Era(along with his solo records).
Great Job Lady!!!
 

LG

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Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)

I can see our resident Sparks fan has been busy.:D

Very nice Lady, I will be back later to read it from top to bottom, when I have more time.

:cheers2
 

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