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Back in 1966, who would have thought that 43 years later Pink Floyd would be known around the world as one of the most musically, artistically and commercially successful bands in the world ? Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett (1946–2006), Roger Waters (b. 1943), Nick Mason (b. 1944) and Richard Wright (1943–2008) were an underground band whose experimental un-tethering of songs ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

If Pink Floyd had disbanded in the wake of Syd Barrett’s mental unravelling, they would be remembered today alongside Tomorrow and July as cult bands thrown up by the psychedelic era, releasing one fantastic album and a clutch of singles before fading from the light. With Dave Gilmour on guitar, however, A Saucerful Of Secrets revealed a ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

The period 1969–76 was highly collaborative, with all four members of Floyd making a contribution to the process of writing musical material or coaxing ideas to fruition in extended studio sessions or during live performances. Roger Waters had, though, emerged as the prime lyricist in the band and his passionate nature and strongly held convictions guided both his ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

Despite legal ammunition being expended by Roger Waters in an effort to cease Pink Floyd operating without him, Dave Gilmour was to lead the band to commercial heights equal to Floyd’s mid-1970s peak. Any worries about the strength of new Pink Floyd material undiluted by Waters was unfounded when A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (1987) topped the charts on both ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

The last album of new Pink Floyd material was released in 1994, but the subsequent years were to highlight the band’s legendary status. Although Waters, Gilmour, Mason and Wright would throw out solo albums and Gilmour and Waters would tour occasionally, the sheer power and size of the Floyd musical glacier would continually move forward to add ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

Origins Of The Band Nick Mason first played drums in school band The Hotrods, ‘retiring’ when he went to study architecture in London at Regent Street Polytechnic. He was soon back in service with guitar-playing fellow student Roger Waters in Sigma 6 and a revolving line-up featuring a fellow former architecture-turned-music-student Richard Wright (if venues had a piano). By 1964/65 ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

April The Massed Gadgets Of Auximenes Concert Floyd’s fascination with the quality of sound reproduction saw them invest money in equipment. At the Games For May concert in 1966 they pioneered a rudimentary quadraphonic sound with speakers placed at the back of the concert hall. By early 1969 they had a system constructed called ‘The Azimuth co-ordinator’, which received its own ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

December Battersea Photoshoot Roger Waters’ idea for the cover of the new Pink Floyd album was of a pig hovering over the four chimneys of the Battersea Power station. He tasked Hipgnosis to photograph this concept. A 12-m (40-ft) inflatable pig was duly made and inflated, and three days were set aside in December – even with the album scheduled ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

February Wright Returns Since working for a salary on The Wall tour and his Zee collaboration, Rick Wright had retired to the wings of the music business to enjoy life with his new wife and homes in the Greek islands. He did contact Gilmour when the guitarist was in Greece in the summer of 1985 offering his services for any ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

March Grammy Award Although The Division Bell was the last new album and tour vehicle for Pink Floyd there was an unexpected coda in March 1995 when the track ‘Marooned’ won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Over a relaxed rhythm and sound effects of floating seagulls and even whale-song Gilmour had unfurled one of his finest, most-sensitive and ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

January First Gig, London The Pink Floyd Sound made their London debut at the Countdown Club in late 1965 and were paid £15 for their trouble. Their first London gig in 1966 took place at the Goings On Club on 9 January 1966. Like hundreds of other semi-professional bands around the country, Syd Barrett (guitar/vocals), Roger Waters (bass/vocals), Nick ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

January The Madcap Laughs Syd Barrett’s debut solo album The Madcap Laughs was released on 3 January 1970. Assisted, in part by Dave Gilmour, Roger Waters, bass player Jerry Shirley from Humble Pie, Willie Wilson from Quiver and even members of The Soft Machine it had been recorded at considerable expense over numerous sessions mainly due to ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

January Animals Like the flying inflatable pig Floyd, too, had become un­tethered from their usual working practices. In 1976 they had upgraded their rehearsal space in Britannia Row, Islington, into a 24-track studio and between April and November laid down and mixed Animals. Two tracks that had previously been aired live as far back as 1974 (‘Gotta ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

April Waters Declares Legal Action Roger Waters had got wind of Gilmour’s intentions well in advance of the EMI press release and in October 1986 had taken matters to the High Court. Even though Waters had offered the name to Mason and Gilmour in 1985 when unofficially leaving, he did not believe that they would actually dare to record without ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

January Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Although Pink Floyd were not defending their heavyweight title in the ring anymore, they were no longer anonymous figures and enjoyed all the personal trappings of being one of the world’s most successful and influential bands. On 17 January 1996 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York Gilmour, Wright and Mason were ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley
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