"What colour is
sound?"
Crazy Diamond box set text
Brian Hogg - January 1993
(many thanks to Scott
Frank for typing this)
"What colour is
sound?"
Questions of such a philosophical nature are
not generally part of a pop marketing campaign, but it was 1967 and it
concerned Pink Floyd, "the leading group of
It's worth recalling that although 'Arnold
Layne' brought the group a national audience, several admirers from within
their founding enclave muttered disquiet about its unashamedly commercial form.
Elsewhere voices were raised about its transvestite subject, and not for the
last time would its composer, Syd Barrett, be the subject of fervent debate.
Born in Cambridge on January 6, 1946, Roger
Keith Barrett was given his 'Syd' sobriquet while attending the city's High
School, where his friends included Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour. The latter
subsequently joined Barrett on a busking tour of
France and although the pair also worked as a folk-based duo, songs from the Rolling Stones peppered
their muse. Syd also championed the
Beatles in a circle usually sympathetic to jazz. Designer Storm Thorgerson, speaking to journalist Nick Kent, recalls
Barrett's obsessions as "music, painting and religion. He was a great
artist, but he just stopped. He was starting to shut himself off slowly
then." Syd did however take up a place at London's Camberwell
School Of Art, but continued playing in various part-time aggregations,
including The Hollering Blues and Geoff Mott and the Mottoes. Waters was
meanwhile studying architecture at Regent Street Polytechnic, where he formed
Sigma 6 with fellow undergraduates Nick Mason (drums) and Rick Wright
(keyboards). Having added bassist Clive Metcalfe, the same act evolved into a
variety of permutations - The T-Set, The (Screaming) Abdabs
- each of which survived on a diet of de rigueur R&B. Metcalfe then left
the line-up; Waters switched from guitar to bass, but while Juliet Gale (who
later married Wright) was briefly a member, Bob Close took over the lead spot
of the group which underwent a radical change when Roger invited Barrett to
join. The latter's blend of mysticism, pop and halucinogenics
was at odds with Close's traditional outlook and the Abdabs
imploded towards the end of 1965. Almost immediately Barrett, Waters, Wright,
and Mason reconvened as The Pink Floyd Sound, a name Syd had coined from an
album by Georgia blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
Within weeks the new line-up had repaired to
the Thompson Private Recording Company, a tiny studio sited in the basement of
a house in Hemel Hempstead. Here they recorded two
songs; an original hinged to the 'Gloria' riff entitled 'Lucy Leave', and a
version of Slim Harpo's 'I'm A King Bee'. Rudimentary
they may have been, but both tracks indicate a defined sense of purpose,
particularly the former which, although pop R&B, shows a playful
imagination.
However, it was late the following year before
the quartet, bereft of their 'Sound' suffix, began attracting notoriety as part
of a counter-culture milieu centered on the London Free School at All Saint's
Church Hall. This self-help organization attracted proto-hippies, working-class
activists and Black Power acolytes, including Michael X, and was instrumental
in providing a focus for the emergent underground, inspiring two of its
adherents, (Barry) Miles and John 'Hoppy' Hopkins, to
found Britain's first alternative publication, 'International Times'.
The
paper was launched on October 15 at a party at the Roundhouse; it was here The
Pink Floyd made its major debut.
A subsequent review in 'IT', termed the quartet
a "psychedelic pop group" and described their "scary feedback
sounds and slide projections (which) produced outer space/prehistoric textures
on the skin". Other accounts noted that the power blew out during
'Interstellar Overdrive', which suggested that by this stage the Floyd were
blending original songs to a set once renowned for freaked-out readings of
'Louie Louie' and 'Road Runner'. Early Barrett originals including the
whimsical 'Effervescing Elephant', written at age 16, and 'Golden Hair', a poem
from James Joyce's 'Chamber Music' which he'd set to music. Armed with such
disparate inspiration, the Floyd returned to Thompson's on October 31 where
they recorded what became the soundtrack to the film 'San Francisco'.
"Syd's
influences were the Stones, Beatles, Byrds and
Love," the group's first manager, Pete Jenner,
told Nick Kent, adding that Barrett wore out his copy of the last-named group's
debut album. "I was trying to tell him about this Arthur Lee song I
couldn't remember the title of, so I just hummed the main riff. Syd picked up his guitar, followed what I was
humming, and went on to use the chord pattern he worked out for 'Interstellar
Overdrive'." 'Interstellar Overdrive', with its extended free-form
passage, was the piece which established Pink Floyd's experimental reputation
and it was one of the tracks the group attempted during their first recording
session at Chelsea's Sound Techniques. By December 1966 the group had become,
with The Soft Machine one of the acts appearing at the UFO Club in Tottenham Court Road, founded by Hoppy
Hopkins in partnership with Joe Boyd. This pivotal venue brought the new
religion to the West End and although its tenure was short, a mythical status
was quickly established. Boyd, already proven as a record producer, struck up a
relationship with the group which, in January 1967, repaired to the
aforementioned studio.
Two versions of 'Interstellar Overdrive' were
undertaken; one truncated, another long, and it was also here that the quartet
completed Barrett's quirky 'Arnold Layne'. Although this latter master was
placed with EMI's Columbia outlet, the company rejected 'Interstellar
Overdrive', both readings of which subsequently appeared on the soundtrack to
"Tonight Let's All Make Love In London". When this set was exhumed in
1990, it was bolstered by another improvised piece, dubbed 'Nick's Boogie',
which may indeed date from the 'Thompson's' era. The Floyd also cut an early
version of 'Astronomy Domine' at this time, but
whether it was the product of these or subsequent sessions is unclear.
'Arnold Layne' was meanwhile coupled to another
original from the first Sound Techniques' visit, 'Let's Roll Another One',
later given the less-contentious title, 'Candy And A Currant Bun'. The pairing
formed the Floyd's debut the following March and the resultant Top 30 hit
confirmed the group as a national attraction.
Staff producer Norman Smith took over from Boyd
for subsequent releases and having largely completed work on a debut album, the
group cut its second single: 'See Emily Play'. The song was initially entitled
'Games For May' in honour of the event the Floyd had
undertaken at the South Bank Queen Elizabeth Hall. "(They) intended this
concert to be a musical and visual exploration - not only for themselves but
for the audience too," proclaimed the attendant press release and the show
did mark a watershed in their career. When 'See Emily Play' reached the UK Top
5, the quartet were perceived in a commercial way which in turn brought new
pressure upon Barrett, then unquestionably the group's leader.
The Floyd's debut album, "Piper At The
Gates Of Dawn", followed in August. Of its eleven tracks, Syd composed
eight - collaborating on two others - and the result was one of the finest sets
of its era. If English psychedelia dosed its narcotisation with Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, then the
combination of experiment and childhood fantasy was never stronger here as
whimsy, nostalgia and dynamite riffs cross- pollinated its enchanting tapestry.
By the end of 1967 the Floyd had not only
traversed Britain's cinemas and ballrooms on a package with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move and Amen Corner, they had
also undertaken a fractured US tour. The sojourn was little short of
disastrous, particularly when the group was pressed into appearing on television
shows hosted by Dick Clark and Pat Boone. Barrett refused to mime on the former
- "Syd wasn't into moving his lips that day" - while the letter's
vacuous repartee was greeted by stony silence. The tail-end of the visit was
wisely canceled.
A projected third single, 'Scream Thy Last
Scream', was replaced by 'Apples And Oranges', although any notion that the
latter boasted hit potential was obscured by its oblique chord sequence and
lack of palpable melody. 'Scream' has meanwhile joined 'Vegetable Man', another
product of this tortuous period, as the great 'lost' Barrett creations. The
masters for both still bear the declaration "not to be used for LP", ie: the group's projected second album.
The 'Apples' sessions also yielded 'Jugband Blues' and 'Remember A Day', both of which did
surface on "A Saucerful Of Secrets".
Barrett's input during this period remains a matter of conjecture but his
presence on these particular tracks - the first of which he wrote - is
unequivocal. Other selections, including 'See Saw' and 'Corporal Clegg' owe a
debt to his unique vision, and indeed several other selections were commenced
prior to his departure in April 1968. That said, he does not appear on 'It
would Be So Nice', the group's fourth single, recorded the previous month, and
thus the notion of a straight forward break in misleading. Barrett's one-time
collaborator, Dave Gilmour, had been drafted into the line-up in February 1968
and for a brief time a 5-piece Floyd existed. Rumour
and gossip suggested that Syd would take on a Brian Wilson role, writing and
recording material while the band appeared in public, but in the end he was
ousted completely.
"I suppose it was really just a matter of
being a little offhand about things," was how Syd recalled the split to
'Melody Maker'. However the notion that the Floyd's one-time pivot was now
bereft of inspiration is rather ingenuous. 'Difficult' he may have become, but
within a month after his axing, Barrett was back in Abbey Road.
With his manager, Pete Jenner,
as producer, Syd began his solo career on May 13 with two new compositions,
'Silas Lang' and 'Late Night'. The former title now seems to have been a
misnomer - Barrett apparently never referred to it as such - and the piece is
better known as 'Swan Lee'. Four compositions were attempted the following day:
'Lanky (part 1)', 'Lanky (part 2)', the Joycian
'Golden Hair' and 'Rhamadan'.
Only one take was made of the first-named track
which was subsequently placed on "Opel",
1988's collection of out-takes and rarities. A sketch-book instrumental,
'Lanky' features some rivetting, angular guitar work
and suggested that the composer was still enamoured
with improvisation. Its successor - some seven minutes of percussive sounds -
proved less interesting, which 'Rhamadan' continued a
similar, but lengthier, vein and to less effect. However the first, fragile
version of 'Golden Hair' was enchanting, and closed "Opel"
in suitably elegiac fashion.
Barrett and Jenner
returned to Abbey Road the following month. Overdubs were added to both 'Swan
Lee' and 'Late Night', and on 20th July the pair began work on 'Clowns And
Jugglers', the first take of which is featured here. This mesmerising
piece features yet more punitive guitar work and indicates Syd was already
planning wherein further instrumental parts would slot. However this was the final track recording
during this period and, for reasons never fully explained, Barrett did not
recommence work until April the following year.
By 1969 the balance between Syd and his former
group had changed immeasurably. The Floyd, regarded as regal denizens of
progressive rock, were embroiled in completing 'solo' capsules for the landmark
"Ummagumma" when Barrett approached EMI
about further recordings. The company had already launched Harvest, a
safe-haven for all things non-establishment, which was at that point
administered by Malcolm Jones. Jones received Syd's
offer with enthusiasm but, wary of a conflict of interest, decided against
using either Jenner or Norman Smith as producers as
both were still committed to the Floyd. Thus Malcolm took charge of the
sessions, almost by default, but the results were highly impressive.
Barrett re-entered
The first new song completed was 'Opel'. Nine takes were attempted, the last of which was
unquestionably the finest. It remains unfathomable why this mesmerising
performance should have been left unreleased; its exhumation was deserved and
the track rightly formed the focal point of that aforementioned collection.
The
singer then completed several versions of 'Love You'; the first fast, the third
slower, the fourth forming the basis for that appearing on "The Madcap
Laughs". As performances, there was little to choose between the different
renditions and the final choice reflected mood - "best to decide
later" states the cryptic note attached to the box.
This was followed by three takes of 'It's No
Good Trying' (five inclusive of false starts). The final rendition was deemed the
strongest and saved for future overdubs, but we've also included an 'acoustic'
version. At 6 minutes 40, it's longer than the finished piece and the emptier
arrangement showcases Syd's complex chord and metre changes. It's unsurprising that two blues musicians
should have inspired the Pink Floyd name; the group's creator shows the same
disdain for standard form as John Lee Hooker or Lightnin'
Hopkins.
Syd then used a cigarette lighter to overdub a
slide guitar sequence on 'Late Night', before completing the piece with a
first-time vocal. Equally perfect were the voice and guitar- lines on a new
song, 'Terrapin', contributions retained on the eventual master. Barrett then
turned to 'Golden Hair', which still required embellishment. Take 5 featured a
prominent harmony line, later abandoned, but that intriguing version is
contained herein.
It had proved a productive day's work. Jones
arranged to meet Syd the following Thursday (April 17th) at which point the
singer introduced two musical acquaintances, bassist 'Willie' Wilson and
drummer Jerry Shirley. The former had been a member of Joker's Wild with Dave
Gilmour; the latter was concurrently in Humble Pie, and having warmed up with
rudimentary rehearsals, the trio recorded five takes of 'No Man's Land'. The
same number of attempts ensued of 'Here I Go' and in both cases the final
reading was deemed best. Barring sundry overdubs on 'No Man's Land', these were
the versions mixed down for "Madcap Laughs".
The following week Syd attempted to exhume the
lengthy 'Rhamadan', declaring his wish to add a
motorbike sound he'd recorded on a cassette while on the pillion. The results
were largely useless, but a 30 second loop of start-up, revving, gear- changes
and motion was culled from
On May 3rd the singer and producer began
overdubs on 'Love You', 'No Good Trying' and 'Clowns And
Jugglers'. The Soft Machine - Mike Ratledge
(Keyboards), Hugh Hopper (bass) and Robert Wyatt (drums) - added avant-garde
backing to three songs which, despite Syd's erratic
tempo, boast a wonderful sense of mischief. Yet whereas the first two
performances appeared on "Madcap Laughs", that of 'Clowns And Jugglers' was shelved until the release of "Opel". On the 4th, Barrett added backwards guitar to
'No Good Trying' and lead to 'Terrapin' and 'No Man's Land'. It was at this
point that Dave Gilmour entered the frame.
"Dave had been taking a casual interest
during most of the later sessions," Malcolm Jones explained in his booklet
'The Making of "Madcap Laughs"'. "It was only a short step to
his suggesting that he and Roger Waters should produce some tracks as
well." Barrett had remained on friendly terms with his erstwhile
collaborator - their respective flats were close to one another - and Syd had
even appeared backstage at a Pink Floyd gig in Croydon.
The remaining sessions were completed in a three-day sprint - June 13th and
14th and July 26th - partly because of Gilmour and Waters' commitments to the
mixing of "Ummagumma" and a tour of
This final day's work proved frantic. Syd
attempted a reading of 'Wouldn't You Miss Me' - that issued on "Opel" - before opting for take 2 from the previous
session. Three untried compositions: 'She Took A Long
Cold Look At Me', 'Feel' and 'If It's In You' were also completed. 'Feel'
required a single take, 'If It's In You' broke down four times before the fifth
proved 'best', while the same number was required for 'Long Cold Look'. The
fourth take, complete with false starts, is included here.
"The Madcap Laughs" was released on
Harvest in January 1970, having been preceded the previous month by a single
which coupled 'Octopus' (a line from which inspired the album's title.) with
'Golden Hair'. Reviews for the set were complimentary and on 24th February a
confident Barrett undertook a live session for John Peel's 'Top Gear'. Of the
five songs completed, only one 'Terrapin', came from "Madcap Laughs".
The remainder were all new compositions, including
'Gigolo Aunt', 'Baby Lemonade' and 'Two Of A Kind', the last of which Syd would
not record on album.
The
fifth inclusion was 'Effervescing Elephant', reprised from Barrett's nascent
repertoire.
Syd returned to
On February 27th the singer cut four demos - 'Wolfpack', 'Waving My Arms In The
Air', 'Living Alone' and 'Bob Dylan Blues' - all of which appear to have been
taken away by Gilmour [Fucking Bastard! - ed's
note]. The last two titles did not reappear, and although a tape of the
reportedly excellent 'Dylan's Blues' circulated briefly,
these performances now seem to be lost forever. Work also continued on 'Gigolo
Aunt' but it was not until April 1st that Barrett returned to
Rough mixes of work in progress ensued before
Syd began a new version of 'Wolfpack' on the 3rd. Recording
was then suspended until June 5th when Barrett completed three 2-track demos of
'Rats', 'Wined And Dined' and 'Birdie Hop'. Each of these performances was
eventually issued on "Opel", although the
same version of 'Rats' formed the basis of that on "Barrett". Two
days later Syd recorded another new song, the ebullient 'Milky Way', which
again made its debut on "Opel". He also resurrected a composition from Pink
Floyd's early set, 'She Was A Millionaire', retitled simply 'Millionaire'. Two illstarred
attempts followed, neither of which featured vocals, before the notion was
discarded and the day's work ended with group overdubs on the bilious 'Rats'.
Another break ensued before recording was
recommenced. Five tracks were undertaken on July 14th, including nine new
readings of 'Effervescing Elephant' - take 2 is preserved alongside the final
master, plus numerous overdubs on 'Wined And Dined'.
Three attempts of 'Dominoes', one of Syd's most
beguiling compositions, were completed and both the false start and first full
take make their debut in this set. The singer's initial attempt at 'Love Song',
at this point known simply as 'Untitled', is also featured herein. Barrett also
put down 'Dolly Rocker' and 'Let's Split' during this session but, although subsequently
shelved, both songs were placed on "Opel".
'Love Song' was completed during a period
stretching from the 17th to 21st July. Rudimentary attempts at overdubbing
'Dolly Rocker' were entirely wiped before Syd began work on another piece
dubbed 'Untitled', but later known as 'Word Song'. Unissued at the
time, this enchanting song also made its debut on "Opel".
Five takes of 'It Is Obvious' were then undertaken, and although the first was
chosen for subsequent embellishments, other renditions were equally meritorious
and take 2 (with electric guitar), take 3 and take 5 (with acoustic) have been
included on this set.
Work on "Barrett" closed with remakes
of 'Maisie' and 'Waving My Arms In
The Air, which segued into a new piece, 'I Never Lied To You'. The
album, for which Syd designed the sleeve, was released in November 1970 and if
reaction was more muted than that greeting "Madcap Laughs", this was
partly due to timing, rather than content. It was apparent, however, that this
second selection, despite its more intimate framework, captured a talent in the
process of disintegration. "I think Syd was in good shape when he made
"Madcap"," Pete Jenner opined to Nick
Kent. "He was still writing good songs." By contrast, Dave Gilmour
recalled in the same NME article that, during the "Barrett" sessions,
"It was mostly a case of me saying: 'Well, what have you got then Syd' and
he'd search around and eventually work something out." Notions of singles
and perhaps a third album abounded over ensuing months. Barrett did complete a
session for Radio 1's 'Sounds Of The Seventies', but
where on 'Top Gear' he chose to unveil new material, here he offered 'Baby
Lemonade', 'Dominoes' and 'Love Song'. In truth Syd was already slipping into
the life of a recluse although an interview in 'Rolling Stone' of Christmas '71
he declared himself "totally together". Within weeks this brave assertion was called
into question when, during an appearance at Kings College Cellar in
Barrett nonetheless remained the subject of interest
and speculation about his future activities heightened following the release of
David Bowie's 'tribute' album, "Pin Ups", which included a version of
'See Emily Play'. Indeed
The
process was abandoned before any vocal tracks were attempted.
Since then interest in Barrett's activities has
remained constant, despite the subject's abdication. The Pink Floyd track,
'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', was an unequivocal tribute,
while a judicious repackaging of the singer's two albums during the mid-70s
introduced his work to a new audience. "Opel"
showed a spectrum much wider that the official releases suggested and taken
together Barrett's canon reveals an intuitive, idiosyncratic talent of dazzling
originality. He may never record again and while it's now difficult to divorce
the fragile images from the creator's personal traumas, there was a time when
many of the enclosed songs were viewed simply as beguiling. Approach them now in similar spirit.
Brian Hogg - January 1993
(with thanks to: Nick
Kent - "Syd Barrett", NME, 1974, (Barry) Miles - "Games For
May", NME, 1976, Malcolm Jones - "The Making of 'The Madcap
Laughs'", Private Publication, 1982.)