Last MarchPink Floyd‘s massive classic The Dark Side Of The Moon turned 50.
Former bassist/composer/songwriter Roger Waters, one of Floyd‘s essential
members and probably the biggest ego, has, for the occasion of the 50th birthday
of the LP, re-imagined-re-worked-re-invented all songs of the classic. The new
version, named The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux, will be released on 6 October.
Waters send a copy of it to the band’s drummer and
co-founder Nick Mason, who obviously likes it.
As far as the first taster goes, I’m with Mason. Splendid work.
You can read the full Nick Mason feature in NME about the re-recorded LP here.
The previously announced docu about SYD BARRETT, the late (1946-2006),
infamous co-founder and songwriter of prog-rock titans Pink Floyd will
premier in London today, 27 April. A wider U.K. release is scheduled for
May 15.
It was Barrett who gave the group their musical moniker by combining
the names of two obscure blues players — Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
The docu titled HAVE YOU GOT IT YET? is named after
a daft Syd written jangler that the other Floyds didn’t like.
Check it out here.
The film features new interviews with the band’s surviving members — Roger Waters (Barrett’s classmate and Pink Floyd’s co-founder), Nick Mason, and David Gilmour — to provide insight into The Piper at the Gates of Dawn mastermind’s meteoric rise, acid-fueled breakdown and eventual exile from the band.
It also includes interviews with legions of the artists inspired by Barrett’s brief tenure with the band — The Who’s Pete Townshend, Blur’s Graham Coxon and more, plus former Pink Floyd managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King, playwright Tom Stoppard and Syd’s sister Rosemary Breen.
The movie was directed by Roddy Bogawa and the late album cover designer Storm Thorgerson, who created iconic Pink Floyd covers like The Dark Side of the Moon and
Wish You Where Here. Thorgerson died in 2006.
TRAILER
The last words Barret said to a journalist who
tracked him down in the street where he lived
and asked him if he was the former Pink Floyd star.
Influential sound-crusaders PINK FLOYD (1965–1994, 15 studio LPs)
released their 4th single named IT WOULD BE SO NICE45 years
ago today, on 19 April 1968.
The song was written by the late Richard Wright, co-founder of the band.
It was the first single – part lullaby, part psych pop ditty featuring guitarist
David Gilmour following the departure of the late Syd Barrett. Drummer Nick
Mason and songwriter/singer Roger Waters hated the song.
Mason: “Fucking awful. At that period we had no direction. We were being hustled
about to make hit singles. There’s so many people saying it’s important you start to
think it is important.”
Waters: “Live bookings seem to depend on whether or not you have a record
in the Top Ten. I don’t like ‘It Would Be So Nice.’ I don’t like the song or the way
it’s sung.”
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by prog-rock titans PINK FLOYD is one of the best known/sold albums ever, selling to its own and all of the future generations following
its release 50 years ago today, on 1 March 1973.
AllMusic/Stephen Thomas Erlewine: “By condensing the sonic explorations of sixth
album ‘Meddle’ to actual songs and adding a lush, immaculate production to their trippiest instrumental sections, Pink Floyd inadvertently designed their commercial breakthrough with ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. Roger Waters wrote a series of songs about mundane, everyday details which aren’t that impressive by themselves, but when given the sonic backdrop of Floyd’s slow, atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects, they achieve an emotional resonance. But what gives the album true power is the subtly textured music, which evolves from ponderous, neo-psychedelic art rock to jazz fusion and blues-rock before turning back to psychedelia. It’s dense with detail, but leisurely paced, creating its own dark, haunting world. Pink Floyd may have better albums than ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, but no other record defines them quite as well as this one.” Score: 5/5.
10 Facts.
1. The LP has sold approximately 34 million copies worldwide… so far.
2. The album is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being on the charts longer than any other album in history, namely 591 consecutive weeks or 11.4 years in Billboard‘s top 200! A total of approx 14 whole years (741 weeks) in and back in top 200, and a staggering 26 years in some Billboard chart or other.
3. The original title for the album was Eclipse (A Piece for Assorted Lunatics). The band were upset to find out that the progressive folk rock act Medicine Head had released an album with the title of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ as recently as 1972 on John Peel’s Dandelion label. Since the release was less than successful sales-wise, the band decided go ahead with their plans.
4. The album was recorded at Abbey Road on its state-of-the-art 16-track equipment.
5. The longplayer was developed during the band’s live shows and was performed in concert before recording even started.
6. Australian radio listeners voted the album the best album to have sex to in 1990.
7.The Great Gig In The Sky was originally known as The Mortality Sequence. It featured
a similar piano introduction but no female vocals.
9. Proceeds from the album helped fund Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
10. Engineer Alan Parsons (Project) was paid a weekly wage of £35 to work on the album.
To celebrate the event a new deluxe box set will be released on 24th March.
It includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix, plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’, a 160-page hardback photo book, a music book, replica 7” singles and memorabilia. Details and Order Info HERE.
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by prog-rock titans PINK FLOYD is one of the best known/sold albums ever, selling to its own and all of the future generations following
its release on 1 March 1973, 50 years ago.
To celebrate the event a new deluxe box set will be released on 24th March.
It includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix, plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’, a 160-page hardback photo book, a music book, replica 7” singles and memorabilia.
Recently former Pink Floyd conducter ROGER WATERS went on American TV Show
‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ and talked emotionally by the late troubled co-founder
Syd Barrett.
As its 50th birthday dawns, MOJO #351 celebrates THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON,
the masterpiece LP by timeless prog-rock titans PINK FLOYD with the help of top musicians and writers.
Plus: the real inspiration for its cover design revealed!
Also in the issue: the Stones, Blur, Nick Drake and everything else to look forward to
in 2023. Jerry Lee Lewis – behind the mask; nuggets of 1972; an entertaining Iggy Pop interview. Plus: Wilko Johnson; X-Ray Spex; Billy Strings; The Go-Betweens’ Robert Forster;
Thin Lizzy; Margo Price; Adrian Belew; Robyn Hitchcock; International Submarine Band; Billy Nomates; The Virgin Prunes and more!
This issue’s covermount CD features 15 songs in the key of Floyd: inspirations, associated artists, inspired covers, including tracks by Love, Miles Davis, Paul Butterfield, Nina Persson, Ron Grainer and more!
Almost 50 (1 March 2023)
.
You can purchase a copy and let it be sent to your home address. Info HERE.
Prog rock titans PINK FLOYD has uploaded 18 live concerts
from their 1972 world tour. It also includes five alternative
tracks from the same year. Sonic food for Floyd fanatics.
Here’s the one from Brussels.
.
All concerts.
1. Live At Southampton Guildhall, UK, 23 January 1972 2. Live At Carnegie Hall, New York, 5 Feb 1972 3. Live At The Rainbow Theatre, London 17 February 1972 4. Live At The Rainbow Theatre, London 18 Feb 1972 5. Live At The Rainbow Theatre, London 19 Feb 1972 6. Live At The Rainbow Theatre, London 20 Feb 1972 7. Live At The Taiikukan, Tokyo, Japan, 3 Mar 1972 8. Live At The Vorst Nationaal, Brussels, Belgium, 5 Dec 1972
9. Live At Osaka Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan, 8 Mar 1972 10. Live At Nakajima Sports Centre, Sapporo, Japan, 13 Mar 1972 11. Live At Chicago Auditorium Theatre, USA, 28 April 1972 12. Live At The Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany, 18 May 1972 13. Live At The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, 22 Sept 1972 14. Live At The Empire Pool, Wembley, London, 21 Oct 1972 15. Live At Ernst-Merck Halle, Hamburg, Germany, 12 Nov 1972 16. Live At The Palais des Sports, Poitiers, France 29 Nov 1972 17. Live At The Palais des Sports de L’Ile de la Jatte, Saint Ouen, France, 1 Dec 1972 18. Live At The Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland 9 Dec 72
British long-time running music magazine
MOJO has its new massive issue #351 out.
The mag celebrates the 50th anniversary (released 24 March 1973) of
PINK FLOYD‘s timeless masterpiece THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON,
with the help of top musicians and writers. Plus: the real inspiration
for its cover design revealed.
Also in the issue: the Stones, Blur, Nick Drake
and everything else to look forward to in 2023.
The appended CD features 15 songs in the key of Floyd: inspirations,
associated artists, inspired covers, including tracks by Love, Miles Davis,
Paul Butterfield, Nina Persson, Ron Grainer and more!
You can purchase a copy and let it be sent to your home. Info HERE.
