Waters, Gilmour, Barrett, Wright and Mason 076

Waters, Gilmour, Barrett, Wright and Mason 076

Look closer for five song lyrics: “I certainly was in the right.” (Money) “How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?” (Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2); “Who was dragged down by the stone.” (Dogs); “I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do.” (The Great Gig in the Sky); “The band is just fantastic. That is really what I think. Oh, by the way, which one’s pink?” (Have a Cigar).

The Story:

Pink Floyd was formed in London, 1965 as one of the first British psychedelic groups. They were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows. They became a leader of progressive rock. Pink Floyd was founded by Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). Under Barrett’s leadership, they released two charting singles and the successful debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined in January 1968; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. Waters became the primary lyricist and thematic leader, devising the concepts behind Pink Floyd’s most successful albums, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). 

In 1981 tensions led Wright to leave Pink Floyd followed by Waters in 1985. Gilmour and Mason were Pink Floyd, rejoined later by Wright. They produced two albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994) then took a break until 2005 when all but Barrett reunited for a performance at the global awareness event Live 8. Barrett died in 2006, Wright in 2008. The last Pink Floyd studio album, The Endless River (2014), used unreleased material from Division Bell recordings. Gilmour and Mason reformed in 2022, to protest the invasion of Ukraine, and released the song “Hey, Hey, Rise Up!”.

By 2013, Pink Floyd had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and these albums and Wish You Were Here are among the best-selling albums of all time. Four Pink Floyd albums topped the US Billboard 200, and five topped the UK Albums Chart. Pink Floyd’s hit singles include “See Emily Play” (1967), “Money” (1973), “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” (1979), “Not Now John” (1983), “On the Turning Away” (1987) and “High Hopes” (1994). They were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Tea Set, they rebranded in late 1965 first referring to themselves as the Pink Floyd Sound. Eventually they were the Pink Floyd and later simply Pink Floyd. Barrett created the name quickly discovering that another band, also called the Tea Set, were to perform at one of their gigs. The name is derived from the given names of two blues musicians whose Piedmont blues records Barrett had in his collection, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. 

Barrett’s performances were enthusiastic, “leaping around … madness … improvisation … [inspired] to get past his limitations and into areas that were … very interesting. Which none of the others could do”, wrote biographer Nicholas Schaffner.

In 1967, Pink Floyd gained fame. They signed with EMI, receiving a £5,000 advance. EMI released the band’s first single, “Arnold Layne”, on 10 March 1967. EMI-Columbia released a second single, “See Emily Play”, on 16 June 1967. It fared better than “Arnold Layne”, peaking at number 6 in the UK. The band performed on the BBC’s Look of the Week, where Waters and Barrett, erudite and engaging, faced tough questioning from the host. On a later appearance, Barrett had begun to unravel. The band noticed changes in his behavior. By early 1967, he was regularly using LSD, and Mason described him as “completely distanced from everything going on”.

EMI Studios in London agreed to record the first album. Mason recalled that the sessions were trouble-free. Smith disagreed, stating that Barrett was unresponsive to his suggestions and constructive criticism. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn released in August 1967. The album reached number six, spending 14 weeks on the UK charts. However, Barrett’s mental breakdown caused serious concern. The group initially hoped it would be a passing phase. But a manager noted, “I found [Barrett] in the dressing room and he was so… gone. Roger Waters and I got him on his feet, [and] we got him out to the stage… The band started to play and Syd just stood there. He had his guitar around his neck and his arms just hanging down.”

Waters arranged a meeting with a psychiatrist and drove Barrett to the appointment. Barrett refused to come out of the car. During appearances on the Dick Clark and Pat Boone shows in November, Barrett confounded his hosts by giving terse answers to questions (or not responding at all) and staring into space. He refused to move his lips to mime “See Emily Play” on Boone’s show. After these embarrassing episodes, King ended their US visit and immediately sent them home to London. Soon after their return, they supported Jimi Hendrix during a tour of England; however, Barrett’s depression worsened as the tour continued.

In December 1967, reaching a crisis point with Barrett, David Gilmour joined. He knew Barrett, having studied with him at Cambridge Tech in the early 1960s. The two played guitars and harmonicas at lunchtimes. Barrett would continue as a nonperforming songwriter. The group planned that Gilmour would “cover for [Barrett’s] eccentricities”. This proved unworkable, so Barrett would just write. In frustration, Barrett, who was expected to write additional hit singles, instead introduced “Have You Got It Yet?” to the band. He changed the structure on each performance so as to make the song impossible to follow and learn. 

Working with Barrett eventually proved too difficult, and matters came to a head in January. En route to a performance a band member asked if they should collect Barrett. According to Gilmour, the answer was “Nah, let’s not bother.” Waters later said, “He was our friend, but most of the time we now wanted to strangle him.” In early March 1968, Pink Floyd met with business partners to discuss the band’s future; Barrett agreed to leave.

credit – Wikipedia

The artwork: 

The first print of this illustration is available to support a non-profit fundraiser. Contact lisafromlsu@gmail.com.for details.

Digital Print on Archival Matte – Original in graphite and these Prisma Colors: Silver on the beam of light entering the prism; Poppy Red for its hallucinogenic properties; Dark Green for the Dark Side of the Moon; True Blue, Crimson Lake; and Sunburst Yellow. 

Artist: Tobin Bortner of Bastrop, Texas – drawing done in October of 2023 – ©Tobin Signs/Look Closer Illustrations 
DERIVATIVE Work – photo credits: hubpages_com – images_saymedia-content_com – roger-waters-a-brief-glimpse-into-a-tortured-soul; images5_fanpop_com – dave-david-gilmour-25948692-382-500; listal_com – iv1_lisimg_com – 419full-syd-barrett; richard wright – pinterest_com – i_pinimg_com – 48906ce999aa4be3d527fcd4c33d3256–richard-wright-pinky-swear; Nick Mason – debaser_it – p_files_artists_dca_170814.jpgo1c0f0w1d0aCh0.

What you get:
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11 x 14 Print Package with Authenticity Sheet
signed and numbered (run of 120)
Domestic Priority Mail $8 (Free shipping)

What you get
for $60 (55.43 + 4.57 tax):
18 x 24 Print with Authenticity Sheet
shipping tube
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