@@j1derli Seriously! Adam is always trying to get us to pick ONE, when he _knows_ we can't, and I bet he can't either! My "favorite" anything is always subject to change, except for my favorite child. I only have one so that's easy.😃
Roy Harper somehow managed to craft an uncanny blend of Roger and David. It’s profoundly enigmatic how one isn’t sure which of them sang it, without the remote notion of anyone other than Roger or David. The inflections and snide ridicule evident are perfectly seamless and genuine. Astonishing.
Well, if you are familiar with Harper’s work and have any of his records, you will hear that his vocals are pure Roy, and not anyone else. He nailed a Pink Floyd song where Waters and Gilmore couldn’t. Listen to the bonus version of Have A Cigar on the box set of WYWH with Waters on vocals…
Waters claims a few more tries he'd have gotten it.... Haha, another aside is Roy Harper is hardly a random guy, but in the USA you could argue it hahahaha
Hard to answer but Queen might be another one. I heard my 13 year old daughter sing Don’t Stop Me Now the other day. She had no idea who the band was, but I played a few more songs and she knew each one. 😂
I found an 8 track of Wish u Were Here walking home from school in 1976. When I got home I immediately inserted the aforementioned tape into my Panasonic TNT 8 track player. It changed everything for me. That one “tape” changed my understanding of music. I was 10 at the time. I honestly had no idea what I was listening to, but I knew it moved me. I knew that at 10 years old. Fast forward 50 years and I currently own 4 different versions of the album, several cd’s and a reel to reel copy in my collection. It continues to amaze me and I share it with anyone who will listen. I was fortunate enough to see a few Pink Floyd Tours. Also caught Roger Waters The Wall Tour several years ago. Thanks for the detailed insight into such an Epic Record. Took my right back to that day walking home from school. I’m actually about a quarter of a mile away from the very location as I type. Cheers, Dino
I saw Pink Floyd at Giants stadium in the mid-90s and the concert opened with “Shine on you crazy diamond.” The first chord played for a long time on a gradual fade in and fans in the stadium slowly started to notice it. Then just as it got loud enough for everyone to hear it, the lights went out and the stadium erupted in cheers. It was my first stadium concert and I’ll never forget it.
I saw them in Edmonton Alberta in '94 and that's how they started the show. It was also my first stadium concert. Absolutely surreal experience! To this day it ranks as my all-time favorite concert.
@robertgrey7266, was that the show where they placed DSOTM in its entirety? If so, I was at that same show. It remains one of the greatest concert experiences of my life.
Roy Harper certainly did NOT come out of nowhere. He is one of the most respected musicians in the UK, cited by most major players as one of their favourite artists. You should try listening to "Stormcock" or "HQ" and you will realise what an amazing composer and poet he is.
I just saw an interview with Roy where they were trying to get the vocal right on Have A Cigar and nobody had the attitude for the song. He was in the control room and one of them asked him to try. And he had the attitude for Cigar.
yeh i have a record he did with john baldry when in uk several years back he was on bbc at one of the megafestivals and interview few months back uncut mag had his perspective of the 73 zep tour looking back 50 years later
It’s remarkable that a band could follow up an album like DSOTM with WYWH. And then with Animals? And then with The Wall? Seriously, they are the GOAT in my opinion.
I love the album, but Wish You Were Here is the one that really strikes a chord with me. There are a couple people that have came through my life that I send that song out to. I miss them dearly.
Amen. Anyone who has lost a loved one or friend can relate. I think of people that are no longer in my life every time I hear this song. I sing along with the last part every time.
I saw Gov’t Mule on New Year’s Eve, 2003 at the legendary Beacon Theater in NYC. They played Wish You Were Here as a tribute to their late founding bassist, the great Allen Woody, while home movies of him throughout his life played on video screens. I looked around and every single person in attendance was singing and many had tears streaming down their faces. It was one of the most moving communal experiences I’ve ever had and I’ll never forget it. R.I.P., Woody. Gone, but never to be forgotten. ❤️🤘🏼
The band's reverence for their fallen comrade is epic, literally, with their homage to him in multiple songs and albums. They were told by Syd's family that visiting him only made him more depressed but, even though he'd been cut out of the band for recording and performing, they continued to pay him, helping to take care of him.
They only made sure that he received the royalties from the PF albums he appeared on, but David Gilmour did help Syd with his solo albums after he left PF. That also provided some income for him.
I think this story confirms that it was Waters who spiked Syd. It was said "a friend" had secretly given LSD to Syd which triggered his psychosis. So much guilt is possibly for more than rudeness!
Why was Syd cut out of recording? Nick was the only one who didn't contribute to his solo albums and that's because he wasn't good enough to keep up with Syd's abstract timing. Those were basically Floyd albums under a different name (of the man who both made and named their band) and the results were better than what Pink Floyd were making at the time. They sound like they could've been produced today. They even sound more like Pink Floyd did, then and later, Dark Side etc included. There are elements of More, OBC, Meddle, DSOTM, even The Wall in them. But he wasn't allowed to record with his own band? As PINK FLOYD?
Syd had serious psychiatric problems. PF couldn't continue with him. At least David helped him record his solo albums to help him make money, and they ensured that he got his royalties from sales of the earlier albums he was on. When Syd passed away in 2006, he was worth over a million pounds sterling. The remaining members of the band were deeply saddened by what happened to Syd. They all knew him as youngsters. It was a very hard decision to let him go, but it was necessary. 😢@@Josephine_Mass
Those 4 notes are indeed haunting, beautiful, and compelling. I never heard them described as Sid's ... Bb F G E Great story about Cigar. All these years of loving PF but never new who actually sang the song! Happy New Year all 🎉
I bought darkside of the moon in middle school in 1973 and was hooked on Pink Floyd. I bought and still have all the original albums. I still get Goose bumps everytime I listen to Pink Floyd. Their music can take you away anywhere your imagination wants to take you.
Heard that story of Syd appearing in the studio before, but it still made me tear up to hear it again. Hits me deep - reminds me of slowly losing my mother to dementia.
The first time I heard this story of Syd I figured it had to be some kind of urban legend. It was too weird and improbable to be true. But it is. And so tragic. I can't begin to imagine how they all felt when they figured out who he was.
Happy New Year to everybody!! This was incredible to learn more details about this masteriece - great way to kick off the new year. I'll be listening to it all day :) Thanks for another great job!
In a radio interview, all we had back in the 80s etc., David actually stated he played slide guitar with a bottle-neck, not a lapsteel, however he's been seen doing both, but lapsteel live in most all videos
However old I get, this piece of music will always be one of my favorite records. Timeless, beautiful, haunting, amazing. I never get tired of listening to it.
I heard that story about Sid coming into the studio and I love it! I think someone recognized him at the door and let him in and didn't tell the band because they thought they would recognize him, or they wanted to see how long it would take to. I don't think it was just random luck or chance meeting. I think it happened for a reason. Beautiful song and tribute to him. I know someone who went mad after taking too much lsd, and it is very sad to see that happen.
@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 what's sad is that this was the last meaningful meeting he would have with them before he became a near total recluse (he literally fled from Roger Waters when he incidentally ran into him a few years later in a department store). It would almost be mistaken for a plot from a movie, proving truth can be stranger than fiction.
IMO...one of only a handful of rock albums that can be played all the way through without skipping a single song. Masterpiece from start to finish. (Dark Side of the Moon is another.)
Animals is my overall favorite but I absolutely love Wish You Were Here, as an album and as individual songs. 🎉🎉🎉🎉 lyrical genius, all the instruments get to shine at different times.. it's a super cool piece of work!
Loved this video! As a fan if this album in real time, (back in the day) it is really eye opening to see what they went through to make it happen. You brought the goods again, Prof! One note: In England, when they argue, it is a row, rhymes with ow, as apposed to to row a boat.
The story behind this album is just as amazing as the album. I rate this album as equally to the dark side of the moon and love listening to their music everyday. Mate love your work and all the research you put in to every episode.
My youngest son and I were driving in a convertible around Crescent Lake in Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula. Beautiful place, right when we came out of the trees, and the lake came into view, those 4 notes hit hard. My son was 15 at the time and just discovering Pink Floyd as well as the Eagles. Those first 4 notes became the ringtone for me on his phone. A magic time for both of us. He took his own life 1 year later. I still love Wish You Were Here and Shine On. They are so hard to listen to now, however. But I still do.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine the pain you must have, and still are, experiencing. I have five sons and that’s where my understanding ends. I hope you know it’s not your fault. This condition called life is such a dichotomy of beauty and tragedy. I don’t know you, but I love you for trooping on.
Love Pink! "Wish you were here"is my favorite album of theirs. Always been a loyal fan, but that one has a collection of songs that can't be beat. Years after I'd been saying it was my favorite, I heard an interview with them, and they said it was their favorite too. I just knew that album was extra special.
Someone stole my WYWH album 40 years ago, but I still have the postcards that came with it. One has someone standing on their head (or hands) underwater so just their legs are sticking perfectly straight up. The other has 2 men shaking hands, but one is on fire and appears to be unbothered by the flames. I have a suggestion for a future show that I think would be interesting to young and old both, show some albums from the late 60s until early 80s that came with bonuses like posters, song lyric booklets, etc. Rolling Stones had a real zipper incorporated into the cover of "Sticky Fingers", which was an up close and personal photo of the crotch of a man (I assume it's Mick) wearing blue jeans (absolutely no question, it's a male!). Mom wouldn't let me buy it, so I _still_ never got to peek behind that zipper! I was told it was just tighty whities and nothing naughty. 😂 Just a show about the album art from the 60s and 70s would be interesting. As a teen I had a poster of Three Dog Night that came with the album (when there was only 3 of them). That poster freaked out my BFF because it looked like their eyes followed you no matter where you stood!😳 Records were expensive so we loved getting a lil sumpthin extra! I'll never forget the wonderful scent of fresh vinyl when we carefully sliced open the shrink wrap!☺
Wish You Were Here is still, and always will be, my favorite Pink Floyd album...nothing else compares...although I love everything they've done...Thank you for covering this great album, and band Adam...
@@ProfessorofRock Pink Floyd is my #1. Through just the absolute randomness of the universe, there has always been a Pink Floyd song randomly playing in the background of important moments of my life. I hadn't realized this until about 6 months ago, and each moment has a different song. My top 5 is impossible because I have too many to just narrow it down to 5 without feeling guilt for leaving someone out, but they're all the heavy hitters for sure.
One of the greatest LP's of all time and my favorite concert. I was lucky to see them in July 1975 before this LP came out but touring for it. I saw them in Hamilton ,Ontario on the last stop of their N. American tour. It was Epic.
Roy Harper is no random guy! The Greatest English song writer A revolutionary poet/musician, had been paying his dues since the early 60s An incredibly important singer/guitarist He is the English Dylan but with a beautiful voice and better guitar skills, an old friend of 'Zep ' (Hats off) on Zep 3 Have loved the man for decades Please check out his music, 40 odd releases!!
Love the Umphrey's name drop, you are definitely one of my new favorite channels. I saw them perform Have a Cigar a few years back and it was indeed one of the most amazing tributes ive ever seen to Pink Floyd. I cant believe i never knew that was Roy Harper on vox, ive been listening to that album for almost 20 years and never knew! Thanks Professor.
My best friend in high school was sporting his new copy of the album in about 1984. I remember hearing "Wish you were here" on his stereo record player, A song that he loved. He was killed a few years later in a tragic robbery gone bad. I still hold back tears when I hear it play. It's a great tune that I'm sure has brought a lot of reminiscent tears over the years!
Apart from the studio recording, my favourite version of Shine On is David Gilmour live in Gdansk. It was recorded live not long after Syd's death and is sung with such melancholy that it is heartbreaking. It was also the last time Rick Wright would perform it live before his death.
So fascinating this story about Shine on you crazy Diamond. Pink Floyd is one of the best groups of all time in my opinion. Thanks for covering this. Professor of Rock, you truly have a gift for storytelling. Would love to hear more stories on concept albums...perhaps Paradise Theatre by Styx?
There's always been a thin line between genius and madness. Teetering too far one way or the other and you can fall away. Thanks, Prof, for this look into this amazing song. Rock on, my brother.
Wonderful clear view into a band I thought to be a bit theatrical at the time. I’m more into Hendrix as a foundational rock inspiration but you opened a window into Pink Floyd’s background that gives me a reason to revisit their ouvre. 😮
Thanks for this look at Wish You Here , I always thought it seemed somehow underrated but epic at the same time. Welcome to the Machine was way ahead of its time in my opinion. Still a very haunting song that sounds modern to this day. Great channel!
I've never failed to be impressed and entranced by Pink Floyd's music and David Gilmore's guitar work. It's the kind of music that sparks a lot of images and, for me, just mellows me out. Lol! Im listening to your commentary as I write this comment, Professor, and it seems like we're on the same page about how we listen to it. Im willing to bet there's a lot of people who feel just the same 😊
@@kencraig7308 lol! 😊Sorry! I don't think ever considered his name spelling, but I'm a bit of a purist about things myself so the correction is noted and appreciated! 😊👍
Love your channel, I'm the youngest of 7 siblings, grew up in Pink Floyd, a family favorite. I'm in LA and their on east coast. Wish You Were Here is so fitting for me as I start my new year
This is the best Pink Floyd album in my opinion. Dark Side of the Moon is great but is overplayed. Shine On You Crazy Diamond is the song that I would play to someone who never heard what Pink Floyd was about. Friends and I debate whether if Syd never exited the band would we have this iconic Pink Floyd sound today?
In 1977 I went to high school in Denmark. I was 19 years old and some friends introduced me to Pink Floyd. I had never heard of them before and it took me some time to recognize the greatness of the music, but soon I was involved in sitting and analyzing the lyrics of the album "Wish you were here". From there I discovered from behind, you could say, their entire production of records. I have never seen them live, but have been to Roger Waters' concert in Denmark three times.
@ProfessorofRock I was lucky enough to see the Dark Side tour in 73 before I enlisted in the Army. They opened with a couple from Meddle, then they played the entire Dark Side album front to back, then they finished with an extra long version of Echos. To this day, it was hands down the best concert I've ever seen. And I've seen just about everybody in the last 50 years!!
@ProfessorofRock Blossom Music Center in Cleveland. It's pretty much like the Hollywood Bowl. The sound was killer and the stage show was too. Just the best!! Of course, the red windowpane probably helped too!!🤣🤣🤣
I can't listen to this album anymore, after losing a close friend to schizophrenia. She was only 26, and loved Pink Floyd with a passion, to the point that she wanted "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" played at her funeral. I made sure it was. But damn, Sari, I much rather Wish You Were Here now, 20 yrs later.
@@ProfessorofRockThank you very much. She was a beautiful person and a talented musician herself, when she was on her medication and nothing else. Such a reflection of Syd Barrett, though he lived longer, and his friends' tribute to him was heard around the world.
@@DavidOmaha1 Thank you. She's part of why I went into mental health work, as well as my own work as an artist. If I can save a single life, I'll have done right by my lost friend.
Fabulous insight. Being a Pink Floyd fan for nearly 50 years I always thought ' shine on ' came from Roger saying to David ' what were those four notes ?' I never knew eventually it would be known as ' Syd's theme ' Thank you.
Yikes! I've always thought that "Have a Cigar" was the greatest vocals ever in a Pink Floyd song. I wasn't sure if it was sung by Gilmour or Rodgers. Probably Gilmour. Now, I'm finding out that it was a stand in musician, Roy Harper.
I live for music 🎶 I love so many bands and find it hard to like one more than the other because I truly need them ALL in my life. However, Pink Floyd is one of my favs ♥️ But I probably have 100 favorite bands 😂
Thanx for sharing your knowledge and passion for so much of our shared favorite music! Those two Floyd albums are the best back to back ever and I’m a Beatles and Bruce fan- rubber soul/revolver and BTR/darkness..
Thankd again Adam. YOU are number one! Pink Floyd, my all time favorite band. David Gilmour is in the top five or six, meaning maybe the number one. Beck, Page, Walsh, Towshend and Schon. Orémus Y'all.
In 1981 I joined the military. First time away from home, I was feeling a bit homesick. I used part of my first paycheck to buy a small boombox (remember those?) and bought my first album ever - Dark Side of the Moon. Helped me through some tough and lonely times. Such awesome music.. Always tugs at the heart when I hear it.
One of the best moments of my life was seeing Pink Floyd live and hearing those first four guitar notes in "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" float over the crowd, from a darkened stage...
When I was younger, and when I bought this cd, I always thought that was Roger singing on "Have A Cigar". Roy sounded so much like Roger to me back then. Now that I'm older, I can clearly hear the difference. Wow.
I've always felt, personally, that David Gilmour is one of the greatest - if underrated - blues rock guitarists in history, and this is the album that showcases that. Also, when it comes to Roy Harper, I can't help but speculate if David ever thought about bringing him in full time after Roger left just to do more 'fill ins'.
I don't have anything to add to this wonderful story, but I wanted to tell you about my first Pink Floyd concert and how magical it was. I wanted to tell you because I think you are one of the very few who would understand. May 1977, Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. It was the Animals tour. We were there 2 hours early to get a good seat. It was raining. We sat in the rain, praying the concert wouldn't get canceled. Then, the rain stopped, a bit of evening sun peaked through the dark clouds, a rainbow appeared over and across the stage! While we gawked at this sight, we didn't see the band appear on stage and "Pigs on the Wing" began to play. And the sky went dark as the last bit of sun set and the rainbow winked out. 😮
"Welcome to the machine" really resonated with me. I was a teenager when i first heard it, and it reminded me of post apocalyptic worlds, which was my thing at the time. I still have a soft spot for fiction and video games based in post apocalyptic worlds.
I have a personal tradition of listening to "Wish You Were Here" before i go to sleep every night. Unfortunately the list of people gets longer and longer. Happy 2024 to all!🎉 Thank you Professor for all the info on the different bands - I listen at some a lot differently
I have 5 Pink Floyd.I love them All. After Church,We used to go to music store in Mall. I remember grabbing up Wish You Were Here cd ! I've had it forever ,love it forever.
I was a teenager and typical London male of those times, seeing all of the live acts from the early sixties onwards and being into the Floyd et al and idolising Syd (Roger is his birth name!) who was the creative driving force of the early band, even I admit to worshipping the post Syd music, Wish You Were Here is undoubtably an everlasting masterpiece. Roy Harper (and Ron Geeson) were unsung heroes of the day and more or less forgotten these days.
