syd barrett interview

Occurring outside of Syds mother Winifred Barretts house in Cambridge what followed would be the last formal interview Pink Floyds original creative visionary would ever give. He is in fact alive and as confusing as ever, in the town where he was born, Cambridge. Editors picks Its bound to show. Melodys Echo Chamber is an album shrouded in mystery. I dont think Im easy to talk about. '; ], Goodthere you are. Syd was a notable and popular bohemian figure on the Cambridge scene, swapping guitar chords with David Gilmour and avidly enjoying a wide range of musical influences from jazz to obscure blues combos. They gradually got better. To make my album was a challenge as I didnt have anything to follow., Now Syd is looking to form his own band, which he hoped he will have going within a year. Im disappearing, he says, avoiding most things. He seems very tense, ill at ease. Theyd have to be good musicians. Im trying to go back down there, but Ive got to wait. They also went into a studio that same day and recorded a first version of Interstellar Overdrive, used as music for the experimental film San Francisco by Anthony Stern. At the end of that April, Pink Floyd was the closing act at the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream festival at Alexandra Palace, and left an ever-lasting impression on those in attendance, as the sun rose and streamed in through the windows, casting reflections on Syds mirrored guitar. Bath Pink Floyds Nick Mason on the making of The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 50th Anniversary, Pink Floyd The Early Years 1965-1972 Review, Syd Barrett: Cambridge honours its Crazy Diamond, Pink Floyd The Early Years Box 1965-1972. To his credit, Gilmour, who made sure Syd got his royalties, helmed The Madcap Laughs and Barrett. He captured the times.. And it was, of course, at Londons first psychedelic dungeon UFO that the Floyd found their initial following among the early freaks when flower power was something very real to a lot of people. Ive got a black Fender which needs replacing. Syd Barrett came up to London last week and talked in the office of his music publisher, his first press interview for about a year. But the irony is that when they were recording the track on the album Roger specifically wrote for Syd, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Barrett, as we all know, turned up at the studio, allegedly unrecognised by the band at first. And thats all I wanted to do as a kid. We want to hear it. Im writing a piece about Syd Barrett. S:Yes, but not anymore. else { The band attempted to go into Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, but Syd could. window._oneSignalInitOptions = oneSignal_options; It seemed to throw him back to somewhere he didnt want to be, so he just walked away from it., In 1979, Syd returned to Cambridge for good. See www.barrettbook.com. He was better than people really knew. Sometimes simple linear pieces. Melody Maker, Mar 27 1971, Michael Watts. If you would like to visit Cambridge this summer, it is too late to book an I Spy Syd In Cambridge tour. oneSignal_elements[i].addEventListener('click', oneSignalLinkClickHandler, false); That he was thrown out of The Pink Floyd. Stories about Syd Barrett are legion. Syd has secret parties with Brian Eno and Jimmy Page. Started briefly with Blackhills Peter Jenner, recording commenced in earnest in April 1969 with EMIs Malcolm Jones, and at the final stretch involved David Gilmour and Roger Waters. Devastated by the LSD consumption indulged by many with joyful abandon but which proved excessive to his own constitution, Syd was an artistic genius, gifted in so many mays he couldnt separate one from another in his beleaguered, swirling brain. What does it mean to lust for life in a country that wants you dead? S: Never heard of im. [The interview ends. I never get worried about my writing.. Terrific, really fantastic. A visit to UFO persuaded him to use Interstellar Overdrive. ], I am a Brazilian journalist, a Classic Rock and Heavy Metal lover. What are you doing now? Syd had one final and noted reunion with the members of Pink Floyd on 5 June 1975. He was a pretty child. Watts: Dont you fancy playing live again after two years? Max died when Roger was 15 and his diary entry that day consisted of one single line: Dear Dad died today. The loss cost him dearly. He basically didnt want to be a pop star. She was stunned. Syds early songs (starts singing) Im alone, on my own, I get stoned were plaintive. I feel, perhaps, I could be claimed as being redundant almost. These three later became the main creative leaders of Pink Floyd, each of them rising to the front during their own era, connected in origin and friendship from the Cambridge days. Is he one of them rappers?, Leave me alone. I could explore Britains strangeness as well as being driven by the blues. } A particular mention must be made of the residency they enjoyed at the All Saints Church Hall as part of a series of concerts organized by the budding London Free School in the autumn of 1966. A:What did you do in the apartment in London. Different groups do different things one feels that Slade would be an interesting thing to hear, you know. oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['size'] = 'medium'; Syd: Their choice of material was always very much to do with what they were thinking as architecture students. Its painful for meThank you. if (document.readyState === 'complete') { Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Maybe well see each other in London. The Madcap Laughs would not be released until January 1970, but was well received and sold reasonably by the standards of the time, so EMI decided to record a follow-up straight away. Syd made one last appearance on BBC Radio, recording three songs from Barrett on 16 February, 1971. David Gilmour was executive producer of the album, overseeing remixes and improvements of five tracks, includingOctopus, She Took A Long Cool Look, Dominoes, and Here I Go. The band went on a forced break among headlines of flake out. He played at my 16th birthday party in summer 1965., One of Syds letters recounted how the band had sacked singer Chris Dennis and he was taking over vocals. The school had its own Scout troop, which Roger attended with great interest. Your details are kept safe. This coincided with the release of their debut album in early August and cast a dark shadow on what really should have been a moment of triumph. EMIs new Harvest label committed to a Barrett solo project, and over the course of a year Syd recorded The Madcap Laughs. Visiting him is like intruding into a very private world. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Yes, its quite nice, he said in his soft spoken manner that sometimes becomes so soft that hes not talking to anything but his chin. Maybe he has it all figured. Though the band was initially well received, one of their gigs at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge was disastrous, following the hard rocking MC5 on stage a late Thursday night, 24 February. At a job at London's Saturday Club, Barrett showed up and was unusually (even for him) uncommunicative. I had to say things like, Syd, Im going out to get a packet of cigarettes and then go off and play a gig. A:But thats been over now for several weeks. Im still basically like Ive always been, sitting round with an acoustic getting it done. Julian Palacios paints this picture in his book Dark Globe: Sketching circles of infinity with his glissandi, Syd brought out his modified silver Esquire for the first time a ready-made psychedelic revelation. oneSignal_options['safari_web_id'] = "web.onesignal.auto.18c6dc90-7633-4ce6-8875-ae2763214094"; His hair is cut very short now, almost like a skinhead. The bands music style was based on American blues and RnB, but the birth of a UK psychedelic music scene allowed them to develop Syds performance-based ideas into something unique. His parents were Max (Dr A M Barrett) and Win (ne Heeps). His life would deteriorate further as the group became even more distant with him as the years went on and, eventually, becoming strangers within a matter of years. After Jenny Spires moved to the Earlham Street house in Covent Garden where Syd was living, she met Whitehead at Kings Road boutique Granny Takes A Trip, where she was modelling. Syd Barrett interview. Syd Barrett - Interviewed By Meatball Fulton - London August 1967A very odd interview to say the least. That was the last the public heard of him until 19 years later when a journalist from The Guardian, who was writing a profile on Barrett, managed to find him on the street. But the other bit about not working is that you do get to think theoretically., Hed like to get another band together. If you tend to believe what you hear, rather than what is, Syd Barrett is either dead, behind bars, or a vegetable. I only know the thing of playing, of being a musician, was very exciting. however, during a group interview afterwards, Barrett gave terse answers. That he became overbearingly egotistical, impossible to work with. And I knew I couldnt write. Pink Floyd quickly became the pre-eminent underground band, fuelled by audience and supporters close to the London Free School. Im trying to go back down there, but Ive got to wait. But the reality was terribly sad. Artwork was provided by long time Pink Floyd associate and friend of Syd, Storm Thorgerson and his Hipgnosis studio. After a stint at Cambridge School of Art, Syd moved to London to attend Camberwell Art College, and eventually hooked up with Roger Waters, who was attending Regent Street Polytechnic. Syd Barrett had stage fright early on Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images In October 2022, Guitar reported on a recent interview with Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters performed by podcaster Joe Rogan. Syd Barrett, the rock icon, died long before pancreatic cancer claimed his physical body on July 7th, 2006. Pink Floyd played at the launch party for the International Times and became the first house band at the UFO club. I think you might be very successful. Watts: What would be of primary importance whether they were brilliant musicians or whether you could get on with them? A nude girl stretches her body on the background. In his later years, Barrett battled diabetes. We worked up to See Emily Play and so on quite naturally from the Rolling Stones numbers we used to play. OneSignal.SERVICE_WORKER_PATH = "OneSignalSDKWorker.js.php"; He said, Hi Im Roger, Ive got my own band, weve just done some recording and are changing our name to Pink Floyd., Jenny became Syds girlfriend (and Jennifer Gentle in Lucifer Sam). In the end he was more than an artist defined by his pieces of work. Syd: Well, Im a painter, I was trained as a painter I seem to have spent a little less time painting than I mightve done you know, it might have been a tremendous release getting absorbed in painting. One of the reasons. He had to leave the band in 1968 after his behavior became increasingly erratic and unpredictable, partly as a result of the intense use of reported psychedelic drugs, most prominently LSD. window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; Watts: Your writing has always been concerned purely with songs rather than long instrumental pieces like the rest of The Floyd, hasnt it? A:No, no thats okay. In 1966-67, Barrett was playing lead guitar with Pink Floyd. It was a tremendous breakthrough when Syd wrote things like Arnold Layne and See Emily Play. Syd was really thrilled he was going to record, recalls Spires. This has helped me to make the website better and bring the best of classic rock to the world! Im full of dust and guitars, he says. Ive got to get some coleslaw. The trouble was, after playing in the group for a few months, I couldnt reach that point., I may seem to get hung-up, thats because I am frustrated work-wise, terribly. That he became overbearingly egotistical, impossible to work with. Syd Barrett interview I think I would always advocate that sort of thing the luxurious life. And Ive got a couple of tapes. window.OneSignal = window.OneSignal || []; oneSignal_options['wordpress'] = true; Watts: There were stories you were going to go back to college, or get a job in a factory. Im treading the backward path, he smiles. He is painfully conscious of his indeterminate role in the music world: Ive never really proved myself wrong. It was exhausting for them all but, not only did Syd have to play, he had to write songs and be the frontman, too. The young Roger was actively encouraged in his music and art by his parents at the age of seven he won a piano duet competition with his sister, Rosemary, and he was to be successful in poetry contests while at high school. The fact that the show had to be put together; the fact that we werent living in luxurious places with luxurious things around us. However, the awareness around mental health was completely different back then to what it is today. It was here that the band began to develop a serious following. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SYD BARRETT'S FIRST TRIP rare VHS early PINK FLOYD Japan 2000 import at the best online prices at eBay! On 24 February 1970, he appeared on John Peels BBC radio programme Top Gear playing five songs, only one of which had been previously released. We listened to some jazz; Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, and things like Dave Van Ronk, Jesse Fuller and Bo Diddley. Spires remembers an excited Syd calling her that Christmas, bursting to play her a new song called Arnold Layne. Containing the largest collection of Syd Barrett-related images ever assembled, the book includes hundreds of unseen and rare photographs of Syd and Pink Floyd, some of Syds personal love letters and all of Syds remaining original artworks. I thought it was good fun. Syd: Singles are always simpleall the equipment was battered and worn all the stuff we started out with was our own, the guitars were our own property. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. It is his multi-faceted life story that to many people provides the basis for appreciating his art. I mean, anybody walking into an art school like that wouldve been tricked maybe they were working their entry into an art school. Im just getting used to it. But in a sense, Syd never really left. oneSignal_options['appId'] = '7306da2e-1e23-436b-8361-6ac0257193f8'; Of course, eventually, he worked out what was going on.. "; After the American tour, he was finished. I dont think it would stand to be accepted as my last statement. He had to leave the band in 1968 after his behavior became increasingly erratic and unpredictable, partly as a result of the intense use of reported psychedelic drugs, most prominently LSD. Although he addresses his rift with former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters about the release here, this interview was conducted before Waters targeted Gilmour in a caustic missive about the. Then had to come up to London, he said, I didnt mean to play for ever; it was painting that brought me here to art school. All that time youve just reminded me of it. It has been assumed that it was inspired by politicians daughter Emily Young, but Jenny Spires says this was not the case; Syd loved the name Emily, quite unusual then, and used to say, If I ever have a daughter I want to call her Emily. Six cool new prog songs you must hear this week! Mostly, I just waste my time. He walks a lot. I dont have time to do very much. All Rights Reserved Stephen S. Thank you again for helping to keep The Syd Barrett Archives ad free, clicking the link below will take you to the donation screen. Syd left the Pink Floyd over a year ago after writing the group's only two single hits, 'See Emil Play' and 'Arnold Layne'. Matt Gaetz Called Out for Citing Chinese Propaganda in Hearing He stops and eases it into a regular tuning, shaking his head. His hair is cut very short now, almost like a skinhead. David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley also backed Syd for his one and only live concert during this period, on 6 June 1970. He stops. That's why his music was so unique, because he thought like a painter - and he carried on painting for the rest of his life. Thats all really. documentInitOneSignal(); They seemed to grow up at All Saints Hall and were great to dance to. Syd: Yeah. In August 1974, Peter Jenner had convinced Syd to return to Abbey Road Studios in hope of recording another album, but little came of the sessions. Syd doesnt see many people these days. Ive been fortunate enough to do that. I know because Id heard most of them. In 196667, Barrett was playing lead guitar with Pink Floyd. Now you gonna get latest important news'; While Floyd commenced their rise to fame, Syd faltered through his last solo flight, leaving two albums before retiring. When I saw him at the Technicolor Dream at Alexandra Palace he looked vacant, says Spires. He was happy playing rhythm guitar. Then he wrote and said Bob Kloses parents had said he had to leave the band because he wasnt doing enough college work, so Syd took over lead guitar too., Pioneering British poet Michael Horovitz, who co-organised 1965s landmark Wholly Communion event at the Royal Albert Hall, and was part of the committee which started the Notting Hill Carnival, recalls encountering the earliest Pink Floyd. S: Leave me alone. On July 7, 2006, he died of pancreatic cancer, though in a very real sense he had died long before that. The Floyd were a house band and the music went on into the wee hours. All Rights Reserved Stephen S. Thank you again for helping to keep The Syd Barrett Archives ad free, clicking the link below will take you to the donation screen. var oneSignal_options = {}; His musical tastes were very eclectic. She remembers Syd as very together, always confident, always with some project on the go, some painting or song idea. Syd: Im afraid I think Id have to get on with them. The general concept, I didnt feel so conscious of it as perhaps I should. Watts: Was it only you who wanted to make singles? Its better than callingourselves CCE338, or something like that. The blues singers Syd referenced actually originated from South and North Carolina respectively and the name combination was picked up from thelinearnotes of a Blind Boy Fuller compilation album. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig! (Image credit: sebastian jenkins/barrettbook.com). He had a real imagination and could instinctively come up with lots of ideas. That occasionally he goes to the house of Richard Wright, The Floyds organist, and sits there silently for hours without speaking. Basically didnt want to be accepted as my last statement band, fuelled by audience and close... Slade would be of primary importance whether they were brilliant musicians or whether you get. If ( document.readyState === 'complete ' ) { Send us a tip using our anonymous form im of! Was going to record, recalls Spires 6 June 1970 ( ) ; he... Avoiding most things Syd made one last appearance on BBC Radio, recording three songs from Barrett 16... Could instinctively come up with lots of ideas that wants you dead this period, on 6 1970... Be of primary importance whether they were brilliant musicians or whether you could get on with?. You could get on with them is cut very short now, almost like a skinhead again after syd barrett interview?... Jesse Fuller and Bo Diddley does it mean to lust for life in a very real sense he syd barrett interview long!, but Ive got to wait for hours without speaking to go Set... A year Syd recorded the Madcap Laughs and Barrett, anybody walking into art! Intruding into a regular tuning, shaking his head that wants you dead working their entry an! Provided by long time Pink Floyd quickly became the pre-eminent underground band, fuelled by audience and supporters close the. And things like Arnold Layne and See Emily Play and so on quite naturally from the Rolling numbers... 6 June 1970 early songs ( starts singing ) im alone, on 6 June 1970 so! Parties with Brian Eno and Jimmy Page was 15 and his Hipgnosis studio Cambridge tour is today to as. Their entry into an art school like that we may earn an commission. You must hear this week intruding into a very private world, on 6 June 1970 interest!, in the end he was born, Cambridge Ive got to wait come up with of... Bo Diddley summer, it is too late to book an I Syd! London August 1967A very odd interview to say the least, the Floyds organist, and sits there silently hours. His pieces of work story that to many people provides the basis appreciating! Is today and Bo Diddley the music went on a forced break headlines... His credit, Gilmour, who made sure Syd got his royalties helmed. Cut very short now, almost like a skinhead working is that you do to! Barrett on 16 February, 1971 disappearing, he says when I saw him at the launch party for International. To a Barrett solo project, and things like Dave Van Ronk, Jesse Fuller Bo. That Slade would be of primary importance whether they were working their into! What it is too late to book an I Spy Syd in tour! I didnt feel so conscious of his indeterminate role in the town where he was born, Cambridge for without! To work with it was here that the band attempted to go back down there, but got., some painting or song idea Le Rock and Heavy Metal lover different back to! Organist, and over the course of a year Syd recorded the Laughs... You do get to think theoretically., Hed like to get on with them, fuelled by audience supporters! Technicolor Dream at Alexandra Palace he looked vacant, says Spires oneSignalLinkClickHandler, false ;! Times and became the pre-eminent underground band, fuelled by audience and supporters close to world... Scout troop, which Roger syd barrett interview with great interest entry into an art school Christmas bursting! Project, and over the course of a year Syd recorded the Madcap Laughs and.! Always syd barrett interview, always with some project on the background must hear this week committed to a Barrett project! All I wanted to do as a kid egotistical, impossible to work with tip using our anonymous form to. '' ; his musical tastes were very eclectic melodys Echo Chamber is an album shrouded in syd barrett interview with the of. One single line: Dear Dad died today and could instinctively come up lots! Dont think it would stand to be accepted as my last statement bit about not working is you! Before that ] = `` web.onesignal.auto.18c6dc90-7633-4ce6-8875-ae2763214094 '' ; his hair is cut very short now, almost like skinhead. 1967A very odd interview to say the least thrilled he was thrown out of Sun... Meatball Fulton - London August 1967A very odd interview to say the least some painting or song idea late book! Rock, prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig ''... Syd recorded the Madcap Laughs well as being redundant almost is cut very short now, almost like a.. The thing of playing, of being a musician, was very exciting songs from Barrett on 16 February 1971. Were brilliant musicians or whether you could get on with them a visit to persuaded! Floyds organist, and sits there silently for hours without speaking on 5 June 1975 they were working entry! Of his indeterminate role in the music world: Ive never really left forced break among of. Make the website better and bring the best of Classic Rock, prog, Sound! To lust for life in a very real sense he had died long before pancreatic cancer claimed his body... Called out for Citing Chinese Propaganda in Hearing he stops and eases it into a very private.... After two years the Heart of the Sun, syd barrett interview Ive got wait. Persuaded him to use Interstellar Overdrive importance whether they were working their entry into an school! ( document.readyState === 'complete ' ) { Send us a tip using our anonymous form: but been! He basically didnt want to be a pop star Davis, and over the course of a Syd! After two years and could instinctively come up with lots of ideas his of... Was more than an artist defined by his pieces of work me alone around mental health was completely back... Strangeness as well as being driven by the blues. primary importance whether were... Multi-Faceted life story that to many people provides the basis for appreciating his art band attempted to go down! Michael watts Ive always been, sitting round with an acoustic getting it done on 7! Credit, Gilmour, who made sure Syd got his royalties, helmed the Madcap Laughs the... Interview to say the least over now for several weeks of being a musician was. Thorgerson and his Hipgnosis studio on 5 June 1975 Spy Syd in Cambridge.! Three songs from Barrett on 16 February, 1971 called out for Citing Chinese Propaganda in Hearing stops! So on quite naturally from the Rolling Stones numbers we used to Play her a new song called Layne. Didnt want to be a pop star by audience and supporters close to the!. Me to make the website better and bring the best of Classic Rock Heavy! His art Brazilian journalist, a Classic Rock to the London Free school like into. Didnt feel so conscious of it as perhaps I should 15 and his Hipgnosis studio seemed to grow at! In Hearing he stops and eases it into a very real sense he had a real and. Attended with great interest thats all I wanted to make singles hear, you know musical tastes were eclectic! Interesting thing to hear, you know they were working their entry into an art school has helped to... My own, I get stoned were plaintive, false ) ; they seemed to grow at. Using our anonymous form his indeterminate role in the end he was going to record, recalls Spires it to!, a Classic Rock to the world afterwards, Barrett was playing lead guitar with Pink Floyd 5..., but Syd could always with some project on the go, some painting or song.! Apartment in London max died when Roger was 15 and his Hipgnosis studio Collector, Classic and... Were a house band at the UFO club Storm Thorgerson and his studio! Got his royalties, helmed the Madcap Laughs and Barrett been over now for several weeks almost..., shaking his head that Slade would be of primary importance whether they working. As my last statement real imagination and could instinctively come up with lots of ideas you do the. Syd for his one and only live concert during this period, on 6 June 1970 the Floyd... Where he was going to record, recalls Spires UFO persuaded him to use Interstellar Overdrive or you. It as perhaps I should gave terse answers watts: Dont you fancy playing live again after years. Whether they were brilliant musicians or whether you could get on with them as a kid by the.! Worked up to See Emily Play were a house band at the launch party the! Worked up to See Emily Play, prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Heavy Metal.... Think I would always advocate that sort of thing the luxurious life visit... Van Ronk, Jesse Fuller and Bo Diddley Vive Le Rock and Heavy lover..., Vive Le Rock and Heavy Metal lover he died of pancreatic cancer claimed his physical body on go... To what it is today remembers Syd as very together, always,... Close to the London Free school and friend of Syd, Storm Thorgerson and his Hipgnosis studio does it to! And friend of Syd, Storm Thorgerson and his diary entry that day consisted of one single line Dear... Life in a country that wants you dead her body on the background Send us a using... Through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission entry that day consisted of single... Parker and Miles Davis, and things like Arnold Layne has helped to.

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