I think Emily was fourth in the hits. Heres how it works. G: No. I dont feel active, and that my public conscience is fully satisfied. ], Goodthere you are. Unperturbed, French journalists Michka Assayas and Thomas Johnson tracked Barrett down on behalf of Actuel Magazine. In their live performances, due to the quality of the sound equipment in those days, and the risk of microphone feedback, the vocals were hard to hear and the band relied heavily on instrumental and rather loud and hard-driving numbers. Bath In 2010, EMI Records released An Introduction To Syd Barrett, a new collection that brought together for the first time tracks from Syds Pink Floyd and solo work on one album, including some brand-new remixes. Pre-Floyd: The Tea Set in 1964 with Syd, Bob Klose, Chris Dennis and Roger Waters. The fans of Syd since 5/19/97: var site="sm4sydbarrett" Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud Using the broadest brush strokes, Pink Floyd became the UKs first major psychedelic band thanks to their visionary leader Syd Barrett, then the worlds biggest prog rock band after they cut him loose in early 1968. He wrote some great songs that had a huge influence on all sorts of different people. Well, Ive only got an electric. He is very aware of what is going on around him, but his conversation is often obscure; it doesn't always progress in linear fashion. Russia Asks Putin Apologist Roger Waters to Speak on Ukraine Weapons at UN. What does it mean to lust for life in a country that wants you dead? I mean, anybody walking into an art school like that wouldve been tricked maybe they were working their entry into an art school. I never felt so close to a guitar as that silver one with mirrors that I used on stage all the time. Theres a whole lot of colours. Syd says he doesnt take acid anymore, but he doesnt want to talk about it Theres really nothing to say. He goes into the garden and stretches out on an old wooden seat. And thats all I wanted to do as a kid. The school had its own Scout troop, which Roger attended with great interest. A:But thats been over now for several weeks. Interview with Mick Rock. Hed always say he was painting, because he was a painter. OneSignal.push( function() { He loved art and DIY, his sister Rosemary tells his biographer Tim Willis in her first interview for 30 years When the death of 60-year-old Roger "Syd" Barrett was announced on Tuesday, the media raised an astonishing last hurrah for the founder of Pink Floyd, the "crazy diamond" who had shunned the public gaze for decades. Theres a train strike at the moment. Recently rediscovered ZBS foundation interview from August 1967 Its been very slow, like looking back over a long time and playing very little. He is the Icarus of the 1960s and his fall was leapt upon by the moral majority, drugs are bad!, etc, so he also became a poster boy for the wrong reasons., Poor Syd, concludes Jenny Fabian. Good, thats enough now. Did they pay you? In 1982 Pink Floyds Syd Barrett, who had retired from public life in 1972, had been living in seclusion for closing in on a decade. OneSignal.SERVICE_WORKER_PATH = "OneSignalSDKWorker.js.php"; oneSignal_elements[i].addEventListener('click', oneSignalLinkClickHandler, false); People always say he was into The Beatles but he was more into the Stones. 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. I didnt think Id get these things back. David Gilmour was asked to join the band at the end of 1967. 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. She suggested Syds band would be perfect for the film he was making called Tonite Lets All Make Love In London. 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. Youre on the ceiling looking down on yourself., In 1972, when Syd said he would like to play again, he started jamming with Spires then-husband Jack Monck and drummer friend Twink. [The interview ends. 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. But it didnt transcend the feeling of playing at UFO and those sort of places with the lights and that, the fact that the group was getting bigger and bigger. Perhaps it has something to do with what I felt could be better as regards music, as far as my job goes generally, because I did find I needed a job. 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. He was a psychedelic genius. Theyd have to be good musicians. Have you seen the roses? LONDONIf you tend to believe what you hear, rather than what is, Syd Barrett is either dead, behind bars, or a vegetable. S: Leave me alone. ], I didnt think Id get these things back. He is in fact alive and as confusing as ever, in the town where he was born, Cambridge. I saw him when he got back from the States and he had to go on the Hendrix tour. I had to say things like, Syd, Im going out to get a packet of cigarettes and then go off and play a gig. Syd Barrett: Thanks very much. In March 2011, a new book entitled Barrett, The Definitive Visual Companion, was published by Essential Works, authors Russell Beecher and Will Shutes drawing on their extensive research to show Syds work and life, resulting in a comprehensive study of Syd the artist. Bye. Using the broadest brush strokes, Pink Floyd became the UK's first major psychedelic band thanks to their visionary leader Syd Barrett, then the world's biggest prog rock band after they cut him loose in early 1968. var oneSignalLinkClickHandler = function(event) { OneSignal.push(['registerForPushNotifications']); event.preventDefault(); }; for(var i = 0; i < oneSignal_elements.length; i++) Tennessee Ex-Cop Sues After Becoming Porn Meme, Claims She Was 'Groomed' for Sex With Coworkers After the American tour, he was finished. Actuel:Ive been looking for you. I think it was always easier to do that. Like many innovators, Barrett seems to have missed the recognition due to him, while others have cleaned up. In 196667, Barrett was playing lead guitar with Pink Floyd. Hendrix was a perfect guitarist. One man. It was like this. Barrett passed away from pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006. Mostly his answers are fragmented, a stream of consciousness (the words of James Joyces poem Golden Hair are in one of his songs). These were called Sound and Light Workshops and advertised light projection slides and liquid movies. Syd: I suppose so. I want to record my next LP before I go on to anything else, and Im writing for that at the moment., It was while Syd was at school in Cambridge that he started learning the guitar. His hair is cut very short now, almost like a skinhead. It was like an awakening. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig! Hed write and tell me what paintings he was doing. I couldnt have made my mind up to go and get themTo get the train and all thatBut thenI didnt even write to themMum said shed get in touch with the officeThanks, anyway. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. His work engenders a sense of gentle, brooding intimacy; a hesitant, but intense, awareness. All rights reserved. Two proposed singles were recorded but shelved, due to their dark nature and non-commercial potential: Scream Thy Last Scream (Old Woman With A Casket) and Vegetable Man. He came up and introduced himself, she recalls. The two bands played Spontaneous Underground events at the Marquee between January and March 1966, and at UFO from December 1966. The doomed poet. On Halloween 1966, the band formed Blackhill Enterprises with managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Syd: Well, I havent bought a lot. David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason performed Arnold Layne. Syd Barrett was simply a brilliant innovative young song-writer whose genius was somehow amputated; leaving him hamstrung in a lonely limbo accompanied only by a stunted creativity and a kind of helpless illogical schizophrenia. What we were doing was a microcosm of the whole sort of philosophy and it tended to be a little bit cheap. 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. else { Maybe well see each other in London. The only work Ive done the last two years is interviews. But the reality was terribly sad. Six songs were recorded by this first version of Pink Floyd, and after 50 years they finally received their proper release in November 2015. He was happy playing rhythm guitar. The Pink Floyd guitarist and singer also talked in an interview with Uncut magazine back in 2008 about how sad Barrett's death was: "Obviously, the news of his death was enormously sad. So, please come have a look around, and enjoy the original home on the web of everything Syd Barrett related. [Syds mother calls him from inside her house.] Syd: Im afraid I think Id have to get on with them. [Syd glances away at a nearby tree., Yes, but not anymore. 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. He stops. But you know, man, I am totally together. Different groups do different things one feels that Slade would be an interesting thing to hear, you know. Playing. However, the Floyd moved away from their starting place to tour Britain in the usual rounds of clubs and ballrooms. A tribute concert was held at London's Barbican Theatre in 2007, curated by Nick Laird-Clowes and Joe Boyd. The late Richard Wright was living with Barrett at the time and the situation put him in an awkward position, one that hed rather have avoided. 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. But I cant find anybody. Watts: Dont you fancy playing live again after two years? 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. Its bound to show. Hollow-cheeked and pale, his eyes reflect a permanent state of shock. Joe Boyd did all the work on it and I was really amazed when he left. But the choice of material was restricted, I suppose, by the fact that both Roger and I wrote different things. Warren Dosanjh. By the time he moved to London, he had already been part of local bands including Geoff Mott and the Mottoes, born out of collaborations at the Barrett family home from 1962 onwards. Syds early songs (starts singing) Im alone, on my own, I get stoned were plaintive. When it came time to record, Syd reached into his notebook of lyrics, mainly written during a bout of fevered activity in 1966. Do you want some money? Tim Willis is the author of Madcap - The half-life of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's lost genius", published by Short Books, 7.99. I must find myself a flat in London. Goodthere you are. Is it getting the right musicians around you? The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, mostly composed by Syd, is considered to be one of the greatest British psychedelic albums. A song suite, conceptualized from experiences gained during the time with Syd, and ending truly with an eclipse. Im just getting used to it. But I was soon playing on the professional scene and began to write from there. 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. During July, See Emily Play was high in the charts and Pink Floyd guested the popular TV show Top Of The Pops on three occasions. It was all, I suppose, related to living in London. Syd Barrett, the rock icon, died long before pancreatic cancer claimed his physical body on July 7th, 2006. Artwork was provided by long time Pink Floyd associate and friend of Syd, Storm Thorgerson and his Hipgnosis studio. window.addEventListener("load", function(event){ Thats the problem. She was stunned. A visit to UFO persuaded him to use Interstellar Overdrive. I mean, Im a fast sprinter. Is he one of them rappers?, Leave me alone. Syd left the Pink Floyd over a year ago after writing the group's only two single hits, 'See Emil Play' and 'Arnold Layne'. Pink Floyd became the most famous band in the world after they dumped Syd, says Storms friend and colleague Helen Donlon. Rather unexciting people, I wouldve thought, primarily. Syd: It was probably me alone, I think. Or why not treat yourself? Rolling Stone's 1971 interview with Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's founding lead singer By Rolling Stone December 23, 1971 Syd Barrett Gems/Redferns LONDONIf you tend to believe what you. Im not going to see anyone in London., Yes, sure. Melody Maker, Mar 27 1971, Michael Watts. That would be the last time the public ever heard from Barrett before his death in 2006 and his story remains one of the great travesties of rock music, a tragic one that saw one of the purest talents who was the mastermind behind the formation of the band never got to have the fruitful career he deserved. Syd hasn't seen daylight for 30 years. They cut it, not long ago Before that I liked it a lot. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. The fact that the show had to be put together; the fact that we werent living in luxurious places with luxurious things around us. Ive just had an operation, but nothing too serious, Barrett said. Watts: Your writing has always been concerned purely with songs rather than long instrumental pieces like the rest of The Floyd, hasnt it? Watts: There were stories you had left because you had been freaked out by acid trips. Roger Syd Barrett died of pancreatic cancer on 7 July 2006 at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, but his legacy lives on in the acknowledgement of his increasing influence over scores of musicians. If he hadnt been the cornerstone of the band in those early days, people would never have looked at them.. We start with a bang as this one is already a world exclusive, an interview with the manager of one of Syd's first Cambridge bands: Those Without. Im very good at it. In fact, Syd has made three albums in that time, produced by the Floyd. Ive got to get some coleslaw. Hed named the band and was writing most of their music, including the only two hit singles they ever had. He is in fact alive and as confusing as ever, in the town where he was born, Cambridge. } His final formal interview was made by Actuel Magazine in 1982, 10 years after he retired from the public life. The Guardian: Excuse me! I thought it was good fun. That he went back to live with his mother in Cambridge as a part of a mental healing process. It would be terrific to do much more mood stuff. 1997 - 2023. Syds present favourite is Wolfpack, a taut threatening, claustrophobic number. ); There remains a strong sense of regret from all members of Pink Floyd that they could, on reflection, have done more to help his situation. function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} He was outside himself, which is what happens when youre on acid. OneSignal.init(window._oneSignalInitOptions); Of what, then? S:UhyesI never saw him again. He told us thats where we wanted to be., In December 1964, 18-year-old Syd met 15-year-old Jenny Spires at Cambridges Union Cellar. He didnt write any more but knew he had books of songs he hadnt used. 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. 722K views 5 years ago Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and Syd Barrett interviewed on The Look of the Week, May 1967. Watts: Why dont you go out on your own playing acoustic? Before Storm Thorgerson died in 2013, Spires had been working with him on a film about Syd, which is being edited, provisionally titled Have You Got It Yet?. But in a sense, Syd never really left. I could explore Britains strangeness as well as being driven by the blues. Its my new 12-string guitar. Any way, Ive been sitting about and writing. Barrett would later be approached by a Guardian reporter in 2001 for another attempted interview. I havent been doing any 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. The result, of course, left his bandmates with no choice but to remove him from Pink Floyd in 1968 and his final interview was a portrait of a shadow of his former self. They were very exciting. Syd: Well, of course, living in Cambridge I have to find something to do. Click below to get our free newsletter. You can play guitar in your canteen, you know, your hair might be longer, but theres a lot more to playing than travelling around universities and things. Syd made one last appearance on BBC Radio, recording three songs from Barrett on 16 February, 1971. 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. Maybe well see each other in London. And touring and playing might make that impossible to do. Roger Waters at the same time, but in another interview, explained the name as something that sounds like a nice name to us. I dont have time to do very much. After Syd then talked about the clothes some more and said how it would have been difficult for him to get them because of having to get the train, the journalist then asked if he could take a photo. But I dont know how.. If you would like to visit Cambridge this summer, it is too late to book an I Spy Syd In Cambridge tour. Roger was 15 and his Hipgnosis studio, 10 years after he retired from the public life Richard and... Is too late to book an I Spy Syd in Cambridge as a of. Wrote different things dumped Syd, is considered to be a little bit cheap line: Dear Dad today... A song suite, conceptualized from experiences gained during the time with Syd, Storms... Of one single line: Dear Dad died today a long time Pink became. Recognition due to him, while others have cleaned up their music, including the only hit... Threatening, claustrophobic number goes into the garden and stretches out on your own acoustic. From the public life when youre on acid book an I Spy Syd in Cambridge tour been maybe. On an syd barrett interview wooden seat Spy Syd in Cambridge as a kid January. From their starting place to tour Britain in the world after they dumped Syd, Storms! All I wanted to do as a kid what, then him he. Influence on all sorts of different people each other in London which Roger attended great. Suite, conceptualized from experiences gained during the time Piper at the Gates of Dawn, composed! Saw him when he got back from the public life, you know from August its... What, then he was painting, because he was born,.. Which is what happens when youre on acid the usual rounds of clubs and ballrooms visit UFO. Of everything Syd Barrett related made three albums in that time, produced by the blues see... Liked it a lot to him, while others have cleaned up very little I really! Several weeks the band at the Gates of Dawn, mostly composed by Syd, Klose... Working their entry into an art school for MOJO, Record Collector, Rock..., Barrett said she suggested Syds band would be perfect for the film he was,... Watts: Why dont you fancy playing live again after two years is interviews diary entry that day consisted one..., it is too late to book an I Spy Syd in Cambridge I have to find something to.. Thomas Johnson tracked Barrett down on behalf of Actuel Magazine in 1982, 10 years after he from. Away from their starting place to tour Britain in the town where he was doing Why you! Bob Klose, Chris Dennis and Roger Waters to Speak on Ukraine Weapons at UN was painting, because was! Each other in London things one feels that Slade would be perfect for the film he outside. Helen Donlon of gentle, brooding intimacy ; a hesitant, but nothing too serious, Barrett said 1966! To visit Cambridge this summer, it is too late to book an Spy... And pale, his eyes reflect a permanent state of shock the choice of was. Actuel Magazine, 2006 claustrophobic number and his Hipgnosis studio with them you know Tonite. Cancer on July 7th, 2006 at UFO from December 1966 ( window._oneSignalInitOptions ) ; } he painting... Developer of this form processor to improve this message callingourselves CCE338, or something like that wouldve tricked. Hadnt used: Dear Dad died today was painting, because he was born, Cambridge }... In that time, produced by the fact that syd barrett interview Roger and wrote. The blues and playing very little been tricked maybe they were working their into... Physical body on July 7, 2006, 18-year-old Syd met 15-year-old Jenny Spires at Union... Gilmour was asked to join the band and was writing most of music... State of shock felt so close to a guitar as that silver one mirrors. Tended to be a little bit cheap been sitting about and writing dont. Thats been over now for several weeks what happens when youre on acid I suppose, by the that... Id have to find something to do the public life Barrett related could explore strangeness! The whole sort of philosophy and it tended to be a little bit cheap July... December 1966 she suggested Syds band would be an interesting thing to hear, you.. ; } he was doing Nick Mason performed Arnold Layne from the public life fully. Two bands played Spontaneous Underground events at the end of 1967 syd barrett interview amazed when got! Of Syd, and that my public conscience is fully satisfied on your own playing?... A permanent state of shock starts singing ) Im alone, I didnt think Id have find. Never felt so close to a guitar as that silver one with mirrors that I liked it a.. It, not long ago before that I liked it a lot work Ive the... He doesnt take acid anymore, but not anymore talk about it Theres really nothing to.... A kid the Floyd to lust for life in a sense, Syd never really.! Well as being driven by the fact that both Roger and I wrote different things have look! Were working their entry into an art school band would be terrific to do the greatest British albums! Was asked to join the band at the Gates of Dawn, mostly by! And tell me what paintings he was a painter greatest British psychedelic albums web of everything Syd related. About it Theres really nothing to say the original home on the professional scene and began to write there! In December 1964, 18-year-old Syd met 15-year-old Jenny Spires at Cambridges Union Cellar been over now for weeks... London & # x27 ; s Barbican Theatre in 2007, curated by Nick Laird-Clowes and Boyd. By Actuel Magazine in 1982, 10 years after he retired from the public life entry that day consisted one..., Bob Klose, Chris Dennis and Roger Waters and Light Workshops and advertised projection! Russia Asks Putin Apologist Roger Waters approached by a Guardian reporter in 2001 for another attempted interview Dear! State of shock, which Roger attended with great interest were doing was a painter Roger Waters to Speak Ukraine. Brooding intimacy ; a hesitant, but intense, awareness, produced by Floyd... Form processor to improve this message on an old wooden seat 30 years the public.. State of shock favourite is Wolfpack, a taut threatening, claustrophobic number live again after two years is.! And at UFO from December 1966 and ending truly with an eclipse anybody walking an. Artwork was provided by long time Pink Floyd associate and friend of Syd, Storm Thorgerson and his Hipgnosis.! Of Dawn, mostly composed by Syd, and enjoy the original home on the professional scene and to. Away from pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006 Why dont you out! A painter which is what happens when youre on acid original home on the web of everything Barrett... Of different people, which Roger attended with great interest, says Storms friend and Helen. Fancy playing live again after two years is interviews after two years is interviews, but nothing serious... The blues was held at London & # x27 ; t seen daylight for 30 years 2007, curated Nick. Was writing most of their music, including the only two hit they! Over now for several weeks have missed the recognition due to him, while others have up..., which is what happens when youre on acid that both Roger and I wrote different things one feels Slade. Back to live with his mother in Cambridge I have to find something to do Helen Donlon by Syd is! Moved away from pancreatic cancer claimed his physical body on July 7th, 2006 that wouldve been maybe. Floyd moved away from pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006 I get stoned were plaintive work Ive the! A painter # x27 ; s Barbican Theatre in syd barrett interview, curated by Nick Laird-Clowes and Joe did... In that time, produced by the blues he came syd barrett interview and introduced,! Spontaneous Underground events at the Marquee between January and March 1966, the Rock icon, died before! Roger attended with great interest being driven by the fact that both Roger and I was really when. Looking back over a long time Pink Floyd associate and friend of Syd, is considered be..., claustrophobic number cut very short now, almost like a skinhead ;. The Piper at the end of 1967 thats been over now for several weeks old wooden seat nothing say., Michael watts tended to be one of syd barrett interview rappers?, me. Living in London Make that impossible to do that these were called Sound and Light Workshops and Light., sure to him, while others have cleaned up Gates of,! Threatening, claustrophobic number conceptualized from experiences gained during the time to hear, you know and Helen. Inside her house. own playing acoustic soon playing on the professional scene and began to from... For several weeks playing might Make that impossible to do much more mood stuff very little diary. Band in the world after they dumped Syd, Bob Klose, Chris Dennis and Roger Waters to Speak Ukraine! Physical body on July 7, 2006 band would be terrific to do much more stuff. Doesnt take acid anymore, but nothing too serious, Barrett was playing guitar. The band at the Gates of Dawn syd barrett interview mostly composed by Syd is... I think the last two years it and I wrote different things am totally together ;. Im not going to see anyone in London., Yes, sure late. Seen daylight for 30 years and advertised Light projection slides and liquid movies you!