Pink Floyd started out like something around 1965. The original band line up consisted of the following names :
George Rogers Waters born on 9 September 1943. Roger Keith (Syd.) Barrett. born on 6 January 1946. Richard William Wright born on 28 July 1945 Nicholas Berkeley Mason born on 27 January, 1945 & David Jon Gilmour born on 6 March, 1946 who joined them later.
Syd. Barrett joined the Cambridge High School for Boys along with Gilmour and Waters. Later he took on painting and playing guitars. Waters left Cambridge to study architecture in london where in his class he met Richard William Wright and Nicholas Berkeley Mason. They formed a music group called “Sigma 6” which they later changed to “T-Set” and then “The Meggadeaths,” then to “The Architectural Abdabs,” then to “The Screaming Abdabs,” and simply “The Abdabs.” but all this name changing did not brought success to them. Their actual line up was :
Roger Waters, Lead Guitars Richard Wright, keyboards Nick Mason, drums Juliette Gale, vocals Keith Noble, vocals Clive Metcalf, bass
Yup none of them sunged at that time. Later Juliette, Keith, Clive left and group brought Syd. Barrett and Bob Close to the group afterwards even Bob left it. Now at this point Barrett renamed the band to Pink Floyd. The name was inspired by two blues artists, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, who Barrett liked. Now they were Pink Floyd. In 1966 they played at many joints and hangouts they were furthermore inspired to release their album which they did in 1967.
In 1967 Pink Floyd released their album “Piper At the Gates of Dawn”. The album had good songs like “Arnold Layne” which is about a person who stole ladies underwear from washing lines and “Matlida Mother” which was ranked among the top 10 psychedelic songs of 1960 at No. 8 . it also featured “Astronomy Domine” which is even today played at Pink Floyd Concerts. The album did one thing for sure it got Pink Floyd noticed the album entered the charts at no. 20. Barrett was very much of in control of the group right now. He wrote 10 of the 11 songs featured and also did the album cover design of the cassette. The success of “Piper At the Gates of Dawn” was too much for Syd. as he took vast amounts of drugs and started acting maniacally on stage and got more unpredictable and unpredictable. Now it was pretty clear that Syd. could no longer be actively playing for band and search for a different guitarist brought a obvious choice David Jon Gilmour who was also in Male Modeling into that time. Later out the band decided that they can do without Syd. Barrett and decided to leave him. later on Syd. came with two different records with help of floyd members as they were the producers of his album.
In 1968 Floyd released their second record “A Saucer full of Secrets”. The album was medium business generator. Floyd at this time stopped doing Singles. Their concerts were now featured with light show on the background having million bubbles or something else adding a other dimension to their psychedelic music.
In July1969 they released the soundtrack they had written for Barbet Schroeder movie “More”, also Peter Whitehead_s “Tonite Let_s All Make Love In London”. Also in the same year they released Ummagumma which was a double cassette album featuring their live shows. Ummagumma was slang for “Fuck You” in Cambridge where they studied, only roger gave few individual songs in the album.
In 1970 they released “Atom heart mother” featuring very few songs which were written jointly by Pink floyd with Ron Geesin. In 1971 they wrote “Meddle” and in the same year they released their compilation album “Relics”
In 1972 they released “Obscured By the Clouds” and in the same year they shot at pompeii a video take which includes video of the songs of the Floyd which included “One of these days”, “Set the controls from the heart of the sun”.
Then came the album which rocked the world. “Dark Side of Moon” changed the sound of rock forever. DSOM featured songs which had psychedelic sounds which were never heard before in rock. From a simple cover with just a light coming out of a prism in spectrum colors with no group name no album title. From different guitar tunes to outstanding piano and drums matched with unparalleled lyrics of songs. The Album became an instant hit obviously reaching no.1 in U.S. and U.K. immediately as it was released. The album also holds the record for longest staying on Billboard top 200 chart run of about 746 in a row (compare this to world no.1 Micheal Jackson Thriller record of 222 weeks
and Led Zeppelin II record of 250 weeks). DSOM went up to became the 3rd largest selling album in the world and also the largest selling rock and roll record in the history. DSOM kept selling a million records ever year and reached a total of 30 million records album. DSOM was basically a Roger Waters project as he wrote the major chunk of lyrics in the record, others did also actively contribute but not as much as the Waters did. After DSOM the Floyd went up to became a very very big name in the music industry. This obviously raised the pressure and aspirations from the group. Resulting from this their next record Wish You Were Here was released about two and half year later and was dedicated to their previous member Syd. Barrett. The Song “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” had 9 solid parts and the whole song was of length of about 25-30 minutes on the record of the album others songs were also good like “Have a Cigar” and ” Wish You Were Here”. Wish You Were Here was though appreciated by the public but it did not matched anywhere near the DSOM. Song “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is still remembered for its Music. Cover of the Album featured a man shaking hand with other burning person. Roger Waters acquired the more control of the group as it was he who dedicated the “Shine on you crazy diamond” to Syd. Barrett. The Record was released in 1975.After “Wish You Were Here” Floyd came up with their other album “Animals” in 1977 featuring different types of songs like “pigs on the wings”,”pigs three different ones”,”dogs” and “sheep” Album was truly disliked by many and I know many person who consider it was too much good to be understood by the general listener and they consider pigs as one of their all time favorite song.
Though album was not much of a commercial success but it did made some fans really crazy about it. After Pigs Roger Water Approached the Group with idea of two different albums. The Group immediately choose wall as their next album and waters started working on it night and day.Then Came up a album which is mine personal favorite and of millions others to. Even after 20 years its songs are hummed night and day. The album which reached No.1 in each country expect Japan. The Album Which stayed on Billboard top 200 charts for solid 450 weeks. The Album which made Richard Wright Kicked out of the Pink Floyd. The album was
THE WALL
The album was different from others Floyd albums in a big respect as it was Having a full recording of about 80 minutes rather than 45 minutes of their previous album and 26 songs in all. The Album had a story of a life of a Rock Star and also featured a full video of whole album as a animation film. The album surprisingly had only one No.1 hit in U.S. of “Another Brick In The Wall -II”. The album remained No.1 in U.S. for 14 weeks. The Album was truly a Waters Project as he wrote most of the songs on the wall and contribution of Gilmour was relatively much less and Nick Mason and Richard Wright did not have anything expect playing their own instruments. Before releasing of Wall Waters threatened not to released wall until their pianist Richard Wright left the group and Richard had to do without a choicehe played in the Wall concert as a paid musician but not as a member of the group but the fact did not come out of light until releasing of their next album. Roger now had the complete control of group. Wall had very few live shows but group spared no expense on them as all of them were house full and hit. Waters acclaimed that he wrote wall as a story of himself as he was started to build a wall between himself and audience of the show but at the end of each concert it is shown that wall is blown off brick by brick and the performer is left with its audience with nothing in between at all. He showed that in the end of the album he condemns himself at the trial and holds himself guilty of charges. Wall is a must buy for all fans of psychedelic music.
In 1981 obviously frustrated by his low contribution in the making of the album wall Drummer Nick Mason also pursued his solo career with “Fictitious Sports”.
After getting out of Pink Floyd Wright thought of going solo and released his second solo album zee in 1982.[the first one was wet dream in 1978].
Their next album The Final Cut released in 1983 made sure that the group was going to break as it was revealed that Richard Wright was already out of the group and growing egos of David Gilmour and Roger Waters cannot take anymore. The Final Cut proved to be a mediocre on records front as it was not a very big success basically because it was out that The Final Cut includes only those songs which were not considered good enough for The Wall. Gilmour was against the idea and the group broke finally in 1984 as it was Roger who proposed it and reason behind it was primarily thinking that he can now make a individual career a success. The Final Cut proved to be the Last album of floyd with waters and the group was officially finished leaving millions of fans crying.
In the same Year Roger Water finally released his solo work as “pros and cons of hitch hiking” the album went to have mediocre response from the fans but not certainly as the Roger would have expected.
Also in 1984 David Gilmour released his second solo album “About Face” [first self titled in 1978] attaining same mediocre response.
In 1984 also Richard Wright had also released his third solo album as “Identity” which was again not great at records front.
In 1985 Drummer Nick Mason also released his second solo work with Rick Fenn called “Profiles”. It was pretty clear now that all of floyd members had released their solo work none of it was nowhere near the work of them done together at Pink Floyd. Their songs actually piffled when it came to comparing with Pink Floyd songs. So it was pretty obvious what David Gilmour proposed to Nick Mason In 1986 he proposed a reunion of Pink Floyd without Roger Waters!! So Nick Mason and David Gilmour finally made the Pink Floyd once again. Roger Waters raised a hell in public. He sued the group in the court and lost as he was the one who ended the Floyd. But he however won the right claiming to the original Pig art on Animals Cover and Wall back. Waters says that “they will have to bear the cross of betrayal as long as they live. I created Wall as an attack on stadium wall and they are playing it on the stadium nows earring money.” But however the group made David Gilmour as lead singer and lead lyrics writers of the group. Pianist Richard Wright was also back with the group in 1987 as a permanent member and not a paid musician.
Also in 1986 Roger Waters did his solo bit by releasing his soundtrack for the Movie “When the Wind Blows”. The album was again appreciated by fans but not buyed.In 1987 Pink Floyd released “Momentary lapse of Reason” which had all new songs and all of them were good with some must have tracks like “Learning to Fly” , “On the turning away”. Album was a instant hit as anyone would have expected. It sold full packed concerts leaving Waters rethinking of his decision. Songs were written by David Gilmour also sung by it and he also played the lead guitar on them. Mason also contributed artistically and also Wright. Album had a beautiful cover of Man sitting on a seashore. The group had 21 member crew supporting them on live stages.
In 1988 floyd released a double cassette pack consisting of different versions of their previous hits the album struck the platinum again and floyd were again rolling in packets of cash. This album was not liked by many loyal fans of Floyd.
However in 1990 Roger Waters hit big. He performed a memorable concert on event of East Germany and West Germany getting together. He played the full Wall with different artists playing also different songs like Bryan Adams and Arthea Franklin etc.etc. He ended up the concert with the song “The Tide is Turning” singing with all of the stars. The concert marked history as it was done with all of the floyd gimmicks with full wall movie running in the background of the and showing up more and as the full wall was constructed and at the end of the concert the full wall goes down revealing artists again on the stage with the fans.
In 1992 Roger Waters came up other much commercially hyped album “Amused to Death”. Sadly the album did not did well again on the records front. The fans were not happy who thought despite all gimmicks the Waters was at his best. Even the Record company admitted that album would have been a huge success only if it had Pink Floyd name on it. Clearly Waters was not happy.
In 1994 Floyd released their album “The Division Bell”. The album was a gigantic hit in records store. It reached No.1 in U.S. just after two weeks of releasing it featured some excellent songs like the “High Hopes”, “What do you want from me” etc. In the writing the songs the help was taken out from Gilmour wife Samson. Wright also composed and wrote one song “Wearing the inside out”. The album had everything from full blown guitars to great drumming. Another Great Tour followed the album for satisfying quench of thirst of floyd for its fans.
The 1995 Pink Floyd released again a double cassette album of touring called “Pulse” The album was again successful as it featured Whole “Dark Side of the Moon” live and other great songs. Pulse CD had photos of artists and other musician help them during the concerts. Pulse made history as it had the biggest paid live gig on earth on Earl Counts Stadium in London where 225000 fans attended the concert. This concert was last in their series of concerts in tour. The money from the concert was paid to various charities and noble purposes.
In 1986 Wright released his other solo album called “The Broken China”
However till now there is no plan of any other floyd album in site. Though Gilmour admits whenever he gets a musical tone he writes it down (hope he is getting them pretty often). There could be album after 2001 but do not count on it. However we sure learnt that people are crazy about floyd name and members do not have much of careers if they go solo. Roger Waters learnt it the hard way. Maybe there is some magic in the name.