Terrible News Today, Oh Boy. 
Pink Floyd's Syd died over the weekend. If you consider that he just recorded one album with Pink Floyd, Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, and then he totally disappeared, you gotta give him credit. He influenced Floyd's work in every way: he made them descend into the human being's deep madness and inspired Roger Waters to write the lyrics of Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall.
Wish You Were Here is an entire album made for him. Instead of being a depressive and negative document of Barrett's insanity, it's an open invitation for him to either join the band or continue writing and performing his creative songs for an audience thirsty of creativity.
Syd Barrett, Founding Member of Pink Floyd, Dies at 60
By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
(07-11) 09:03 PDT LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) --
Syd Barrett, the troubled Pink Floyd co-founder who spent his last years in reclusive anonymity, has died, the band said Tuesday. He was 60.
A spokeswoman for the band said Barrett died several days ago, but she did not disclose the cause of death. Barrett had suffered from diabetes for years.
The surviving members of Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright, said they were "very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death."
"Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire," they said in a statement.
Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 with Waters, Mason and Wright, and wrote many of the band's early songs. The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced, multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene. The 1967 album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" — largely written by Barrett, who also played guitar — was a commercial and critical hit.
But Barrett suffered from mental instability, exacerbated by his use of LSD. His behavior grew increasingly erratic, and he left the group in 1968 — five years before the release of Pink Floyd's most popular album, "Dark Side of the Moon" — to be replaced by Gilmour.
Barrett released two solo albums, "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett", but soon withdrew from the music business altogether. An album of previously unreleased material, "Opel," was issued in 1988.
He reverted to his real name, Roger Barrett, and spent much of the rest of his life living quietly in his hometown of Cambridge, England. Moving into his mother's suburban house, he passed the time painting and tending the garden. His former bandmates made sure Barrett continued to receive royalties from his work with Pink Floyd.
He was a familiar figure to neighbors, often seen cycling or walking to the corner store, but rarely spoke to the fans and journalists who sought him out over the years.
Despite his brief career, Barrett's fragile, wistful songs influenced many musicians, from David Bowie — who covered the Barrett track "See Emily Play" — to the other members of Pink Floyd, who recorded the album "Wish You Were Here" as a tribute to their troubled bandmate.
It contained the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" — "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun." The band also dwelt on themes of mental illness on the albums "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall."
The band spokeswoman said a small, private funeral would be held.
Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd dies, aged 60
HAMISH BROWN
The founding lead singer of Pink Floyd Syd Barrett has died at his Cambridge home from diabetes. He was 60.
Despite only recording one album with Pink Floyd and a handful of solo releases following his departure from the group, his influence on pop music is generally acknowledged to enormous.Barret had not released any new material since 1972 and since his departure from public life led a quiet and reclusive existence in Cambridge. Through time, he has become a celebrated but tragic figure, reknowned as much for his reputation as one of the first drug-casualties as for his music.
Further reading:
Obit: Bringing Out the Dead
http://www.slate.com/id/2145531/?GT1=8391
In Spanish:
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn / The Early Pink Floyd Singles Review on CacaoRock:
http://www.geocities.com/cacaorock/newlps/lpthepiperatthegatesofdawn.html
http://www.elcomercioperu.com.pe/EdicionOnline/Html/2006-07-11/onlMundo0538953.html
In Italian:
Pink Floyd Sound: Lots of information, and fun things like mouse cursors and winamp skins.
http://www.pinkfloydsound.it/
Pink Floyd - "Arnold Layne" (Words and Music by Syd Barrett. Pink Floyd's first single, 1967)
Pink Floyd's Syd died over the weekend. If you consider that he just recorded one album with Pink Floyd, Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, and then he totally disappeared, you gotta give him credit. He influenced Floyd's work in every way: he made them descend into the human being's deep madness and inspired Roger Waters to write the lyrics of Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall.
Wish You Were Here is an entire album made for him. Instead of being a depressive and negative document of Barrett's insanity, it's an open invitation for him to either join the band or continue writing and performing his creative songs for an audience thirsty of creativity.
Syd Barrett, Founding Member of Pink Floyd, Dies at 60
By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
(07-11) 09:03 PDT LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) --
Syd Barrett, the troubled Pink Floyd co-founder who spent his last years in reclusive anonymity, has died, the band said Tuesday. He was 60.
A spokeswoman for the band said Barrett died several days ago, but she did not disclose the cause of death. Barrett had suffered from diabetes for years.
The surviving members of Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright, said they were "very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death."
"Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire," they said in a statement.
Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 with Waters, Mason and Wright, and wrote many of the band's early songs. The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced, multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene. The 1967 album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" — largely written by Barrett, who also played guitar — was a commercial and critical hit.But Barrett suffered from mental instability, exacerbated by his use of LSD. His behavior grew increasingly erratic, and he left the group in 1968 — five years before the release of Pink Floyd's most popular album, "Dark Side of the Moon" — to be replaced by Gilmour.
Barrett released two solo albums, "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett", but soon withdrew from the music business altogether. An album of previously unreleased material, "Opel," was issued in 1988.
He reverted to his real name, Roger Barrett, and spent much of the rest of his life living quietly in his hometown of Cambridge, England. Moving into his mother's suburban house, he passed the time painting and tending the garden. His former bandmates made sure Barrett continued to receive royalties from his work with Pink Floyd.
He was a familiar figure to neighbors, often seen cycling or walking to the corner store, but rarely spoke to the fans and journalists who sought him out over the years.
Despite his brief career, Barrett's fragile, wistful songs influenced many musicians, from David Bowie — who covered the Barrett track "See Emily Play" — to the other members of Pink Floyd, who recorded the album "Wish You Were Here" as a tribute to their troubled bandmate.
It contained the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" — "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun." The band also dwelt on themes of mental illness on the albums "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall."
The band spokeswoman said a small, private funeral would be held.
Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd dies, aged 60
HAMISH BROWN
The founding lead singer of Pink Floyd Syd Barrett has died at his Cambridge home from diabetes. He was 60.
Despite only recording one album with Pink Floyd and a handful of solo releases following his departure from the group, his influence on pop music is generally acknowledged to enormous.Barret had not released any new material since 1972 and since his departure from public life led a quiet and reclusive existence in Cambridge. Through time, he has become a celebrated but tragic figure, reknowned as much for his reputation as one of the first drug-casualties as for his music.
Further reading:
Obit: Bringing Out the Dead
http://www.slate.com/id/2145531/?GT1=8391
In Spanish:
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn / The Early Pink Floyd Singles Review on CacaoRock:
http://www.geocities.com/cacaorock/newlps/lpthepiperatthegatesofdawn.html
http://www.elcomercioperu.com.pe/EdicionOnline/Html/2006-07-11/onlMundo0538953.html
In Italian:
Pink Floyd Sound: Lots of information, and fun things like mouse cursors and winamp skins.
http://www.pinkfloydsound.it/
Pink Floyd - "Arnold Layne" (Words and Music by Syd Barrett. Pink Floyd's first single, 1967)
1 comments:
I remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.........
- remembering SYD BARRET who died on 7th July 2006 - Shine On!
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