On This Date, January 6th, in 1975: Pink Floyd entered London’s Abbey Road Studios to begin recording its seventh studio album, Wish You Were Here. Like much of Pink Floyd’s material, the album’s two-part song “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is a tribute to the band’s former singer and guitarist Syd Barrett, whose drug-induced breakdown had forced him to leave the band several years earlier. Syd would also have celebrated his birthday today (Born January 6, 1946), if he had not passed away in July of 2006 at the age of 60. Shine on you crazy diamond.
Blur’s Parklife and New Order’s Power, Corruption and Lies Shown Above
On January 7, 2010, Britain’s Royal Mail will launch a collector’s-minded Album Cover Stamps series featuring a set of ten 1st class stamps designed by Studio Dempsey. The remarkable series celebrates classic album covers by some of England’s most famous and enduring rock bands including Led Zeppelin, Blur, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, New Order, Pink Floyd and Primal Scream. Each stamp will be uniquely shaped, as shown in these images, adding a glimpse of a vinyl disc poking out of each record sleeve – very cool! Read more of the story behind these very rockin’ stamps at this link.
Rolling Stones Let It Bleed, David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust Shown Above
Old School Pink Floyd (L-R) Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright
Pink Floyd keyboard player and founding member Richard “Rick” Wright has died on September 15th, 2008 after a short struggle with cancer. He was 65. Wright was a member of Pink Floyd from their first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967 alongside lead guitarist Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and Nick Mason. David Gilmour joined the band at the start of 1968 while Barrett left the group shortly afterwards. Wright penned songs on classic albums including The Dark Side Of The Moon – “The Great Gig In The Sky” and “Us And Them” – and Wish You Were Here.
Photo of Syd Taken at Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains in Los Angeles, December of 2021
Original Pink Floyd Guitarist and front man, Roger ‘Syd’ Barret, has passed away on July 7th, 2006, at age 60 due to complications from diabetes. In his obituary for the NY Times rock journalist John Pareles writes that Barrett, “was also renowned both as an LSD casualty and as a symbol of how close creativity can be to madness.” Read more of that resonant obit at this link: Syd Barret Dies at 60. Shine On, You Crazy Diamond.
