Happy birthday to the most amazing drummer in the world! On this day, 68 years ago, this man came to earth, having no idea of what he was about to become! In my eyes, the best!
Nick is the only member in Pink Floyd that has been there all the way! David came in later when Syd couldn't be in the band anymore, rick was fired before the "The Wall" tour, and Roger quit after the album "The final cut". But Nick has been there all the way. That makes me think that the band wouldn't be the same without him. I think he carries some of the Pink Floyd craziness.
Happy birthday Nick!!! We salute you!!!
Nick mason, what is there to say? You just gotta love him!
Here's a picture of him with a funny comment. Do you get it? You should ;)
If you don't get it, I will recomand you to see "Live at Pompeii"!!
Just to mention it, Nick loooove cars and he competes in auto racing events! And he has also written a book called "Inside Out - a personal history of pink floyd". Run and buy.. It's a really great book!
Very well, I'm a bit busy today.. Going to Australia tomorrow for three weeks, so I can't promise any blogging then, but I want to wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Pink Floyds very first single. It is of course written by Syd Barrett, so it's says itself, it was before Davids time. Anyway, the group had just been formed so there was a lot of experiments. The reason for the song lyrics is quite funny. As you know, Syd was born in Cambridge, and at the same time as the band were about to make songs, there was something strange happening in Cambridge. There actually were someone who was steeling peoples underware (ladies underware!!) at night time. When Syd got to know this, his idea was to write the song "Arnold Layne". He wrote about a transvestite who was steeling womens underware from the washing lines.
And do you know, the steeling ended after the song came out.. Someone probably felt bad and busted. Maybe a guy named Arnold. Maybe someone else!
The song is actually not on the bands first cd "The piper at the gates of dawn". When the single were ready they started to sell it, of course. But in London, the song was banned because of the lyrics. When the song was banned, people just wanted more!
On the single "Arnold Layne" there actually was another song as well on the B-side. The song was first called "Let's roll another one". It's written by Syd Barrett and is about smoking weed. Before the single got out, the band wrote some new lyrics and called the song "Cany and a current bun", a song much more known than "Let's roll another one". It's not easy to find the 'first version' but it is actually on "A tree full of secrets". Check it out if you like. If not, don't!
"Arnold Layne". The music video was filmed at East Wittering, West Sussex
Happy birthday Syd Barrett! Today is the genious behind Pink Floyds birthday! Unfortunaly he passed away in 2006, but that's not a reason not to celebrate the man who created the grounds for what would be one of the greatest bands of all time! If he'd still been with us, he would turn 66 today, so he was quite young.
Syd Barrett is his nickname, but he was born Roger Keith Barrett, and he was born in Cambridge. (I'm really going to visit Cambride once in my life)!
Syd Barrett was the one to come up with the band name Pink Floyd bu using the first names of two blues singers (Pink Anderson & Floyd Council). And then the wonderful time of Pink Floyd started! But unfortunaly that would just last a couple of years for Syd. The band started in 64/65 and Syd had to leave the group in 68 he was out. The reason why he couldn't stay in the band was because of the heavy use of the drug LSD. After a while he could stand on a live show and not play at all and he didn't show up to all their gigs. When they oficially made him leave the group was once they was on a way to a gig and someonne asked if they should pick him up. One person answered with "Let's not bother", and that was it.
After he left the band, he started on some solo projects and made two albums: "the madcap laughs" and "Barrett". He tried for a gig, but it didn't work out, and other then that was redio recording. A few years later, in 78, he ran out of money and returned to Cambridge to live with his mother. In 82 he tried to live in London again, but returned fast to Cambridge, and there would he stay for the rest of his life.
Age 29 when he was visiting Pink Floyd while recording "Wish you were here"
He took distance from the whole past of being a musician and Pink Floyd. But people were following him on the streets just to get a photo or film of him, when he tried to live a quiet life. Syd was sick. His health were no good and he had type 2 diabetes and suffered of some stomach ulcers. Even though he was 'over' his past, he did look at a documentary about him and the band in 2001. One of the thing he enjoyed was to hear "See Emily play" again.
Syd is the one with "Arnold Lane"s head in his hand
Roger Keith Barrett died in his home in Cambridge, july 7 2006, aged 60. He had suffered from diabetes for so many years but the cause of death was pancreatc cancer. He was cremated. (I get all sad..)
Even though the first PF song i listened to in 2012 was "Any colour you like, I will start the new year blog some words about the song "Time". The song is from the album "Dark side of the moon" which I hope you all know. If not, it's never to late! The song is created by Roger, David, Rick and Nick. It had to be a masterpiece! It's the only song on this album created by the whole band.
The song starts of with loads of clocks ringing at the same time (it's a great wake up song). After the 'clockwork' intro, the breathtaking drumming take place! He is not playing on his drum set but on rototoms. Roger is at the same time playing his bass. When I first saw a clip from this song live, I was so amazed about how quick it has to change from rototoms to the normal drums.
David Gilmour about Alan Parson:
'He had just recently before we did that album gone out with a whole set of equipment and had recorded all these clocks in a clock shop. And we were doing the song Time, and he said "Listen, I just did all these things, I did all these clocks," and so we wheeled out his tape and listened to it and said "Great! Stick it on!" And that, actually, is Alan Parsons' idea
The song is about making the most of life instead of wasting it!
