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/_|___|___|___|___|___|__\ Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
/|___|___|___|___|___|___|_\ List
/___|___|___|___|___|___|___|\ -= Part 4 =-
/__|___|___|___|___|___|___|___\
/_|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|__\ Version 3.6b (August 1995) [06/97 bear]
Originally compiled by David Schuetz
Currently maintained by Matt Denault
([email protected])
or ([email protected])
-=-
With help from all over the world!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The FAQ is broken down into four sections, as follows:
Section 1 - General Information
The first section is general information, and
includes stuff like lists of albums, videos, tour
personnel, set lists, etc.
Section 2 - The Early Years
The second section covers their "early years," that
is, _Piper_ through _Obscured by Clouds_.
Section 3 - The Glory Years
The third section is the "glory years" (and any
discussion regarding this time frame *not* being
the time of their greatest glory will be ignored).
This section covers DSotM through _The Wall_.
Section 4 - After the Wall
The fourth section covers TFC through _Pulse_ and
beyond, the various solo albums, and general trivia
that doesn't fit anywhere else.
In addition to these four parts, there is the "Pink Floyd Internet Reference
List," which details how to access various other Internet sources of Floyd
information, such as FTP sites, WWW servers, IRC channels, Usenet newsgroups,
and the Echoes mailing list.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Section 4 - After the Wall
[+] 01. "Problems with the _Final Cut_ CD."
[-] 02. "What do the colored stripes on the TFC cover represent?"
[+] 03. "There's a lyric on _The Final Cut_ which isn't sung!"
[-] 04. "What's all this about poppies?"
[+] 05. "What are Holophonics and QSound?"
[-]05.1 "Holophonics"
[+]05.2 "QSound"
[-] 06. "What was 'The Hero's Return part II'?"
[-] 07. "When and why did Waters leave Pink Floyd?"
[-] 08. "I heard an extra verse to 'Running Shoes' in concert!"
[-] 09. "Who or what is/was Fassbinder?"
[+] 10. "Why is Yoko Ono mentioned in 'Pros and Cons'?"
[-] 11. "Differences between the US & UK _Pros and Cons_ Lyrics Sheets"
[+] 12. "What does the morse code on _Radio KAOS_ say?"
[-] 13. "What is the 'Lost Verse' to 'The Tide is Turning'?"
[-] 14. "What is said at the very beginning/end of _Radio KAOS_?"
[-] 15. "Who is having that pilot/tower conversation in 'Learning to Fly'?"
[+] 16. "Wasn't there talk of a KAOS 2?"
[*] 17. "Weren't there a lot of problems at the _Wall in Berlin_ concert?"
[-] 18. "Who were Alf Razzell and Bill Hubbard?"
[+] 19. "What's the backwards message in 'Perfect Sense' say?"
[-] 20. "What do the Arabic words in 'Late Home Tonight' mean?"
[+] 21. "Why does Waters hate Andrew Lloyd Webber?"
[-] 22. "What does the title 'Amused to Death' refer to?"
[+] 23. "Just how much money does Floyd make, anyway?"
[-] 24. "Didn't They Get In A Crash And Nearly Mangle Themselves To Death?"
[+] 25. "What is Richard Wright's current status with the band?"
[+] 26. "What does the title _The Division Bell_ refer to?"
[-] 27. "Who is Stephen Hawking?"
[-] 28. "What languages are TDB's page numbers in?"
[+] 29. "Who or what is 'Publius'?"
[*] 30. "Where do the tracks on _Pulse_ come from?"
[+] 31. "General Trivia...."
[-]31.1 "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"
[-]31.2 "A Saucerful of Secrets"
[-] 31.3 "More"
[-]31.4 "Ummagumma"
[-]31.5 "Zabriskie Point"
[-]31.6 "Atom Heart Mother"
[-]31.7 "Meddle"
[+]31.8 "Pink Floyd at Pompeii"
[+]31.9 "The Dark Side of the Moon"
[-]31.A "A Nice Pair"
[-]31.B "Wish You Were Here"
[-]31.C "David Gilmour"
[+]31.D "The Wall (album and movie)"
[+]31.E "The Final Cut"
[+]31.F "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking"
[-]31.G "Radio KAOS"
[-]31.H "A Momentary Lapse of Reason"
[-]31.I "Delicate Sound of Thunder"
[+]31.J "Amused to Death"
[-]31.K "Shine On"
[+]31.L "The Division Bell"
[-]31.M "Other"
[-] 32. "UAQs (Unanswered Asked Questions)"
[+] 33. "The Rumor Mill"
[-] 34. "What ever happened to Syd?"
[-] 35. "Which Floyd is better?"
- Same as last version
+ Changed since last version
* New since last version
This Document Copyright 1994, 1995 by the Echoes Mailing List
For questions on distribution, contact: [email protected]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 01. "Problems with the _Final Cut_ CD."
There have been several reported problems with the CD of TFC, all of
which deal with where the title track begins. The three versions we've
been able to isolate have the following "features":
+ "The Final Cut" begins 3/4 the way through "Southampton Dock."
+ "The Final Cut" starts before he finishes with "...cut" at
the end of "Southampton Dock." (CBS, EMI remaster)
+ "The Final Cut" begins during the words "through the fish
eyed lens.." (Harvest)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 02. "What do the colored stripes on the TFC cover represent?"
For finally tracking down the solution to this vexing problem, we are
forever in the debt of Scott Plumer.
They're all WWII service medals:
+ The one on the bottom right, yellow-green background with black and red
stripes, is a Defence Medal, for 3 years service.
+ The middle one with a gold background and black, red and blue stripes is
an Africa Star, for service in the North African campaign.
+ The leftmost one, blue with a red stripe, is a 1939/45 Star, for at least
6 months service between 1939 and 1945.
+ The one with purple and white diagonal stripes is the Distinguished Flying
Cross, "for acts of courage, valour or devotion to duty while flying."
For officers.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 03. "There's a lyric on _The Final Cut_ which isn't sung!"
There are actually two cases of this -- one which seems unintentional, and
the other purposeful. The unintentional printed-but-not-sung lyric occurs
on "Your Possible Pasts," where there is the following stanza:
By the cold and religious we were taken in hand
Shown how to feel good and told to feel bad.
> Tongue tied and terrified we learned how to pray
> Now our feelings run deep and cold as the clay.
And strung out behind us the banners and flags
Of our possible pasts lie in tatters and rags.
The two lines with ">" on them were included in the printed lyrics but not
sung on the album. There's also a line near the beginning of the song, "The
Final Cut":
If you negotiate the minefield in the drive
And beat the dogs and cheat the cold electronic eyes
And if you make it past the shotgun in the hall
Dial the combination
Open the priesthole
> And if I'm in I'll tell you what's behind the wall
What often gets mentioned is that an explosion, as from a gunshot, covers
up everything after "...I'll tell you..." in the last line. Which makes
sense; you (the listener) never "make it past the shotgun in the hall."
But if the full line hadn't been included in the written lyrics, you would
never know what you're missing...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 04. "What's all this about poppies?"
[With help from Steve South:]
During the First World War, the fields of Flanders were dug over. Not by
farmers, but by trench digging, shell and mortar fire, etc. Now it is a
curious thing, but the seeds of the red poppies found in Europe can lay in
the ground for years without germinating, and then grow after the ground
has been disturbed. Consequently, sometime after the battles, the sites of
devastation were transformed into a blaze of colour.
The poppy has become a symbol of that time. Every November, when Americans
celebrate Veterans Day, the British have Rememberance Day. Poppy wreaths
are laid at the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, etc. A national charity
collects money for vetarans by selling artificial poppies -- wearing a
poppy shows that you remember and that you gave. The same thing happens
in the US, for Memorial Day.
It does also have something to do with morphine. Poppies are also a symbol
of relief from life's pain, and have been since long before WWI.
[...and more, from Helen Bransfield:]
IN FLANDERS FIELDS by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
WE SHALL NOT SLEEP, THOUGH POPPIES GROW
IN FLANDERS FIELDS.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 05. "What are Holophonics and QSound?"
Pink Floyd's _The Final Cut_ made use of a special encoding process that
allows the simulation of "three-dimensional" sound, called "holophonics."
This was also adopted by Roger Waters for his _Pro's and Cons_ album; while
on _Amused to Death_, he used a somewhat similar mixing process called
QSound, also used on _Pulse_. Both systems are explained below...
[-] 05.1 "Holophonics"
[From a posting by David Schuetz:]
> By the way, has anybody really noticed the "huge improvement" in sound
> staging produced by Mr Zuccarelli and his labs? If so, explain what's
> so special.
I noticed it. It really does give a certain amout of imaging, around you
rather than just between the speakers. When Waters did his Pros & Cons show
on the radio in 1985, he did an introduction where he walked to a timpani,
struck it with his fingernail, and then said "If I ask you to point where
that timpani came from, [here I pointed over my right shoulder] and if you
don't point over your right shoulder, then we're in trouble." It was
impressive.
As for just what it *is*, they were *very* secretive. They had "ringo the
holophonic microphone." The process was based on holography, but of an audio
form (you can do holography with *any* wave-based phenomena). The theory was
that there were high frequencies generated by the ear (and some people have
been shown to "generate" some frequencies from time to time), and that sounds
interfere with these frequencies, and the interference pattern is what we
interpret. So, what holophonics is is a conversion of sounds directly to
that interference pattern.
Now, the fact that this sounds like a crock is immaterial, because it does
work. So, just what is it? Most (including myself) believe it's just a form
of binaural recording. That "ringo" is probably just a dummy head with
microphones where the ears are. And when you listen with headphones, your
ears are right where those microphones were, and you hear it as if you were
actually there. Binaural is *fantastic* fun, and I wish more people would
work with it. It's a shame, though, that Floyd/Waters got duped into
believing that Zuccareli's process was anything special....
[+] 05.2 "QSound"
Roger's _Amused to Death_, the Floyd's _Pulse_, and a number of albums from
other artists use the QSound mixing system. It essentially allows sound to
be positioned anywhere within a half-sphere around the listener. Roger
himself explains how it works in the following interview (from Rockline,
Feb. 8, 1993):
It divides any signal into a left and right component...(so it works
with any stereo system), and it introduces minute delays at different
frequency levels into left and right components to make your brain
think that the sound is coming, not from in front of you -- from the
two speakers -- but from in any one of a number of other positions
around you. But you have to be sitting right between the two
speakers, I mean exactly -- to within like an inch or an inch and a
half [on] either side of the central perpendicular axis. And it is
an amazing effect...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 06. "What was 'The Hero's Return part II'?"
The single for "Not Now John" (obscured) came with the album version of "The
Hero's Return" and what was basically an additional verse to the song, called
"The Hero's Return part II." The lyrics go something like:
Jesus Christ, I might as well be dead
If I can't see how dangerous it must feel to be
Training human cogs for the machine
Without some shell-shocked lunatic like me
Bombarding their still soft shores
With sticks and stones that were lying around
In the pile of unspeakable feelings I'd found
When I turned back the stone
Turned over the stone
Of my own disappointment back home
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 07. "When and why did Waters leave Pink Floyd?"
The following is taken mainly from Schaffner's "Saucerful of Secrets" book,
with additional pieces and support from other books, interviews, and
articles.
-=-
1983
During and after the recording of _The Final Cut_, it was pretty clear that
there was no way that Dave and Roger were going to record together again.
The artistic and personal differences between the two had just grown too
strong. Whether this meant that Pink Floyd was dead or not is an open
question -- suffice to say that Floyd was certainly not going to continue
with the same membership. But there was never an offical statement
disbanding the group or stating its future intentions; both Dave and Roger
left the door open for future projects.
1984
So following TFC's release, Roger went off and did his "might have been
Floyd" album, _The Pros n'Cons of HitchHiking_, while Dave worked on his
own solo album, _About Face_. Both were released in '84, and both went to
about #30 on the Billboard charts. At the time, Dave said "there are three
of us in what is laughingly called the Pink Floyd, and none of us have any
plans at the moment to work together on any project." [The three being Rog,
Dave, and Nick.]
Both Gilmour and Waters embarked on world tours, neither of which were
terribly financially successful. Dave stated "I've made this record and
done this tour to see if it was possible for me to continue without Pink
Floyd."
1985
Roger continued touring in 1985, while Dave devoted his energies to working
on projects for and with other musicians.
In mid-85, Waters decided to terminate his personal management deal with
Steve O'Rourke, who was pressuring him to make another Floyd album. Since
Steve was Pink Floyd's manager, and since Floyd had not been officially
disbanded, Roger was still contractually obligated to him. In order to
terminate this deal, he needed the assent of Dave and Nick, the other
parties to the deal. In return, he offered them the rights to the Pink
Floyd name (later saying he did so without making the ethical considerations
he should have). At any rate, Dave and Nick would not ratify O'Rourke's
termination.
Roger then decided the way to get around this was to simply leave the group
officially, as he had unofficially, thinking it was dead -- or at least,
that it certainly would be without him. So, in December 1985, Roger wrote
to the record companies and announced his departure from Pink Floyd.
Also, in autumn of 1985, Mason said that he'd like to tour again as Pink
Floyd, stating that he and Dave were "interested in revitalizing [Pink
Floyd]...We definitely haven't agreed it's all over."
1986
So then Roger did the (fairly rare) _When the Wind Blows_ soundtrack, and
started work on _Radio KAOS_. Gilmour meanwhile started work on a project
he said publicly might either be a Floyd album or a solo album.
In mid-1986, Steve O'Rourke sued Waters for holding back commissions. If
nothing else, this certainly did nothing to brighten Waters' feelings toward
the remaining Floyd members (with whom Steve was still associated).
Gilmour, working with Mason, Wright, Bob Ezrin, and a variety of others
had decided by this time that what they were working on was indeed to be a
new Floyd album. Learning of this work-in-progress, Roger went to the High
Court on Halloween (October 31st) 1986 to have the group partnership, and
thus the group, formally disbanded. Several days later, on November 11,
1986, Pink Floyd (that being Gilmour and Mason, "with Rick Wright and
producer Bob Ezrin") publicly announced they were working on a new album.
Upon finding out that the group partnership was in fact unofficial (and thus
that disbanding it would be meaningless), Roger asked the Court for a ruling
that would make the unanimous consent of all members (including Roger)
necessary for any decision regarding Pink Floyd Music, including use of the
name, concert props (like Mr. Screen), etc.
The court never actually ruled on the issue, and meanwhile _Momentary Lapse
of Reason_ was released. Roger raised a lot of public hell, but privately
his lawyers told him he didn't really have a case, and so he settled for a
compromise: Dave and Pink Floyd agreed to give Roger sole jurisdiction over
the _Wall_ theatrical concept, and of course to pay royalties for those songs
they played that Roger had been credited on. And while Floyd retained the
use of the circular screen and other (non-_Wall_) concert elements, they were
forced to give Roger credit for the "original pig concept" used in "One of
These Days..." [see Q31.I]
And I think that's about it... I ignored several issues (Ezrin and Wright's
involvement, "the record company meeting," etc.) that I don't think are
legally relevent -- info on them can be found in the articles and interviews
at ftp.halcyon.com. The degree to which they're morally relevent, and the
question of whether reviving Pink Floyd was "good," are matters I leave to
your judgement...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 08. "I heard an extra verse to 'Running Shoes' in concert!"
Well, it's not on the album, and since RoIO's aren't always all that great,
it's hard to be sure exactly what the lyrics were. But here's a pretty
close approximation:
Ooh Babe, where ya been?
You bring back the feeling
The flavor of damp teenage skin
And hot afternoons by the river
Spent crushing the clover
I said "Lie down, roll over
I wanna go back there again"
Oh baby, sweet Fassbinder lady
Ooh, where ya been?
Also, during several shows after "Sexual Revolution" they did an additional
bit, mainly the line "let's go to the country" repeated several times.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 09. "Who or what is/was Fassbinder?"
Fixed on the front of her Fassbinder face
Was the kind of a smile
That only a rather dull child could have drawn
While attempting a graveyard in the moonlight
Fassbinder is a German playwright and filmmaker. He's been called "artsy,"
"grim," and "simplified." The line could refer to the kind of leading lady
that he'd use in a movie, or perhaps it means "grim" or "mournful."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 10. "Why is Yoko Ono mentioned in 'Pros and Cons'?"
Said Roger Waters:
Some of the ideas have come from my own dreams and also there are bits
and pieces of other people's dreams. In fact, the third verse of the
album's title track talks about standing on the wing of an aeroplane,
looking down at the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and Yoko Ono
being there, and telling me to jump; that everybody's got to die some
time and the manly thing to do is to end it all now.
That dream belongs to Andy Newmark, the drummer. He came in one day and
over lunch in the pub he told me about this dream and I thought, "That's
a good dream, I'll try and fit that in somewhere." So I did.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 11. "Differences between the US & UK _Pros and Cons_ Lyrics Sheets"
There are some differences between the respective lyrics sheets. For one
thing, the British version has the characters who say each bit listed, but
the CBS version does not. This is from a posting by Dave Cowl:
Type of Difference British EMI US/Japan CBS
=====================...=====================...========================
Extra . Surgeon:"Drill" . drill
. Man:"Oh God!" . Wake up..
. .
Extra . Wife:"What border? . Uh, what border
. Go back to sleep" .
. .
Extra bit after Arabs . Arab:"Don't cut the .
with knives . woman Mohammed, .
. I want the woman" .
. .
Extra line . You've got to admit .
. it was wrong what .
. you did. .
. .
Difference . oder drinken Mehr Ha . oder drinken bier, ha
. .
Extra from Clerk . Room Clerk:"Goodnight .
Keys bit . Sir" .
. .
Extra in Stay with . Woman:"No...I'm .
Me! bit . sleeping" .
. .
Lost bit . 4 lines of Sexual .
. Revolution Missing .
. .
Extra . . (Thunder)
. .
Difference . And trailed our.. . And we trailed our..
. .
Extra . ...gets two presents" .
. (Man pauses to light .
. a joint) .
. .
Difference . Jump says Yoko . Jump says Yoko Ono
. "Oh No!... .
. .
Extra . Trucker:"Hey...Turn .
. the fucking Juke Box .
. Down" .
. .
Difference . In the company of has . In the company of
. beens In bent backs . has beens and bent
. In sleeping . backs and sleeping
. .
. Under tube trains in . Under tube trains and
. commuter accidents . commuter accidents
. .
Difference . On loading ramps . On unloading ramps
. .
Difference . Then the moment of . And the moment of
. clarity. . clarity
. .
I thought this would be of interest. The most amusing part is that in the
music book, the listed lyrics are the British ones, but the words against
the music are the CBS lyrics. Weird, huh!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 12. "What does the morse code on _Radio KAOS_ say?"
The cover is pretty easy to decipher -- it says:
ROGER WATERS RADIO KAOS WHO NEEDS INFORMATION THE POWERS THAT BE HOME
THE TIDE IS TURNING RADIO WAVES
The morse code at the beginning and end of the album is harder to decipher.
It's worth it, though, because it contains a deleted verse from "The Tide is
Turning." There's also other bits of code scattered throughout the album.
Here's what people have been able to figure out, from Douglas Whisler, A.G.
Spencer and David Truckenmiller:
- "turning Syl"
(beginning of album)
- "macho bullshit and mediocrity oh tide"
(end of album)
- "it is they that must fight and die ... Herbert Hoover"
(end of "Who Needs Information")
- "dock ... oh time(?) is turning ... the party's over but you are not"
(during the "I don't like fish" speech)
See the next question for a partial explanation...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 13. "What is the 'Lost Verse' to 'The Tide is Turning'?"
There was supposed to be another verse to this song, but it was removed
because Waters was worried about lawsuits. He did, however, sing part of
it (the last two lines) during some live concerts. The lyrics are:
Now the past is over but you are not alone
Together we'll fight Sylvester Stallone
We will not be dragged down in his South China Sea
of macho bullshit and mediocrity
This is also who Waters refers to later in the song when he sings "The
tide is turning, Sylvester."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 14. "What is said at the very beginning/end of _Radio KAOS_?"
This is taken from Q&A in TAP (#53):
According to "Psycho Pink" Eric Wayne Morrison (Colorado
Springs), it's "...back to the beginning" and "That's...".
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 15. "Who is having that pilot/tower conversation in 'Learning to Fly'?"
That's Nick Mason, who recently received a pilot's license. I believe
that David Gilmour is his co-pilot. The conversation is an actual
conversation between Nick and the tower, during one of his first solo
flights.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 16. "Wasn't there talk of a KAOS 2?"
Roger liked the KAOS concept so much that, during a break in the KAOS tour,
he began writing material for a new album about Billy and Jim, to be called
"Amused to Death." At one subsequent KAOS show, Roger said he would play
some new material from KAOS 2; the only "new" material played was "Fish
Report with a Beat" and "Going to Live in LA." So I guess Roger had pegged
the latter song, at least, for use on the new project (it had originally
been written for the KAOS album).
The album was rumored to be ready for release in early 1989, and included a
Gerald Scarfe cover that depicted three familliar musicians drowning in a
giant martini glass. But the album was reportedly rejected by the record
company, and later on by Waters himself.
What happened next is a matter of speculation. In a Rockline interview
at the time of ATD's release, Waters said he had been putting the songs
together for the past four or five years (interupted, presumably, by his
work on the "Ca Ira" project). Another article notes that most of the
album was written and conceived before the Gulf War. So one might assume
that at least some of the KAOS 2 material was worked into the new,
"TV-concept" _Amused to Death_. But we don't know for sure...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[*] 17. "Weren't there a lot of problems at the _Wall in Berlin_ concert?"
Problems were probably inevitable at such a large-scale, one-shot performance.
The concert started smoothly enough, with the introductory acts (The Hooters,
in case you were wondering why they're credited, along with James Galway and
The Band, plus a German group) and the Scorpions' performance of "In the
Flesh." But the microphones died completely during "The Thin Ice" -- Roger
just waved at the crowd and did a little tap dance to keep them entertained.
They got the mics working again mid-way through "Another Brick, pt.1," but
only at low power; the crowd periodically screamed "louder, louder!" Full
power was finally restored for "Empty Spaces," and continued without a hitch
for the rest of the show.
The other well-known blooper was on Sinead O'Connor's rendition of "Mother."
As I understand it (second hand), as The Band began to sing the chorus, she
lost her place in the song and began to sing the next verse! These mistakes
were "cleaned up" on the album and video releases by splicing in footage
from the previous day's dress rehearsal, and from am emergency re-do of the
entire concert the company did, right after the official performance.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 18. "Who were Alf Razzell and Bill Hubbard?"
The voice in ATD of somebody trying to rescue a comrade are those of Alf
Razzell, a WWI veteran. Here's a (small) bit of background to his story
(appparently from the same TV special from which Waters took the sound
bites):
Alf Razzell had the job of collecting the dead soldier's pocket-books,
whatever they are, (some kind of ID thing I expect) and usually the
corpse had to be rolled over to get it out of the top pocket. You
would then see why the man had died. There were guys with empty brain
cavities, faces blown off, limbs blown off and half the time he was
walking through intestines of dead men.
The Germans picked up Alf and took him to the trenches where he found
Bill. The Germans would not help at all. Bill had a large hole in his
back exposing his intestines and it was dirty with oil, chalk and all
kind of shit from the trenches. The Germans wanted Alf to take him back
and to be quick about it but due to the injuries Bill couldn't stand it
and with the Germans getting impatient and abusive, he decided that he
would have to leave him behind. Bummer.
Its not all that gory. Alf looks in pretty good condition for a 90 odd
year old. He reckons war is completely unnecessary. At the end of any
war, everyone sits around a table and comes to some agreement. Why don't
they do that before the war instead?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 19. "What's the backwards message in 'Perfect Sense' say?"
It's really (REALLY) difficult to decipher, so it's impossible to be 100%
certain about all the words. But having said that, here's something that
at least conveys the basic point, from the ATD Transcript:
Julia, (pause)
however, (pause - 2nd thunder in normal direction)
In the light and visions
of the issues of Stanley, (pause)
we changed our minds. (pause)
We have decided to include
a backward message, (pause - 1st thunder in normal direction)
Stanley, (pause)
for you, (pause)
and for all the other book (short pause)
partners.
[very loud, noisy, screamed sentence]
The story goes like this: Waters had asked Stanley Kubrick if he could use
some lines and "breathing effects" from his "2001: A Space Odyssey" film on
the album. Specifically, Waters wanted to include the part about HAL's
shutdown [from the ATD songbook]:
HAL: Dave, my mind is going...I can feel it...I can feel it...My mind
is going...There is no question about it...I can feel it...I can
feel it...I can feel it...I'm afraid...
Mr. Kubrick refused. So Waters dubbed in his own breathing effects, and
recorded a nasty message for Kubrick's benefit. Heaven only knows if he's
heard it, or more importantly, if he cares.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 20. "What do the Arabic words in 'Late Home Tonight' mean?"
[Translation courtesy of Fady Alajaji:]
Some of the phrases were really hard to grasp because they were
being spoken very quickly in the background of the high tempo
beating drums.
Anyway I tried my best and here is the translation (although not very
accurate) of what I could grasp:
1) At the end of the song, while Roger is singing the following:
"And in Tripoli, another ordinary wife
[....] in the street below"
a woman is shouting in the background in egyptian arabic.
Apparently she is complaining to her husband and blaming him
for her sufferings. Her words run as follows:
".... And then what !!!! why don't you ever help me ?
you all the time leave me alone at home and go join your
fat friends in your endless useless discussions....
I work for you and your family from dawn to dusk, and
you don't give a damn !
I badly need to rest, I just wish the devil's angel will
soon come and take me with him......"
2) Then the beating drums start, and here everything is very chaotic.
There are different voices in the background. I was able to distinguish
a TV (or radio) commentator talking (but I can't get what he's
saying) and at the same time there is a crowd shouting slogans
in arabic. I could not grasp all their words. This what I could get:
"..... is Great;.......is Great; God is great........
Death, Death , Death to the ..... (imperialists ?)..."
I am not sure if the last word is "imperialists". Anyway you get
the meaning. I think it's kind of a demonstration of fundamentalist
muslims. However I'm not really sure.
3) At the end of the beating drums, right before the missile explosion,
the voice of the TV commentator becomes more clear, and he says the
following:
".....his days are rarely spent at home....as for her, she stays
alone, she stays alone at home..... while all the men are
out gathered at the squarre, she's left to loneliness
and (oblivion ?)................BBBBBOOOOOOOOUUUUMMMMMMM"
That's it folks. I want to point out that this translation is not
completely accurate, and it's not completely word by word.
Arabic cannot be translated word by word into English because it
won't make any sense. However, overall I think the translation
is 90% accurate.
By the way I think Roger got these arabic phrases from an Egyptian
movie and mixed them into his song. I am certain the arabic is
Egyptian arabic and not Lybian arabic as it was meant to be ;
since this song is supposed to be about the bombing of the Lybian
capital, Tripoli.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 21. "Why does Waters hate Andrew Lloyd Webber?"
[With much help from Adam Floro:]
In general, he just doesn't like ALW's music, and doesn't mind saying so.
But specifically, there's a section of Webber's _Phantom of the Opera_ that
bears a marked similarity to a part of "Echoes." The opening notes to the
"Overture" of _Phantom_ (Track 2, Disc 1) are C# C B Bb A C#. This matches
rather closely a section of "Echoes," approximately 6:06 to 6:16.
While Waters was less than pleased with this similarity, echoesians have
pointed out that such a chromatic pattern is fairly common; by no means a
Floyd invention. However, the relevent dates make the charge of plaigarism
at least possible, if not really likely -- Webber first used the riff in
question on the film "Gumshoe," released in December 1971. _Meddle_ was
released on 11 November, 1971, with the live debut of "Echoes" having
occurred on April 22.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 22. "What does the title 'Amused to Death' refer to?"
Television. Specifically, a book by Neil Postman, called "Amusing Ourselves
to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business."
It's apparently a very well-received book, and worth reading. Publishing
information, for anyone interested:
(cloth: New York: Viking, 1985; ISBN: 0670804541)
(paper: New York: Penguin, 1986; ISBN: 0140094385)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 23. "Just how much money does Floyd make, anyway?"
It really depends. The MLoR and TDB tours made LOTS of money, as you can
see below. The _Wall_ tour, however, lost money in a big way. And, as
happens to many mega-successful entertainers, the Floyd have made their
share of bad investments. But the following is presented to give some
indication of what league they're in:
(taken from Forbes magazine)
GROSS INCOME 2YEAR TOTAL
RANK 89 88
1989 1988 Star/age ---------million $---------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 1 Michael Jackson/31 65 60 125
2 3 S.Speilberg/41 64 41 105
3 2 B.Cosby/52 60 35 95
4 8 Mike Tyson/23 26 45 71
5 6 Charles Schulz/66 28 32 60
6 5 Eddie Murphy/28 22 35 57
7 19 Pink Floyd (3 members) 25 31 56
8 __ The Rolling Stones (5 members) 44 11 55
9 14 Oprah/35 30 25 55
10 13 George Michael/26 11 36 47
In a similar Forbes study for 1994 and 1995 (projected), the Floyd were
ranked third (at $62 million), behind Steven Spielberg ($355 million),
Oprah Winfrey ($105 million), and <cough> Barney ($84 million). Behind
them were both The Eagles (7th, at $56 million) and The Rolling Stones
(9th, at $53 million).
For those interested in individual Floyd members, among "Britain's Richest
500" (according to the Sunday Times, May 13th, 1995), Mason ranks as #289;
Gilmour as #346. Also, on January 19th, 1995 The Guardian published a list
of the top 30 English musicians with regard to highest disclosed annual
earnings, averaged over the last three years. Among them were:
9. Roger Waters 3,170 (Units = 1,000 British Pounds)
15. David Gilmour 2,255
Number 1, for anyone interested, was that perennial object of Roger Waters'
scorn, Phil Collins, at 14,330.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 24. "Didn't They Get In A Crash And Nearly Mangle Themselves To Death?"
One of Nick Mason's favorite pastimes is auto racing. He, David Gilmour,
and Steve O'Rourke (their manager) participated in a road race in Mexico
called "La Carrera Panamericana" in late 1991. They later released a
TV-movie of the car race, directed by Gilmour, with a little "new" Pink
Floyd music for backing (including "One Slip").
During the race, there was an accident. The movie didn't provide in-depth
coverage of the accident, just about the same coverage as other crashes
received. Here is a transcription of the voice-over regarding Dave & Steve's
crash (courtesy of Martin Pitwood):
"They went into a corner too fast. Either through misreading the pace
notes or whatever and, er, basically took off over the edge of a cliff
and landed, I think upside-down, on a small road below. The general
feeling seems to be that they are incredibly lucky to have got away
with it so lightly. Dave is fine, maybe a few cuts and bruises, and
Steve -- broken leg." Then shots of the car being towed away.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 25. "What is Richard Wright's current status with the band?"
As stated before, Richard Wright was essentially fired from Pink Floyd just
before the Wall tours. He did not appear on TFC. He did, however, appear
as a "session" musician on AMLoR, and also participated in the DSoT tour.
With _The Division Bell_ he's finally, fully back in the band:
[from MTV News]
Wright: On this one I have been involved right from the begining.
Writing and singing, and it's a compleatly different
situation this time, and I'm not on a wage (big smile).
I'm in partnership with them, and very happy about that.
We are actually three of us making a Pink Floyd album.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 26. "What does the title _The Division Bell_ refer to?"
[From a post by Chris Solnordal:]
[In England and Australia] during parliamentary sessions, if there is a
disagreement about a matter then a vote must be taken. At this point,
The Division Bell is rung for some time, and during that time every
parliamentarian who is eligable to vote must proceed to the house. When
the Division Bell stops sounding, the doors are shut and so if you're
late you miss out on casting your vote.
The use of this for the title was suggested by Douglas Adams (author of the
"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" radio show, book series, TV show, and
computer game, among other things), which is why he is listed in the album's
credits. Adams made the suggestion in exchange for Gilmour donating a
certain sum of money (#5,000) to a charity of Adams', the Environmental
Investigation Agency. Adams has also said that Gilmour asked him to fool
around with the lyrics a bit, but that none of his suggestions were actually
used on the album.
Douglas Adams also appeared at the October 28th Earl's Court show, playing
acoustic guitar on "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse." This was Gilmour's
birthday present to Adams (Adams' 42nd birthday was in March, 1994).
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 27. "Who is Stephen Hawking?"
[Thanks to David R. Rorabaugh and Microsoft's Encarta]:
Hawking, Stephen William (1942- ), British theoretical physicist, best
known for his attempts to unite general relativity theory with quantum
mechanics and for his integrally related contributions to cosmology.
Hawking is Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.
Much of his work has dealt with the black hole concept. His research
indicates that general relativity, if true, supports the big bang theory
of the creation of the universe. He wrote "A Brief History of Time"
(1988). Hawking has made his important contributions to science while
battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable disease of the
nervous system.
It is this disease, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, which forces him
to use a speech-synthesizer to talk, which is what you hear on "Keep Talking."
The phrases he speaks are sampled from a British Telecommunications commercial
that Gilmour heard after the song was otherwise completed. DG liked it so
much (said it almost brought him to tears) that he asked BT if he could
sample it.
NOTE: The complete text of the advertisement is in the TDB lyric file at
ftp.halcyon.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 28. "What languages are TDB's page numbers in?"
3. Spanish 15. Swahili
5. English 17. Chinese / Japanese *
7. Hindi 19. French
8. Italian 21. Hebrew
11. German / Dutch 22. Russian (Cyrillic)
13. Japanese (romaticized)
* On some CD booklets, you can see "Dix-Neuf" written faintly under
the characters.
It has also been suggested that the circles on page 2 are a binary
representation of the number 2.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 29. "Who or what is 'Publius'?"
Publius is the name taken by an anonymous person (or persons) who has posted
several cryptic messages to the alt.music.pink-floyd newsgroup. His or her
claim was that there is/was a "central purpose and a designed solution" to
an enigma related to _The Division Bell_. For solving this enigma, Publius
promised a "unique prize."
Asked to furnish proof of his/her authenticity, Publius responded with a
number of different signals -- the words "ENGIMA PUBLIUS" displayed by the
white lights at the bottom of the stage on the July 18th New Jersey show,
the same words printed amidst the artwork of the _Momentary Lapse of Reason_
MiniDisc, and the word "ENIGMA" scrawled on the circular screen during the
PPV/_Pulse_ video, at the beginning of "Another Brick in the Wall, pt.2"
Following these signs, Publius was silent for several months, causing the
initial excitement to die down. Also, several interviews with David Gilmour
occurred over these months, in which Gilmour claimed no involvement with or
knowledge of anything Publius-related. As of this writing, Publius has
just posted another message to alt.music.pink-floyd, offering new advice
and promising more involvement in the future. So the questions remain of
to what degree TDB can be thought to contain a "designed solution" if the
band members were not involved; and if it does, then what is it...?
-=-
There is a "publius" database at echoserv, which contains several files you
should read if you're interested in learning more. Send the following lines,
lowercase and left-justified, to <[email protected]>
filelist publius
help
quit
This will send you a list of what's available and instructions on how to
get it. Posts regarding Publius should be directed to the Usenet newsgroup,
alt.music.pink-floyd, and should contain the word "PUBLIUS" in the subject
header. This allows people not interested in the topic to avoid these
posts, by putting the word in their "kill" file.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[*] 30. "Where do the tracks on _Pulse_ come from?"
The video (VHS and LaserDisc) version of _Pulse_ comes exclusively from the
October 20th, 1994 show at Earls Court; it is a re-edited version of what
was a Pay-Per-View performance. In comparison with the original PPV, the
_Pulse_ video features some different camera angles and a few cuts on the
guitar solos.
The audio (CD, MD, cassette, and forthcoming vinyl) _Pulse_ is *not* the
same as this; it features tracks taken from throughout the European segment
of the _Division Bell_ tour. Here is a list of songs and their locations,
thanks to Karl Dallas at the Revue on-line magazine, and with the assistance
of Andy Mabbett. It can be found in its original form, as part of a Revue
interview with David Gilmour, at http://www.u-net.com/houston/floydlst.htm
Song Location Date
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Shine On" Earls Court October 20
"Astronomy Domine" Earls Court October 15
"What Do You Want From Me" Rome September 21
"Learning to Fly" Earls Court October 14
"Keep Talking" Hannover August 17
"Hey You" Earls Court October 13
last verse: Earls Court October 15
"A Great Day for Freedom" Earls Court October 19
"Sorrow" Rome September 20
"High Hopes" Earls Court October 20
"Another Brick, pt.2" Earls Court October 21
"One of These Days" Earls Court October 16
end section Earls Court October 20
"Speak to Me" Earls Court October 20
"Breathe" Earls Court October 20
"On the Run" Earls Court October 20
"Time" Rome September 20
intro Modena September 17
explosion Earls Court October 15
"Breathe (reprise)" Rome September 20
last edit Earls Court October 20
"The Great Gig in the Sky" Earls Court October 20
"Money" Modena September 17
"Us and Them" Earls Court October 20
2nd and 3rd chorus Earls Court October 19
"Any Colour You Like" Earls Court October 23
end of song Earls Court October 19
"Brain Damage"/"Eclipse" Earls Court October 19
"Wish You Were Here" Rome September 20
"Comfortably Numb" Earls Court October 20
"Run Like Hell" Earls Court October 15
Also of note is that the cassette copies of _Pulse_ include about twenty
minutes of the ambient opening music/sounds that were played before the
1994 concerts started.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 31. "General Trivia...."
The following bits of interest don't really warrant an individual topic,
so here they all are, ordered by album.
-=-
[-] 31.1 "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"
The album's title comes from the the seventh chapter of Kenneth Grahame's
"The Wind in the Willows" (the book was a favorite of Syd's).
[-] 31.2 "A Saucerful of Secrets"
On the "Pink Floyd 25th Anniversary" radio show last year, Roger said that
the lyrics for "Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun" came straight out
of a book of Chinese poetry from the late Tang period. Except for the
title, which he said came from within him, somewhere.
[-] 31.3 "More"
It's notable that "Cymbaline" is a self-referential song:
"...will the final couplet rhyme?"
The final couplet in fact is the only one that doesn't...
On the Capitol pressing of the _More_ LP (SW-11198), the record (not
the sleeve) has following titles for "Up The Khyber" and "Quicksilver":
Up The Kyber (Juke Box)
Quicksilver (Water-Pipe)
[-] 31.4 "Ummagumma"
[From David Schuetz and Steven Dobbs:]
"Ummagumma" was a slang term for knockin' boots. (Knockin' boots of course
being a slang term for doing the Wild Thang; which is, of course, slang for
having sex.) Of course, Rock and Roll was a slang term for -- you get the
picture. So, looked at that way, the album "Ummagumma" could simply mean
"Rock and Roll."
On the _Ummagumma_ album cover, the last "reflection" in the wall is of the
cover to _A Saucerful of Secrets_.
The "Jude" listed alongside Waters is Judy Trim, Roger's first wife.
[-] 31.5 "Zabriskie Point"
Zabriskie Point Song Titles (from NeXT Digital Webster):
Fin-gal's Cave (fin'g'lz)
large cavern on an islet (called Staffa) west of Mull in the
Hebrides, W Scotland
Oe|no-ne (e no'ne) [L < Gr Oinone]
Gr. Myth. a nymph deserted by her husband, Paris, for Helen of Troy
[+] 31.6 "Atom Heart Mother"
In the AHM Suite, there are two voices that can be clearly heard:
17:28 "Here is a loud announcement"
19:08 "Silence in the studio!"
Stanley Kubrick wanted "free rein" to use music from AHM in his "A Clockwork
Orange." The band didn't agree...
[-] 31.7 "Meddle"
The title "Meddle" was meant to be a pun--"a play between 'medal' (the thing
that you wear for achieving something) and 'interfere'" The picture on the
cover depicts a close-up of a human ear.
A portion (the instrumental bits) of "Seamus" was used as the theme song for
the movie "Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead."
On "Seamus," you can hear someone say "Here is the real dog" right before one
of the dog's solos.
[+] 31.8 "Pink Floyd at Pompeii"
Nick Mason loses a drum stick during 'One Of These Days...', then continues
to play furiously with one hand while he gets a new stick from a little
container attached to his drum kit. (There's a similar moment on the KQED
video, when Roger is striking a gong with such force he bends the mallet!)
The guitar part Gilmour is playing on "Brain Damage/Eclipse" was not used
on the album; however, a mix of the songs with the part was made, and is
available on some RoIOs.
[+] 31.9 "The Dark Side of the Moon"
The fourth best-selling rock album of all time is _Dark Side of the Moon_:
1 - Thriller
2 - Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
3 - Rumors
4 - Dark Side of the Moon
It stayed on Billboard's top 200 album chart until April 23, 1988, when it
dropped off the charts for good. It had been there for 723 weeks, the
longest of any album, ever. The second longest chart stay was somewhere
around 9 and 1/2 years, for Johnny Mathis' _Greatest_Hits_.
After this, Billboard changed the format so that once an album dropped off,
it could not return. Otherwise, DSotM would still be accumulating weeks.
[From AJTS&Tw/PF, courtesy of Toapher (summary chart by djs):]
"Dark Side of the Moon" on the USA Top 200 Charts: Debuts on 17 March 1973
and stays until 19 October 1974 (84 weeks) but falls off. Appears on the
charts again on 12 April 1975 and stays until 6 March 1976 (lost 24 weeks,
but stays for 48 weeks more). Back on charts again on 18 December 1976
and stays for a record 11 years until 23 April 1988 (lost 40 weeks but
gained 591 weeks). On USA charts for a grand total of 723 weeks:
on chart off chart on chart off chart on chart
17Mar73 --> 19Oct74 12Apr75 --> 6Mar76 18 Dec 76 --> 23 Apr 88
weeks: 84 24 48 40 591 723 on, 64 off
months: 19 6 11 10 125 155 on, 16 off
years: 1.6 0.5 .9 .8 11.3 13.8 on, 1.3 off
An alternate lyric ("laying supine in the sunshine") was used in "Time" at
many DSotM concerts.
What the heck is a VCS3??
The VCS3 is an analog synthesizer. It stands for:
Voltage-
Controlled
Studio, attempt number
3
It's still being sold by its developers, Electronic Music Studios.
The cost is roughly US $2,500.
It is mentioned in "Walk Away Rene" that the cover of DSotM was specifically
designed by Hipgnosis so that if you fold it out (the LP, that is) and put it
end to end with other copies then they all fit together, thus perpetuating
the cyclic theme of the album.
[-] 31.A "A Nice Pair"
The cover to _A Nice Pair_ was comprised of several different cover ideas
that Hipgnosis came up with, plus several more new ones (they couldn't
make up their minds, so, "why not use them all?") Many of these pictures
represent common sayings or phrases:
Frog in your throat
Fork in the road
Kettle of fish
Laughing all the way to the bank
A nip in the air
Flying saucers
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
going in circles
[-] 31.B "Wish You Were Here"
There's a violin at the end of "Wish You Were Here," but it's nearly
impossible to hear (it's at the end, right after all the wind stuff
starts). Violinist Stephane Grappelly was recording in a downstairs
studio, and Gilmour had suggested that there be a little "country fiddle"
at the end of the song, so they talked Grappelly into coming up and
recording a bit. They hardly used anything of his (in fact, they felt
that giving him an album credit would be insulting), but they enjoyed
listening to him play. He did get about 300 Pounds for it, though...
When Pink Floyd was recording "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (and on the very
day of David Gilmour's wedding to his first wife, Ginger), they received a
visitor in the studio. He basically kept to himself, occasionally getting
up to brush his teeth. From _Pink Floyd: The Illustrated Discography_:
"During the WYWH sessions a fat, shaven-headed person wearing grey
Terylene trousers, a nylon shirt and string vest wandered into the
studio. The band ignored the visitor and kept on playing and it was
the visiting Andrew King who finally recognised their guest: 'Good
God, it's Syd! How did you get like that?' To which Syd replied,
'I've got a very large fridge at home and I've been eating a lot of
pork chops.' The whole event was slightly un-nerving since the theme
of the album was based on Syd and his subsequent madness."
The coughing sounds on the title track were caused by Gilmour's smoking
habits. It has been reported that when DG heard the sounds on the album,
he decided then and there to quit.
The lake on the _Wish You Were Here_ inner sleeve is Mono Lake, in
California. The strange rock formations are a result of the *extremely*
high mineral content of the water there. It's a protected area.
The weird noises and radio sounds between "Have a Cigar" and "Wish You Were
Here" were picked randomly from a radio. The music includes a snippet of
Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony, and the interview includes "and you, Derek, this
star nonsense, what do you think of it?" In concerts, the band extended the
bit by playing live off-air samples from the local town, and then switching
into the pre-recorded bit from the album.
[From Barth Richards:]
In the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" radio series, there is a gag in
the scene where the five main characters are stepping out of the starship
HEART OF GOLD onto the planet Magrathea. The music in the background is the
opening of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5)," which, it turns out, is
being provided by Marvin. At one point, Arthur says, "Ford, do you realize
that robot can hum like Pink Floyd?" When the radio series was released on
cassettes and CDs, this scene was cut for legal reasons.
[-] 31.C "David Gilmour"
According to Gilmour, "'Mihalis' is the name of my boat...It's Greek for
Michael. That's what it was called when I got it and, in Greece, they
say it's bad luck to change it..."
[+] 31.D "The Wall (album and movie)"
In the movie "The Wall," there are a lot of scenes in the background of a
WWII film called "The Dambusters." It's the story about 617 squadron,
which attacked 3 Ruhr dams in 1943 flying specially converted Lancasters
carrying Barnes Wallis's "bouncing bomb" and it is the film of this event
featured in the Wall movie. The raid was lead by Wing Commander Guy Gibson
who survived the raid and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in
it. Guy Gibson died later in the war.
There are a number of uncredited session musicians on _The Wall_. Freddie
Mandell plays Hammond organ on "In the Flesh," Lee Ritenour plays rhythm
guitar on "One of My Turns" (Gilmour "couldn't think of a good part to
play"), and there's some guy playing Spanish guitar on "Is There Anybody Out
There?" because Gilmour couldn't play the part without a pick.
"Where the hell are you? Where the hell are you Tyler?" heard just before
the song "Vera" is from the movie "Battle of Britain". The airplane that
you hear crashing afterward is Tyler's.
One of the exhibits at the Rock Hall of Fame will be The Wall, a multimedia
presentation done by Roger Waters and the design firm of Fisher Park. No,
the Floyd are not yet in the Hall of Fame -- they failed to collect the
necessary votes on their first nomination, a few years ago. At least part
of the reason is probably their general shunning of the media.
Toni Tennille (credited on _The Wall_ LP) is from The Captain and Tennille.
Bruce Johnston is from The Beach Boys -- the original plan had been to have
*all* the Beach Boys harmonize on "The Show Must Go On" and "Waiting for
the Worms," but this was scrapped.
On "Gohill's Boots:"
Gohill's is a shoe store in Camden, North London (UK). The boots referred
to in The Wall would have been short ankle boots with an elasticated
"gusset" (rather than laces). These were "de rigeur" in London in the
late '60s and Gohill's was THE place to get them.
A picture of Syd wearing a pair of yellow Gohills can be found in the Mick
Rock Photo Sessions book.
[-] 31.E "The Final Cut"
"part of me flies over dresden at angels one five"
Dresden is a German city heavily bombed by the RAF during WWII; "angels one
five" means 15,000 feet.
"and maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control"
This refers to an event that happened in the summer of 1982. The Royal
Green Jackets band was giving a concert in Regent's Park, when a bomb
planted under the stage by the Irish Republican Army detonated, killing
6 and injuring 28, most of them bandsmen.
[+] 31.F "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking"
"...nailed ducks to the wall..."
Nailing painted wooden ducks to the wall was a British post-WWII symbol of
settling down to the quiet life (hence "Dunroamin"). In "Walk Away Rene"
(the book on Hipgnosis), a prototype cover of _Animals_ is shown; a drawing
of a real duck bloodily nailed above a mantle.
Nadav Appel noticed that the track "Arabs with Knives and West German Skies,"
according to the lyrics, starts at "there were Arabs with knives," while on
the disc's indexing, it starts only at "sleep, sleep"
[-] 31.G "Radio KAOS"
"There's a blood red dragon on a field of green"
This is a description of the Welsh flag. It can be seen on, among other
places, the Radio KAOS video EP.
[-] 31.H "A Momentary Lapse of Reason"
The voices that can be heard in "Yet Another Movie" are Humphry Bogart, in
a famous scene from "Casablanca."
[-] 31.I "Delicate Sound of Thunder"
The DSoT album cover is meant (according to its designer) to capture what
was so special about a Pink Floyd concert--sight and sound. "So you have
Mr. Light in a showdown with Mr. Sound. The whole thing was shot in Spain."
One concession made by Pink Floyd to Roger Waters as a result of the great
Floyd Lawyer Wars was the concept of the "Pig." Waters had sued to stop
the Floyd from using many of their now-standard concert features, like the
huge screen, weird animated movies, and in particular, the floating pig.
So when Pink Floyd went on the road, they not only credited Waters with the
concept (seen in the DSoT Video closing credits - "Original Pig Concept:
R. Waters"), they also changed the pig's gender.
[+] 31.J "Amused to Death"
"And we all like the bit when you take
The jeans from the refridgerator and
Then the bad guy gets hit" ...this is based on a UK television
advertisement.
Semtex (one of the many things God wants) was an inexpensive Czechoslovakian
plastic explosive, popular with terrorists.
"Each man has his price Bob, and yours was pretty low"
Waters explains this line: "When we recorded the album I would sometimes
rehearse vocal takes by impersonating Bob Dylan. That line originally read
'Each man has his price my friends...' so make of that what you will. As a
joke I sung 'Bob' instead and Pat insisted that we left it in. So although
it was unintentional I'm happy that it's there for Bob Ezrin. I hope he
appreciates it." (Bob Ezrin had originally agreed to produce Roger's _Radio
KAOS_, but backed out of the deal to produce MLoR.)
There's a "Complete _Amused to Death_ Transcript" that includes all lyrics,
background voices, the backwards message, and other informational notes.
Check ftp.halcyon.com/local/pink_floyd/lyrics/atd.transcript
[-] 31.K "Shine On"
On the box set, in the print around the weird logo (with all the overlapping
album titles) is the working title for Shine On, "The Big Bong Theory." This
was suggested by Mason, but wasn't approved.
[+] 31.L "The Division Bell"
The sounds at the beginning of "Cluster One" are the crackling noises
beneath the earth's crust. They were recorded by California seismology buff
G. William Forgey, who offered them to the band. [From the Toronto Star]
Picture Locations:
- The building on the cover of the CD is Ely Cathedral, in Cambridgeshire,
England.
- The buildings on page 2 and 3 of the TDB CD booklet are those of the
Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, in Chile.
- The beach scene in CBtL was shot in the UK: Durdle Door, Dorset, on the
South English coast.
Right after the 3:00 mark in "Take it Back," you can hear the following:
[From Charles Panati's 'Extraordiary Origins of Everyday things', thanks
to Demetri S. Mouratis]
Ring-a-ring o' roses | Refers to circular rosy rash, an early
| symptom of the Great Plague.
A pocket full of posies | Herbs carried in pockets, people thought
| they would protect them
A-tishoo! A-tishoo | Literally, the plague's final sneeze
| which preceded physical collapse.
We all fall down. | i.e. dead.
[Don't be surprised if you learned the song slightly differently -- I did,
too -- but this is the original version.]
There are a number of sounds in TDB that are a bit familiar:
- Bells from "Fat Old Sun"
- Drums from "Bring the Boys Back Home"
- Fly from "Grantchester Meadows"
- Truck stopping and leaving from "Dunroamin'"
Polly Samson, listed in the "Thanks" section and co-writer of many songs,
is Gilmour's wife (as of summer 1994--he and Ginger seperated during the
MLoR tour). Don't know much about her except that she's a journalist and
writer.
At 8:18 of "High Hopes" there is the following phone conversation:
O'Rourke: Hello?
Charlie: Yeah...
SO'R: Is that Charlie?
C: Yes.
SO'R: Hello Charlie.
C: <mumbles something and hangs up>
S'OR: Great! <hangs up>
(Steve O'Rourke is the band's manager, and Charlie is Polly's son.)
The LP of TDB is several minutes shorter than the other versions. It lacks
the above conversation, and the song ends are trimmed down a bit. "Wearing
the Inside..." also has some small structural changes. There was a rumor
before its release that TDB would be a double LP, to fit everything on, but
apparently the band decided against this.
[From Gerhard:]
I recently found an old Dutch telephonecard (you know, one of those things
with which you can telephone without using cash), and on it was a stylized
picture of 2 faces, facing each other seen from the side, and in between
the faces were some sinal waves...
[-] 31.M "Other"
On Primus' _Pork Soda_ album, there is a lyric on song #12 ("The Air is
Getting Slippery") that goes, "If you studied your Floyd properly, you'd
know that pigs could fly." Primus has also covered "Have a Cigar" on their
_Miscellaneous Debris_ EP.
In the video for the Beastie Boys' song "Gratitude," they play in a
"Pompeii-style" arena and have their rotating (Leslie) amps marked
"PINK FLOYD -- LONDON", just like in Pompeii.
The ambient group The Orb has used the Battersea Power Station on album
covers, features bassist Guy Pratt, and has some obviously Floyd-inspired
tunes (eg "Plateau").
The multimedia software company 7th Level features some interesting
connections to Pink Floyd. Scott Page is the Executive Vice President,
while Bob Ezrin is Co-Chairman of the Board and Executive Vice President
of Production. Gilmour is credited for the "guitar effects" on the
company's "Tuneland" CD-ROM.
According to Autoweek, some of the cars that Nick Mason owns (and
races) are:
Ferrari 250 GTO
F40
246 GTS Dino
Bugatti 35B
Alfa 2300
Maserati 250F
Specialized Bicycle Components makes a series of tires with a greyish,
ultra-grippy, ultra-soft rubber compound they call UmmaGumma. It is used
for the company's "extreme application" tires.
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[-] 32. "UAQs (Unanswered Asked Questions)"
Here we present some questions that have been asked that nobody's really
come up with an answer for yet:
+ "What's the Morse code at the beginning of 'Astronomy Domine'?"
No clue ;) I tried to decode it, but my skill at Morse code is all but
nil. Someone had a go at one of the live versions, and reported it was
just random. But maybe someone could try the _Piper_ version?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[+] 33. "The Rumor Mill"
These items deal with events far enough in the future as to make them at
least somewhat uncertain:
+ Roger stated in a recent New York Times interview that he has been working
on a stage adaptation of The Wall, with more "humanity and humour." He
also said that he has been writing some poetry and short stories, which
may be published in the future.
In this interview Waters also states that "there's a distinct possibility
that I may go on the road again at some point in the future."
+ According to numerous sources (REG, TAP, interviews) Roger has also been
working on an opera based on the French Revolution named "Caira" (or "Ca
Ira"). The lyrics were written by Etienne Roda-Gil in 1988, and he asked
Roger to do the music. Roger agreed, and, over the course of nine months,
produced a 2 hour demo (singing all the lyrics in French, avec accent).
He's apparently all but done with the project; French sources have it as
premiering in France later this year.
[Historical note from Colin Bunnell: "Ca Ira" ("It will go") was a popular
song among the French Revolutionaries.]
+ After a limited run, the current _Pulse_ packaging (hardbound book with
slipcase and LED) will be replaced with a standard jewel box.
+ The _Shine On_ box set is a limited edition in the sense that a limited
number are produced...every year, in the fall. So if you can't find it
now, look for more to become available in the next month or two.
+ Rick Wright is working on a solo album; rumoured to be helping him is his
lyricist on "Wearing the Inside Out," Anthony Moore.
+ As noted in the books section (P1Q8), Nick Mason is working with Storm
Thorgerson on a Pink Floyd book, to be released this fall. In addition
to his personal memoirs, Mason is known to have kept track of the setlist
for each and every Floyd show.
+ There were a fair number of out-takes from the TDB sessions, and both Nick
Mason and David Gilmour have said that some of these may be released on a
"satelite album" at some point in the future, or saved until the next full
Pink Floyd album.
+ Gilmour and Mason have both said that when they tour again, they'll play
smaller venues (15,000 as opposed to 50,000) and will do without many of
the backup musicians that have graced the past two tours.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 34. "What ever happened to Syd?"
[Info from the "Saucerful of Secrets" and "Crazy Diamond" books:]
Roger Barrett currently resides in suburban Cambridge. He lives a fairly
isolated existence, his affairs looked after by his sister, and spends his
time painting, reading, tending his garden and coin collection, and working
on a pet-project of his, "The History of Art." The money from his Pink Floyd
and solo albums is more than enough to subsidize his low-key lifestyle.
Though there are occasional "Syd sightings," Mr. Barrett finds it difficult
to relate to and communicate with other people, and anyone attempting to
track him down is likely to meet with a closed door.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-] 35. "Which Floyd is better?"
This comes up all the time, especially when new people join and want to
voice their opinions. The problem with this question is that *everyone*
has their own thoughts on the matter, and that these thoughts are entirely
subjective. Without going into any details, any pros and/or cons of either
Syd's, Waters' or Gilmour's writing, singing, or playing styles, and
without delving into the personalities of different members of the band or
the concepts they provided or the concerts they performed, I'm just going
to say that everyone likes or dislikes any particular version of Floyd or
the solo artists for strictly personal reasons, and trying to convince
anyone to change these likes is going to be a futile effort.
Posting on this subject is *highly* frowned upon, both on the newsgroup
and especially on echoes. In other words, don't do it.
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_____////// //======\ //// \ \ \
// \//// || | ////// \ \ \
...---|| ||=====|| |=================================--------...
! T H A N K Y O U !
Douglas Adams, Fady Alajaji, Nadav Appel, David Artus, Jonathan Baumgartner,
bear, Piet de Bondt, Ray Botelho, Helen Bransfield, Mark Brown, Colin Bunnell,
Ted Clement, Chris Coffman, Dave Cowl, Karl Dallas, Scott Eberline, ERST,
Vernon Fitch, Adam Floro, Scott Frank, Dirk Gently, Bruce Hammerle, Herwig
Henseler, Dean Herbert, Gerhard Den Hollander, Tom Hood, Tor Hulbakviken,
Grigori Humphreys, Kym Ide, Aaro Koskinen, R. Brigham Lampert, Scott Lindsey,
David Lynch, Anthony Mabbett, Karl Magnacca, Tim Meekins, Tom Miller, Demetri
Mouratis, Ray O'Hara, Richard van Oosterhout, Martin Pitwood, Scott Plumer,
Barth Richards, Rudi Riet, Geoff Rimmer, Keith Roberts, Jon Rosenberg, David
Rorabaugh, Charles Saeger, Donald Scheidt, David Schuetz, Chris Solnordal,
Steve South, Adam Stanley, Hannes Taucher, Toapher, Brian Tompsett, David
Tratt, David Truckenmiller, Brian Underwood, Chris Walsh, David Weinberger,
Adam Winstanley, and Marshall Wood
```--------=======================================================--------'''
Isn't this where...