Jump to content

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Checked
Page protected with pending changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Piper at the Gates of Dawn (disambiguation).

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Studio album by
Pink Floyd
Released4 August 1967 (1967-08-04)
Recorded21 February – 21 May 1967
StudioEMI, London
Genre
Length41:54[3]
LabelEMI Columbia
ProducerNorman Smith
Pink Floyd chronology
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
(1967) 		A Saucerful of Secrets
(1968)
Singles from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
  1. "Flaming"
    Released: November 1967 (US)

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 4 August 1967 by EMI Columbia.[7] It is the only Pink Floyd album made under the leadership of founder member Syd Barrett (lead vocals, guitar); he wrote all but three tracks, with additional composition by members Roger Waters (bass, vocals), Nick Mason (drums), and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). The album followed the band's influential performances at London's UFO Club and their early chart success with the 1967 non-album singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play".

The album was recorded at EMI Studios in London's Abbey Road from February to May 1967 and produced by Norman Smith. It blended Pink Floyd's reputation for long-form improvisational pieces with Barrett's short pop songs and whimsical take on psychedelia. The album made prominent use of recording effects such as reverb and echo, employing tools such as EMT plate reverberation, automatic double tracking (ADT), and Abbey Road's echo chamber. Part-way through the recording sessions, Barrett's growing use of the psychedelic drug LSD accompanied his increasingly debilitated mental state, leading to his eventual departure from the group the following year. The album title was derived from referencing the god Pan in chapter seven of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's novel The Wind in the Willows, a favourite of Barrett's.

The album was released to critical and commercial success, reaching number 6 on the UK Albums Chart.[8] In the United States, it was released as Pink Floyd in October on Tower Records with an altered track listing that omitted three songs and included "See Emily Play". In the UK, no singles were released from the album, but in the US, "Flaming" was offered as a single. Two of its songs, "Astronomy Dominé" and "Interstellar Overdrive", became long-term mainstays of the band's live setlist, while other songs were performed live only a handful of times. In 1973, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was packaged with the band's second album A Saucerful of Secrets (1968) and released as A Nice Pair, to introduce the band's early work to new fans gained with the success of The Dark Side of the Moon (1973).

The album has since been hailed as a pivotal psychedelic music recording. Special limited editions of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn were issued to mark its 30th, 40th, and 50th anniversaries, with the former two releases containing bonus tracks. In 2012, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was placed at number 347 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", moved up to number 253 in the 2020 edition.[9][10]

Background

[edit]

Architecture students Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright and art student Syd Barrett had performed under various group names since 1962, and began touring as "The Pink Floyd Sound" in 1965.[11] Around 1966, the group began to achieve underground success for their influential performances at London's UFO Club.[12] They turned professional on 1 February 1967 when they signed with EMI, with an advance fee of £5,000.[13][14][15] Their first single, a song about a kleptomaniac transvestite titled "Arnold Layne", was released on 11 March to mild controversy, as Radio London refused to air it.[13][16]

About three weeks later, the band were introduced to the mainstream media.[nb 1] EMI's press release claimed that the band were "musical spokesmen for a new movement which involves experimentation in all the arts", but EMI attempted to put some distance between them and the underground scene from which the band originated by stating that "the Pink Floyd does not know what people mean by psychedelic pop and are not trying to create hallucinatory effects on their audiences."[17][18] The band returned to Sound Techniques studio to record their next single, "See Emily Play", on 18 May.[19][20] The single was released almost a month later, on 16 June, and reached number six in the charts.[21][8]

Pink Floyd picked up a tabloid reputation for making music for LSD users. The popular broadsheet News of the World printed a story nine days before the album's recording sessions began, saying that "The Pink Floyd group specialise in 'psychedelic music', which is designed to illustrate LSD experiences."[22] Contrary to this image, only Barrett was known to be taking LSD; authors Ray B. Browne and Pat Browne contend that he was the "only real drug user in the band".[23]

Recording

[edit]

Pink Floyd's record deal was a £5,000 advance over five years, low royalties and no free studio time,[24] which was poor by today's standards, but typical for the time.[25] It included album development, which was very unusual; EMI, unsure of exactly what kind of band they had signed, gave them free rein to record whatever they wanted.[24]

They recorded the album at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London and their recording room was next to the Beatles' recording room where the Beatles were recording the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Pink Floyd sat in on one Beatles session for the song "Lovely Rita".[18][26] The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was overseen by producer Norman Smith,[18][27] a central figure in Pink Floyd's negotiations with EMI.[28] Balance engineer Pete Bown, who had mentored Smith, helped ensure that the album had a unique sound, through his experimentation with equipment and recording techniques.[29] Bown, assisted by studio manager David Harris, set up microphones an hour before the sessions began. Bown's microphone choices were mostly different from those used by Smith to record the Beatles' EMI sessions.[30] Because of the quietness of Barrett's singing, he was placed in a vocal isolation booth to sing his parts.[30] Automatic double tracking (ADT) was used to add layers of echo to the vocals and to some instruments.[31] The album features an unusually heavy use of echo and reverb to create a unique sound. Much of the reverb came from a set of Elektro-Mess-Technik plate reverberators – customised EMT 140s containing thin metal plates under tension – and the studio's tiled echo chamber built in 1931.[31][32]

The album is made up of two different classes of songs: lengthy improvisations from the band's live performances and shorter songs that Barrett had written.[33] Barrett's LSD intake escalated part-way through the album's recording sessions.[34] Although in his 2005 autobiography Mason recalled the sessions as relatively trouble-free, Smith disagreed and claimed that Barrett was unresponsive to his suggestions and constructive criticism.[35][36] In an attempt to build a relationship with the band, Smith played jazz on the piano while the band joined in. These jam sessions worked well with Waters, who was apparently helpful, and Wright, who was "laid-back". Smith's attempts to connect with Barrett were less productive: "With Syd, I eventually realised I was wasting my time."[37] Smith later admitted that his traditional ideas of music were somewhat at odds with the psychedelic background from which Pink Floyd had come. Nevertheless, he managed to "discourage the live ramble", as band manager Peter Jenner called it, guiding the band toward producing songs with a more manageable length.[18][38]

Barrett would end up writing eight of the album's songs and contributing to two instrumentals credited to the whole band, with Waters creating the sole remaining composition "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk".[39] Mason recalled how the album "was recorded in what one might call the old-fashioned way: rather quickly. As time went by we started spending longer and longer."[40]

I opened the door and nearly shit myself ... by Christ it was loud. I had certainly never heard anything quite like it before.

Abbey Road engineer Pete Bown describing his introduction to "Interstellar Overdrive"[41]

Recording started on 21 February[42] with six takes[43] of "Matilda Mother", then called "Matilda's Mother".[33][44] The following week, on the 27th,[45] the band recorded five takes of "Interstellar Overdrive",[nb 2][nb 3][46] and "Chapter 24".[45][47] On 16 March, the band had another go at recording "Interstellar Overdrive", in an attempt to create a shorter version,[48] and "Flaming" (originally titled "Snowing"), which was recorded in a single take[49] with one vocal overdub.[32] On 19 March, six takes of "The Gnome" were recorded.[32][50] The following day, the band recorded Waters' "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk".[50][51] On 21 March, the band were invited to watch the Beatles record "Lovely Rita".[52][53] The following day, they recorded "The Scarecrow" in one take.[54][55] The next three tracks – "Astronomy Dominé",[nb 4] "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Pow R. Toc H." – were worked on extensively between 21 March and 12 April,[58] having originally been lengthy instrumentals.[56] Between 12 and 18 April,[59] the band recorded "Percy the Rat Catcher"[nb 5] and a currently unreleased track called "She Was a Millionaire".[62][63][64]

"Percy the Rat Catcher" received overdubs across five studio sessions and then was mixed in late June, eventually being given the name "Lucifer Sam".[40] Songwriting for the majority of the album is credited solely to Barrett, with tracks such as "Bike" having been written in late 1966 before the album was started.[33][65][66] "Bike" was recorded on 21 May 1967 and originally entitled "The Bike Song".[33] By June, Barrett's increasing LSD use during the recording project left him looking visibly debilitated.[34]

Release

[edit]

In June 1967 before the album was released, the single "See Emily Play" was sold as a 7-inch 45 rpm record, with "The Scarecrow" on the B-side, listed as "Scarecrow".[67] The full album was released on 4 August 1967, including "The Scarecrow".

Pink Floyd continued to perform at the UFO Club, drawing huge crowds, but Barrett's deterioration caused them serious concern. The band initially hoped that his erratic behaviour was a phase that would pass, but others, including manager Peter Jenner and his secretary June Child,[nb 6] were more realistic:

... I found him in the dressing room and he was so ... gone. Roger Waters and I got him on his feet, we got him out to the stage ... and of course the audience went spare because they loved him. The band started to play and Syd just stood there. He had his guitar around his neck and his arms just hanging down.[69]

To the band's consternation, they were forced to cancel their appearance at the prestigious National Jazz and Blues Festival, informing the music press that Barrett was suffering from nervous exhaustion. Jenner and Waters arranged for Barrett to see a psychiatrist – a meeting he did not attend. He was sent to relax in the sun on the Spanish island of Formentera with Waters and Sam Hutt (a doctor well-established in the underground music scene), but this led to no visible improvement.[70][71][72][73]

The album's title, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, refers to the god Pan, as depicted in the 1908 book The Wind in the Willows.

The original UK LP was released on 4 August 1967 in both monaural and stereophonic mixes. It reached number six on the UK charts.[8][74][75] The original US album appeared on the Tower division of Capitol on 21 October 1967. This version was officially titled simply Pink Floyd,[76] though the original album title did appear on the back cover as on the UK issue, and Dick Clark referred to the record by its original title when the group appeared on his American Bandstand television program on 18 November.[77][78] The US album featured an abbreviated track listing,[79] and reached number 131 on the Billboard charts. The UK single, "See Emily Play", was substituted for "Astronomy Dominé", "Flaming" and "Bike".[79] Released in time for the band's US tour, "Flaming" was released as a single, backed with "The Gnome".[80] The Tower issue of the album also faded out "Interstellar Overdrive" and broke up the segue into "The Gnome" to fit the re-sequencing of the songs. Later US issues on compact disc had the same title and track list as the UK version. The album was certified Gold in the US as a part of A Nice Pair with A Saucerful of Secrets on 11 March 1994.[74]

About being handled on Tower Records, Jenner commented that: "In terms of the U.K. and Europe it was always fine. America was always difficult. Capitol couldn't see it. You know, 'What is this latest bit of rubbish from England? Oh Christ, it'll give us more grief, so we'll put it out on Tower Records', which was a subsidiary of Capitol Records [...] It was a very cheapskate operation and it was the beginning of endless problems The Floyd had with Capitol. It started off bad and went on being bad."[81]

Packaging

[edit]
Vic Singh's lens, used to take the cover picture for The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (displayed at the Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition)

It was unusual and different, and they were delighted with it, and Syd did his own little drawing on the back cover.

Vic Singh[82]

Up-and-coming society photographer Vic Singh was hired to photograph the band for the album cover. Singh shared a studio with photographer David Bailey, and he was friends with Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Singh asked Jenner and King to dress the band in the brightest clothes they could find. Singh then shot them with a prism lens that Harrison had given him.[82] The cover was meant to resemble an LSD trip, a style that was favoured at the time.[83] In 2017, the lens was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as part of the Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition.

Barrett came up with the album title The Piper at the Gates of Dawn; the album was originally titled Projection up to as late as July 1967.[84] The title was taken from that of chapter seven of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows[85][86] which contains a visionary encounter with the god Pan, who plays his pan pipe at dawn.[87] It was one of Barrett's favourite books, and he often gave friends the impression that he was the embodiment of Pan.[nb 7][39][89] The moniker was later used in the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", in which Barrett is called "you Piper".[90] The cover was one of several Pink Floyd album covers used on a series of Royal Mail stamps issued in May 2016 to commemorate 50 years of Pink Floyd.[91]

In 2018, the album was reissued in its mono mix. With this version came with a new packaging box with the original record cover inside. This new design was done by Hipgnosis' Aubrey Powell and Peter Curzon and includes a gold-embossed version of the graphic by Syd Barrett which features on the back cover of the original LP.[92]

Critical reception

[edit]

At the time of release, both Record Mirror and NME gave the album four stars out of five. Record Mirror commented that "[t]he psychedelic image of the group really comes to life, record wise, on this LP which is a fine showcase for both their talent and the recording technique. Plenty of mind blowing sound, both blatant and subtle here, and the whole thing is extremely well performed."[93] Cash Box called it "a particularly striking collection of driving, up-to-date rock ventures".[94] Paul McCartney[52] and Pink Floyd's previous producer Joe Boyd both rated the album highly. Some voiced the opinion of the underground fans, by suggesting that the album did not reflect the band's live performances.[20]

Legacy

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[95]
AllMusic[3]
The Daily Telegraph[96]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[97]
MusicHound3.5/5[98]
NME9/10[99]
Paste9.5/10[100]
Pitchfork9.4/10[101]
Q[102]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[103]

"When I first heard their music, I wasn't terribly impressed," recalled then-EMI employee Alan Parsons. "I was working at [EMI's headquarters] Hayes and the Piper at the Gates of Dawn album came to me for duplication. And I was thinking if this was to be the music of the future, I wasn't looking forward to it. But, like a lot of stuff, you get to like bits of it over a long period."[104]

In 1999, Rolling Stone gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it "the golden achievement of Syd Barrett". In 2003, it was ranked number 347 on the magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", maintaining that rank in the 2012 update and climbing to number 253 in the 2020 reboot of the list.[9][10]

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is hailed as a psychedelic masterpiece and LSD is named as a direct influence.[105] AllMusic called it one of the greatest psychedelic albums of all-time, and described it as "full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD," adding that "Barrett's catchy, melodic acid pop songs are balanced with longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the group's instrumental freak-outs."[3]

James E. Perone says that The Piper at the Gates of Dawn became known as a concept album in later years, because listeners wanted to play it all the way through rather than pick out a favourite song.[106] While Beatles biographer Philip Norman agrees that The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a concept album,[107] other authors contend that Pink Floyd did not start making concept albums until 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon. Author George Reisch called Pink Floyd the "undisputed" kings of the concept album, but only starting from Dark Side.[108] In July 2006, Billboard described The Piper at the Gates of Dawn as "one of the best psychedelic rock albums ever, driven by Barrett's oddball narratives and the band's skill with both long jams and perfect pop nuggets".[1]

Reissues

[edit]

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was reissued in the UK in 1979 as a stereo vinyl album,[nb 8] and on CD in the UK and US in 1985.[nb 9] A digitally remastered stereo CD, with new artwork, was released in the US in 1994,[nb 10] and in 1997 limited edition 30th anniversary mono editions were released in the UK, on CD and vinyl.[nb 11][76] The latter included a selection of art prints, and a six-track bonus CD, 1967: The First Three Singles.[109]

In 1973, the album, along with A Saucerful of Secrets, was released as a two-disc set on Capitol/EMI's Harvest Records label, titled A Nice Pair to introduce fans to the band's early work after the success of The Dark Side of the Moon.[110] On the US release, the original four-minute studio version of "Astronomy Dominé" was replaced with the eight-minute live version found on Ummagumma.[111]

For the 40th anniversary, a two-disc edition was released on 28 August 2007,[112] and a three-disc set was released on 11 September.[113] The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was remastered and re-released on 26 September 2011.[114] For Record Store Day 2018, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was reissued in its mono mix with a bespoke envelope package containing the original cover art.[115]

Live performances

[edit]

The band promoted the album with a series of concerts. They played dates in Ireland and Scandinavia, and in late October the band was to embark on their first tour of the United States. It was unsuccessful, mainly because of the mental breakdown of Barrett.[70] In his capacity as tour manager, Andrew King travelled to New York to begin preparations, but he ran into serious problems. Visas had not arrived, prompting the cancellation of the first six dates.[71] The band finally flew across the Atlantic on 1 November, but work permits were not yet obtained, so they settled into a hotel in Sausalito, California, just north of San Francisco.[116] After a number of cancellations, the first US performance was given 4 November at Winterland Ballroom, following Janis Joplin fronting Big Brother and the Holding Company.[116]

Communication between record company and band was almost non-existent, and Pink Floyd's relationship with Tower and Capitol was therefore poor. Barrett's mental condition mirrored the problems that King encountered;[72] when the band performed at Winterland, he detuned his guitar during "Interstellar Overdrive" until the strings fell off. His odd behaviour grew worse in subsequent performances, and during a television recording for The Pat Boone Show he confounded the director by lip-syncing "Apples and Oranges" perfectly during the rehearsal, and then standing motionless during the take. King quickly curtailed the band's US visit, sending them home on the next flight.[73]

Shortly after their return from the US, beginning 14 November, the band supported Jimi Hendrix on a tour of England,[73] but on one occasion Barrett failed to turn up and they were forced to replace him with singer/guitarist David O'List borrowed from the opening band the Nice.[70] Barrett's depression worsened the longer the tour continued.[117] Longtime Pink Floyd psychedelic lighting designer Peter Wynne-Willson left at the end of the Hendrix tour, though he sympathised with Barrett, whose position as frontman was increasingly insecure. Wynne-Willson, who had worked for a percentage, was replaced by his assistant John Marsh, who collected a lesser wage.[118] Pink Floyd released "Apples and Oranges" (recorded prior to the US tour on 26 and 27 October)[119] but, for the rest of the band, Barrett's condition had reached a crisis point, and they responded by adding David Gilmour to their line-up, initially to cover for Syd's lapses during live performances.[70]

Some songs on the album were rarely played live.[120] "Flaming" and "Pow R. Toc H." were performed by Pink Floyd after Barrett's departure in 1968.[121] After September 1967, the band played several new compositions in concert. These included "One in a Million", "Scream Thy Last Scream", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and "Reaction in G", the last of which was a song created by the band in response to crowds asking for their hit singles "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne".[122] Barrett resurrected the track "Lucifer Sam" with his short-lived 1972 band Stars.[123] "Astronomy Dominé" was later on the live disc of Ummagumma (1969),[124][125] and adopted by the post-Waters Pink Floyd during the 1994 Division Bell Tour, with a version included on the 1995 live album Pulse.[126] David Gilmour, though not a member of Pink Floyd at the time the song was originally recorded, resurrected "Astronomy Dominé" for his On an Island and Rattle That Lock tours.

Track listing

[edit]

UK release

[edit]

All tracks are written and sung by Syd Barrett, unless otherwise noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Astronomy Dominé" Barrett and Richard Wright4:12
2."Lucifer Sam"  3:07
3."Matilda Mother" Wright and Barrett3:08
4."Flaming"  2:46
5."Pow R. Toc H."
instrumental, wordless vocals by Barrett, Waters and Wright4:26
6."Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk"WatersWaters3:05
Total length:20:44
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Interstellar Overdrive"
  • Barrett
  • Waters
  • Wright
  • Mason
instrumental9:41
2."The Gnome"  2:13
3."Chapter 24"  3:42
4."The Scarecrow"  2:11
5."Bike"  3:21
Total length:21:08 41:54

UK 8-track release

[edit]
Program 1
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Astronomy Dominé"Barrett and Wright 
2."Lucifer Sam"Barrett 
3."Matilda Mother"Wright and Barrett 
Program 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Flaming" Barrett 
2."Pow R. Toc H."
instrumental, wordless vocals by Barrett, Waters and Wright 
3."Bike" Barrett 
Program 3
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk"WatersWaters 
2."Chapter 24" Barrett 
3."The Scarecrow" Barrett 
4."Interstellar Overdrive—Part 1"
instrumental 
Program 4
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Interstellar Overdrive—Conclusion"
instrumental 
2."The Gnome" Barrett 

US release

[edit]
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."See Emily Play" Barrett2:53
2."Pow R. Toc H."
instrumental4:26
3."Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk"WatersWaters3:05
4."Lucifer Sam" Barrett3:07
5."Matilda Mother" Barrett and Wright3:08
Total length:16:39
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."The Scarecrow" Barrett2:11
2."The Gnome" Barrett2:13
3."Chapter 24" Barrett3:42
4."Interstellar Overdrive"
instrumental9:41
Total length:17:47

40th anniversary edition

[edit]

Released in 2007, some releases have 2 CDs (first CD in mono and second CD with same tracks in stereo) and some releases include the third CD.

Disc one (in mono)
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Astronomy Dominé"Barrett, Wright4:17
2."Lucifer Sam"Barrett3:09
3."Matilda Mother"Wright, Barrett3:05
4."Flaming"Barrett2:46
5."Pow R. Toc H." (Barrett, Roger Waters, Wright, Nick Mason)Instrumental, wordless vocals by Barrett, Waters4:24
6."Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" (Waters)Waters3:07
7."Interstellar Overdrive" (Barrett, Waters, Wright, Mason)Instrumental9:41
8."The Gnome"Barrett2:14
9."Chapter 24"Barrett3:53
10."The Scarecrow"Barrett2:10
11."Bike"Barrett3:27
Total length:42:13
Disc two (in stereo)
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Astronomy Dominé"Barrett, Wright4:14
2."Lucifer Sam"Barrett3:07
3."Matilda Mother"Wright, Barrett3:08
4."Flaming"Barrett2:46
5."Pow R. Toc H." (Barrett, Roger Waters, Wright, Nick Mason)Instrumental, wordless vocals by Barrett, Waters4:26
6."Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" (Waters)Waters3:06
7."Interstellar Overdrive" (Barrett, Waters, Wright, Mason)Instrumental9:40
8."The Gnome"Barrett2:13
9."Chapter 24"Barrett3:42
10."The Scarecrow"Barrett2:11
11."Bike"Barrett3:24
Total length:41:57
Disc three
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Arnold Layne"Barrett2:57
2."Candy and a Currant Bun"Barrett2:45
3."See Emily Play"Barrett2:54
4."Apples and Oranges"Barrett3:05
5."Paintbox" (Wright)Wright3:45
6."Interstellar Overdrive (Take 2) (French Edit)"Instrumental5:15
7."Apples and Oranges (Stereo Version)"Barrett3:11
8."Matilda Mother (Alternative Version)"Barrett3:09
9."Interstellar Overdrive (Take 6)"Instrumental5:03
Total length:32:04

Personnel

[edit]

Numbers noted in parentheses below are based on original UK album tracklist and CD track numbering.

Pink Floyd[127]

Production

  • Syd Barrett – rear cover design
  • Peter Bown – engineering
  • Peter Jenner – intro vocalisations (1)[128]
  • Vic Singh – front cover photography
  • Norman Smith – production, vocal and instrumental arrangements, drum roll (7)[129]
  • Doug Sax, James Guthrie – 1994 remastering at The Mastering Lab[130]
  • James Guthrie, Joel Plante – 40th Anniversary Edition and 2011 remastering at das boot recording[131][132]

Charts

[edit]
1968 weekly chart performance for The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Chart (1968) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[133] 6
US Billboard 200[134] 131
1997 weekly chart performance for The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[135] 60
UK Albums (OCC)[133] 44
2007 weekly chart performance for The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[136] 28
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[137] 39
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[138] 34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[135] 46
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[139] 48
Italian Albums (FIMI)[140] 16
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[141] 10
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[142] 38
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[143] 70
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[144] 43
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[145] 87
UK Albums (OCC)[133] 22
2011 weekly chart performance for The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Chart (2011) Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[146] 150
2022 weekly chart performance for The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Chart (2022) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[139] 48
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[147] 15

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[148] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[149]
1994 release 		Gold 100,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cultural references

[edit]

References

[edit]

Footnotes

  1. ^ They were already well known in the underground scene.
  2. ^ This was not the first time the band had recorded the song as it had been recorded earlier in the year at Sound Techniques Studios in London, between 11 and 12 January, for producer Peter Whitehead's documentary Tonite Let's All Make Love in London.
  3. ^ An early, unoverdubbed, shortened mix of the album's "Interstellar Overdrive" was used for a French EP release that July.[46]
  4. ^ 14 takes of "Astronomy Dominé" were recorded,[56] over a seven-hour session.[57]
  5. ^ "Percy the Rat Catcher"."[60][61]
  6. ^ Child was employed by Peter Jenner as a secretary and general production assistant.[68]
  7. ^ Barrett believed he had a dream-like experience meeting Pan, with characters from the book. Andrew King said Barrett thought Pan had given him understanding of how nature works.[45][88]
  8. ^ UK EMI Fame FA 3065[76]
  9. ^ UK EMI CDP 7463842, US Capitol CDP 7463842[76]>
  10. ^ US Capitol CDP 7463844[76]
  11. ^ UK EMI LP EMP 1110, EMI CD EMP 1110[76]

Citations

  1. ^ a b "Pink Floyd Co-Founder Syd Barrett Dies at 60". Billboard. 11 July 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  2. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (2003). Turn on Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 1-61780-215-8. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d Huey, Steve. "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn – Pink Floyd: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards: AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  4. ^ Perone, James E. (October 2012). The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations. ABC-CLIO. p. 104.
  5. ^ Young, Rob (10 May 2011). Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 454–. ISBN 978-1-4299-6589-7. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  6. ^ Abrahams, Ian (July 2004). Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins. SAF Publishing. p. 17.
  7. ^ "Pink Floyd official site".
  8. ^ a b c "Pink Floyd | Artist | Official Charts". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  9. ^ a b "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Pink Floyd, 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  10. ^ a b "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  11. ^ Povey 2007, pp. 24, 29.
  12. ^ Mason, Nick (2005) [2004]. Dodd, Philip (ed.). Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Paperback ed.). Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-7538-1906-7
  13. ^ a b Schaffner, Nicholas (2005). Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey (New ed.). London: Helter Skelter. pp. 54–56. ISBN 1-905139-09-8.
  14. ^ Blake, Mark (2008). Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-306-81752-6.
  15. ^ Chapman, Rob (2010). Syd Barrett: A Very Irregular Head (Paperback ed.). London: Faber. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-571-23855-2.
  16. ^ Cavanagh 2003, p. 19
  17. ^ Schaffner 2005, p. 57
  18. ^ a b c d Manning, Toby (2006). The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 34. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
  19. ^ Schaffner 2005, p. 66
  20. ^ a b Chapman 2010, p. 171
  21. ^ Blake 2008, p. 88–89
  22. ^ Cavanagh 2003, p. 42
  23. ^ Browne, Ray B.; Browne, Pat (2000). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. p. 610. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2.
  24. ^ a b Glenn Povey (2007). Echoes : The Complete History of Pink Floyd (New ed.). Mind Head Publishing. pp. 37–39. ISBN 978-0-9554624-0-5.
  25. ^ AWAL (30 April 2019). "1960 - 1997: Record Deals <> Album Era". awal.com.
  26. ^ Schaffner 2005, p. 55
  27. ^ Chapman 2010, pp. 169–170
  28. ^ Mason, Nick (2011) [2004]. "Freak Out Schmeak Out". In Philip Dodd (ed.). Inside Out – A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Paperback ed.). Phoenix. pp. 70, 87. ISBN 978-0-7538-1906-7.
  29. ^ Palacios, Julian (2010). Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd: Dark Globe (Rev. ed.). London: Plexus. pp. 180–182. ISBN 978-0-85965-431-9.
  30. ^ a b Palacios 2010, p. 182
  31. ^ a b Palacios 2010, p. 183
  32. ^ a b c Palacios 2010, p. 196
  33. ^ a b c d Chapman 2010, p. 142
  34. ^ a b Jeffrey, Laura S. (2010). Pink Floyd: The Rock Band. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7660-3030-5.
  35. ^ Mason 2011, pp. 92–93
  36. ^ Palacios 2010, pp. 183–184
  37. ^ Blake 2008, p. 77
  38. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 84–85
  39. ^ a b Perna, Alan di; Tolinski, Brad (2002). Kitts, Jeff (ed.). Guitar World Presents Pink Floyd (1st ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-634-03286-8.
  40. ^ a b Cavanagh 2003, p. 39
  41. ^ Blake 2008, p. 85
  42. ^ Jones, Malcolm (2003). The Making of The Madcap Laughs (21st Anniversary ed.). Brain Damage. p. 28.
  43. ^ Palacios 2010, p. 185
  44. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 149
  45. ^ a b c Palacios 2010, p. 187
  46. ^ a b Palacios 2010, p. 188
  47. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 151
  48. ^ Palacios 2010, p. 195
  49. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 152
  50. ^ a b Chapman 2010, p. 153
  51. ^ Palacios 2010, p. 198
  52. ^ a b Manning 2006, p. 36
  53. ^ Palacios 2010, pp. 198–199
  54. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 154
  55. ^ Palacios 2010, p. 199
  56. ^ a b Chapman 2010, p. 155
  57. ^ Palacios 2010, p. 206
  58. ^ Palacios 2010, pp. 198, 206
  59. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 158
  60. ^ Jones 2003, pp. 21–22
  61. ^ Cavanagh 2003, pp. 37–38
  62. ^ Palacios 2010, p. 209
  63. ^ Palacios 2010, p. 371
  64. ^ "Unreleased Pink Floyd material: Millionaire / She Was a Millionaire". Pinkfloydhyperbase.dk. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  65. ^ Manning 2006, p. 29
  66. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 162
  67. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "The Scarecrow – Pink Floyd". Allmusic.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  68. ^ Schaffner 2005, p. 36
  69. ^ Mason 2011, p. 95
  70. ^ a b c d Mason 2011, pp. 95–105
  71. ^ a b Blake 2008, p. 94
  72. ^ a b Schaffner 2005, pp. 88–90
  73. ^ a b c Schaffner 2005, pp. 91–92
  74. ^ a b Povey 2007, p. 342
  75. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 172
  76. ^ a b c d e f Povey 2007, p. 342.
  77. ^ "Pink Floyd Performs on US Television for the First Time: American Bandstand, 1967". Open Culture. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  78. ^ Dolloff, Matt. "Watch Pink Floyd Perform with Syd Barrett on "American Bandstand" in 1967". WZLX Radio. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  79. ^ a b Cavanagh 2003, pp. 54–55
  80. ^ Cavanagh 2003, p. 55
  81. ^ Cavanagh 2003, pp. 55–56
  82. ^ a b Blake 2008, p. 92
  83. ^ Carruthers, Bob (2011). Pink Floyd – Uncensored on the Record. Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-908538-27-7.
  84. ^ Chapman 2010, pp. 148–149
  85. ^ Cavanagh 2003, pp. 2–3
  86. ^ Vegro, Symon (2009). All That You Touch. AuthorHouse. p. 78. ISBN 9781467897969.
  87. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 148
  88. ^ Young, Rob (2011). Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music. Faber & Faber. pp. 454–455. ISBN 978-1-4299-6589-7.
  89. ^ Reisch, George A. (2007). Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Careful with That Axiom, Eugene! (3. print. ed.). Chicago: Open Court. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-8126-9636-3. It started with a guy named Syd who styled himself a 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn' and spent most of the 1960s surrounded by groupies.
  90. ^ "Syd Barrett: Roger 'Syd' Barrett, leader of Pink Floyd, died on July 7th, aged 60". The Economist. Vol. 380. Economist Newspaper Ltd. 20 July 2006. p. 83. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  91. ^ "Royal Mail unveils stamps to mark 50 years of Pink Floyd". BBC News. 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  92. ^ "Pink Floyd's the Piper at the Gates of Dawn gets new mono remaster". 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  93. ^ McAlwane, Jim. "August 1967". Marmalade Skies. Archived from the original on 15 January 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2017. Review originally published in Record Mirror in August 1967, no author cited.
  94. ^ Povey 2007, p. 66
  95. ^ White, Dave. "Pink Floyd – Review of 40th Anniversary Edition of Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd". About.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  96. ^ McCormick, Neil (20 May 2014). "Pink Floyd's 14 studio albums rated". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  97. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  98. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 872. ISBN 1-57859-061-2. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  99. ^ "NME Album Reviews – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn – nme.com". nme.com. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  100. ^ Deusner, Stephen (28 September 2011). "Pink Floyd: Piper at the Gates of Dawn ("Why Pink Floyd?" Reissue) :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  101. ^ Klein, Joshua (18 September 2007). "Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (40th Anniversary Edition) | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  102. ^ "Review: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Q: 275. January 1995.
  103. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2 November 2004). "Pink Floyd: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media, Fireside Books. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  104. ^ Cunningham, Mark (January 1995). "The other side of the moon". Making Music. p. 18.
  105. ^ MacDonald, Bruno, ed. (1996). Pink Floyd: Through the Eyes of – the Band, its Fans, Friends, and Foes. New York: Da Capo Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-306-80780-0.
  106. ^ Perone, James E. (2004). Music of The Counterculture Era (1. publ. ed.). Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Greenwood Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-313-32689-9.
  107. ^ Norman, Philip (2009). John Lennon: The Life (1st Ecco pbk. ed.). New York: Ecco. p. 498. ISBN 978-0-06-075402-0.
  108. ^ Reisch 2007, p. 144
  109. ^ Povey 2007, pp. 342, 354.
  110. ^ Povey 2007, p. 352.
  111. ^ Popoff, Martin (2018). "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Pink Floyd. Beverly, Massachusetts: Voyageur Press. p. 21. ISBN 9780760360620.
  112. ^ Eder, Bruce. "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn [40th Anniversary 2-CD Edition]". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  113. ^ Eder, Bruce. "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn [3-CD Deluxe Edition]". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  114. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (11 May 2011). "Pink Floyd announce massive reissue project". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  115. ^ Richards, Sam (6 March 2018). "Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn gets new mono remaster". Uncut. Time Inc. UK. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  116. ^ a b Povey 2007, pp. 4–5
  117. ^ Schaffner 2005, p. 94
  118. ^ Blake 2008, p. 102
  119. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 189
  120. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 185
  121. ^ Povey 2007, pp. 94–95.
  122. ^ Chapman 2010, pp. 192–193
  123. ^ "Syd Barrett Pink Floyd Psychedelic Music Progressive Music: Syd Barrett Stars – Everything (So Far)". Sydbarrettpinkfloyd.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  124. ^ Schaffner 2005, p. 156
  125. ^ Mabbett, Andy (2010). Pink Floyd – The Music and the Mystery. London: Omnibus. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-84938-370-7.
  126. ^ Povey 2007, p. 270.
  127. ^ The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Media notes). Pink Floyd. EMI. 1967. SCX6157. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  128. ^ Palacios 2010, pp. 206–207
  129. ^ Chapman 2010, p. 170
  130. ^ The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Booklet). Pink Floyd. Capitol Records (CDP 0777 7 46384 2 5). 1994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  131. ^ The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Booklet). Pink Floyd. EMI (50999-503919-2-9). 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  132. ^ The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Booklet). Pink Floyd. Capitol Records (50999 028935 2 5). 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  133. ^ a b c "Pink Floyd | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  134. ^ "Pink Floyd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  135. ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  136. ^ "Ultratop.be – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  137. ^ "Ultratop.be – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  138. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 37.Týden 2007 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  139. ^ a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  140. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  141. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  142. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  143. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  144. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  145. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  146. ^ "Lescharts.com – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  147. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 10. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  148. ^ "Italian album certifications – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 30 January 2017. Select "2017" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  149. ^ "British album certifications – Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 August 2016.

Sources

  • Povey, Glenn (2007). Echoes : The Complete History of Pink Floyd (New ed.). Mind Head Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9554624-0-5.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Piper_at_the_Gates_of_Dawn&oldid=1251285161"