John Latham is a conceptual artist who submit various works for some London events in the 1960s. He worked with his group at the « Music in Color » festival on January 17, 1967 where he made an appearance. At the end of October 1967, Syd asked to compose the definitive soundtrack for a silent film that the band often screened on stage. Once completed, it was presented to the artist who eventually refused it. The tape, produced by Norman Smith, is still archived in the Abbey Road Studios. It eventually emerged on the « Early Years boxset ». The film has emerged since too.
John A. Walker:
« On various occasions, Latham screened his film "Speak" while the group played. (…) Even if there was not really synchronization between the images and the music. Thinking of combining film and music more systematically, Latham asked Floyd to provide a soundtrack. The group agreed and a recording session was held. The artist explained that he wanted music that sticks to the film's powerful rhythmic pulses. The group did not arrive or did not want to offer adequate music; therefore, the association ended. A soundtrack was added later on a copy of "Speak": Latham placed a microphone on the ground to record the rhythm of a circular saw (...) ».
« John Latham: The incidental person - The art and Ideas», John A.Walker, 1994.
Nick Mason:
«Quand j’ai écouté les pistes, que j’ai trouvés intrigantes, je me suis dit qu’on avait dû les faire pour un événement multimédia. Vous verrez quand vous les écouterez, c’est très free form, comme si elles avaient été tournées pour un film. Mais je ne sais pas où et comment on les a faites. Elles sont un peu bizarres, pas très bonnes à mon avis, c’est l’exemple type de choses sur lesquelles on s’est vraiment interrogés avant de les publier»
«Tout est là, et même plus», Rock & Folk, November 2016
John Latham
« Television Series » Early 1967
The group evoked a number of TV shows about the psychedelic scene of which they would be the first head.
« Video Show » Mid 1967
The band is interested by the development of the video and has envisaged a interactive multimedia show for the English TV.
Nick Mason:
«Videotapes are bound to replace records in the future, In pop music you must look ahead and we have been tailoring and perfecting our act with this ne“t trend in mind. If your performance revolves around the use of colour and light and music, the absence of the visual factors — on records — means you are left with a one-dimensional offering. It’s like showing a silent movie withe sub-titles. (A TV show) This will be a natural medium for pop and we are ready »
« Revolution on tape », Sunday Mercury, 30 April 1967
« Games for June » Mid 1967
Following the critical and public success of « Games for May », the group planned to re-edit the show with a number of additional developments.
Nick Mason:
« (…) Still this was the first time we’ve tried it, and like a lot of other ideas, we used for the first time at this concert, they should be improved by the time we do our next one«
«We feel good say The Pink Floyd«, Record Mirror, 21 October 1967
« Spectacular Shows » 1967
n the middle of 1967, the band (mainly Rick and Syd) has toyed with the idea to perform some new shows in March 1968 of all-new music backed by a classical orchestra and a 100 persons choirs. Some dates were announced in « Record Mirror » and confirmed by the management of the band. It seems the erratic behavior of Syd has compromised the project but some ideas were finally used in the 1969 shows and on « Atom Heart Mother ».
« Disc & Music Echo », 7 October 1967.
Peter Jenner:
« This could be the biggest thing to happen in pop »
«Interview w/. Peter Jenner», Disc & Music Echo, 5 Août 1967.
Roger Waters
« We’d like to play the major centres like Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow doing our own two-hour show »
«Nothing nasty behind our light and colour effects», New Musical Express, 1st July 1967.
« Ture Sjolander Shows» Late 1967
The band was interested by this avant-garde artist who realized some video works. At the end of 1967, They took advantage of their Scandinavian tour to visit one of the exhibitions of the performer. Impressed , they tried to contact Sjolander to working on a new audio-visual show . Later, Andrew King sent him an informal proposal on 11 September this year.
« Having seen your interesting Stockholm exhibition of portraits of the King of Sweden made with advanced electronic techniques I have been struck by the connection between this new type of image creating and the music-and-light art presented by The Pink Floyd.
I think that your work could and should be linked with the music of The Pink Floyd in a television production, and I would like to suggest that we start arranging the practical details for such a production immedialtely. With all his experiences from filming in the USA and elsewhere I also feel that Mr. Lars Swanberg is the ideal man tp help us made the film.
Please get in touch as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely. Andrew King »
Syd Barrett (back) and Peter Wynne-Wilson (bare-foot) visiting the exhibition.
« Europa Giovane» Circa 1968
An apparition of the band in this italian TV show is stated by many music magazines.
Extrait de CashBox magazine, 27 Avril 1968
« BBC One-Hour Show » Circa 1968
This project of the BBC is mentioned in the edition of magazine « Fabulous 208 » (20 April 1968). It would be a show of one hour dedicated to the group.
«The future looks promising. They have finished the scripts for a pilot film for BBC2. It will be in colour. It might turn into a twelve part show, half an hour a time ... 15 mins film and 15 mins live. But nothing is certain yet.»
«Nice new Pink», Fabulous 208, 6 April 1968
« Ulysseus Show » Circa 1968
In the beginning of 1968, Roger Waters revealed during an interview with « Melody Maker » they were working on a dance show based on Homer's Odyssey for $ 5,000.
« Ballet Rambert original soundtrack » Circa 1968
Except the title Pawn to King 5 (remained unpublished) , the rest of the project was abandoned. Nick Mason has expressed its wish to integrate it in a box edition of « Immersion ». The premiere occurred on 4 December 1968. After some investigations, it seems the soundtrack was A Saucerful of Secrets.
Source: The Stage, 20 October 1968
« Olympic Game - 68' Mexico Show » Circa 1968
The group was approached to play a show for the Mexico Olympics games in 1968. This request was made a year in advance , changes occurred in the group at the beginning of 1968 have certainly had to play a role in the withdrawal.
New Musical Express, 2 July 1967
« Blackhill Enterprises Show » Mid 1968
Early 1968, Blackhill Enterprises has applied for a grant from the Arts Council of Great Britain in order to finance a new project. Roger Waters was rather motivated by a concept of creating a musical show with the participation of groups and Blackhill (combining elements of theater too). This idea seems to be the background of the future concept-concert « The Man & the Journey ».
Roger Waters:
« It would be a story, using other groups, written as a saga, like the Iliad, so that it doesn't just become a pop show with someone walking on end introducing groups. I don't want any of that scene. There would probably be a narrator, possibly John Peel, and there would be quality in the production of the material. It would be a non-profit making scene, nothing to do with selling records. I'd like Arthur Brown to play the Demon King with the Floyd providing the music. It would be telling a story, like a fairly tale. A definitive scene with good and evil ».
«Pink Floyd work on a new art form», Melody Maker, 18 May 1968.
« Circus Show » Late 1967 - Early 1968
The band's manager has mentioned several times his desire to mount a show articulated around a real theater show (as an extension of « 14h Technicolor Dream ») .
Peter Jenner:
« This could be the biggest thing to happen in pop»
«Interview w/. Peter Jenner», Disc & Music Echo, 5 Août 1967.
Syd Barrett:
«In the future, we will hold almost all our concerts and happenings in a circus. We're tired of the traditional stage - there's no room for expression. (….) The group's manager, Andrew King has tried to rent a tent from one of England's best known travelling circuses, He was turned down. We're really looking forward to the circus premiere. We're going to travel the world in that tent!»
«Pink Floyd opretter Verdens-Cirkus», Børge, 14 September 1967 (translated).
« Disc & Music Echo », 5 Août 1967
In the «Beat Instrumental» on September 1967, Rick Wright gave some details about this project «It's just a pity that some of the ballrooms are so bad, especially the stages. But we've got an idea which could put an end to all that. There could well be a Pink Floyd circus soon. We've got this massive Big Top capable of holding 6,000 people, which we intend to take around the country. You know, find a field outside a town, set up, and play. Just like a proper circus. We've got this huge cinemascope screen for all the flashing light bit, and we'll make it into a complete show. There'll be us, of course, plus a few other acts. It's something that's never been done before, but we think it'll work»
«The venue for The Pink Floyd's UFO Festival on September 1 & 2, 1967 has been changed to the Chalk Farm Roundhouse in London. It was originally planned to be held under a canvas at Paignton, Devon, but was moved because the owners of the marquee didn't want it to be used for a psychedelic festival. Manager Andrew King stated, "Presenting a show under canvas would have been a completely new experience. We are now negotiating with other firms to find a suitable marquee for a future festival»
New Musical Express, August 26, 1967
Nick Mason:
« I think (after Syd departure) we were all in a fairly confused state - it was only long after all that period was over that we really started to talk about we were going to try and do. Vague attempts were made at that time, with « Games for May », to do a show of our own, but then we didn’t manage to follow it through and do another one until two years after, and that’s really a long time not to do something you ere intending to do. It was just muddle and finances and being out of control really - just muddling along »
« In the talk-in - Nick Mason », Sounds, 28 October 1972
Roger Waters:
« A big top would be just the job for us. We could travel around and do shows in it just like a circus. We could have a street about a hundred feet high and fifty feet wide, and project films and slides in really spectacular style»
«The would be really something, 16 December 1967, Jackie
« Opera show » Circa 1968
Aroud 1968, the band is thinking about to write a kind of opera with some guests. There were many discussions with Roy Harper at this time to set something « really different » for the end of the year.
Interviewer: «There was talk you’d collaborate on a rock opera at some point» Roy Harper: «Yes, there was talk of that. But nothing happened»
«Careful what you wish for», Record Collector, June 2024
« The Tyrant King » Circa 1968
The TV network ITV had asked a bunch of English rock scene bands of writing songs for a series of adventures for children called « Tyrant King ». Pink Floyd was selected along to other artists like Cream , Nice, Moody Blues and Tyrannosurus Rex. Nothing has survived (although one episode was aired October 3, 1968) and it is not known if this music was used .
« U.S TV Movie» Circa 1968
One of the most obscure projects of the Floyd. In 1968, British television had the project to film the concert of the major British stage groups. These programs were an opportunity to make a mini-show combining interviews , performances and of course music (like this « Rock'n Roll Circus » that Rolling Stones filmed the same year and who remained long unpublished). These films were planned to be then distributed in some underground cinemas. On September 10, 1968, Floyd recorded a 45-minute show as related by this article in the « New Musical Express ». For a long time yet thought this lost film. However, Roger Waters has revealed its existence in 2005 during an interview.
Roger Waters:
« (…) Recently a movie has emerged of a Pink Floyd show in 1968, at the Royal Festival Hall. You see me building a table. (…)»
« Interview with Serge Simonart », Humo, 4 October 2005.
« Poetry disc» October 1968
Roger's and Syd's names were associated with Brian Morrison's plan for a poetry record read by John Peel, which would have involved the artists of Blackhill Enterprise as well as Steve Winwood and Klaus Voorman
Brian Morrison (Blackhill Enterprise head):
« My impression on listening to recorded lyrics has been. for some time, that the artists involved would make good poets ».
« Pop stars wax poems LP », New Musical Express, 28 September 1968.
« The Massed Gadgets of Auximenes » (Circa 1969)
We can not really speak of aborted project because the group seems to have never had the desire to record it. This is however not so clear if we look at the recording process of « Ummagumma ». See this page for more details on the recording status of this concept.
David Gilmour :
« It was something called « the man » first and then (...) « The Journée* ». I do not really remember that because there were pieces of other records. So we could not save it ».
« Libre antenne aux Pink Floyd», Europe 1, 1er Mai 1982.
* bad translation by Gilmour.
« Mit einen neuer Beat Soundtracks »(Circa 1969)
The group would have recorded exclusive tracks for broadcast on April 19th on German television but this was never confirmed. Nevertheless the musical press of this era had noticed it.
« Rollo » Circa 1970
After the Amougies’ gig on October 25th, 1969, the band return in studio to working on the music dedicated to a TV pilot. This project is a 17-hour series scheduled to be aired on US TV (26 episodes of 30 minutes). This project created by Alan Aldridge (originally later know for the famous « Butterfly Ball ») is based o the story of a boy, named Rollo, lost in his dreams. The bed where Rollo is lied to life when two eyes appear. The bed starts shaking in order to wake up the hero. Then a teacher takes her through space to meet unknown animal species. We hear about this project for the first time in an article of the « Melody Maker » dated November 1st 1969. According to « Best » magazine (in the special « Pink Floyd Story », March 1977), they have worked on old titles but also written new ones …
Rick Wright:
« It'll be a lot of work, but we'll give them a stock of music to draw from for each episode (...)».
« Floyd - in the Pink! », Melody Maker, 11 April 1970.
David Gilmour:
«Nous nous sommes mis à mener une vie de dingues : nous n’arrêtions pas d’écrire de la musique, et de tourner en plus. Après » Ummagumma «, nous nous sommes mis à faire la musique d’une série de dessins animés,«Rollo», et nous réalisâmes plus de quatre heures de musique (…)».
«Pink Floyd», Zig-Zag, Mars 1973.
Interviewer : « And Rollo ? »
Roge Waters : « They wouldn’t pay for it. We stuck some old stuff on a pilot that they made but when they figured out the way that they were going to animate it they realised that the cost would be very high ; now the only people with the money to back something like that is the Americans. But the Americans can sell Johnny Wonder goint at ten frames a second or something, real rubbish, and people will sit and watch it and the sponsors will buy it, so why should they pay for Rollo, because they can sell their cornflakes with Johnny Wonder. They don’t give a shit about the quality of the thing »
Nick Mason: « It made us aware of what crap there is what we’ll accept as cartoons now. Compared to Felix the Cat, or Mickey Mouse even, it’s all such crap »
Roger Waters : « They wouldn’t pay for it. We stuck some old stuff on a pilot that they made but when they figured out the way that they were going to animate it they realised that the cost would be very high ; now the only people with the money to back something like that is the Americans. But the Americans can sell Johnny Wonder goint at ten frames a second or something, real rubbish, and people will sit and watch it and the sponsors will buy it, so why should they pay for Rollo, because they can sell their cornflakes with Johnny Wonder. They don’t give a shit about the quality of the thing»
«Interview with Roger Waters and Nick Mason», Zigzag 33, Juillet 1973.
David Gilmour:
« In het projekt Rollo had iedereen erg veel zin. Het zou een serie tekenfilms worden met muziek die wij spesjaal hiervoor schreven. Maar de Amorikaanse produsent kwam zonder geld te zitten, toen we net 15 minuten gemaakt hadden. Ze wilden niet doorgaan met al bostaande muziek van ons»
«Pink Floyd - Paarde, Orkanen & Vu urpijlen», Aloha, 16 June 1972
David Gilmour:
« In the project Rollo, everyone was very keen. It was going to be a series of cartoons with music that we wrote specially for it. But the American producer ran out of money when we had just made 15 minutes. They didn't want to continue with the already existing music from us »
«Pink Floyd - Paarde, Orkanen & Vu urpijlen», Aloha, 16 June 1972
« Amougies Jazz & Pop Festival official Live» Circa 1970
A film project like « Woodstock » was released including the Floyd set with the participation of Frank Zappa on Interstellar Overdrive. The group gave its agreement to director Jerome Laperrousaz but with the poor audio quality, they asked to be removed from the project « Music Power 1969 ». See this page for more details.
« National Theatre soundtrack» Late 1970
Rick Sanders, friend of the band (he wrote the first full biography of the Floyd in 1978), suggested Pink Floyd will be doing a music for the National Theater in the Royal Albert Hall programme edited for the show.
Interviewer: «Was gibt es in den nächsten Monaten neues bei Pink Floyd ?»
Roger Waters: « Wir wollen in London ein Theaterstück starten, womit wir dann auf Tournee gehen. Die Aufführung hat nichts gemeinsam mit der Rock-Oper «Tommy» von den Who, Bei welcher eben nur diese Gruppe auf der Bühne steht und singt. Wir wollen bei unserem Stück nicht nur Musik machen - es werden Schauspieler dabeisein und alles, was sonst zu einem Theaterstück gehört. Ausserdem komponieren wir die Musik für ein Ballett, das im Juni dieses Jahres in Paris unter Mitwirkung von Rudolf Nurejew uraufgeführt wird. Natürlich bestreiten wir dabei auch gleich selber den musikalischen Rahmen»
«Atom-Kühe und Nurejev», Pop Magazine, February 1971
« Canaries Islands Movie soundtrack » (Late 1970)
According to the magazine « Disc and Music Echo », dated July 18th 1970, the band was approached by a director to complete the soundtrack of a film (or a documentary?) about the Canary Islands. This information was confirmed again in the same magazine's the next month of that year.
« Pink Floyd's Original Movie » Late 1970
Rick Wright said many times that the group plans to make their own film. The « Sounds » magazine will confirm this project in October of this same year.
Rick Wright:
« We also want to make our own film. We have done three or four film scores in the past. We have turned as many offers down, in fact, but there was some definite talk about us doing a film and then writing the music around it »
« Interview with Pink Floyd », Melody Maker, 12 September 1970.
« Zabriskie Point » backdrop projections Early 1970
Early on, the band thought of using the final scene of the film with its spectacular explosion scene to accompany the live versions of Careful with that Axe ... The idea should have been inaugurated for the Fillmore East concert in April 1970. As part of Hoffman's work to create a rock show with other bands like the Grateful Dead or the Monkees. This idea would be developed in 1974 and the images of the explosion used on Brain Damage.
« Billboard », 4 April 1970.
« Nureyev's Ballet » Late 1970
The meeting between the classical ballets and the music of Pink Floyd has been a long time process. So, the are several stages of development of that ambitious project (original music, broadcast live concert ... ) who became ultimately modest. The start of the project depends on the demand of Rudolf Nureyev. The group was particularly interested by the idea of playing with an expanded orchestra and by a broadcast of the live from the Parisian Grand Palais in Eurovision.
David Gilmour:
« It's pretty amazing. It's something we have never done before and no one from our field of music has ever done. It poses a whole a lot of problems but opens up a lot of scope. We have got quite a lot of ideas, but we can't discuss them at the moment. We are still very much at the beginning of things. None of us have met Nureyev before, but we have met the producer. We will be discussing ideas with him next week »
« Interview with Pink Floyd », Melody Maker, 12 Septembre 1970.
Roger Waters:
« It was all a complete joke. Nobody had any idea what they wanted to do. We all sat around until somebody thumped the table and said: « What’s the idea then ? ». Everyone just sat there getting more and more pissed, with more and more poovery going on around the table, until somebody suggested « Frankenstein », and Nureyev started getting a bit worried. They talked about Frankenstein for a bit. I was just sitting there enjoying the meat and the vibes, saying nothing. When Polanski was drunk enough he started to suggest that we all make a blue movie to end all blue movies, and then it all petered out into Cognac and coffee and then we jumped into our cars and split. God knows what happened after we left »
«Interview with Roger Waters and Nick Mason», Zigzag 33, July 1973.
Steve O' Rourke:
« He (Roland Petit) has contacted Nureyev and wants the Floyd to write the music. It will be performed over a period of ten days from June 1st to June 10th and on the last night it will be televised throughout over Europe, including England. The group have a 108-piece orchestra at their disposal and Nureyev will have 60 dancers with him. It is a big step for the group to be working with musicians of this caliber and a big step for the ballet people to approach a group to write their music. We are meeting Petit newt week to discuss the details. The group will actually play with the orchestra »
« Interview with Pink Floyd », Melody Maker, 12 Septembre 1970.
Roger Waters:
« I think the idea is to broadcast it on Eurovision one night. On that evening, there will be an another ballet with music by Xenakis, who is well known as an avant-garde composer in France. We shan't be in an orchestra pit or anything. We'll be on stage somewhere, probably on a different level from the dancers (...) When we get back from the States, we'll have to start working out what we want to do, and rehearse it quite a lot, then go into a studio and record it with no overdubbing, and send the tape over so that he can choreograph the ballet from our music. But we can use anything we want, really. It's almost a "money is no object" scene. So if we wanted to use an orchestra for a bit of it, we could. It's going to be about a 40 minutes piece »
« Floyd, Petit and the ballet », Sounds, Octobre 1970.
Roger Waters:
« We're writing a ballet for Roland Petit which will be on Paris next June, and the sky's the limit for that. They're spending so much money on that that they'd be quite willing to pay for an orchestra. But it might take it out of our hands to a certain extent if the stuff had to all be written down, because we can't write it down ourselves, and there's always a communication gap involved between what you can sing or play on a piano and what gets written down as music. And then you never hear it until you've got the orchestra there at the first rehearsal, and you probably only get two rehearsals anyway, so by the time you hear it, it's too late to change it; whereas our stuff is all based on doing something and then throwing out and using something else (…) it's going to be on for about ten days. Nureyev is dancing the male lead. On the program we're doing, we're doing one ballet and Xenakis is writing the other»
« Interview with Pink Floyd », Georgia Straight, 14 Octobre 1970.
Harvest advert published on « CashBox », 22 November 1970
On November 21, the "New Musical Express" confirms the retransmission project and indicates that the group was invited on French TV by Roland Petit for a special program broadcast on French TV on December 4, 1970 (where about thirty original minutes Floyd should have been presented). He then organized a dinner with Rudolph Nureyev and Roman Polanski who filmed the concert-ballet at the Grand Palais broadcast on Eurovision. At this dinner, the project becomes clearer and deviates on a ballet dedicated to Proust's work « Remembrance of things past ». The group partially read the work (in reality, only Waters and to a lesser degree Gilmour) but did not follow up on the importance of the work to be done.
Interviewer : « What’s up about the Roland Petit’s Ballet ? »
Waters : « We haven't started work on it yet (...) No, none at all. I'm madly reading all Proust, because that's the basic idea, so they tell me. That Roland's idea, the choreographer and producer of the thing. It's based on the twenty volumes of his « Remembrances of … ». Roland thinks there's some good gear in that, which is undoubtedIy is. So very loosely, the ballet will be based on certain episodes »
« Troubled Waters », Melody Maker, December 5th 1970.
The Floyd in a special show on French TV, December 1970 (by Alain Liennard).
« Live in Montreux1970 » Late 1970
In order to correct the bad impression left by the live part of « Ummagumma », it was decided to recording their participation at the Montreux Festival on 21 and 22 November 1970. Nevertheless, some mic problems (mainly on Cymbaline) made the project unsustainable. An acetate was however released.
« This made-in-Switzerland live album reached white-label acetate stage only to be withdrawn from the release schedule in favor of « Ummagumma » »
« The Great Lost Albums », Vox Magazine, Octobre 1990.
Clockwork Orange soundtrack 1970-1971
Roger Waters:
«We would like to do some more movies and at the moment Kubrick's new film is in the offering. He would know what he wants. If he knows what he wants then that's a good thing. He wanted to use «Atom Heart Mother» and chop and change it about. He just phoned up and he wanted it and we said "well what do you want to do?" and he didn't know he just said he wanted to use it «how I want, when I want» and we said «right you can't use it»»
«Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast», Daily Planet, 15 September 1971
« Meddle Quadraphonic Mix » Late 1971
Satisfied with the Quadraphonic mix done for « Atom Heart Mother », the band did the same thing for « Meddle » for the Roundhouse exhibtion in London. It would have made four albums in this format. Eventually, only Echoes was actually mixed in Quad.
« Paintings Movie » Circa 1971
Before to have the idea of concert without audience on the site of Pompeii, the French director Adrian Maben had another idea about the group. However, Maben will come back to see the band several times (until 1978) to working on several documentaries about the artists with the help of Roger Waters, Nick Mason or Ron Geesin.
Adrian Maben:
« (…) So I came back to London, and on this particular occasion (meeting with Steve O’Rourke), David Gilmour was there. David was very nice and sweet. He said, "What do you want to do?" I said I wanted to make this film. "Where do you want to do it?" I said, "I don't know yet." Then I had this idea that we should do a film which would be kind of a marriage of art and the Pink Floyd. So I talked to David, and to Steve O'Rourke, about paintings by Magritte, by De Chirico, and contemporary painters like Christo, or even Jean Tinguely. I said maybe we could do something which would be a marriage between their music and the paintings of these painters or sculptors. In retrospect, I think that was an embarrassingly bad idea and would have been terrible. David Gilmour was kind and said, "Yes, how interesting. We'll think about it." And then we each went our own way»
« Interview with Adrian Maben — Director of Live At Pompeii », Pinkfloyd.ru Website, 2000.
« The Road to Salina » Circa 1971
At the end of 1970, french director George Lautner turned a movie with music by Christophe (a famous french singer). However, the director wanted a little more rock songs and has approached Pink Floyd. The latter entered into negotiations which, in advanced stages, aborted.
Alan Reeves (Musician, former frontmen of the band Clinic) :
« (…) Albane, who was a girl friend of George Lautner, asked me if i could compose a film score. « Yes, of course » came the reply (…) The next thing we had to do was meet him, and get a idea what he wanted for his film. He turned out to be a real nice man, and explained that he wanted Pink Floyd to score his film but they were not avalaible (…) Also at one point David Gilmore (sic) was there and it was good to see him again, he told me that Pink Floyd had indeed been asked to do the score for « The Road to Salina », but they weren’t able to because of other commitments ».
« Sex, Booze & Blues », Alan Reeves, 2014.
David Gilmour:
« With Road to Salina, the film company ran into financial difficulties. We want to do sound tracks if it's a good film and we get paid enough ».
«Pink Floyd - Paarde, Orkanen & Vu urpijlen», Aloha, 16 June 1972
« Melody Maker » extract. 13 February 1970.
« Detroit Free Press ». 9 January 1970.
« Bergens Arbeiderblad ». 30 December 1969
« Ray Bradbury's Movie » Late 1971
An another movie’s project: the soundtrack of a film based on a story by Ray Bradbury (Seen in « The Robesonian » Journal of 4 November 1971 ).
« The Robesonian », 4 November 1971
« 1972 Live Album » Late 1971
Following the example of the Beatles with their 1969’ project « Get Back », which will become in an alternate form « Let it Be », the Floyd sought to release a live album composed entirely of unreleased material. This was the subject of the first discussions which took place in December 1971 at Nick's house.
Nick Mason:
« Nous discutions de l’éventualité de sortir un album live ave des nouveaux titres joués lors de nos concerts de 1972. Nous avions dévié la conversation autour de certains thèmes, comme le temps ou l’espace, qui ont fini par aboutir à ce projet beaucoup plus ambitieux »
« Pink Floyd, c’était le Titanic », Les inrocks - Hors Série, 2017.
« Mycenes » (Circa 1972)
Co-written by the science-fiction writer Stefan Wul, this story narrated the adventures of an alien robot who ran into incomprehension humans. This series was intented to have 13 episodes. Unfortunately, before the public and critical failure, and means to face shortages of ORTF at that time, only two episodes were filmed and broadcast. The group was approached by the producers while he was in the Château d’Hérouville in January for the soundtrack to « La Vallée ».
They wanted the Floyd give few new songs but no agreement was reached. One can legitimately think that Pink Floyd wanted to devote more forward to their new album which he foresaw potentially masterpiece status. Nevertheless the group members gave their consent to the use of some old songs and excerpts from their recent « Meddle ».
« William Blake's Ballet » Mid 1972
Following various development for the « Ballet project », Floyd had the idea of making a ballet based on the work of William Blake (as shown in the October 1971 interview with the « Georgia Straight ».
« French Movie » Late 1972
Following the success of the « Ballet Pink Floyd», the authors are thought about making their own film
Nick Mason:
« The aftermath to all this was an extraordinary lunch at Rudolf Nurcyev’s house in Richmond Marcel Proust had reared his head again, but this lime in film formal Nureyev. Roland Petit and Roman Polanski were there along with Roger. Steve and myself. Feeling slightly self-conscious in a truly exotic atmosphere of fine art and lavish decor, we were astonished at the rather louche youth who greeted us and then left us to amuse ourselves until the others arrived and Nureyev made an appearance, which of course he did in style - swathed in Oriental drapery»
«Pink Floyd, l'histoire selon Nick Mason», Nick Mason, 2006.
« Household Objects » Circa 1971-1973
THE major project of Floyd. In fact, the one to whom the group was the longest attached; and the most fantasized by the fans. The band, with the huge success of « The Dark Side of the Moon » is in a state of shock! For the first time, members of the group are not in possession of sufficient material to give birth to a successor of their flagship album. While in their early years, the Floyd was constantly developing new tracks, in particular by relying on their stage performances, the band has been entirely devoted (for at least two years) to « The Dark Side of the Moon ».
No longer supporting their old repertoire and therefore the unreleased tracks developed at that time, the musicians find themselves in the studio without any joint project. Nick Mason suggested that this project represented an avoidance strategy in the absence of new titles. The project was carried by Waters who has always been interested in using different sounds of the common rock. See this page for more détails.
« In the Pink Book » Circa 1973-1974
Following the group during the « British Winter Tour », in the fall of 1974, Nick Sedgwick and Storm Thorgerson present their manuscript entitled « In the Pink », the first real biography on the band whose first idea is dated from 1973. Waters is satisfied by the work, Gilmour much less ...When Nick Sedgwick is deceased, Waters has published a lighter version in 2017. See this page for more details.
« The Rose-Tintled Monocle » Circa 1973
Anthony Stern produced an abstract film based on an original idea that Syd Barrett and Stern had developed since 1968. For this later project, it took « The Dark Side of the Moon » in order to synchronize the soundtrack. And then went to show the result to all Floyd members who approved the idea. This movie who should be released could be used by the band as backdrop films for the French tour in 1974. Finally, Steve O'Rourke refused this one for money reasons.
Anthony Stern:
« The film was composed of diary footage over several years. I was trying to find the right music to go with it, but it was very difficult. Finally, when « Dark Side Of The Moon » came out, I thought that was it, especially as I had used Interstellar Overdrive as the soundtrack to my successful short film « San Francisco ». I set about approaching each member of the Pink Floyd to show them “Wheel", in order to get their approval. This was readily given although the proviso was that I had to run it past their manager, Steve O 'Rourke. When Steve saw the film he went fairly ballistic and totally refused permission to use the music. It was obviously far too experimental and in his view crazy »
« Purple records 1971-1978 », Neil Priddey, 2014
« Electronic Sounds » Circa 1973
Before tackling the project « Household Objects », the band had the idea to recording an electronic album digging the path cleared by the recording of « Obscured by Clouds », who used samplers and VSC3 for the first time and mainly with the title On the Run .
Roge Waters :
« Since the end of 1973, we had set up several record projects without being really satisfied. At first, we wanted to do something very electronic, but it seemed very artificial. Then we went to another record, it was finished, and then we realized that there was no soul, that we played like machines. So we gave it up and we went back to work on something else ».
« Monty Python’s Holy Grail » cameo Circa 1974
Fans of the Monthy Python (the band took break during the recording sessions of « The Dark Side of the Moon » to watch their famous « Monty Python's Flying Circus » TV show), the Floyd gave some money to help to the production production of their movie « The Holy Grail ». According to Eric Idle, the Floyd has paid £ 21,000, making it the third contributor behind Michael White and Led Zeppelin! It was considered these bands done an appareance (a cameo) within the film in return. Nevertheless, since the comic group shot their sequences in Scotland and following the group's planning, the idea was eventually shelved.
« Dune's Soundtrack » Circa 1973-1976
A movie based on the Frank Herbert's masterpiece was planned when Floyd bought the copyright. However, the band let this idea in stand-by to finally release the rights in the seventies. The Director Alexandro Jodorowsky set a coproduction structure with the famous french producer Michel Seydoux. The main idea was to get some famous people as Orson Welles, Alain Delon, Mick Jagger, Salvador Dali to play the characters. For the musical side, Virgin records drop some names as the young Mike Oldfield, Gong, Tangerine Dream, Henry Cow and Magma. But the director wanted to get Pink Floyd. Roger Waters, who has appreciated his movie « El Topo » agreed to meet Jodorowsky.
Alejandro Jodorowsky (Director): «Virgin Records nous reçut et nous offrit Gong, Mike Olfield, Tangerine Dream. A ce moment je dis: "Et pourquoi pas Pink Floyd?" Le groupe à cette époque avait un tel succès que presque tous considéraient ça comme une idée irréalisable. J'ai eu la chance, grâce à mon film El Topo, d'être connu par ces musiciens. Ils ont bien daigné nous recevoir à Londres aux studios Abbeyroad où les Beatles avaient enregistré leurs succès. Jean-Paul Gibon était très agréablement surpris que le groupe nous reçoive. Quelle extase!... Après on a assisté à leur dernier concert public ou des milliers de fanatiques les ont acclamés. Ils ont voulu voir La Montagne sacrée. Ils l'ont vu au Canada. Ils ont décidé de participer au film en produisant un album qui allait s'appeler Dune composé de deux dis-ques. Ils sont venus à Paris pour discuter la partie économique et, après une intense discussion, on est arrivé à un accord. Pink Floyd ferait presque toute la musique du film»
«Dune, le film que vous ne verre jamais», Métal Hurlant, January 1985
But, according to the director, the group having lunch. They received a very feverish Jodorowsky about this pharaonic project, the interview turned short and the Chilean director left with losses and noise. Gilmour ran to catch him by the sleeve and bring him to his senses. This version is nevertheless denied by Mason.
Alejandro Jodorowsky:
« We wouldn't treat someone we admired in such a cavalier fashion »
« The Greatest Albums you'll never hear », Bruno MacDonald, 2013.
Brian Humphries (sound engineer):
« It's just at the talking stages at present. Jodorowsky'snext film will be «Dune», and he came to London to meet and hear the band in the studio. If we do it, it will mean at least a month in the Sahara with a mobile unit, because that's where Jodorowsky is shooting the film. He wants to film to the Floyd's music, so we'll be marooned for a while doing that, but it is an exciting challenge»
«PinkFloyd: more gritty, less giddy », Circus magazine, September 1975.
Alejandro Jodorowky:
« (...)They happily agreed to meet us in London at Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles had recorded their success. Jean-Paul Gibon was very pleasantly surprised that the group would see us. At that time, I had already almost lost my individual consciousness. I was the instrument of my sacred, miraculous work where everything could happen. Dune wasn't at my service, I was like the samurai that I had found, at the service of the work. They were in the middle of recording Dark Side of the Moon. Upon arriving, I didn't see a group of musicians in the middle of making their masterpiece, but four young guys eating fried steaks. Jean-Paul and I, standing in front of them, had to wait for their voraciousness be to satisfied. In the name of Dune I was taken by an anger and I left slamming the door. I wanted some artists who knew how to respect a work of such importance for human consciousness. I think that they didn't expect that. Surprised, David Gilmour ran behind us giving excuses and made us attend the final mixing of their record. What ecstasy... After, we attended their last public concert where thousands of fanatics cheered. They wanted to see The Holy Mountain. They watched it in Canada. They decided to participate in the film by producing a double album which was going to be called Dune. They came to Paris to discuss the financial part and after an intense discussion, we came to an agreement. Pink Floyd would do almost all the music of the film »
«Jodorowsky's Dune», Documentary, 2013.
Interviewer: « You will shoot a movie, at least you’ll be doing the soundtrack of the Alejandra Jodorowsky movie which will be called « Dune », and you have planned almost a year for composing and an another year to record it … we speak of a space-opera with a huge budget. What will be ? Will it be a new step in the bombastic Pink Floyd enterprise again ?»
Waters: « In fact, we don’t specifically dedicate time to do it, we just do not anything else to do. We have not set aside a year for this composition, we do not have anything else to do. Since the end of July until Christmas, we had no project anyway, nothing at all … we were going to split »
Interviewer: « In fact, you have the feeling of not really choose what you need to do? What you say is rough »
Waters: « No, the fact is « Dune », " is a novel that we all read and we much appreciated and loved. In addition, we also loved the film that was shot and actually there about a year we thought to buy the rights to this film who made round trips in the show business for 5 or 6 years. And when Philip (NDR: Constantin) called us and said that Jodo. going to be producer of this film is that we would like, we said yes. And since it is he who will direct the film we are interested»
«Radio Campus», Europe 1, 1er Septembre 1975.
Nick Mason :
« There was even a moment when we decided to take a year of freedom and do things on our own because we really were bored us. And as always, it happened something that we all want to do. That was the case for the music of « Dune ». The project is not likely to happen now, but at the moment, we are all input, preferring to do it together rather than solo albums ».
« Your Mother didn’t like this », Capital Radio, Décembre 1976.
Mœbius was hired to create a storyboard and H.R Giger and Dan O'Bannon (designers of the future « Alien »). With regard to this material, the Floyd of committed to deliver a double album with the group Magma in support of certain scenes. Nevertheless the cost of production ($ 30 million at the time, $ 130 million in 2013) forced the French to request a co-production with an American studio. Unfortunately, no studio wanted to commit to such a budget on a Science Fiction movie at that time (it was before the breakthrough « Star Wars »).
« Deep Red/Profondo Rosso » (Circa 1974)
At the beginning, Dario Argento has met the jazz player Giorgio Gallini to write the score. However, the relationship between both men had been quickly degraded. Then, he has called the Italian prog band Goblin who turned down the offer. Finally, he tried to get Pink Floyd without success.
Claudio Simonetti (Producer):
« When Dario Argento came to do the soundtrack for Profondo Rosso, he asked the producer to call bands like Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Deep Purple. At the same time, we had signed a contract with the same label that was also the publisher of Dario Argento’s films.We were lucky, because we were in the right place at the right time. The producer said to Dario, «Before we call these big bands from England, I would like you to listen to this band that I am recording now in Rome»»
«Film Review: Interview: Goblin's Claudio Simonetti discusses music and film», Supajam Magazine, 16 February 2015.
« The Dark Side of the Moon's Movie » (Circa 1974)
The director Peter Medac met the band backstage during the 74' British Winter Tour (during the last shows in December) to talking about a project of film based on « The Dark side of the Moon ». This movie would have been a feature film mixed with some live footages.
« Alienation’s Tapes » Circa 1975
Like what was done for « The dark Side of the Moon », the group recorded interviews of various stakeholders reacting on the theme of alienation. This tape was supposed to be used on « Wish you were here » but the idea was abandoned in the end.
« Live at Pittsburgh » 1975
It seems he band has vaguely envisaged to release a live album from the Three Rivers Stadium 1975 gig
Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, 20 Juin 1975.
« Gerald Scarfe Animals' backscreen movies » Late 1976
Gerald Scarfe began to work on the backfilms for the 1977 tour to complete those already made (Shine on you Crazy Diamond Part 1 & 2 and 9 and Welcome to the Machine). The elements were recorded in a storyboard but Roger didn’t want to use the works of the designer. According to Gerald, the divorce of the bass player led him to reject considered as too depressing.
Original concept by Gerald SCARFE
« In the Flesh Live Tour » 1977
A live album from the famous 1977’ « In the Flesh » tour was planned. For this reason, Waters yelled different numbers every night to identify the tapes recorded.
These tapes were used during rehearsals to improve the quality of the concerts. An article in the "Melody Maker" of March 27th, 1977 shows the group broadcasting the recordings of the Dortmund concerts (on January) as a test tape with a view to synchronizing the Floyd with its special effects.
1978 drawing by Mark Fisher.
« Revamped inflatable pyramid » Circa 1978
Despite the fiasco of the « Pittsburgh pyramid » (and Montreal too, see this page for more detail), the idea of building a stage enveloped by a pyramid that would rise during one of the show's climaxes has not been abandoned. Fisher and Park were commissioned by Floyd tour manager Graeme Fleeming to rework the concept for a future tour. The base would have been a steel cage with an inflatable pyramid cap. The Wall project buried the concept for good.
« The slug » Circa 1978
Due to the size of the facility and therefore the difficulty of transporting the new stage for « The Wall », a giant inflatable all-rounder was considered. This thing was nicknamed «The slug» because of its resemblance to a large worm. He was roughly the size of an indoor tennis court, the idea was to accommodate as many spectators as possible. The room would have measured 100 meters long by 25 wide with 3,300 seats. Inside, the area would have reached 12,000 square meters divided between the main auditorium and the backstage. The idea was finally abandoned due to the availability of places likely to host the structure.
Sketches by Gerald SCARFE
Gerald Scarfe:
«Initially, Roger talked to me about idea of doing a show in a giant inflatable tent that would be large enough to act as a vast auditorium and hold thousands of people as well as the stage area, where the gigantic wall would be built across it. The tent was to be shaped like a worm that would be easy to inflate and then deflate ready to be moved to the next venue. It was an exciting idea - Roger thinks big - and was a grand concept on a tremendous scale. I made a number of drawings and designs for this, showing the shape from one location to another. Wonderful though the idea was, it proved too ambitious to be achieved at the time and eventually, sadly, it was abandoned»
«The making of Pink Floyd The Wall», Gerald Scarfe, 2010.
The first ideas came from the beginning of the recording as Steve O’Rourke stated on the 18 November 1978 issue of the « New Musical Express ».
Steve O’Rourke:
«The halls in Britain just cannot take the band’s 45 tons of equipment and 45,000 watt PA system. The only way we can play to audiences in Glasgow, for example, is by taking our own hall on the road (…) It will take about a day to set up the tent in each city, but it should be worth it»
«Pink Floyd go camping», New Musical Express, 18 November 1978
Sketches by Mark FISHER.
In fact, it was an idea that will continue and return for several years since 1967!
«We've also got quite a bit of work lined-up abroad, but that doesn't mean we're going to forsake England. It's just a pity that some of the ball-rooms are so bad. Especially the stages. But we've got an idea which could put an end to all that. There could well be a Pink Floyd circus soon. We've got this massive Big Top capable of holding 6,000 people, which we intend to take around the country. You know, find a field outside a town, set-up and play. Just like a proper circus. « We've got this huge cinemascope screen for all the flashing light bit, and we'll make it into a complete show. There'll be us of course, plus a few other acts. It's something that's never been done before, but we think it'll work « »
«The Pink Floyd's Circus», Beat Instrumental, September 1967.
« Pink living suit » Circa 1979
In order to embody the character of Pink during « The Wall » concerts, Roger Waters considered reusing an idea the Floyd had experimented with in 1969 during one of the « The Man and the Journey » shows in London by asking an actor to put on a costume and appear on stage from time to time.
Mark Fisher, a master of the art, made an inflatable costume for this purpose. Eventually it was decided to use a plain doll instead
Mark FISHER in 1979 testing the prototype.
Nick Mason’s first solo work Circa 1978-1979
Nick Mason had planned to work on a solo album in late 1978, early 1979. But this project was postponed due to work on the project « The Wall » and then by Carla Bley's desire to work with the drummer.
Nick Mason:
«.Originally, I had arranged to go to America and make an album using all sorts of material, but then Carla sent me a cassette with some of her ideas »
Cited in « Pink Floyd in the eyes of … »
The Show must go on (Beach Boys version) Circa 1979
A session with the Beach Boys was organized at the end of the sessions of « The Wall » (2 October) but canceled at the last moment. Only Mick Love made an appareance.
Bruce Johnston:
«Mike Love and I went over to Roger Waters’ house. He and David Gilmour were there. They said, ‘We started singing high parts, trying to sound like the Beach Boys, and then we decided, ‘Why don’t we ask them?’’ They made cassettes of the songs we’d be working on. But we couldn’t get together on dates with the Pink Floyd. We finally set up studio time in Dallas for Bob Ezrin to fly down with Roger and bring the tapes. They cancelled the day of the session. it was just a shame to me, because it would have had a lovely impact had it been the Beach Boys singing»
Circus magazine, March 1980
« Animals Remake »Circa 1979
Given the technical problems the band faced while recording their 1977 album, Floyd's idea was to re-record parts of the album after working on « The Wall ». This project was evoked many times in the life of the group and, recently by Nick Mason, during the release of « The Endless River ».
Harvest's Label communiqué:
« (...) We haven't heard any of their work yet, but they have been re-recording some stuff that was done last years »
« Reactivated Floyd », Melody Maker, 31 March 1979.
Mike Hodges (director) :
« I had wanted to have Pink Floyd. Dark Side Of The Moon was blaring on the set when Queen came to visit. Very embarrassing. They were Dino's idea. A better choice: lighter, more humorous, more range »
« A human sacrifice is required when a project is deemed to have gone wrong.», Empire Magazine.
Nick Mason :
«I know both Roger and David have at times mentioned they'd like to have a remix of Animals, which technically is perhaps one of our less well-recorded records (…) I think we'd just probably clean up some of the tapes and just sort of review it and see whether it can be enhanced. And if one was doing that, one might have a look at whether there's anything else to be done on it. But no one's got that down on their work schedule at the moment »
« Pink Floyd: More Unreleased Music May Be Coming», Bilboard Magazine, 10 November 2014.
« The Wall pre-show » Circa 1979
According the Scarfe’s notes, an extended scenography was envisaged to create a more complete experience
Gerald Scarfe’s notes extract:
« In the streets surrounding the venues we will place buskers playing tunes from the show to the punters as they arrive and queue.
Inside the stadium, scattered, there be aural tricks and jokes, e.g., locked road boxes with tape slaughter issuing
The teacher’s voice shouting in lavatories, "You there! Put that away and get back inside this minute."
Monotonous piped selling of "Britro Brick-a-Brac: Britro Brick Co. proudly present Brick Sunglasses. Do you have trouble looking blank ? Be the first one on your block to develop wall eyes with Britro Brick Shades.»
« Flash Gordon » Circa 1979
During the production of the film, director Mike Hodges wanted the Floyd to do the music for the film. Producer Dino de Laurentis preferred to call on Queen.
Mike Hodges (director) :
« I had wanted to have Pink Floyd. Dark Side Of The Moon was blaring on the set when Queen came to visit. Very embarrassing. They were Dino's idea. A better choice: lighter, more humorous, more range »
« A human sacrifice is required when a project is deemed to have gone wrong.», Empire Magazine.
« Money/Let there be more light » single Circa 1981
To promote the compilation « A collection of great dance songs », the label envisaged to re-release Money with Let there be more light as B-Side.
Eventually, The B Side, as with the original single release of Money back in 1973, is Any Colour You Like. Strangely Norman Smith is credited as the producer of Any Colour You Like on the sleeve. This is mistake, due to the original choice of Let there be more light as B-Side but it was not corrected in the final cut of the single.
« The inflatable puppet sequences »Circa 1981
Alan Parker included the Teacher inflatable puppet inside some sequences of the movie (as The happiest days of our lives or Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)) but it was eventually cutted out.
« The Spare Bricks » Circa 1982
The project of a soundtrack to support the film « Pink Floyd The Wall » was initiated in 1982 but abandoned with lack of interest in the thing (Waters considered that some titles such as Mother was too boring to listen on disc). First, the bassist decided to keep only the most interesting songs and to add some unreleased songs from « The Wall » sessions such as You possible Past, Teach (The future of One of the few), Teacher, The Hero's return. But the musician decided to burry it to work on a new album who kept the title « The Final Cut » ...
« Pink Floyd - The Wall » promo concept Circa 1982
MGM MGM considered using the artist Christo to promote the film.
«All MGM-UA wants Christo to do is create a Great Wall of Westwood, walling in part of the community where their movie premieres Aug. 13, in the fabric of his choice. «People - Gift wrap», The Daily Sentinel, 10 August 1982
A classic promotion board on sunset strip. Picture by Martin LANDAU
« Final Cut Support TV Show » Circa 1983
While asked the question of making a tour to support the release of « The Final Cut », David was ok but not Roger. Nevertheless, Roger conceded the possibility of playing a concert live on television.
«Pink Floyd will be performing a concert in Britain this fall and word is that the band will bring the spectacle to New York later in this year for a worldwide simulcast»
«Rock ’n’ roll news», Creem, September 1983
Eventually, Roger turns the page of the book by working instead in his first solo recording and subsequent tour.
Roger Waters:
« We were nevergoing to tour anyway. We might have done one gig for a TV simulcast. But i got involved with « The Pros & Cons of Hitch-Hiking » ».
« Bricks in the Wall », Karl Dallas.
« Pros and Cons live » Circa 1984
In an interview given to the famous Karl Dallas, Roger Waters evoked the possibility to recording a show of his « Pros & Cons tour »
Roger Waters:
«Nick Roeg’s making a promo video for the single, and also he and a young film-maker called Bernard Rose are shooting footage for the Pros and Cons show, which I shall work on with Nick Thomson as editor. I think it’s more likely that it will develop into a concert TV special or something. There may even be a feature movie in there somewhere, trying to get out. “But I’m not going to make it. I don’t want to make another feature film, not really. I don’t want all that aggravation again»
« Brick in the Wall », Kerrang Magazine, May 1984
Harvey Goldsmith, a British promoter, sought investment from the Canadian Film Finance Board for a live video to be filmed in Toronto (28 and 39 July. To create a sample, Greenback was commissioned to film a test footage during a Detroit show. However, during the break, an executive from the company unexpectedly entered the backstage room at Joe Louis Arena and declared that they were not impressed with the performance and would not be investing.
Nigel Gordon: «They said this in front of everyone, including Roger. We came home with our tails between our legs, having spent six grand on flights and hotels on the company's American Express card (…) Roger said (to me), «(…) I'm not paying you anything. Take that as a lesson in life». That's exactly what he said. «Fuck you» I thought, but I didn't say it and we eventually got the money back from Harvey. I suppose Roger felt rejected by the Canadians and decided to take it out on us.'»
« Us and them », Mark Blake, 2023
« A momentary Lapse » Adam Grey’s cover Circa 1987
Adam Gray:
«A year after completing my degree I was shortlisted for a major national painting prize for which I received a lot of publicity because of my young age and the £25,000 prize which eventually went to John Hoyland. Subsequently, the Anderson O’Day Gallery began representing me and I received interesting commissions such as painting a cover for a Pink Floyd album and designing the set for a Channel 4 adaptation of a Mark Anthony-Turnage opera (both ultimately unrealised)»
«Adam Gray – My experience of being an artist in London», 23 March 2015, Cited in the questanonearte Website
Interviewer: « A l'origine, c'est un tableau d'Adam Grey qui devait figurer sur la pochette. Tu t'es finalement adressé à Storm Thogerson, qui a réalisé presque toutes les pochettes de Pink Floyd ».
Gilmour: « C'est vrai, j'avais commandé ce tableau. Mais, finalement, il ne correspondait pas à ce que je cherchais. Après avoir fait appel à deux autres dessinateurs, j'ai contacté Storm. Il ne fait plus de pochettes, seulement des films et des pubs, mais il a accepté de s'y remettre. Deux semaines plus tard, il m'a proposé vingt projets différents. Nous avons choisi celui avec des lits, un sacré paquet de lits ... ».
« Pink Floyd à Versailles», Pulsions, June 1988
« A momentary Lapse flying saucer prop » Circa 1987
A flying saucer was envisaged for the 1987 tour to substitute to the famous plane model.
« A momentary Lapse Icarus prop » Circa 1988
Another avatar in the group's long list of special effects, after the infatuated astronaut of 1973, the inflatable pyramid of 1975, the sheep-teacup gun of 1977 or the flying saucer of 1987, the group proposed in 1988 a strange character: Icarus.
Nick Mason:
« One of the fattest files in the touring department is ‘The Ones That Got Away’. Much time is expended on effects that promise a great deal but always seem to end up being bloody dangerous, fabulously expensive and only work once in fifty attempts. Sometimes (viz the inflatable pyramid), despite fulfilling all these characteristics, they still slip through the net.
This time we decided mid-tour to ditch Icarus, an apparently airbom figure who sprang forth in ‘Teaming To Fly’ and flittered across the stage. He never quite worked, ending up looking like oversized washing on a line. One idea - the flying saucer - sounded perfect. A large helium-filled device, it could be radio-controlled to hover over the auditorium, dripping with lights and effects. No wires or rigging were required. The problem was that it was a fantasy. To carry sufficient power for the proposed lighting rig it would have been about the same size, cost and approximately as safe as the Graf Zeppelin.. »
« Inside out: A personal history of Pink Floyd » , Nick Mason, 2006.
A rare apparence of Icarus during the show in Basel on July 26th, 1988
« Free Hyde Park concert » Summer 1988
Twenty years after, the band tried to re-act their 1968 free concert at Hyde Park
David Gilmour:
« But it would have probably have been destroyed by people camping there »
« The Floyd’s tour de force» , The Guardian, 22 July 1988.
« Roger Waters live in Berlin Ian Emes footage » Summer 1990
Wanting to offer an alternative approach to Scarfe's films for his Berlin rendition of « The Wall », Roger asked to the historic Pink Floyd’s animator Ian Emes to make films that could be shown during the concert. This footage was intended to be intercepted with the live performances Ian previously worked for the band on the backdrop films Time among others.
