STUmmaEra

SOLO

INDEX

SYSYPHUS (Rick Wright) • « Ummagumma » (1969) | Produced by Norman Smith.

Rick Wright: Mellotron, organ, piano, vibraphone, guitar, gong.

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the cunning King of Corrinth who was punished in Hades by infinitely having to roll a huge stone.

Richard Wright:

«I played a Mellotron in Sysyphus, using it for special effects, and straightforward string and bass stops for the melody lines. We all played alone on our pieces. I thought it was a very valid experiment and it helped me. But I think Roger feels that if we'd all worked together it would have been better »

«Any question ?», Melody Maker, 8 April 1972

David Gilmour:

« Rick wanted to do a solo piece, because he was the one who tended to grumble the most about the musical direction we were going in, and all that sort of stuff. He said he wanted to make real music »

GRANTCHESTER MEADOWS (Roger Waters) in « Ummagumma » (1969) | Produced by Norman Smith

Roger Waters: vocals, classical guitar, special effects.

Grantchester is an area two and a half miles South-West of Cambridge, on the West Bank of the River Cam, close to where fellow Gilmour lived at the time. This track was considered for the 2000 compilation «Echoes - The best of Pink Floyd» but was eventually rejected.

Roger Waters:

It's just a retrospective ditty. Because it's a nice place in Cambridge where I come from. With, as Dave said, lots of long grass. There is a lot of long grass. Lovely. Too many.

« Pink Floyd interview », Swedish Radio, 19 March 1970

“Icy wind of night be gone this is not your domain”

In the sky a bird was heard to cry

Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds

Belied the deathly silence that lay all around

Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox

Gone to ground

See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water

And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees

Laughing as it passes through the endless summer, making for the sea

In the lazy water meadow I lay me down

All around me golden sun flakes settle on the ground

Basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon

Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room

Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox

Gone to ground

See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water

And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees

Laughing as it passes through the endless summer, making for the sea

Throw your thoughts back many years

To the time when love was life with every morning

Perhaps a day will come

When the lights will be as clear as on that morning

And if you want to stay for a little bit

Rest your aching limbs for a little bit

For you the night is beckoning

And now you can’t delay

You hear the night birds calling you

But you can’t catch the words they say

Close your ears and eyes, be on your way

SEVERAL SPECIES OF SMALL FURRY ANIMALS GATHERED TOGETHER IN A CAVE AND GROOVING WITH A PICT (Roger Waters) in « Ummagumma » (1969) | Produced by N. Smith

Roger Waters: vocals, tape effects.

The picts were a tribe of Scottish people.

Interviewer: « In the Ummagumma cut: Several species of small furry animals gather together in a cave and grooving with a pict – what is the voice thing, and just what exactly was the point of the whole thing ? »

Roger Waters: « It’s not actually anything, it’s a bit of concrete poetry. Those were sounds that I made, the voice and the hand slapping were all human generated – no musical instruments .»

« A Pink Think with the Floyd », University of Regina Carillon Interview, October 1970.

Peter Mew (Sound engineer):

«Roger Waters’ stuff was a lot more avant-garde than the others. There was a lot of double-speed and echo chambers, all sorts of stuff»

« To infinity … and beyond!», Uncut, May 2019.

Roger Waters:

« It was a very light hearted episode (…) It’s really just speeding up and slowing down tape and using a bit of echo and a bit of imagination (…) It’s juste voices and me beating on myself with my bare hands Is what it is »

« Interview with Roger Waters », Q107 Radio, 22 March 1985.

Rick Wright:

« The poem, which doesn’t have a title, was improvised by Roger Waters in the studio at the time of the recording !»

«Any question ?», Melody Maker, 8 April 1972

Aye an’ a bit of Mackeral settler rack and ruin ran it doon by

the haim, ‘ma place well I slapped me and I slapped it doon

in the side and I cried, cried, cried

The fear a fallen down taken never back the raize and then Craig Marion fet out wi’ ye Claymore out mi pocket a’ ran doon, doon the middin stain picking the fiery horde that was fallen around ma feet

Never he cried, never shall it get me alive

Ye rotten hound of the burnie crew. Well I snatched fer the blade O my claymore cut and thrust and I fell doon before him round his feet Aye!

A roar he cried frae the bottom of his heart that I would nay fall but as dead, dead as ‘a can be by his feet; de ya ken?

…and the wind cried Mary … Thank you

THE NARROW (PART 1-3) (David Gilmour) • « Ummagumma » (1969) | Produced by Norman Smith

David Gilmour: vocals, backing vocals, 10s evin T 18 in drop tuning, White Stratocaster guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, drums, Jew’s harp, special effects

David Gilmour:

«I just went into a studio and started waffling about, tacking bits and pieces together. I haven’t heard it in years. I’ve no idea what it’s like».

Sound Guitars Heroes, 1983

Following the path as it leads towards

The darkness in the north

Weary stranger’s faces show their sympathy

They’ve seen that hope before

And if you want to stay for a little bit

Rest your aching limbs for a little bit

For you the night is beckoning

And now you can’t delay

You hear the night birds calling you

But you can’t catch the words they say

Close your ears and eyes, be on your way

Mist is swirling, creatures crawling

Hear the roar get louder in your ears

You know the folly was your own

But the force behind can’t conquer all you fears

And if you want to stay for a little bit

Rest your aching limbs for a little bit

For you the night is beckoning

And now you can’t delay

You hear the night birds calling you

But you can’t catch the words they say

Close your ears and eyes, be on your way

In the lazy water meadow I lay me down

All around me golden sun flakes settle on the ground

Basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon

Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room

Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox

Gone to ground

See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water

And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees

Laughing as it passes through the endless summer, making for the sea

THE GRAND VIZIER’S GARDEN PARTY (PART 1-3) (Nick Mason) • « Ummagumma » (1969) | Produced by Norman Smith

Nick Mason: drums, percussion, marimba; Lindy Mason: Flute.

A BBC sound Fx was clearly used on this track although not credited (see this page for more details).

Nick Mason:

« To create my section, I drew on available ressources, recruiting my wife Lindy, an accomplished flute player, to add some woodwind. For my own part, I attempted to do a variation on the obligatory drum solo - I have never been a fan of gymnastic workouts at the kit, by myself or anyone else »

«Inside out: a personal history of Pink Floyd», Nick Mason, 2005.