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This is a tribute to Syd Barrett, an original member of Pink Floyd - notice the title, Shine On You Crazy Diamond. He was their lead guitarist and wrote most of their early hits, but he gradually went nuts and was kicked out of the band in 1968, 3 years after the group started. Drugs played a big role in his mental illness.
During the final mixing sessions of this song in June of 1975, Barrett wandered into the studios, ready to help out. He was fat, bald, and as crazy as they remembered, but they let him stay for a while. Barrett wanted to rejoin the group, but they learned in 1967 and 1968 that having an insane member was not good for a band. Before he was kicked out, Barrett would get on stage and either refuse to play or play the same note over and over.
According to the Pink Floyd autobiography A Saucerful of Secrets by Nicholas Schaffner, when Barrett came into the control room, the remaining members of Pink Floyd were listening to the finished recording of the album. This was the eve before Pink Floyd were going on a US tour. David Gilmour didn't recognize him at first - they hadn't seen him in years. Syd was fat, bald, had shaved eyebrows and was wearing a white trenchcoat with white shoes. When someone tried to break the ice by asking Syd how he had put on so much weight, he maniacally replied, "I've got a very large fridge in the kitchen, and I've been eating a lot of pork chops!" That was the last time any of the Pink Floyd members have seen him. (thanks, Dave - Marieta, GA).
Gilmour came up with 4 notes that became the basis for this. Roger Waters thought they conveyed emotions Barrett must have been feeling, and wrote lyrics about him.
Waters sang lead. He recorded the vocal line by line over and over again, and killed his voice in the process. That's why English Folk singer Roy Harper was brought in to sing "
Have A Cigar." He was close friend of the band's, as well as Led Zeppelin. (thanks, Adrian - Brookings, SD)
On the album Wish You Were Here, this is split into 2 parts, with "Have A Cigar," "Welcome To The Machine," and "Wish You Were Here" in between. It was going to be continuous, but Waters decided it should be split.
This was very difficult to record. They redid it a few times before getting a version they liked.
Dick Parry was brought in to play sax on this. He also played on "Us And Them" and "Money" from Dark Side Of The Moon.
Pink Floyd started playing this live over a year before the album came out. The band thought they could improve on songs if they played them at concerts before recording them. At the time, it was known as "Shine On."
This was the last song Richard Wright got a writing credit for before Roger Waters kicked him out of the band during The Wall sessions 4 years later. A combination of Waters' increasing control over the group and Wright's mounting personal problems are what led to his departure. He would not rejoin the band until 1987, after Waters himself had left. (thanks, Adrian - Brookings, SD)
In 1986, Waters left the band and became enraged when they continued on without him. At subsequent Pink Floyd shows, they played this with Gilmour on vocals.
In The Simpsons episode "The Old Man and Lisa," Monty Burns meets a hippy at a recycling center and says to him, "Shine on you crazy diamond." (thanks, Tom - Mendon, MA)
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Just as sad, as it is true, Syd was a tripster casualty. Both David and Roger worked on this one as a tribute,this was absotulely the peak of the band, and it's never been the same since.It just don't get any better than this. Period.
Definitely a nice bit of goodbye.
Probably Roger's finest lyrics, and Dave's opening solo especially is so beautiful that it will bring tears to your eyes, and I am not exaggerating.
Even now, after having listened to this scores of times over these years, this song still just GETS me.
Threatened by shadows at night/And exposed in the light
Doesn't that perfectly encapsulate the torment of Syd's madness?
for faraway in laughter
come on you stranger
you legend,you martyr
and shine!
too beautiful to describe; feel it deeper.
Shine On!
This song is one of my favorites songs from Pink Floyd..Yeah, this song is perfect =)
Thank you, Floyd, for the great sounds.
anyways this song is pretty good and even though its like half an hour, it was nice for the other members to do something for syd.unfortunately, when syd left, so did his genius and pink floyd was left with millions of fans but no real charm to me...shine on you crazy diamond
Great song, btw. I love how the lyrics don't start on the first SOYCD until about 7 or so minutes into the song.
RIP Syd...
Barrett) did suffer from a condition similar to
mine. I would not label it 'Schizophrenia' as
the doctors would, as they really have no clue
about its characteristics . . .
One symptom is receiving visions through the
eyes and through the mind's eye. This is
nothing to envy. It usually takes the form of
a spiritual environment, a non-physical one,
and oftentimes it is overwhelming or heavy
with sinister emotion, like a nightmare.
Also, people like us have one hell of a time
growing up, usually latching onto substances
(most commonly coffee and cigarettes) that
can include LSD. Syd's story was not only
using LSD every day, but having his room-
mates spiking his coffee with it unbeknownst
to his knowledge. Dave Gilmour would be shy
to accept a drink at his flat because he knew
about the spiking operation going on there.
The other things I can relate to that probably
are in common with him are feeling set apart
from others; feeling abandonment from others;
and afterwards feeling the need to 'shock'
society. I am one of the lucky ones who
survived the institution and lead a normal
life.
After returning to his Cherry Hinton home,
he had no desire to be exposed to fans or
reporters, or even his old bandmates
(supposedly). He was an excellent painter,
and a carpenter (he made all his own furniture)
and he enjoyed bike riding and entertaining
the neighborhood kids.
But he was in the top 5 of the world's best
guitar legends, by virtue of talent.
Quote: "Please leave us here...
close our eyes to the octopus ride..."
The difference between a madman and a genius is all a matter of perspective.
I guess we can hope.
RIP, you crazy diamond.
I Like the guitar, the lyrics, and the assembly of music from shine on you. Nick's drumming is so underrated but it gives quite a good sound to the song. David's guitar is great as usual. It's not their best song, but is problably their greatest work together. A masterpiece of Music
Shine On you Crazy Diamond = my favourite song of all time =)
When Syd was young, he shone like the "sun". Later, he cried for the "moon". In Dark Side of the "Moon", we hear about the "lunatic" - an old term describing the insane as "moon struck". And sadly, the "sun" was eclipsed by the "moon".
But we can always acknowledge Syd's courage, yet mourn that he did not hear the call when to come back inside from that place beckoning us all.
True artists are humans too.
1. When Syd appeared at the studios he even asked when he should put his guitar on, like he was still in the band. THe band said that had already been done, which now seems like a shame, because it would have been interesting to hear if and how Syd would have done it.
2. At http://www.sydbarrett.net/welcome.htm there is a picture of Syd from this very session.
Some of the members were jealous of Syd, because no matter what he did, the people loved his music.
On stage once he had a breakdown and started untuning his guitar and picking wildly, and instead of getting agitate, the crowd cheered him on.
During one segment in this song, as a tribute to Syd's technique, Gilmour plays a slide with a Zippo lighter, just as Syd did in Interstellar Overdrive.
A# F G E
this song is.