Recording
The band's record deal was relatively poor for the time—a £5,000 advance over five years, low royalties and no free studio time. It did, however, include album development, and unsure of exactly what kind of band they had signed, EMI gave them free rein to record whatever they wanted. They were obliged to record their first album at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, overseen by producer Norman Smith, a central figure in Pink Floyd's negotiations with EMI. 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. In an attempt to build a relationship with the band, Smith played jazz on the piano, while the band joined in. These jamming sessions worked well; Waters was apparently helpful, and Wright was "laid-back", but Smith's attempts to connect with Barrett were less productive: "with Syd, I eventually realised I was wasting my time". Smith later admitted that his traditional ideas of music were somewhat at odds with the psychedelic background from which Pink Floyd had arrived, but nevertheless he managed to "discourage the live ramble" (as Jenner called it) and guide the band toward producing songs with a more manageable length. 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 remaining composition, "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk".
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".Recording started on 21 February with "Matilda Mother" (titled "Matildas Mother"). The following week, the band recorded "Interstellar Overdrive", and "Chapter 24". On 16 March, "Flaming" (originally titled "Snowing") was recorded in one take. On 19 March, six takes "The Gnome" were recorded. The following day, the band recorded Waters' "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk", and "The Scarecrow", the latter of which was recorded in one take. On 21 March, the band were invited to watch The Beatles record "Lovely Rita". The next three tracks ("Astronomy Domine", "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Pow R. Toc H.") were worked on extensively between 21 March and 12 April, due to having (or being) lengthy instrumentals. Between 12 and 18 April, the band recorded both "Percy the Rat Catcher", and a currently unreleased track called "She Was a Millionaire". Indeed, a large proportion of the album is credited solely to Barrett, with tracks such as "Bike" having been written in late 1966 before the album was even started. "Bike" was originally titled "The Bike Song", and it was recorded on 21 May 1967.
Read more about this topic: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Famous quotes containing the word recording:
“I didn’t have to think up so much as a comma or a semicolon; it was all given, straight from the celestial recording room. Weary, I would beg for a break, an intermission, time enough, let’s say, to go to the toilet or take a breath of fresh air on the balcony. Nothing doing!”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)
“Write while the heat is in you.... The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Self-expression is not enough; experiment is not enough; the recording of special moments or cases is not enough. All of the arts have broken faith or lost connection with their origin and function. They have ceased to be concerned with the legitimate and permanent material of art.”
—Jane Heap (c. 1880–1964)