Alternative and Live Versions
- Pink Floyd performed the song from 1967 to 1973. A performance on 9 September 1967 feature Barrett and Waters switching guitars. The last ever performance with Waters, took place on 13 October 1973 at the Stadthalle, Vienna. In 1984/1985 and from 1999–present, Waters has performed the song.
- On both the live Ummagumma disc and the Live at Pompeii, the song is significantly extended with a wide range of dynamics, including a white noise midde section. For instance the drums stop in the quiet middle section.
- A version of the song, containing a saxophone solo, features on Waters' In the Flesh – Live DVD, as well as Disc 1 of the 2002 album of the same name.
The song has been a staple in Waters' solo tours. Beginning with the 1984–1985 tours, "Set the Controls" has been presented in a radically rearranged rendition - with female backing vocals, saxophone solos and a guitar solo (and even a shakuhachi solo in 1985). A truncated version (just the three verses) of the song featuring a simple acoustic guitar part was performed on a handful of occasions during the Radio K.A.O.S tour of 1987. The song was included in the set list for Waters' 2006–2008 tour, and previously his In the Flesh tour, featuring stills from the promtional videos of "Arnold Layne" and "The Scarecrow" projected on large screens. In June 2002, audiences enjoyed a surprise when the two nights at London's Wembley Arena saw the appearance, as guest drummer for the performance of the track, of Waters' former Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason, the first indication of a reconciliation following the acrimonious split of the mid-1980s.
The song is also found on Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972).
Read more about this topic: Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
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