For Pink Floyd Addicts
More marked the end of the collaboration between Brian Humphries and Pye Studios. Soon after, the engineer joined Island and oversaw the recording of the superb album The Last Puff (1970) by Spooky Tooth. Humphries was also to record the live tracks on Ummagumma and would hook up with Pink Floyd again a few years later for Wish You Were Here.
Cirrus Minor
Roger Waters / 5:18
Musicians
David Gilmour: vocals, acoustic guitar
Rick Wright: keyboards
Roger Waters: bass, acoustic guitar (?)
Recorded
Pye Studios, London: early February 1969
Technical Team
Producer: Pink Floyd
Sound Engineer: Brian Humphries
Genesis
Cirrus is a Latin word meaning a “curl of hair.” It is also the name of the clouds made up of separate filaments, usually white, appearing at elevations of 19,700 to 39,400 feet (6,000 to 12,000 meters), which are often said to resemble angel hair. Should the title of this song be seen as an explicit reference to the character Stefan’s state of mind? Perhaps. The soothing notes of “Cirrus Minor” can be heard around three-fifths of the way through Barbet Schroeder’s movie, while the young romantic from Germany is high on marijuana or heroin—although only the final two verses are actually sung in the movie.
Roger Waters’s lyrics also make an important contribution to this fantastic and psychedelic journey. Following some gentle chirruping, the words tell of a yellow bird that, in a cemetery near a river, lazes in the midday haze and laughs in the long grass. Waters also describes a journey to Cirrus Minor (a planet on the outer fringes of the universe perhaps?) during which the narrator sees a crater in the sun, a thousand miles of moonlight later. This is a new incursion by the songwriter into the literary domain of science fiction and, at the same time, a new borrowing from Chinese poetry. The phrase A thousand miles of moonlight comes from a poem by Li He, from whom Waters had also taken his inspiration for “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” (translated by A. C. Graham in his collection Poems of the Late T’ang as “On the Frontier”). “Cirrus Minor” would also be included on the 1971 compilation Relics.
Production
This superb ballad by Roger Waters opens with the sound of birdsong. Most probably taken from EMI’s sound effects library (and added at Pye Studios), this sonic atmosphere plays an important role in the song. Not only can it be heard for almost a minute before the entry of the first instrument, it is present virtually throughout the number, accentuating the meditative atmosphere generated by the music and the words. Reverb of varying intensity is added in certain passages, especially during the fade-out, lending the birdsong an unreal character.
The key of “Cirrus Minor” is E minor: does this have any connection with the title? The sung section does not begin until 0:58 and continues for no more than 1:45. While this is relatively short, it is long enough for the Floyd to establish an entrancing and almost wistful atmosphere. David Gilmour plays acoustic guitar, most probably his Levin LT 18, alternating strumming and arpeggios. Supported by Rick Wright’s Farfisa organ, he also sings lead vocal in a gentle voice that is pitched relatively low in his range. He doubles this vocal part by singing along with himself on another track, which is to say without the help of ADT. There is some strong reverb in the fourth verse and particularly on the words Cirrus Minor, thereby heightening the intensity of the suggested images. Although difficult to verify, it sounds as if Gilmour is accompanied by a second acoustic guitar (listen between 2:30 and 2:40). Could this be Roger Waters playing? There can be no doubt, on the other hand, that Waters is on bass, albeit recessed in the mix.
After the birdsong and the sung verses, there is a third and last section in which Wright is on organ with Waters on his Rickenbacker bass. This time it is a Hammond M-102 organ that Wright plays, its mellow and ethereal sonority bearing some resemblance to that of the “Celestial Voices” section of the track “A Saucerful of Secrets” on the group’s previous album. The ambiance is relatively cold, disquieting, and troubling, all the more so as Wright also uses a second keyboard (Hammond? Farfisa?), this time with the Echorec. The effect is psychedelic in a similar way to the group’s first two LPs. The number concludes with the birdsong moving back into the foreground steeped in reverb.
The first track on the group’s third album, “Cirrus Minor” is a very good introduction to the acoustic sonorities that would from now on form part of the group’s range of musical expression. This piece presents a perfect blend of the evocative universe of Pink Floyd and the aesthetic of Barbet Schroeder.
IN YOUR HEADPHONES
By listening carefully around 0:55, it is possible to hear someone (Gilmour?) counting in: “… 2, 3, 4”!
COVERS
In 2007, Étienne Daho included an unlikely though successful cover of “Cirrus Minor” on a five-track EP that was supplied as a bonus disc with the deluxe remastered edition of his album L’Invitation.
The Nile Song
Roger Waters / 3:27
Musicians
David Gilmour: vocals, electric rhythm and lead guitar
Rick Wright: keyboards (?)
Roger Waters: bass
Nick Mason: drums
Unidentified musicians: hand claps
Recorded
Pye Studios, London: early February 1969
Technical Team
Producer: Pink Floyd
Sound Engineer: Brian Humphries
Genesis
The power chords of “The Nile Song” ring out at the beginning of the movie More, when Stefan first meets Estelle. Roger Waters’s lyrics have no more than a loose connection with this scene, however. Or, rather, he seems to have transposed the birth of the main characters’ romance to Egypt. I was standing by the Nile/When I saw the lady smile, he writes. And then: she spread her wings to fly. A strange creature, then, the heroine of “The Nile Song.” Is she an ancient Egyptian goddess with magical powers? Or a siren? After all, She is calling from the deep/Summoning my soul to endless sleep. Musically, “The Nile Song” is Pink Floyd’s first foray into the world of hard rock, a genre pioneered by Cream that reached its culmination with Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple (three British bands founded in 1968). This song undoubtedly contains the seeds of “Young Lust” and “In the Flesh” on The Wall.
In March 1969, “The Nile Song” was released as a single in various countries, notably France (with “Ibiza Bar” as the B-side) and Japan (with “Main Theme” as the B-side), but not in the United Kingdom or the United States. It was later included on the 1971 compilation Relics.
Production
“The Nile Song” is something of a showcase for David Gilmour’s Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face! The guitarist makes prolific use of the effect on this track, one of the rare cases in which he employs it so freely when playing rhythm (see also “Ibiza Bar”). His white Stratocaster is in all likelihood plugged into his Selmer Stereomaster 100-watt amp (with Selmer Goliath speakers). He delivers a performance that is impassioned, to say the least, in terms of both his guitar playing and his lead vocal. He plays power chords, probably recorded across a number of tracks in order to maximize their presence. In addition to his rhythm part, he also plays various solos strongly influenced by Jimi Hendrix. In places, he double-tracks his Fender licks (listen around 1:48), a technique he would use relatively often in the future, a prime example being the main solo on “Money” in 1973. As for his singing, up to now, we have been used to David delivering the lyrics in a gentle, delicate voice; this time he asserts himself with a distinct rasp. It is also apparent that in order to boost its power, his singing is doubled using the ADT so beloved by Syd Barrett but by no means the usual thing done at Pye Studios. Roger Waters, the author of this hard rock number so uncharacteristic of his writing, provides solid support on his Rickenbacker 4001, although because of the way his bass is recorded, it has insufficient prom
inence. Instead of being plugged directly into the console as usual, the configuration seems to be the same as the one used by his fellow guitarist, only with different speakers, in this case the Selmer All-Purpose 50 (2 x 12). As for the drummer, Nick Mason gives a show of strength on this track. He can be heard smacking his Premier kit with ferocious power and taking delight in incandescent tom breaks. Rick Wright seems to be absent from the recording, as no keyboards are audible. If, as seems likely, he is laying down accompanying pads on his organ, these are inevitably buried beneath the deluge of sound generated by his bandmates. The avalanche of decibels does not, however, mask the hand claps that can be heard distinctly in the intro.
“The Nile Song” is a muscular number that Barbet Schroeder preferred to use as a musical backdrop, for fear that it would gain the upper hand over the images. Although the same hard rock style can be found on “Ibiza Bar,” it is nevertheless something of a rarity in the Pink Floyd catalog.
COVERS
“The Nile Song” has been recorded by a number of groups including the Human Instinct (Pins in It, 1971) and Voivod (The Outer Limits, 1993).
Crying Song
Roger Waters / 3:34
Musicians
David Gilmour: vocals, backing vocals, classical guitar, electric lead guitar
Rick Wright: vibraphone
Roger Waters: bass
Nick Mason: drums, bongos (?)
Recorded
Pye Studios, London: early February 1969
Technical Team
Producer: Pink Floyd
Sound Engineer: Brian Humphries
Genesis
This number by Roger Waters can be heard at a key moment in Barbet Schroeder’s film, when Estelle is back in the apartment with Stefan, having been reduced to narcotics dealing in order to settle her debts. It begins at the precise moment that the camera pans over a poster of a nuclear mushroom cloud with the caption, If the bomb goes off, make sure you get higher than the bomb. The music—forming part of the narrative as the director wanted—is emitted by a humble cassette player. The lyrics, meanwhile, express the thoughts of Estelle and Stefan, thoughts that are once again disconnected as a result of their immoderate consumption of illicit substances. We smile, We climb, but also We cry. The concluding line Help me roll away the stone may be an allusion to the myth of Sisyphus. The burden that every human has to bear is a theme that the songwriter would later develop in Animals and then The Wall.
In terms of its musical material, “Crying Song” marks the return of a mellow, nostalgic, and pastoral atmosphere following the riot of decibels of “The Nile Song,” a mood that would, in a sense, open up the way for the songs on the B-side of Atom Heart Mother.
Production
Barbet Schroeder chose to keep “Crying Song” firmly in the background in this scene. This is perhaps because the song is so beautiful that it risked upsetting the balance between the visuals and the music—like so much of the soundtrack. It is worth drawing attention here to the extraordinary progress made by Roger Waters in the art of songwriting. Interesting though they are, his most recent compositions (“Careful with That Axe, Eugene,” “Let There Be More Light,” “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” and others) had given little hint of such a maturity of melody and emotion in his writing. His bandmates must have felt relieved that their bassist had turned out to be such a capable replacement for Syd Barrett. Of course the style is different, but the talent is on a par.
“Crying Song” is faded in and eventually fades out, like some sort of apparition. The general atmosphere is dreamlike, thanks mainly to Rick Wright’s vibraphone. His playing is light and floating, and the instrument’s crystalline sonority resonates with an almost oppressive tremolo, creating a rippling effect that fosters a sense of reverie. Once again it is David Gilmour who takes the lead vocal, returning on this track, after bellowing out the words of “The Nile Song,” to a gentle and soothing quality of voice. He delivers the words as if confiding in the listener, and seems to be harmonizing with himself. There is a certain oriental feel to the tune, which was one of the characteristics of Roger Waters’s writing around this time.
Gilmour also plays acoustic guitar, this time an instrument strung with nylon strings, probably a Levin Classic 3. This mainly strummed part is faded in approximately ten seconds after the intro. His guitar seems to have been doubled on a separate track. Toward the end of the piece he plays an excellent solo on his Stratocaster in which, for the first time on disc, an initial, tentative version emerges of the style that would become one of the Floyd’s signature sounds. He incorporates a lot of string bending and use of the whammy bar, creating a highly sensual improvisation based around the vocal line and harmonized on a second guitar.
Roger Waters, meanwhile, provides support in the form of a heady and hypnotic bass part, developing a kind of drone on the note of D. He is presumably on his Rickenbacker 4001, although some sources claim that he is playing his white Fender Precision bought at the same time as Gilmour’s Stratocaster. Finally, Nick Mason’s accompaniment is minimal to say the least. After marking each beat of the bar on his snare drum in the introduction, he then restricts himself to the second and fourth beats, apparently without employing any other aspect of his drum kit, even the bass drum. Nevertheless, this single stroke with abundant reverb is a key element of the track. Certain sonorities seem to suggest that Mason also, at some stage, played the bongos on “Crying Song,” for example at 1:46, which may be the echo of a badly erased or muted track.
For Pink Floyd Addicts
Curiously, “Crying Song” has never been played in concert.
IN YOUR HEADPHONES
David Gilmour can clearly be heard doubling his own vocal line at 2:26 on the words We roll, where the synchronization between the two voices is less than perfect.
Up The Khyber
Nick Mason, Richard Wright / 2:13
Musicians
Rick Wright: piano, organ, Mellotron (?)
Roger Waters: bass (?)
Nick Mason: drums
Recorded
Pye Studios, London: early February 1969
Technical Team
Producer: Pink Floyd
Sound Engineer: Brian Humphries
Genesis
This instrumental takes its title from the Khyber Pass, the thirty-seven-mile-long (sixty-kilometer) mountain road that cuts through the peaks of the Safed Koh range, linking Afghanistan with Pakistan, Kabul with Peshawar. During the second half of the sixties, the Khyber Pass, as well as being a mystical location, was also a “necessary” leg in the journey for anyone looking to consume or deal in narcotics (opium, hashish) from Afghanistan. In Barbet Schroeder’s movie, “Up the Khyber” plays just after “Crying Song”: it is on the other side of the cassette tape that Stefan turns over after he has discovered that Estelle is involved in narcotics dealing. In the suite The Man and the Journey, this song with considerable hypnotic power is known by the title “Doing It.”
Production
Influenced by free jazz, “Up the Khyber” enabled the Floyd to rediscover a vein they had been mining since their earliest days. The lengthy live improvisations they had initiated with Syd Barrett and continued with David Gilmour frequently enabled the musicians to express themselves in a manner unconstrained by any commercial considerations.
Just like “Cirrus Minor” and “Crying Song,” the track is faded in. Initially, Nick Mason alone can be heard, fluidly incorporating every element of his kit. It is interesting to hear him so at ease playing what are, after all, relatively complex rhythms. A bass instrument comes in at 0:12, alternating the top and bottom notes of an octave. This may be either a Mellotron or Roger Waters playing palm mute on his bass guitar. Rick Wright then enters with a dissonant piano part to which a hallucinatory stereo effect is applied, before adding a similarly discordant Farfisa organ. A percussion instrument heavily distorted courtesy of the Binson Echorec comes to the fore (listen between 0:57 and 1:27) b
efore “Up the Khyber” is brutally interrupted by the sound of a tape being rewound. This brings the sequence to an end.
In Cockney rhyming slang, Khyber Pass denotes the posterior (Khyber Pass; arse). Another possible allusion is to the comedy adventure movie Carry On Up the Khyber (1968) by director Gerald Thomas and featuring Kenneth Williams and Sidney James.
For Pink Floyd Addicts
This is the only Pink Floyd number to be credited to Nick Mason and Richard Wright.
Green Is The Colour
Roger Waters / 2:59
Musicians
David Gilmour: vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, classical guitar
Rick Wright: piano, organ
Roger Waters: bass
Lindy Mason: penny whistle
Recorded
Pye Studios, London: early February 1969
Technical Team
Producer: Pink Floyd
Sound Engineer: Brian Humphries
Genesis
Although “Green Is the Colour” was written by Roger Waters specifically for the More soundtrack, Pink Floyd performed the number live a month before the release of the album, on April 14, 1969, at the Royal Festival Hall in London to be precise, within the context of a show entitled “The Massed Gadgets of Auximenes—More Furious Madness from Pink Floyd.” This show subsequently developed into another musical concept, the famous suite The Man and the Journey. In both cases this superb ballad is performed as an introduction to “Careful with That Axe, Eugene” (known as “Beset by Creatures of the Deep” in The Man and the Journey, in which it is called “The Beginning”).
Pink Floyd All the Songs Page 18