Biography
Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. Distinguished by their use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, extended compositions and elaborate live shows, they are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in the history of popular music. Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by students Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals. They gained popularity performing in London’s underground music scene during the late 1960s, and under Barrett’s leadership released two charting singles and a successful debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined in December 1967; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd
Album & Cover
Ummagumma is the fourth album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It is a double album and was released on 7 November 1969 by Harvest Records. The first disc consists of live recordings from concerts at Mothers Club in Birmingham and the College of Commerce in Manchester that contained part of their normal set list of the time, while the second contains solo compositions by each member of the band recorded at Abbey Road Studios. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ummagumma
Album’s cover utilizes infinity mirror effect. The idea was to convey the complexity of Floyd’s music by having layer upon layer within a photograph. This recursive process is known as the ‘Droste Effect’ after a design on a Droste cocoa tin in the 1900s. As their graphics department was non existent and they were learning their trade, the lettering was made from polystyrene and placed in front of the GiGi album, cheap but effective. On most copies of US and Canadian editions, the Gigi cover is airbrushed to a plain white sleeve, apparently because of copyright concerns, but the earliest US copies do show the Gigi cover, and it was restored for the US remastered CD edition. On the Australian edition, the Gigi cover is completely airbrushed, not even leaving a white square behind.
Cover Location: At Storm Thorgerson’s then girlfriend’s house in Cambridge, UK. The back cover was taken at Biggin Hill aerodrome, Bromley, Central London, UK.
Who Did What: Photography – A. Powell/S. Thorgerson. Cover Design – Hipgnosis
Label: Harvest STBB-388(US), Harvest SHDW1/2(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Live Album Side One Astronomy Domine Careful With That Axe, Eugene |
Side Two Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun A Saucerful Of Secrets |
Studio Album Side One Sysyphus Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Grantchester Meadows Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict |
Side 2 The Narrow Way –Part 1 –Part 2 –Part 3 The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party Part 1 – Entrance Part 2 – Entertainment Part 3 – Exit |
Notes
Pink Floyd’s first release on Harvest Records.
The First Disc (SHDW 1) is a Live Album.
A1 – “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn”
A2 – “Point Me At The Sky / Careful With That Axe Eugene ” Single
Side B – “A Saucerful Of Secrets”
(Total Duration: 39:15)
The Second Disc (SHDW 2) is a Studio Album
At 16 words, track on side one (studio album) has distinction for having the longest name ever carried by a Pink Floyd song.
(Total Duration: 48:44)
