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
A Nice Pair is a compilation album by Pink Floyd, re-issuing their first two albums—The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and A Saucerful of Secrets—in a new gatefold sleeve. The album was released in December 1973 by Harvest and Capitol in the United States and the following month in the United Kingdom by Harvest and EMI. It reached number 36 in the US Billboard album charts, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 1994.
The cover consists of four grids of nine small pictures of proposed but previously unused album cover designs. Several images depict a well-known phrase or saying in the form of a visual pun; for instance, the centre right-hand panel on the front depicts “a fork in the road”, while the bottom right represents “a fine kettle of fish”. Another picture presents two puns on the album title: a nice pear, and an image of a woman’s pair of breasts; the latter is censored with a black bar on some copies, while other US copies opted to cover it with a purple and white sticker over the shrink wrap. Initial copies had a picture of a Mr. W.R. Phang’s dental surgery on the cover (a genuine business), but Dr. Phang objected because dentists were not allowed to advertise, and the picture was replaced with one of a gargling monk. US editions from the 1980s restored both the nudity and the W.R. Phang photo. The selection of band photos on the inside cover also varies, with some copies including a photo of a shirtless, disturbed-looking Syd Barrett from the Madcap Laughs cover photo session, while others replace it with a photo of a smiling Barrett sitting by a car.
Tracklist
| The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn Side One Astronomy Domine Lucifer Sam Matilda Mother Flaming Pow R. Toc. H. Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk |
Side Two Interstellar Overdrive The Gnome Chapter 24 Scarecrow Bike |
A Saucerful Of Secrets Side Three Let There Be More Light Remember A Day Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun Corporal Clegg |
Side Four A Saucerful Of Secrets See Saw Jugband Blues |
Credits
Bass, Vocals – Roger Waters
Drums – Nick Mason
Engineer, Recorded By – Peter Bown
Graphics [Nta] – George Hardie, Richard Evans
Illustration [100 % Studios] – Colin Elgie
Illustration [Nta] – Bob Lawrie
Keyboards – Richard Wright
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Nick Mason (tracks: C1 to D3), Syd Barrett (tracks: A1 to B5)
Producer – Norman Smith
Written-By – Gilmour (tracks: D1), Mason (tracks: A5, B1, D1), Wright (tracks: A5, B1, C2, D1, D2), Waters (tracks:A5 to B1, C1, C3 to D1), Barrett (tracks: A1 to A5, B1 to B5, D3)
Notes
Re-release of “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” (1967) and “A Saucerful Of Secrets” (1968) in a gatefold cover.
For “Interstellar Overdrive” and “The Gnome” (Tracks B1 and B2) only the combined time is listed.
