Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)
Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, a tribute to Syd Barrett.
Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released in September 1975. It marked the band’s first release through Columbia Records in the United States, following their previous work with Harvest Records in the UK. The album was recorded during numerous sessions throughout 1975 at EMI Studios in London, based on material the group had developed while performing in Europe the previous year. The lyrics explore themes of longing, alienation, and a sardonic critique of the music industry. The centerpiece is “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” a nine-part suite written as a tribute to Syd Barrett, the band’s co-founder who had departed seven years earlier due to his deteriorating mental health. During the recording sessions, Barrett made a coincidental visit to the studio. As with their prior album, *The Dark Side of the Moon*, Pink Floyd employed studio effects and synthesisers. Guest vocalists included Roy Harper, who sang lead on “Have a Cigar,” and Venetta Fields, who contributed backing vocals to “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” The album was promoted with the double A-side single “Have a Cigar” / “Welcome to the Machine.” Upon release, it topped charts in several countries, including the UK and US, and was certified gold in both nations within its first year. Initial critical reception was mixed, with some reviewers finding the music uninspiring or inferior to earlier work, but it has since been acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of the 1970s. Keyboardist Richard Wright, drummer Nick Mason, and guitarist David Gilmour have each cited it as their favorite Pink Floyd album, while bassist Roger Waters called it the band’s “most complete” work.
- artist
- Pink Floyd
- label
- Harvest Records (UK); Columbia Records (US)
- genre
- Progressive rock
- length
- Not specified in article
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Pink Floyd
- Cover
- Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here (1975).png
- Released
- 12 September 1975
- Recorded
- 13 January – 28 July 1975
- Studio
- EMI, London
- Genre
- Progressive rock · art rock · experimental rock
- Length
- 44:05
- Label
- Harvest / Columbia
- Prev Title
- The Dark Side of the Moon
- Prev Year
- 1973
- Next Title
- Animals
- Next Year
- 1977
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The album emerged from a period of tension following the band's previous success, with material initially sketched during a 1974 tour of France and England. The central piece, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," is a nine-part tribute to former member Syd Barrett, whose mental health had forced his departure seven years earlier; Barrett himself made a coincidental visit to the studio during recording. The lyrics across the album explore themes of longing, alienation, and a sardonic critique of the music industry, including a song that mocks record executives with the line "by the way, which one's Pink?"—a phrase derived from a real encounter with an agent. The recording sessions at EMI Studios in London were marked by difficulties: engineer Brian Humphries, unfamiliar with the studio setup, accidentally ruined the backing tracks for "Shine On" with echo, requiring a complete re-recording. The band employed studio effects and synthesisers, and guest vocalists included Roy Harper on "Have a Cigar" and Venetta Fields on backing vocals. The album's conceptual theme, largely driven by Roger Waters, reflects his feeling that the band's communal structure had been replaced by professional musicianship. Keyboardist Richard Wright, drummer Nick Mason, and guitarist David Gilmour have all cited it as their favourite Pink Floyd album, while Waters called it their "most complete" work.
Reader's Guide
Wish You Were Here is the second Pink Floyd album with a conceptual theme, largely directed by bassist Roger Waters. The album reflects Waters' feeling that the band's communal structure had disappeared in favor of more professional musicianship. The lyrics criticize the rock music industry and the mainstream perception of the band, with songs like 'Welcome to the Machine' and 'Have a Cigar' attacking greed and clichés in the business. Upon release, it received mixed reviews, with some critics finding it 'uninspiring' and 'inferior' to previous work, but it has since been acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of the 1970s and of all time. Keyboardist Richard Wright, drummer Nick Mason, and guitarist David Gilmour have cited it as their favorite Pink Floyd album, while Waters called it their 'most complete' album.
Did You Know?
- Guest singer Roy Harper sang lead vocals on 'Have a Cigar'.
- The album was certified gold in the UK and US in its year of release.
- The opening four-note guitar phrase of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' was composed by David Gilmour while improvising.
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