Recently, Colin H tried to upload some Pink Floyd BBC session tapes he acquired (I know not how), but fell foul of the technical jiggery pokery needed. So I offered to help out (or rather, he asked for a volunteer and no-one else offered).
Anyway, here they are! If I’ve done this right, there should be a link here which will allow you to download them. Thanks to Colin for doing all the hard work in copying these to CD in the first place!
The bad news first. The recording of Apples and Oranges is NOT a long lost session recording. I could tell straight away the quality and balance was that bit better than yer average sixties BBC session, and comparing it to the single recording confirms it. Yes, it’s just a straight copy of the single version. I’ve no idea why this would have been stored on tape, but there you go.
Listening to these reminds my of how embryonic and frankly amateurish the early Floyd were. Syd really couldn’t play the guitar for toffee, could he? (There’s a point on these tapes where the guitar suddenly sounds better, and then I realise that’s where Dave Gilmour replaces Syd). They always seemed to be striving for something beyond what they could achieve. I think it was only post-Syd, Ummagumma-era, that they started to really come into their own.
Don’t get me wrong. I love them dearly. I think they were an important part of 1967 and I would have loved to have been there. (Most of the attraction was probably the novelty of the live theatricals). But, save for a few outstanding works (Interstellar Overdrive, Bike, Arnold Layne, Opel…) Syd’s muse was infuriatingly wayward. (On these live recordings in particular, the sense of relief is almost palpable when he finishes a verse and the band can relax into some one-chord cosmic jamming for a few minutes).
The worst offender has got to be the opening track here. A little song about a little gnome called Grimble Gromble. One listen would be enough to make you denounce English psychedelia forever. But stick it out – Jugband Blues (with kazoos replacing the brass band of the LP version) and A Saucerful of Secrets remind you of the majesty of the Floyd at their best.
Tracklisting:
(All Top Gear sessions)
— 1 October 1967 —
(1) The Gnome
(2) * missing * (Colin, this was a blank track on the CD! Matilda Mother)
(3) Flaming
— 5 November 1967 —
(4) Apples & Oranges (just a copy of the single recording, I’m afraid)
— 31 December 1967 —
(5) Pow R Toc H
(6) Scream Thy Last Scream
(7) Jugband Blues
— 11 June 1968 —
(8) Let There Be More Light
(9) A Saucerful of Secrets
Enjoy!
Bartleby says
Great stuff. Thanks both. I personally love Syd’s guitar technique. Sure he’s less honed than Dave, but some of the notes he pulls out and tangents he goes off on – at least solo – i find fascinating.
Colin H says
I’ve come across 4 more, Arthur – on a CD to you if you wish:
Top Gear 1.6.69:
Daybreak
Cymbaline
The Narrow Way
Green Is The Colour
Vulpes Vulpes says
Ooooh, I’d like to have that; apprehension creeping like a tube-train up my spine.
Arthur Cowslip says
Send it across and I’m happy to do the same again, with an identically withering commentary!
(As long as I can get this encryption key thingy sorted out – see below).
Colin H says
Send me your email address, Arth, and I’ll send the WAV file via WeTransfer and you can share it with the world – well, assuming you get that encryption thing sorted out…
Arthur Cowslip says
Done! Check your messages!
Bartleby says
These are all in the box tho aren’t they? Just the dates are different, with the dates listed being the dates of broadcast, rather than the date of recording.- The Gnome, Flaming and (missing) Matilda Mother were recorded 25 September, then broadcast on 1 Oct 1967. The Scream and Jugband are the 20 December versions recorded with Pow R and Vegetable Man and broadcast on 31 December. The songs listed as 11 June 1968 (Let There Be More Light and Saucerful) were recorded on 25 June. Am I missing something?
Arthur Cowslip says
Sadly, yes, you’re right. There are no uncovered treasures here. I was personally keen to see if that Apples and Oranges was a previously unknown version – but it’s not.
Bartleby says
I think there’s some 70 and 71 Syd sessions, but not sure if any missing BBC Floyd.
Colin H says
I don’t have any interest in Pink Floyd myself, Bart – I was merely passing on copies of material from untapped source reels to Arthur to share with the world, as it seems a lot of people do get some enjoyment from PF. Not having the box set, I would have no idea whether these off-airs are better quality than any off-airs that might be in the box.
Anyway, here’s a Bee Gees performance that probably isn’t on any box set:
Bartleby says
Gotcha Colin,
That’s a very nice attitude. And I quite like comparing stuff like this anyway. There were a few reviews saying that Floyd’s management hadn’t got the best sources for some of this stuff and now, having compared Blues, I think they might be right.
This thread has got me to dig out my old Floyd ROIOs and hunt around for a download copy of the Syd BBC stuff, so I’m happy!
By the way, I thought of you when I picked up a vinyl copy of The Inner Mounting Flame the other day. Two copies in a Reading vinly shop cheapie section. I mixed and matched the best cover, bag and lp, like the hard to please cheapskate that I am.
Mike_H says
That BeeGees song was one of the covers played on Saturday by the rather excellent band my mate Martin plays bass for.
The BeeGees recorded some fantastic songs around that time.
Arthur Cowslip says
Here you go – a link to those 1969 tracks….
https://mega.nz/#F!8VonwD6J!SqF1aKtUNMP-tXuvXmuiLg
Bargepole says
A rehearsal clip of Green Is The Colour from the Dramatisation DVD
nickduvet says
Arthur, the page is asking for a decryption key.
and yes, Syd’s eccentricity, while initially charming and a key part of their early success, soon turned into an annoyance for the band and their audience I imagine.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Yep, locked out, the Floyd, we are from.
Arthur Cowslip says
Noooo! I was sure I did it properly. Will take a look when I get home tonight.
Bargepole says
Think an unreleased version of Interstellar Overdrive from 1966 is being released on RSD, as well as Live in London 66-67.
Moose the Mooche says
Are any of you referring to the Let’s Make Love In London version? It was certainly available semi-officially in the 90s and very easy to find.
Bargepole says
I think one of the releases is Lets Make Love In London, but Interstellar is from somewhere else – maybe !
Pink Floyd – Interstellar Overdrive [12”] (180 Gram, previously unheard / unreleased recording from 1966, poster, postcard, limited to 4000, indie-retail exclusive) 12″
Pink Floyd – London 1966-1967 [12”] (Picture Disc, limited to 2000, indie-retail exclusive) 12″
NigelT says
God, this winds me up. Bloody limited to a few thousand so people can make a killing on aBay. I loathe RSD.
NigelT says
I have no idea if this stuff is of any interest – I imagine Floyd aficionados will have it in some form as I got it reasonably easily by ferreting around on You Tube. I was after Embryo ( which is now out anyway). I don’t have the big box thing so this may all have been included. Happy to share if anyone would like it….
Bartleby says
Definitely Nigel! Would love that. Sadly all my rare stuff has now been released on the big box.
NigelT says
No probs. Message me an address and I’ll copy it, or I can email the mp3s.
Vulpes Vulpes says
The prime label to look for used to be Harvested. Has all that stuff now found its way onto frankly barrel-scraping boxed sets that cost as much as a small Ferrari (hello, Nick), in which I have zero intent to invest? Anyone keen on gathering in any otherwise missing crops can always PM me, just in case I know where they might fruitfully reap.
Bartleby says
Yes, certainly a lot of it. Renders Mooed Music, Meddler etc largely redundant (the track “Blues” from the latter – which may or may not have been Floyd, does not appear on the box).
Bargepole says
Isn’t ‘Blues’ on the Bonus/Continuation cd in the box set, or is this something different perhaps?
Bartleby says
Well spotted. Amazed they haven’t been able to find a better quality source.
Arthur Cowslip says
New link! New link!
My mistake, people. Here is the link again with no encryption key needed… I hope….
Cut and paste this into your browser….
https://mega.nz/#F!dFxA2R6C!edUYgWSx1Lx66DPG1lOyZQ
Vulpes Vulpes says
Mega – thanks!
ByK says
The Link is gone….would it be possible to reupload?
Im highly interested in Floyd BBC Amateur recordings.
Kind thanks in advance!
fentonsteve says
Dunno if it is of interest, but this has just popped up over on the Midnight Café blog:
https://themidnightcafe.org/2017/03/13/lossless-bootleg-bonanza-pink-floyd-at-the-beeb-vol-1/
Vulpes Vulpes says
Outstanding – thanks!
jazzjet says
One of the reasons I didn’t buy the recent box (apart from the price) was that I have so much PF material from the early period that it would have taken me ages to cross-reference everything. I used to belong to the Pink Robert forum and he used to make available tons of bootleg material, including the 17 CD ‘Tree Full of Secrets’ set and a 15 CD set of 1966 – 1968 bootlegs. If anyone is seriously looking for anything just DM me.
Pessoa says
A source of irritation with The Early Years box set (other than the price) was that despite the claims to use the best archival sources, the Top Gear Pow R Toc H was a worse edit than the common bootleg version.