1965/1966: Two in a Million

David Gilmour playing with Joker's Wild (left) and Pink Floyd Sound (right).

In 1965, a band of interest, The Tea Set, had their ups and downs. Roger Barrett, known by his friends as "Syd", joined the band as guitarist alongside with childhood friends Bob Klose and Roger Waters; and others as Richard Wright and Nick Mason. Though, in the same year, Bob Klose left the band due to the pressure of parents and tutors, leaving a vacant position.

In a break during the activities of the band, Syd Barrett and his friends started to busking around Spain and France, by playing music from The Beatles and a short set of Rhythm and blues. One of the friends, notably, was the guitarist of a local Cambridge band Joker's Wild, David Gilmour.

"Ah yes, it was during that trip with Syd that he offered me a position on the Tea Set. Bob [Klose] left the band a few days before and... it was near from Marseille, I think, when Syd did the first offer. I was quite hesitant, since I needed to talk with my friends on Joker's Wild. It was great when they supported me, so I gladly accepted it."

-David Gilmour, 2015

David Bowie, 1966.

Pink Floyd in 1965, with Bob Klose.

Meanwhile, on the other side of London, Davie Jones, a singer-songwriter, was trying hard to achieve a successful career in the music industry. His new manager, Ralph Norton, moved him from the Lower Third to the Buzz, trying to lead him to a solo career instead of a band. To avoid confusion with Davy Jones from The Monkees, Jones chose to change his stage name to David Bowie, making his debut performance under the new name at the Marquee Club with his touring band, The Buzz.

"There, at the Marquee [Club], I met Syd and the boys of Pink Floyd. I performed a set of covers and my own songs, and when they came onto stage and started to perform, and I simply fell in love with their performances of R&B and rock sets, and especially Syd writing influenced me a lot. Pretty innovative for the time."

-David Bowie, 2003

 "It's kind of funny when we met backstage, Bowie was rather nervous to meet us, but as soon as possible we befriended. I mean, we shared almost the same tastes on book, he liked theater a lot, but I was more a fan of books in general, y'know. Suddenly we became close friends and shared a flat with Rog and me. He was one in a million."

-Syd Barrett, 1984 (A Breath of Fresh Air - Before the Rubber Band).

In 1966, Andrew King and Peter Jenner, long-time friends, impressed with the techniques of the Tea Set, eventually became their managers, establishing the Blackhill Enterprises, still with little experience in the music industry. Soon, Barrett indicated manager Ralph Norton and David Bowie to join the company, accepted by both parts. The band was renamed to "Pink Floyd Blues Band", but after a suggestion of Peter Jenner, the band replaced "Blues Band" with "Sound" for a short period, when the band decided to simply go by "Pink Floyd".

Marc Bolan, 1966.

"When I met Bolan, then there was a turning point in my life. David told me about this friend a lot, and when I met him it sparkled something extraordinary. Right there, as he and David were complaining about how they weren't doing good in music, and there I possibly thought about a new band. In that occasion, I might've found one of the best teams of songwriters and composers."

-Syd Barrett, 1984

"Syd was rather nervous when we met, while Bowie was quite shy by nature! *laughs* But we got along quite fast, as we exchanged books and a lot of fantasy, mystical stuff. I just knew Syd as the frontman of the Pink Floyd, and someone who was an inspiration to rise in music, as he was a person that fit there so easily, y'know?"

-Marc Bolan, 1975

Rubber Soul (1965) and Pet Sounds (1966).

For The Beatles, Rubber Soul was another step in the evolution of their sound, departing from the traditional rock and roll set, approaching the folk sounding. By topping on both sides of the Atlantic, the album is regarded as highly influential in Western music by popularizing uncommon instruments (such as Sitar and Harmonium) in rock and pop songs.

By far, one of the most influenced person was the Beach Boys' leader, Brian Wilson, who made Pet Sounds under the influence of Rubber Soul, acquiring a big success in the United Kingdom and Europe, but being the first Beach Boys with a weaker position in Billboard, reaching the number 10, but topping the UK Album Charts. In the more recent years, the album was praised by fans and cited as widely influential to Indie bands.

Author's addendum:
Well, this first part is mostly an (re)introduction to the first artists that I started to work with (Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Marc Bolan, Beatles, and Beach Boys), but initially, it'll be focused on the ventures of the Blackhill Enterprises and other plots.