1970/1971: From my country to the world!

Don't put your wires in my brain

Roger Waters and David Gilmour during the sessions of Atom Heart Mother, 1970.

In the turn of the decade, Pink Floyd started to record their fifth album. After the failed sessions for the Zabriskie Point movie, which ended up only with a new version of Careful With That Axe, Eugene, while the band headed back to London with a few unreleased jams recorded during the sessions. Back in London, the group recorded a number of instrumentals that would be assembled into a large piece first performed in 17 January 1970, labeled "Theme from an Imaginary Western" according to David Gilmour.

By the meantime, the band was involved in other parallel projects too, producing Tailboard's debut album while Roger Waters partnered with Ron Geesin, bringing him to develop the track while also recording a soundtrack album for the documentary The Body. The rest of the band wasn't involved, instead focusing in their next album, producing a lot of instrumentals in-between tours.

Even though the idea initially was to each member contribute with a fair share to the album, as the sessions progressed, it seemed that the idea was being discarded, with the inclusion of Zabriskie Point demos, the country-influenced Crumbling Land (then-titled Country Song) and the rock-themed Red Queen (then-titled Unknown Song), both written by Roger Waters and mostly sung by David Gilmour.

Roger also included a folk piece originally recorded for The Body called Chain of Life. Nick Mason recorded the instrumental Heart Beat, Pig Meat, while Richard Wright included the instrumental Rise and Shine along with his track Summer '68. Fat Old Sun became Gilmour's second songwriting effort aside from his instrumental compositions such as Sunny Side Up.

However, the group wasn't satisfied with the epic on its large form. The experimental parts seemed to appeal to the space rock imagery associated with Pink Floyd, which the band wasn't particularly very fond of. The epic was dismantled in the album between to parts revolving the main theme, while the epic on its own remained unreleased until its unofficial appearance on bootlegs and its official release on Atom Heart Mother's 40th anniversary in 2010. Still, the group performed the epic, now named Atom Heart Mother, on its entirety on their shows.

"I believe that we were in a process that we didn't like the result of the suite of Atom Heart Mother as a cohesive project. It was a mishmash of ideas that sounded better when they were apart, so we preferred to dismantle the track all the way to the remaining ones that made it into the album."

-Roger Waters 

Quite unsatisfied with the final product, Blackhill Records announced Pink Floyd's fifth record entitled Atom Heart Mother. Red Queen was released as the promotional single, surprisingly reaching number 4 in the United Kingdom, number 13 in Billboard Hot Rock Singles, and number 35 in Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the band's most played songs in the radio during the 1970s.

"Pretty weird to think that Atom Heart Mother was our breakthrough album in the United Kingdom. I'll be honest that I don't like that album, and I simply don't want to play stuff that I don't enjoy apart from maybe Red Queen and Fat Old Sun."

-David Gilmour 

Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother

Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother (1970)

Genre: Progressive rock, experimental, folk rock

Total: 46:10

Side A - 22:36

1. "Heart Beat, Pig Meat" (Nick Mason) - 3:12

2. "Atom Heart Mother" (Roger Waters, Richard Wright, David Gilmour, Mason, Ron Geesin) - 5:23

3. "Chain of Life" (Waters) - 3:59

4. "Sunny Side Up" (Gilmour) - 3:19

5. "Crumbling Land" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour) - 4:16

6. "Atom Heart Mother (Remergence)" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason, Geesin) - 5:48

Side B - 23:34

7. "Rise and Shine" (Wright) - 2:31

8. "If" (Waters) - 4:31

9. "Summer '68" (Wright) - 5:29

10. "Fat Old Sun" (Gilmour) - 5:22

11. "Red Queen" (Waters, Gilmour) - 4:37

12. "Morning Glory" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason) - 4:41

Atom Heart Mother is the fifth studio album by the British band Pink Floyd. The album was produced by the band, and the last credited to Norman Smith as a producer. It was released on 2 October 1970 in the United Kingdom and Europe by Blackhill Records, and 10 October in the United States and the rest of the world by Columbia. The album was recorded as Pink Floyd was trying to avoid the space rock association with less experimentation and more pastoral themes.

The sessions of the album began, in fact, in early 1970, where the band started assembling instrumentals done in rehearsals with the ones recorded previously in the failed sessions of the movie Zabriskie Point. Originally, the idea was to create an epic, conceived by the band and songwriting partner Ron Geesin. After all, the band decided to split the epic between two parts of the title track.

Ironically, after the sessions, the band remained unsatisfied with the final result, but Atom Heart Mother ended up becoming Pink Floyd's breakthrough in the United Kingdom topping the charts after dethroning the fellow Soft Machine's Magick Brother. In the United States, the album reached number 55, a new record for the band in the other side of the ocean.

The band released three singles for Atom Heart Mother: the first one, Red Queen, was released as a promotional single, becoming the most successful between the three. The second one is the country-influenced Crumbling Land, more successful in the United States reaching number 25, and the third one, Summer '68, popular in France and West Germany, reaching number 10 in the UK charts.

Face to face with the man who sold the world

David Bowie in 1970.

Following the successful release of An Occasional Dream, which included Bowie's yet-biggest single Space Oddity, David Bowie went to form his backing band called Hype, formed by Tony Visconti on bass guitar and drummer John Cambridge. Meeting guitarist Mick Ronson, Hype was complete, with Cambridge being replaced by Mick Woodmansey by the end of March, suggested by Ronson. 

In the meantime, the group presented themselves as David Bowie & Hype, performing in superhero costumes designed by Bowie's now wife Angela Burnett. Once, Visconti's clothes were stolen, where he had to return home as the Hypeman. The group rented an Edwardian mansion in Beckenham. Ronson and Visconti built a small makeshift studio there, where Bowie generally recorded most of the early 1970s demos.

The recording sessions for Bowie's next album started in April 1970 at the Advision Studios in London, then moving to the Trident Studios. During the same time, most of personal and managerial life of Bowie were in a hurry, leaving the arrangements to Ronson and Visconti, while Bowie focused more on lyrics. Bowie terminated the contract with Ken Pitt and hired Tony Defries without the consultation of Blackhill Enterprises, and while Ken remained on Blackhill, Defries' admission was more complicated.

Bowie wanted to make an album as a spin-off of The Supermen track from An Occasional Dream, hence strengthening the ties between previous albums, yet wanting something more cohesive like Cygnet Committee and 'not so loose' like the previous album. At the time, Bowie's relations with Blackhill's board were getting more and more strained, besides the issues with Ken Pitt and Tony Defries, Bowie wanted less control of the company in his career, wanting more artistic freedom to work, similarly to Syd's situation a few months prior.

"When I saw that Bowie was in the same point as myself, I immediately went to that big house that he was living and we talked so much about that. And he was right, actually, he wanted to change his own manager, and what's so revolting about this? If he wanted to cut ties with Blackhill, that was his decision, and I supported him until the end."

- Syd Barrett

Reaching an agreement with Blackhill, Metrobolist would be Bowie's last album under Blackhill Records, becoming the first major artist and founder from the label to depart. In late 1970, Bowie signed with RCA Records, as suggested by Defries. Bowie's departure would mark another point of the downfall of Blackhill.

As of Syd, his stay in Blackhill was far more complicated than Bowie, as he was still seen as the 'underground symbol', even though Bowie and Bolan scored a few more hits than him. In an agreement with the high-ranking of the label, Syd swapped managers from Peter Jenner to Andrew King, but still, Jenner would complain with Syd's absence in 1970, as he was getting engaged with Gayla Pinion.

Metrobolist was announced by Blackhill Records as the newest Bowie's release, under David Bowie & Hype, nearly a year after An Occasional Dream. No singles were released as Bowie's contract expired, but some songs were re-recorded under RCA and released as B-sides. The album received a little promotion from Blackhill and a bit more from Bowie's new label, RCA.

David Bowie & Hype – Metrobolist

David Bowie & Hype - Metrobolist (1970)

Genre: Hard rock, blues rock

Total: 40:24

All tracks are written by David Bowie.

Side A - 21:27

1. "The Width of a Circle" - 8:05

2. "All the Madmen" - 5:38

3. "Black Country Rock" - 3:32

4. "After All" - 3:52

Side B - 18:57

5. "Running Gun Blues" - 3:11

6. "Saviour Machine" - 4:25

7. "She Shook Me Cold" - 4:13

8. "The Man Who Sold the World" - 3:55

9. "Holy Holy" - 3:13

Metrobolist is the third studio album from British singer-songwriter David Bowie, produced by Tony Visconti. The album was released on 4 November 1970 by Blackhill Records, ultimately becoming Bowie's last album under the label before moving into RCA Records. The album's style is considered a sudden shift from David toward hard and blues rock music. It was the only record of David Bowie backed by his band, Hype.

As said before, music critics noticed Bowie's sudden shift from progressive, psychedelic and folk influences to a more straight-sounding hard and blues rock, quite similar to The Supermen track. Progressive elements were incorporated on the eight-minute epic The Width of a Circle, and the more hard elements are widely based on Cream.

As a result of Bowie's dismissal from Blackhill Records, no singles were released, and the album received a little promotion, in contrast with An Occasional Dream. The album was better critically received in the United States than in the UK, although selling less than its predecessor. Metrobolist reached number 6 in UK Album Charts and number 122 in the Billboard 200.

Despite initially being a commercial failure, the 1972 reissue after the breakthrough with Ziggy Stardust was revaluated by the critics, and ultimately became a fan-favorite and a cult classic with tracks such as The Man Who Sold the World and All the Madmen. The album is cited as an influence to goth rock and later glam rock.

Keeping the heat with memories

Os Mutantes somewhere in the early 1970s.

Os Mutantes would fulfill their dreams on being international rockstars with an international tour around Europe. At the time, the group was supporting The Moody Blues, which seemed to shape the sound of the group in later works. Still, the American Dream of the band seemed out of touch for a while, even with the interest around the band back in the Old World. The group was promoting Tecnicolor and their most recent release back in Brazil, A Divina Comédia ou Ando Meio Desligado.

"[...] I mean, do you think that the audience cares about the lyrics? We were having fun a lot with The Moody Blues at the time, but that proved a little that our music was certainly cheerful to the audience, I've even seen some people dancing in some shows there."

- Rita Lee 

Despite the transition between psychedelic rock to a progressive sound at the time, Polygram was interested into invest in the potential success of the group outside their home country, and Tecnicolor would be the presentation of another side of Brazil, besides the breezy bossa nova/lounge, to a more chaotic and playful rock music developed outside the American and mostly British hotspots.

The tropicália movement was going to reach international audiences... quite belated. Back in Brazil, the authoritarian military regime persecuting artists in music forced some of them to go to exile, such as Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. The tropical themes of circus, carnival and party would be replaced by more somber themes of saudade and resistance against the regime of the time. A term coined by specialists defines this as the 'post-Tropicália era'. Os Mutantes wouldn't be affected again by the persecution... for a while.

"It was an appearance on a TV show [Samedi et Compagnie] in France when Albert [Raisner] asked about how life in Brazil was when Rita suddenly reaffirmed what Elis [Regina] said, that Brazil was 'a country ruled by troglodytes', and we [Sérgio Dias and Arnaldo Baptista] agreed with her, quite nervous about that, haha!"

- Sérgio Dias

The event passed quite unnoticed in Brazil at the time thanks to the efforts of the regime to prevent the same reactions as Elis did before. For the band themselves, they suffered some reprisals after returning to Brazil. The contract with Polygram was almost terminated, Rita herself was temporarily jailed, being freed under the same conditions imposed for Elis Regina, and Os Mutantes, now officially adding the bass player Liminha and drummer Dinho Leme to the group, went to a self-imposed exile, first in France, later in the United States.

"I remember that our last words before going to France was something like: 'from my country, to the world!'. We wanted to return as soon as possible, like we did a few years later."

- Arnaldo Baptista 

Os Mutantes – Tecnicolor

Os Mutantes - Tecnicolor (1971)

Genre: Tropicália, psychedelic rock, experimental rock

Total: 38:25

All tracks are written by Arnaldo Baptista, Rita Lee and Sérgio Dias, except where noted.

Side A - 19:33

1. "Panis et Circenses" (Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil) - 3:36

2. "Bat Macumba" (Veloso, Gil) - 3:16

3. "Virginia" - 3:23

4. "She's My Shoo Shoo" (Jorge Ben) - 2:52

5. "I Feel a Little Spaced Out" - 2:51

6. "Baby" (Veloso) - 3:36

Side B - 18:52

7. "Tecnicolor" - 3:54

8. "El Justiciero" - 3:52

9. "I'm Sorry Baby" (Arnaldo Baptista, Rita Lee) - 2:42

10. "Adeus, Maria Fulô" (Sivuca, Humberto Teixeira) - 2:39

11. "Le Premier Bonheur du Jour" (Jean Renard, Frank Gerald) - 2:46

12. "Saravah" - 2:59

Tecnicolor is the fourth studio album from Brazilian band Os Mutantes, and their first international release under Polygram. The album was released in 27 February 1971, being produced by Carl Holmes. The album was quite successful in most European countries such as France, West Germany and the Netherlands, bringing some new fresh music from Brazil, while it passed quite unnoticed in the United Kingdom, despite promotion in the Brazilian communities of the country.

The title track, Tecnicolor, and Virginia were released as singles, with the latter being a minor hit in France. The album reached number 21 in the French Album Charts, which was celebrated by the band. In later years, the album would receive a large cult following, including John's son Sean Lennon and Nirvana's frontman Kurt Cobain. Originally, the album wasn't released in Brazil, being reissued in 1979, a while after the disbandment of the group.

Polygram saw the release as a good sign that the band could build their international careers while exiled from Brazil. A new contract was signed, and the clause that required only one album per year was revoked, leaving the group with far more artistic freedom and ideas, yet under the schedule of delivering an album per year.

Author's comments:

Hey there! Long time no see. There were a few problems about moving from college and stuff, so it took longer than expected to me, sorry about that, we'll resume normally from now on.

Also there are a few things here and there. This will be probably David Bowie's last alternate release and we will focus a bit less on him. He will, however, appear more often later during Syd's plot, but unfortunately I don't see no things to be changed on his discography. Sorry, folks!

And now, we have the first release of Os Mutantes, which is actually the little modified version of OTL Tecnicolor, but instead, it was released as it was originally intended to an international audience. Hope you like it!

Sources:

• Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
• Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
• Roger Waters & Ron Geesin - Music from The Body
• Various Artists - Zabriskie Point soundtrack
• David Bowie - Metrobolist
• David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World
• David Bowie - Holy Holy / Black Country Rock
• Os Mutantes - Tecnicolor
• Os Mutantes - Tecnicolor (2000)

1969: Studio, Sunshine, Space!

A return to their roots

Paul during the 1969 sessions.

Though the production of A Doll's House and the release of the experimental "Back in Your Safely Beds" were well-received and regarded as interesting recordings at the time, there was a feeling among the band that the last two years were filled with very different material, ranging from the lush sounds of Sgt. Pepper's to the raw, low-quality tracks of Umbrella, the Beatle' standard, A Doll's House, and the experimental "Back in Your Safely Beds". According to Geoff Emmerick, Paul was the first one to express the idea of the return to their roots in the next project.

The project conceived by Paul McCartney was widely discussed with Brian Epstein and The Beatles after the release of "Back in Your Safely Beds", in which was included a documentary film, a special broadcasted live performance, and an album (which would become the eventual, full-length soundtrack, Get Back). An eventual tour was even considered, however, the idea was quickly disregarded.

In 1969, Allen Klein contacted Brian Epstein after reading a comment to fill a position as head manager of Apple Records. Both reached an agreement, and Allen assumed the office. Paul's recommendation, Lee and John Eastman, respectively father and brother of his wife Linda, was considered but ended up being appointed as the attorneys for the band and the company. Allen's position in Apple would determine the future of The Beatles as a band.

"At the time, the hiring of Allen Klein was the worst possible thing to think, but after all, it just ended up keeping us together even more. After 1970 when John, George, Ringo and Brian discovered that Allen wasn't someone to trust in, we've just talked, like that sort of out of the blue thing, and became trustful to each other again. I'm really glad that everything worked out fine, at least to all of us."

-Paul McCartney, 2011 

In March of that year, the Beatles would first gather along with Brian Epstein and the film crew at the Twickenham Film Studios to rehearsal. Most of the documentary was filmed there, along with takes at the Apple Recording Studios, EMI Studios, and the Apple Corps, consisting of the recording sessions of Get Back. Most of the tapes were recorded during March and April when most of Get Back was recorded. The filming would also take place some days in June and July when the band finished the sessions for Get Back and was finishing Abbey Road.

In May and June, John was mostly absent. On May 31, 1969, Yoko Ono gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl named Charlotte Narumi Ono Lennon. The marriage between Lennon and Ono happened in a private ceremony in Gibraltar on July 28, almost two months after the birth of Charlotte, with the presence of The Beatles, friends, and family. Charlotte's arrival ended up messing with John's schedule in peace activism, mainly against the Vietnam War, which he would restart late that year with the Bed-Ins for Peace, recording the single Give Peace a Chance.

During the sessions, the tensions between The Beatles started to rise again, reaching the climax when George threatened to quit the band. Brian Epstein negotiated on behalf of George and decided to do a short radio session instead, scheduling a presentation at the Peel sessions on July 17th. The last recording session with the presence of all the Beatles in 1969 was on August 20th, to overdubs for It's All Too Much!.

Abbey Road was announced as another compilation of tracks that wouldn't take part in the official soundtrack. Most of the songs of Lennon-McCartney were primarily written in Rishikesh, as the same happened in the last two albums (three, if you count "Back in Your Safely Beds"). Moreover, The Beatles did a little promotion for the album, as the members seemed to distance one from each other. Most of the legacy of Abbey Road can be spotted on the iconic cover, to George Harrison's Something becoming a hit and the second most covered song of The Beatles after Yesterday, the longest track of the band [I Want You (She's So Heavy)], and being considered a hit-driven album.

"Sure, Abbey Road was a strange point in our career. We've released the album with no pretensions at all, and then we see Something, the best track of the entire record by the way, becoming a big hit, Dear Prudence, [Oh!] Darling, and a few other tracks becoming rememorable Beatles' songs, that was weird at the time, of course."

-John Lennon, 1996

The Beatles – Abbey Road

 The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)

Genre: Rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock

Total: 46:11

Side A - 22:01

1. "Blackbird" (Lennon-McCartney) - 2:18

2. "Something" (George Harrison) - 3:03

3. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" (Lennon-McCartney) - 2:43

4. "All Together Now" (Lennon-McCartney) - 2:10

5. "Dear Prudence" (Lennon-McCartney) - 3:56

6. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" (Lennon-McCartney) - 7:47

Side B - 24:10

7. "Hey Bulldog" (Lennon-McCartney) - 3:14

8. "That Would Be Something" (Lennon-McCartney) - 2:43

9. "Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison) - 3:05

10. "Cry Baby Cry" (Lennon-McCartney) - 2:32

11. "Oh! Darling" (Lennon-McCartney) - 3:26

12. "Because" (Lennon-McCartney) - 2:45

13. "It's All Too Much!" (Harrison) - 6:25

Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album (twelfth, counting "Back in Your Safely Beds") by the British rock band, The Beatles. The record was released on 26 September 1969 by Apple Records and produced by George Martin. Abbey Road is marked as the return of The Beatles to the EMI Studios, after recording A Doll's House entirely at the A.R.S. Contrasting with its predecessor, Abbey Road contains 6 out of 13 songs primarily written by John Lennon, who was mostly absent from the sessions of the previous album. The lead single, Something/The Inner Light, was released in October, becoming one of the biggest hits from The Beatles.

Portion of the tracks were worked along with the tracks included in the upcoming album and soundtrack, Get Back, which was recorded around the same time as Abbey Road. I Want You (She's So Heavy), It's All Too Much!, Hey Bulldog and Blackbird appeared in the documentary under production. Initially, the record was received with mixed reviews by music critics, comparing the album to something in-between Umbrella and A Doll's House, but ultimately it was met with universal acclaim by the fans, becoming one of their greatest albums.

The album topped UK Album Charts for two weeks and topped Billboard for a week. The album sold two million copies, partly due to the tracks included in the album which ended up being played in radio stations and becoming classic tracks from The Beatles. The remarkable cover was parodied several times, becoming a cultural symbol and making the zebra crossing a tourist attraction. In the next years, it was theorized that the album was one of the first signs of the conflicts behind the scenes.

A very good and interesting little exercise

Nick Mason with his charming hat, 1969.

"[...] I thought it was a very good and interesting little exercise, the whole business of everyone doing a bit. But I still feel really that that's quite a good example of the sum being greater than the parts..." 

-Nick Mason, 1984

To pay the costs of the tour, Pink Floyd assembled again at the Pye Studios. The initial plan was to each of the four group members had half an LP side each to create a solo work without involvement from the others. The idea was carried through the first week when Roger and David decided to convince the rest of the band to collaborate and elaborate a standard album. The material recorded during the first week was Sysyphus, a musical piece by Richard Wright which was released as a solo single.

In the next two weeks, most of the music was worked out. A large part of the songs have resulted from jamming sessions from the band, and the material was put together along with the previously recorded during the sessions of Are Going Insane!. "Actually the sessions for Basking in the Sunshine were pretty simple, in three weeks we've just recorded enough material to a double album. Peter and Steve [O'Rourke] wanted something similar to the other album, so we gave them Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon.", Richard Wright.

The album was produced by Nick Mason and assisted by Brian Humphries, and credited to Pink Floyd. The Blackhill announced the album as a follow-up to what've been Are Going Insane!, with the release of Cymbaline as a promotional single. The song was a minor hit, with a reasonable success, being performed in the tours until 1973.

After the release of Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon, Pink Floyd would enter into a hiatus for four months, until the band decides to gather again in the new decade to go... into a new direction, perhaps. Not flirting with the avant-garde scene like this new record, but engaging in a new, growing scene, that would take the first half of the seventies.

"Honestly I can say to you that Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon isn't a good record. I wasn't seeing direction coming from our band at that time, that record was just a bunch of junk thrown into a LP and sold for a couple bucks. But it certainly it has some good tunes, but surely done in the worst way possible."

-Roger Waters, 2003

Pink Floyd – Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon

(L-R): UK version; US version

Pink Floyd - Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon (1969)

Genre: Progressive rock, space rock, experimental, psychedelic rock, field recordings, avant-garde

Total: 66:15

Disc One - 31:40

Side A - 15:15

1. "Cirrus Minor" (Roger Waters, David Gilmour) - 5:18

2. "The Ummagumma" (Gilmour) - 2:31¹

3. "Another Blues Number" (Gilmour) - 7:26²

Side B - 16:25

4. "Rain in the Country" (Waters, Richard Wright, Gilmour, Nick Mason) - 6:01³

5. "Grantchester Meadows" (Waters) - 7:26

6. "Green is the Colour" (Waters, Gilmour) - 2:58

Disc Two - 34:35

Side C - 19:32

7. "Quicksilver" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason) - 7:13

8. "Oenone" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason) - 6:21

9. "The Narrow Way" (Gilmour) - 5:58

Side D - 15:03

10. "Baby Blue Shuffle" (Gilmour) - 3:284

11. "Rick's Piano Piece" (Wright) - 6:455

12. "Cymbaline" (Waters, Gilmour) - 4:50

Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The album was released on November 7th, 1969 by Blackhill Records in the United Kingdom and by Capitol Records in the United States, with two different covers to each version. The album was produced by the band and engineered by Brian Humphries. It is considered by many as Pink Floyd's most experimental record to date.

Differently to the predecessor, the record was recorded in three weeks, while the first week was stage of recording tape effects and Rick Wright's piece Sysyphus, later released as a solo single. The first single of the album was Cymbaline, backed with Oenone, and after the release, Cirrus Minor was released as the second single. While Cymbaline was a minor hit in Britain, Cirrus Minor failed to chart in both countries.

The album performed slightly worse than Are Going Insane, though it was praised by the press at the time. Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon reached the number 4 in the UK Album Charts and number 81 on Billboard. According to Roger Waters, the work would be the main reason to Pink Floyd to distance of the Avant-garde scene, exploring other forms of experimental music, such as the symphonic rock of Atom Heart Mother, the next album.

"...Yeah, that album is... just sad. We had no direction from what we would do after 'Are Going Insane', and we would go like this for the next two years until Obscured by Clouds."

-David Gilmour, 2005 

Ground control to Major Tom

David Bowie as Major Tom in the first version of Space Oddity, 1969.

Ah 1969, the year that space themes were predominantly mainstream. David Bowie already recorded one previous version of Space Oddity, for his promotional film, Love You till Tuesday, but according to him, he was not very fond of that version to be included in his next album. "As I said, I recorded one song so far. But I really didn't like the finished song. Probably I'll record it again, but, like I said, there are a few more songs to record.", David Bowie - Press Conference - April 8th, 1969.

Since Tony Visconti seemed uninterested in re-record it again, delegating the producing process to Gus Dudgeon. The second version of Space Oddity was recorded on June 20th, 1969 at the Trident Studios, with the line-up consisting of keyboardist Rick Wakeman (then-session player), Mick Wayne, Herbie Flowers, and Terry Cox. The single was not played by the BBC until after the Apollo 11 crew had safely returned.

UK sleeve.

The single was released on 11 July 1969, backed by the Buddhist-influenced Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud. After a slow start, Space Oddity became known as Bowie's solo breakthrough in the United Kingdom, topping in Britain, but being a minor hit in the United States at the time, reaching number 99. The song would be reissued a few more times until it reached number 15 in Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. The success rendered into Bowie's performance at the Tops of the Pops in October.

In the following times, in December 1969, Bowie recorded an Italian version of the song named Ragazzo solo, Ragazza sola, written by Mogol. Ten years later, Bowie would revisit Space Oddity in a stripped-down version released as single again. The song would renew its popularity after Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performed the song (with slightly revised lyrics) while aboard the International Space Station, therefore becoming the first music video shot in space.

David Bowie performing with The Hype, at the Roundhouse, 1969.

Bowie started to record his second solo album around the same time as he recorded Space Oddity. Backed by a notable list of collaborators such as keyboard player Rick Wakeman and producer Tony Visconti, David opted to record at the Trident Studios instead of going to the United States this time. Regarding his status as a major growing artist from the underground scene, the deadline given by the heads of the Blackhill was until October, when David actually finished on time.

"It happened that in... August of that year, I believe, there was a reunion with the board [of directors], talking about the future stuff that we were doing and etc., but then Peter [Jenner] and my previous manager established a deadline to me to finish the sessions, without my consent. Obviously I was a bit angry with them, I didn't want to do something very rushed, but I played a little game with them, and I just finished exactly on October 31st."

 -David Bowie, 2001

The two first songs that were recorded to the album were Space Oddity, and the backing single, Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud. Following both songs, the title track An Occasional Dream and Conversation Piece were subsequently recorded throughout August and September, since some of these pieces were written in-between late 1968 and early 1969. With brief interruptions, such as the Isle of Wight, and meetings within the people of the Blackhill, Bowie managed to safely finish the recording sessions in late October.

The last songs to be recorded were The Prettiest Star, a song that Bowie wrote to his newly-found partner Angela Barnett, featuring former Rubber Band bandmate and fellow friend Marc Bolan on electric guitar, The Supermen, a song that Bowie wrote inspired by the works of Friedrich Nietzsche and H. P. Lovecraft, which was added at the last minute, and Memory of a Free Festival because three versions of the song were recorded, two versions being included on the album as Part 1 and Part 2, and an alternate version which was then released as the backing single of The Prettiest Star.

With great anticipation, Blackhill Records announced David Bowie's second solo album, entitled An Occasional Dream. While in the United States the announcement almost went unnoticed, in Europe and the United Kingdom, the announcement of the album was received with a certain amount of hype towards Bowie's newest record. The Prettiest Star was released as the promotional single, backed by Memory of a Free Festival, becoming a hit and reaching the top 10 mostly due to the Space Oddity effect.

David Bowie – An Occasional Dream

David Bowie - An Occasional Dream (1969)

Genre: Progressive folk, psychedelic rock

Total: 44:33

All tracks are written by David Bowie.

Side A - 22:09

1. "Memory of a Free Festival (Part I)" - 2:43

2. "Space Oddity" - 5:16

3. "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" - 6:15

4. "Letter to Hermione" - 2:33

5. "God Knows I'm Good" - 3:21

6. "An Occasional Dream" - 3:01

Side B - 22:24

7. "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" - 4:53

8. "Conversation Piece" - 3:05

9. "Janine" - 3:25

10. "The Prettiest Star" - 3:12

11. "The Supermen (Don't Sit Down)" - 4:18¹

12. "Memory of a Free Festival (Part II)" - 3:31

David Bowie's An Occasional Dream is the second album from the British singer-songwriter and mostly produced by Tony Visconti, except for Space Oddity and Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud, which were produced by Gus Dudgeon. Along with the debut and previous album, Cygnet Committee, An Occasional Dream is considered part of the transition of psychedelic pop-influenced Bowie to his contact with Art and glam rock. The album was released on 17 December 1969 in the United Kingdom and 28 December 1969 in the United States.

It was noticed by the critics the evolution of Bowie's sound compared to Cygnet Committee, with the music being less influenced by the Rubber Band releases, and far more concentrated into a psychedelic folk sound noticed in Cygnet Committee's Lover to the Dawn, along with psychedelic rock influences of bands such as The Zombies, Bee Gees, and many other contemporary bands. Standouts of the record are generally given to its singles, Space Oddity, and The Prettiest Star.

Three singles from the album were released: Space Oddity, the most successful single, was initially released shortly after the recording sessions have begun, The Prettiest Star was released to promote the album, and The Supermen was released three months after the release, backed by an alternative version of Memory of a Free Festival. An Occasional Dream reached the British Top 10, and peaked in number 2, while it charted in Billboard 200 in number 96.

An Occasional Dream is regarded as one of Bowie's most refined records, and most mature record in the 1960s, even considering the albums from Rubber Band. Although the record received mixed to decent contemporary reviews, the album was reevaluated in more recent years, earning a large cult following along with Bowie's sixties-era, receiving enormous praise by many Folk and Indie artists.

Author's Comments:

And here we see The Beatles' path into the '70s, Pink Floyd on their peak in experimental music, and David Bowie's first hit as a solo artist.

Source:

The Beatles - Abbey Road

• The Beatles - Abbey Road
• The Beatles - The Beatles [White Album; Deluxe Version]
• The Beatles - Yellow Submarine
• Paul McCartney - McCartney I

Pink Floyd - Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon

• Pink Floyd - Soundtrack of Film 'More'
• Pink Floyd - Ummagumma
• Pink Floyd - The Early Years 1965–1972
• Pink Floyd - Zabriskie Point

1. The Ummagumma is The Narrow Way - Part II
2. Another Blues Number is Love Scene (Version 4)
3. Rain in the Country is also known as Unknown Song
4. Baby Blue Shuffle is The Narrow Way - Part I
5. Rick's Piano Piece is Love Scene (Version 6) along with (Version 2)

David Bowie - An Occasional Dream

• David Bowie - David Bowie (1969)
• David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World

1969: Such a Crazy World

Most unfortunate

Syd and Iggy the Eskimo, 1969.

After a return from the North American leg of the tour, Syd returned to the studios in April 1969 under the supervision of Peter Jenner. Syd continued with Willie Wilson, but since Vincent Crane continued with Arthur Brown and Rick Wills started to work as a session musician for Jackie Lomax, he was with no options but to ask for his old friends to help him to record the successor of Rooftop in a Thunderstorm.

"I knew that the folks of  Pink Floyd did an amazing album [Are Going Insane!], and I looked for some help besides of Jenner who... couldn't do anything but produce. So technically I was kind of inclined to ask for help to the people I dismissed a few years earlier. Yeah, I was seeing the roles being reversed in that moment."

-Syd Barrett, 1984

As Pink Floyd was touring and performing throughout the United Kingdom, it was easy for Syd to approach the band in one of their gigs. "At first my reaction was something like 'Why did you travel from London to Birmingham just to ask us to help you in your album?' But, yeah, he was Syd, he could do whatever he wanted.", David Gilmour. In the same meeting between the band and the artist, Roger and Syd retreated and apologized to each other. In the end, the members agreed to help Syd on his record.

Back at the studios, Syd decided to dismiss Jenner while the band took control of the production. In most of the week, Syd recorded acoustic tracks such as Terrapin, (She's a) Dolly Rocker, Wouldn't You Miss Me? and Golden Hair under the supervision of Gilmour, who played the bass guitar along with Willie Wilson. Although the situation seemed comfortable to the crew, Peter Jenner and Andrew King established a deadline for three weeks.

"Yeah, that was one of the fucking problems that made me quit the music industry a few years later. Peter [Jenner] was becoming an asshole up to me, Andrew [King] was sometimes nice, but never changed his opinions, and Steve [O'Rourke] was virtually the only one in the management who understood me."

-Syd Barrett, 1986

In the next studios, Soft Machine [at the time, Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper (who provisionally replaced Kevin Ayers), and Mike Ratledge] were recording their second album, Exiled from Canterbury. Since both bands (including Syd) were friends since the UFO Club times, they would often visit each studio to see what both bands were doing. During a visit, Syd decided to invite Soft Machine to play along some of the songs that remained unrecorded.

On the same day, Soft Machine and Syd rehearsed and jammed, recording four songs in sequence, No Man's Land, No Good Trying, Clowns and Jugglers I, and Love You. "Syd's idea to bring Soft Machine and record some tracks with them was amazing, it spared us a lot of time.", Nick Mason. Most of the songs recorded with Soft Machine received little or no overdubs, except for "Love You" which included a piano performed by Richard Wright.

With a similar idea, Pink Floyd also rehearsed and performed the remaining tracks of Syd, including another version of Clowns and Jugglers that would become Clowns and Jugglers II and the single version. "To be honest, I think that Soft Machine's take on Clowns and Jugglers was bloody awful. Sometimes noisy, sometimes irregular, but Syd liked after all, even if I was saying to keep it out of the album.", Roger Waters.

Syd managed to finish his album, sparing two weeks until the deadline, leaving the album to his former bandmates to mix. "Hmm, yeah, most of the mixing portion was under my supervision, since I liked to do this more than the guys. Syd also liked the result of the final product, so everyone reached an agreement.", Nick Mason.

The album was entitled Clowns and Jugglers, after the two versions recorded for the album. Clowns and Jugglers II was released as single as Octopus, backed by Double O Bo. The single was quite successful in Britain and France but failed to reach the charts in the US. Syd decided to also release Silas Lang, Here I Go and Late Night as singles, with the last two being successful in Britain and throughout Europe. In the United States, Late Night received certain attention in the West Coast.

Syd Barrett – Clowns and Jugglers

Syd Barrett - Clowns and Jugglers (1969)
Genre: Psychedelic folk, acid rock
Total: 43:54
All tracks written by Syd Barrett, except when noted.

Side A - 21:34
1. "Butterfly" - 3:00
2. "Silas Lang (Swan Lee)" - 3:13
3. "No Man's Land" - 3:03
4. "No Good Trying" - 3:26
5. "Clowns and Jugglers I (The Madcap Laughs)" - 3:27

6. "Double 'O Bo" - 2:57
7. "Love You" - 2:30

Side B - 22:20
8. "Clowns and Jugglers II (Octopus)" - 3:47
9. "Here I Go" - 3:11

10. "Terrapin" - 5:04
11. "(She's a) Dolly Rocker" - 3:02
12. "Wouldn't You Miss Me?" - 2:02
13. "Golden Hair" (Syd Barrett, James Joyce) - 1:59
14. "Late Night" - 3:10

Clowns and Jugglers is the second studio album from English singer-songwriter Syd Barrett. The album was released on 16 September 1969 in the United Kingdom by Blackhill Records and on 24 September 1969, being distributed by Capitol Records in the United States. The album was produced by Pink Floyd under the pseudonym of Arnold Layne and is the last one featuring Willie Wilson.

In later years, Peter Jenner would sue Syd, earning the role as producer along with the Pink Floyd. The album was recorded in two weeks, most compromising of Syd's acoustic songs in a week, and another week with sessions featuring Pink Floyd and Soft Machine. The lyrical themes of Clowns and Jugglers include surrealism, personal feelings, and romantic songs in general.

The album is characterized by less experimentalism from the previous album (seen mostly in the first track) and more folk and rock-oriented tracks. The suggestion was given by Andrew King, who looked for songs similar to the ones found in Rubber Band records. At the time, the record became more popular than the predecessor, as the youth identified with some of Syd's lyrics.

After the release, the press reacted negatively first, but then the album received mixed-to-positive reviews in general. Syd released four songs as singles, Clowns and Jugglers II (released as Octopus), Silas Lang, Here I Go and Late Night. The public reaction was positive after all, with the album reaching number 5 in Britain while it reached number 99 in Billboard Top LPs. After Clowns and Jugglers, Syd wouldn't release an album until 1971, focusing on touring and the start of his career on acting.

A little swap

Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn, members of T. Rex, 1969.

After Beyond the Rising Sun or the Beginning of Doves, Marc Bolan and T. Rex would record and release three more albums in a year span: the folk-oriented My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (July 1968); Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages (October 1968), and the more rock-oriented Unicorn (May 1969).

 

The second, third, and fourth albums by Tyrannosaurus Rex.

However, as time passed by, it was more than a fact that Marc Bolan was the frontman and the mind behind Tyrannosaurus Rex, while Rick Wills and Willie Wilson were becoming rather... side members. This being said, Bolan recruited Mickey Finn to be a part of the band, playing percussion instruments, except for the drums, still played by Willie, even though that line-up wouldn't stay for more than a few days, given the fact that Willie Wilson would leave the band for Tailboard.

As for Rick Wills, the bass player would still stay in Tyrannosaurus Rex until 1971, being replaced by Steve Currie. After his departure, Wills would move to Peter Frampton's backing band, then the Small Faces, before finally settling in Foreigner for 14 years. And with that, Tyrannosaurus Rex, now known as T. Rex, would follow the same path as OTL for a few years until we jump back into it.

But all of it's going to burn

Arthur Brown during a performance.

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, led by no other than the God of Hellfire himself, Arthur Brown, was another rising band under the Blackhill Records, and the first one outside the Rubber Band-Pink Floyd faction to make a hit song with Fire, ironically, becoming Blackhill's best-selling single for a while, reaching number 2 on Billboard Hot 100 and topping the UK Singles Charts.

However, his band often associated with singer-songwriter Syd Barrett due to Vincent Crane, the keyboardist for both, sometimes even performing or touring together. Drummer Drachen Theaker was replaced by Carl Palmer due to his aviophobia. Following the successful eponymous debut record, the band recorded their second album, Strangelands.

Crazy World of Arthur Brown's Strangelands. Certainly an album that no one will forget.

Arthur Brown's second album Strangelands was panned by critics at the time. In an article titled "Strangelands or How To Not Ruin Your Band's Rising Career", music critic XX harshly describes the album as 'dissonant', 'nonsensical', 'painfully experimental', and outside from everything that people expected from their last album. Strangelands was released only in 1971 and didn't chart in the United States, while in Britain the album reached number 19, before falling.

Personally, the band entered into a risky situation with the label that even the God of Hellfire himself was surprised, after temporarily retiring to a commune. The band itself avoided to talk about the record, and behind the scenes, requested to Brown more participation in the band's business and records, and the label wanted a change from style.

"Well, the high management wanted us to change our style. The thing is that we were already searching for a specific new style, even though things went wrong with Strangelands. I didn't want to stick with the same style we've used on The Crazy World [of Arthur Brown]."

 -Arthur Brown, 1973.

For Blackhill, Strangelands became their first failure, ironically, coming from the ones who gave them their best-selling hit. With the expensive Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett/Tailboard tour in September, the management started to be more cautious in a lot of ways, by avoiding 'too much experimental/nonsense' records and simply not doing such an ambitious tour.

For the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, a few things were reformed. The band itself, was dissolved, becoming Atomic Rooster. Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane, and Carl Palmer stayed in the group, being joined by guitarist Andy Dalby and bass player Desmond Fisher. From then, the band would take a progressive turn, sometimes flirting with the experimental and hard rock scenes.

As years passed, critics would reevaluate the record, being more moderate, and even considering it innovative in several aspects, developing a cult following around the album. Groups such as Animal Collective drawn a few inspirations from aspects of the album's ambiency.

Come on and enjoy us

Willy Prairie and Joe Prairie... perhaps; 1969.

As the band released the successful A Doll's House, John Lennon, influenced by his wife, wanted the group to release a full experimental record with the outtakes and tracks of the sessions, similarly to the then-unreleased Revolution 9.

"Well, John was deeply into Yoko's influence, and persuaded us to make something... similar to Revolution 9. Actually we wanted to do something different, and we had those jams recorded in 1968, but we didn't want to go under that avant-garde rubbishness, so we moved to do a 'novelty record'. And thus, teaming up with Billy Preston, The Prairie Wallflowers were born!"

-Paul McCartney, 2013 

"Well, Paul had his idea to that documentary about 'how does Beatles produce their albums', and I hooked with them to help to record it. And one day John came to me wondering if I would like to join them to record a few more stuff to an 'untitled alternate project' to Get Back, and then told me to choose a new name."

-Billy Preston, 1995

The idea for Joe Prairie & The Prairie Wallflowers popped up after a reunion of the Beatles in George's Kinfauns, after a listening of the unreleased tapes of the 1968 sessions. The name for the group came from the song Los Paranoias. The concept of a Beatles' record under an alias seemed interesting and was approved by the manager Brian Epstein, who booked sessions for them in secrecy at the Trident Studios.

Paul picked the frontman's name, Joe Prairie, while John named himself as Stu Prairie as a tribute to his late friend and early member of The Beatles, Stuart Sutcliffe, Billy Preston chose Willy, George used Nelson and Ringo chose Leon.

The album was recorded over three days, then mixed by George Martin, packed to release with a shot of The Beatles' rooftop concert. Joe Prairie's name was first mentioned in an interview with Paul McCartney and John Lennon on BBC, announcing the new, non-Beatle album, with the premiere release of the single 'Come and Get It' two days later. Next, Brian clarified that the album was made with recordings dating since the sessions of 1968.

Joe Prairie & The Prairie Wallflowers – Back in Your Safely Beds

Joe Prairie & The Prairie Wallflowers - Back in Your Safely Beds (1969)

Genre: Jam band, rock and roll, psychedelic folk, experimental

Total: 41:32

Side A - 20:51

1. "Can You Take Me Back? (There You Are, Eddie)" (Joe Prairie) - 4:05

2. "Dig It" (Joe Prairie, Stu Prairie, Tom Prairie, Nelson Prairie, Leon Prairie) - 0:50

3. "Suzy Parker" (J. Prairie, S. Prairie, T. Prairie, N. Prairie, L. Prairie) - 2:00

4. "Wild Honey Pie" (J. Prairie) - 0:54

5. "What's The New Mary Jane" (S. Prairie) - 6:12

6. "(You're So Square) Baby I Don’t Care" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 0:42

7. "Maggie Mae" (traditional, arr. The Prairie Wallflowers) - 0:40

8. "St. Louis Blues/Heart of the Black Country" (J. Prairie/W. C. Handy) - 1:10

9. "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" (S. Prairie) - 4:21

Side B - 20:41

10. "Blue Moon/I Will" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart/J. Prairie) - 2:57

11. "Come and Get It" (J. Prairie) - 2:30

12. "Apple Jam" (J. Prairie, S. Prairie, T. Prairie, N. Prairie, L. Prairie) - 2:20

13. "Medley: Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle And Roll/Blue Suede Shoes" (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco/Charles Calhoun/Carl Perkins) - 3:18

14. "Step Inside Love" (J. Prairie) - 1:34

15. "Los Paranoias" (J. Prairie) - 3:58

16. "Ain't She Sweet" (Jack Yellen, Milton Ager) - 2:08

17. "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues" (Bill Katz, Ruth Roberts, Stanley Clayton) - 1:56

Back in Your Safely Beds is a studio album, parallel to the Get Back project, released by The Beatles plus Billy Preston under the pseudonym of Joe Prairie & The Prairie Wallflowers. The album is filled with studio jams and remaining content spanning from the sessions back from Umbrella, A Doll's House, and the upcoming Abbey Road and Get Back albums. The album was recorded by the band in secrecy, then mixed and produced by George Martin.

The album is comprised of several cover versions of rock and roll numbers, studio jams, and experimental compositions of the group. The album was revealed when Paul McCartney and John Lennon were interviewed, while a few days later, Apple/NEMS issued Come and Get It as the lead single for the album. Back in Your Safely Beds was received with a big interest and generally positive reviews by music critics, citing it as an impressive way to reuse discarded songs into a new work. The album peaked in number 3 in UK Albums Charts and reached number 7 in Billboard Top LP's.

Musicologist and author Ian MacDonald said that the pseudonym strategy to release more experimental music was very helpful, since if the band released the album under their own name it was going to be a critical failure similar to Magical Mystery Tour.

Beach Boy Carl Wilson mentioned Back in Your Safely Beds as a heavy influence on Beach Boys' Carl and the Passions. The same concept was revived on George Harrison's supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys, with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Forgotten for a while, the record was later re-evaluated by the fans and received a cult following status. John Lennon later referred to the album as one of his favorite records during The Beatles. The band would later revive the concept in 1976 as their last work before the hiatus, but shelved the album.


Author's comments:
The idea for Joe Prairie & The Prairie Wallflowers was loosely inspired by the Beatles' experimental albums in Strawberry Peppers and Something Creative, but I didn't want to... make another version of those albums (which are amazing, by the way). Then, the idea for the band emerged as a way to reutilize some of the unused material, like the cover numbers from The Beatles that were recorded during that period.

And, as I said, no more New Yardbirds, or any plot related to Led Zeppelin. Instead, however, there will be an alternative version of Atomic Rooster with the inclusion/fusion of Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come. The main issue is that Led Zeppelin and Renaissance had two very different styles to work with.

Sources:
Syd Barrett - Clowns and Jugglers:

• Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs
• Syd Barrett - Opel
• Pink Floyd - The Early Years

Joe Prairie & the Prairie Wallflowers - Back in Your Safely Beds:

• The Beatles - White Album (Deluxe Edition)
• The Beatles - Let It Be
• The Beatles - Anthology 2
• The Beatles - The Black Album [bootleg]

1969: All This Crazy Gift of Time

From the past!

Pink Floyd a few years back, performing as Sigma 6, 1963.

"Out of all years, one of the most strangest ones was 1969. I mean, I accidentally met Clive [Metcalfe] and Keith [Noble] during a walk in the park. And then, a few weeks later, there was me, David, Rick and Nick producing their album, their try to reach the stardom. Oh, and Rado [Klose] was there too, doing his guitar work as usual."

-Roger Waters, 1976

The meeting between Roger and his two former bandmates led to the entry of both to the Blackhill Records. At the time, Clive and Keith Noble were reforming their duo into a band, searching for a drummer and another guitarist. Roger suggested Rado Klose, who just returned from the military service and Willie Wilson, who recently left Tyrannosaurus Rex. The group was formed under the name of Tailboard. Andrew King was appointed as the manager of the band, leaving Steve O'Rourke to Pink Floyd and Peter Jenner to Syd Barrett.

Tailboard:

Keith Noble - lead vocals, acoustic guitar

Rado Klose - lead guitar

Clive Metcalfe - bass guitar, violin

Willie Wilson - drums, percussion

Tailboard started to perform as the backing band to Syd Barrett (joined by Egg's keyboardist Dave Stewart), sometimes performing their own acts with Keith Noble. "Tailboard was like the second half of Pink Floyd, an amalgam of previous incarnations of former members into one, solid ball.", Roger Waters. Through the second half of 1969, Syd Barrett and Tailboard (billed as Syd Barrett & Tailboard) joined Pink Floyd on a tour through the United Kingdom and Europe, rising their popularity on the Old World.

Dutch poster promoting a concert of Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett/Tailboard tour, 1969.

Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett & Tailboard
Setlist (excerpt from Antwerp, Belgium; September 30th, 1969):
Syd Barrett & Tailboard
1. "Clowns and Jugglers" (Syd Barrett)
2. "Here I Go" (Barrett)
3. "Mr. Compromise" (Keith Noble)
4. "Apples and Oranges" (Barrett)
5. "Up and Down Way" (Noble)
6. "Golden Hair/Terrapin" (Barrett, James Joyce/Barrett)
7. "Weather" (Noble)
8. "Arnold Layne" (Barrett, David Bowie)
9. "Only When I Laugh" (Noble)
10. "See Emily Play" (Barrett, Bowie)
11. "Late Night" (Barrett)

First Encore [Syd Barrett & Tailboard/Pink Floyd]
1. "Astronomy Domine" (Barrett)
2. "The Massed Gadgets of Hercules" (Roger Waters, Richard Wright, David Gilmour, Nick Mason)
3. "Interstellar Overdrive" (Barrett, Vincent Crane, Rick Wills, Willie Wilson)
4. "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason)

Pink Floyd
1. "Grantchester Meadows" (Waters)
2. "Biding My Time" (Waters)
3. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (Waters)
4. "The Nile" (Waters, Gilmour)
5. "Ibiza Bar" (Waters, Gilmour)
6. "See-Saw" (Wright)
7. "Embryo" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason)
8. "Cymbaline" (Waters, Gilmour)

Second Encore [Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett & Tailboard]
1. "A Summer Song" (Noble, David Stuart)
2. "Point Me at the Sky" (Waters, Gilmour)
3. "The Bike Song (Singalong)" (Barrett)

Although the tour seemed enjoyable by the bands and artists involved, the expenses of the tour caused problems to everyone, especially to Blackhill Enterprises. The costs of the tour was one of the main reasons that forced their label, Blackhill Records, to become extinct a few years later. For those who were involved, the main exit was to record a new album to pay the charges.

"At least we had fun! *laughs*; But sure it was fantastic to tour with Pink Floyd [Sound] and Syd, the problems started to appear a few days after the last concert when the bill came to almost everyone in Blackhill. We almost had no chance to tour again, but Andrew [King] was very kind to talk with us about that. I even own a bootleg which I bought a few months after the tour. They didn't want to release a live record, so I bought one by myself."

-Keith Noble, 2009

"Recording 'Basking in the Sunshine...' was... quite spontaneous. Since Peter Jenner yelled at us due to the high cost of the tour, we were quite obliged to make a new record. Anyway, we met in the front of the studios and Roger said something like 'Well, let's make another record, aight?', and we just started jamming for a while until new ideas came during the jam. We also had a few bits from 'Are Going Insane!' which we started to work on it later. [...]"

-Richard Wright, 2001 (Wearing the Inside Out: Stories Inside the Pink Floyd)

As long as they lie perfectly still

Robert Wyatt performing with Soft Machine at Ronnie Scott's, 1969. During that time, Soft Machine was temporarily reformed with Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, and Hugh Hopper.

In late 1968, the Soft Machine briefly disbanded. Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen (along with his partner, Gilli Smyth) were found at their retreat in Deià, Robert Wyatt stayed with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in Laurel Canyon, and Mike Ratledge went back to England. After a month, Wyatt reformed the band with Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Hugh Hopper (bass) and Andy Summers (guitar), who left the band at the end of a series of gigs in the UK. Wyatt couldn't reach Kevin and Daevid Allen at the time.

"I never liked to have any kind of commitment or obligation, I always had a free spirit, actually the entire band had a free spirit, to be honest. That's why I never liked to tour and why I was afraid from the success in the United States. I was fearing that my lifetyle could be dragged from me, replacing it with a robotic lifestyle of touring and recording, and that almost happened. That's why I wrote 'Am I Really Marcel?', for an example.

But Jimi was the one who wanted me to continue with music. This was evident when he gave me my acoustic guitar. I was quite happy, and that gave me confidence enough to continue in the music business instead of simply retiring."

-Kevin Ayers, 2008 

In February, Soft Machine started to record their second album with Hibou, Anemone and Bear, and As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still. During the recording sessions, the band developed Esther's Nose Job (which was shelved to Magick Brother) while Hugh Hopper wrote Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening. "Yeah, part of the songs composed before the arrival of Kevin and Daevid were dropping a hint on 'em. And somehow they liked these songs.", Robert Wyatt.

During the recording sessions, Syd Barrett, who was recording his second studio album Clowns and Jugglers, invited Soft Machine to play along, recording four out of six songs of the first side of Syd's album. "I knew that Robert, Mike, and Hugh played along with Syd when I arrived in London and I was glad for them. Hopefully, I could bring him for our session right before he could embark on his tour with Pink Floyd.", Kevin Ayers.

Kevin, along with Daevid and Gilli arrived in London in late May 1969. Surprised with the sudden news that Robert reformed Soft Machine without both, Kevin and Daevid argued with Robert and Mike about the issue. "Well, that was the start of my departure from Soft Machine. I couldn't believe that they did that to us.", Daevid Allen. "The main problem there was Mike. He didn't want me to be on Soft Machine again.". The personal conflicts between Daevid and Mike would result in Daevid's departure from Soft Machine during the Magick Brother tour.

Throughout June and July, Soft Machine focused on the songs from Kevin and Daevid. Syd Barrett would be invited by Kevin to play the lead guitar on the track Singing a Song in the Morning. The album was named Exiled from Canterbury from the incident which Daevid wasn't allowed to enter the United Kingdom, with the entire band staying out of Britain for almost one year. After the sessions of Exiled from Canterbury were finished, the band immediately started to record their next album, Magick Brother.

Exiled from Canterbury was announced as the second album by Soft Machine, while the release was scheduled to October 1969. Singing a Song in the Morning b/w Gong Song was released as promotional single and earned a new hit from the band by topping in Britain Singles Charts and peaking in number 12 in Billboard Hot 100. The band did a promotional concert in London but opted to focus on the follow-up of the album.

Soft Machine – Exiled from Canterbury

(L-R): UK version; US version

Soft Machine - Exiled from Canterbury (1969)

Genre: Canterbury scene, psychedelic rock, jazz-rock

Total: 43:44

Side A - 21:11

1. "A Concise British Alphabet" (Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper) - 1:23

2. "5 and 20 Schoolgirls" (Daevid Allen) - 4:30

3. "Hibou, Anemone and Bear" (Mike Ratledge, Wyatt, H. Hopper) - 5:58

4. "Song for Insane Times" (Ayers) - 4:00

5. "As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still" (Ratledge, Wyatt) - 2:30

6. "Singing a Song in the Morning" (Ayers) - 2:50

Side B - 22:33

7. "Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening" (H. Hopper) - 2:30

8. "Eleanor's Cake (Which Ate Her)" (Ayers) - 2:53

9. "Gong Song" (Allen) - 4:11

10. "Glad to Sad to Say" (Allen) - 3:43

11. "The Lady Rachel" (Ayers) - 5:17

12. "All This Crazy Gift of Time" (Ayers) - 3:57

Exiled from Canterbury is the second studio album by Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, produced by Nick Mason and Soft Machine. It is the first album with Hugh Hopper being credited as an official member. The album was recorded between February and July 1969 at the Abbey Road Studios and released on 10 October 1969 by Blackhill Records in the United States and 24 October 1969 by CBS Records in the United States. It was first recorded under the trio, Robert Wyatt–Mike Ratledge–Hugh Hopper, but then Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen arrived to complete the band. The album's cover didn't have the participation of Daevid Allen, who appeared in the portrait on the wall.

The album differs from Hope for Happiness by having minimal or no extended jams (differently from the predecessor, which was mostly composed of suites and jams). Most of the album walks into a folk, psychedelic, rock-oriented direction, but still, jazz is the main element of the record. According to Robert Wyatt, the album has dadaist influences and was inspired by the Mothers of Invention's Absolutely Free. It is considered to have unusual lyrics for the time, and the central key to be considered an influent psychedelic record at the time.

With the release, the record received initially mixed reviews but as time passed, Exiled from Canterbury was considered Soft Machine's biggest effort in the 60's. The album peaked in number 2 in UK Album Charts and number 59 in US Billboard Top LPs. Most of the success of the album was due to the hit of the promotional single, Singing a Song in the Morning. After the release, Blackhill released The Lady Rachel as the second single, becoming one personal favorite of the fans being performed in later tours.

Back to the greasy asylum

Joe Cocker, 1969.

The Greasy Asylum has experienced a regular status as celebrities after the release of their debut album and the lead single With a Little Help From my Friends. In the United States, the group toured and performed at several large festivals, such as the Newport Music Festival and the Denver Pop Festival. And though the band was formed by six members, Joe Cocker and Leon Russell were mostly regarded as the frontmen and the minds behind the band's creative outputs.

After the end of the US tour, Greasy Asylum gathered at the ARS Studios and started to record the second album. The recording sessions of the group dragged the attention of the public after the contribution of Beatles' George Harrison and Ringo Starr in two songs (Dixie Lullaby and Hurtsome Body) and vocals from Jackie Lomax and Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, working as an influence for the hype of the follow-up to Looking at the Greasy Asylum.

"Everything happened when the bosses [George Harrison and Ringo Starr] entered in the studio to see what we were doing there. At the time they were recording with Jackie Lomax, I think, because he contributed with some vocals later, and suddenly I see George and Ringo picking the instruments and playing along with the band. That was quite surprising, we jammed the two songs and edited to fit them in the record."

-Leon Russell, 1978

In July, producer Denny Cordell convinced the organizer of Woodstock Festival, Artie Kornfeld of booking the Greasy Asylum for the Festival. At the time, the group had finished the sessions and embarked on a short UK tour followed by another leg in the United States, both supported by Jackie Lomax and Rita Coolidge. "Looking back then, the early Greasy Asylum years were pretty intense for everyone on that recording-touring routine. We liked that, but at the same time it just looks that we sort of abused our bodies during the tours.", Joe Cocker.

Greasy Asylum released Delta Lady, the title track, backed with another, longer, version sung by Leon Russell. The song managed to be a hit in Britain, but a minor hit in the United States. The album was scheduled to be released on 12 August 1969, three days before the Woodstock Festival.

Greasy Asylum – Delta Lady

Greasy Asylum - Delta Lady (1969)

Genre: Rock, pop-rock, blues rock

Total: 40:10

Side A - 19:46

1. "That's Your Business Now" (Joe Cocker, Chris Stainton) - 2:56

2. "Dixie Lullaby" (Leon Russell, Stainton) - 2:35

3. "She's So Good to Me" (Cocker, Stainton) - 2:56

4. "Hurtsome Body" (Russell) - 3:39

5. "Something" (George Harrison) - 3:32

6. "A Song for You" (Russell) - 4:08

Side B - 20:24

7. "Hummingbird" (Russell) - 4:02

8. "Delta Lady" (Russell) - 2:51

9. "I Put a Spell on You" (Russell) - 4:12

10. "Bird on the Wire" (Leonard Cohen) - 4:30

11. "Darling Be Home Soon" (John Sebastian) - 4:49

Delta Lady is the second studio album by the British-American rock band Greasy Asylum. The album was produced by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell and released on 12 August 1969 in the United States by Shelter Records and on 18 August 1969 in the United Kingdom by Apple Records. Delta Lady was Greasy Asylum's last album under the Apple Records label after the disagreement of the band with Allen Klein, who became Apple Records' manager until early 1971.

The album is comprised of Leon Russell's songs, some of them performed by Joe Cocker, and cover versions by Cocker himself. Delta Lady is also remembered by the contributions of Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr in two songs and backing vocals of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger. Something, written by George, would be later performed by himself on The Beatles' Abbey Road.

In the United States, the record reached number 43 in Billboard Top LPs while reached number 3 in UK Album Charts. Greasy Asylum released the title track as single, becoming a hit in Britain and a minor hit in the US. That's Your Business Now was released as single in 1970 backed by Death of the Flowers, failing to chart. Something and A Song for You were released simultaneously, both of them being reasonably successful.

Author's notes:
Hello everyone!
Finally back with a new band, and the return from another band. Anyway, in the next post, Woodstock! There'll not be a lot of changes, but I'll mostly focus on Woodstock.
And regarding Tailboard, recently I've discovered that Keith Noble, a member of previous incarnations of Pink Floyd released an album in 1970 (with contributions of Rado Klose!). The initial idea was to sign Keith as a solo artist, but I found that Clive Metcalfe, another member, had a duo with Keith called "The Tailboard Duo", so the idea evolved to a band.

Hope you like it! :)

Source:
Soft Machine - Exiled from Canterbury

• Soft Machine - Volume Two
• Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy (plus Bonus Tracks)
• Gong - Magick Brother

Greasy Asylum - Delta Lady

• Joe Cocker - Joe Cocker!
• Leon Russell - Leon Russell (1970)