Syd Barrett - Studio sessions

 

 

Note: continued = This mean that the recording in question is not another version, but the continuing of a previous session.

 

All the following sessions was held at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London

 

Collaborations:

15.04.67         With the Beatles, performing “What a shame, Mary Jane” (unconfirmed, may be bogus)

00.04.69         With Kevin Ayers, “Religious experience” (later re-titled “Singing a song in the morning”) - unreleased.

 

Solo sessions

 

Produced by Pete Jenner:

06.05.68         “Silas lang” (later re-titled “Swan lee”); “Late night” (erased when re-recorded on 21.05.68)

14.05.68         “Rhamadan”; “Lanky (pt. 1)” (Issued - “Opel”. The first and only take of “Lanky (part 1)” was recorded along with “Lanky (part 2)”); “Lanky (part 2)” (7 minutes, consist on two drum tracks only); “Golden hair” instrumental (take 1. Issued - “Opel”)

21.05.68         “Late night” version 2 (partly used for the album); “Silas lang” (continued).

28.05.68         “Golden hair” version 1 (continued); “Swan lee” (continued, take 5); “Rhamadan” (continued).

08.06.68         “Swan lee” (overdubs added on 28.05.68 session).

20.06.68         “Swan lee” (continued); “Late night” version 2 (continued); “Golden hair” version 1 (continued).

27.06.68      

20.07.68         “Clowns and jugglers”, produced by Barrett alone (later re-titled “Octopus”. This is the initial sessions for “Clowns and jugglers”, overdubs were added on 3.05.69. Last sessions until 10.04.69).

00.03.69         Syd contact EMI about finishing his first album.

 

Produced by Malcom Jones:

10.04.69         “Swan lee” (continued); “Clowns and jugglers” version 1 (continued)

11.04.69         “Opel” (take 9. Issued - “Opel”); “Love you” version 1 (fast); “Love you” version 2 (slow); “Love you” (take 4. Issued); “It's no good trying” (Issued); Terrapin (Issued); “Late night” version 2 (continued. Issued); “Golden hair” version 1 (continued).

17.04.69         “No man's land” (Issued); Here I go (Issued). In this session, Shirley on drums, John “Willie” WIlson on bass.

23.04.69         “Rhamadan” (continued); Motorbike effects.

25.04.69         Transfer session. The following title were transferred from the original 4 track masters to 8 track tape for overdubs at a later date. No new songs was done other than on “Love you”, but it's included as a session as it's a indication as the song than Syd was planning to continue with, and Syd supervising the coping himself.

“It's no good trying” (Issued); “Terrapin” (Issued); “Opel”; “Clowns and jugglers” (re-recorded later and issued); “Love you” (issued); “Golden hair” (re-recorded later and issued); “Late night” (Issued); “Swan lee” (final session of 28.05.68. Issued). “Love you” was overdubbed.

 

03.05.69         “Love you” (continued); “It's no good trying” (continued); “Clowns and jugglers” (overdubs on 20.07.68 tape. Issued). Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt and Hugh Hopper (Soft Machine) on this sessions.

04.05.69         “It's no goog trying” (continued); “Terrapin” (continued); “No man's land” (continued).

 

Produced by Gilmour and Waters:

12.06.69         “Golden hair” version 1 (take 6. Issued - “Opel”); “Octopus” version 2; “Golden hair” version 2 (take 11. Issued); “Octopus” version 3 (Issued); “Dark globe” version 1 (Issued); “Long gone” version 1; “Dark globe” version 2.

13.06.69         “Octopus” version 3 (continued).

26.07.69         “She took a long cold look” version 1; “Long gone” version 2; “Wouldn't you miss me” (incorrect announcement for “Dark globe” re-make, version 3, take 1. Issued - “Opel”); “She took a long cold look” version 2; “Feel”; “If it's in you”.

 

Mixing sessions for multitracks to stereo master

The mixing of the album was accomplished in two days, in a total of three sessions, by Gilmour and Waters.

05.08.69         Session 1 (morning session). “‘Long gone”; “She took a long cold look”, “Feel”; “If it's in you”; “Octopus”.

Session 2 (afternoon session). “Golden hair”; “Dark globe”; “Terrapin”.

16.06.69         (oppure 16 agosto?) Mixing session by Gilmour alone.

“It's no good trying”; “Love you”; “No man's land”; “Here I go”.

06.10.69         Gilmour and Barrett, spicing and runnig order of “The madcap laughs”.

 

The Madcap Laughs

(other musicians: Elton Dean, Alto, saxello, electric piano; Mike Ratledge organ, electric piano; Hugh Hopper, bass; Robert Wyatt drums).

 

“Terrapin”

11.04.69         Take 1 - guitar and voice (both double tracked)

04.05.69          Lead guitar overdubbed.

 

“No good trying”

11.04.69         Take 3 - guitar and voice.

03.05.69         Organ, bass and drums overdubbed (Soft Machine).

04.05.69         Syd's backwards guitar part overdubbed.

 

“Love you”

11.04.69         Take 4 - guitar and voice.

03.05.69         Piano, bass and drums overdubbed (Soft Machine).

 

“No man's land”

17.04.69         Take 5 - Barrett and Shirley (drums), Willie Wilson bass (bass & vocals re-made later on same session).

04.05.69         Barrrrett overdubbed lead guitar.

 

“Dark globe”

12.06.69         Take 2 - guitar and voice.

 

“Here I go”

17.04.69         Take 5 - Barrett (voice, guitar), Shirley (drums), Wilson (bass), recorded live.

 

“Octopus”

12.06.69         Take 11 - guitar and voices.

13.06.69         Electric guitar, bass and drums overdubbed by Gilmour, Shirley and Barrett.

 

“Golden hair”

12.06.69         Take 11 - guitar, vocie, vocal, vibes, organ, cymbals overdubbed after.

 

“Long gone”

26.07.69         Take 11 - guitar, voice. Organ overdubbed later with second vocal.

 

“She took a long cold look”

26.07.69         Take 5 - guitar and voice.

 

“Feel”

26.07.69         Take 5 - guitar and voice.

 

“If it's in you”

26.07.69         Take 5 - guitar and voice.

 

“Late night”

21.05.68         Take 2 - backing vocals. Unknown musicians (maybe Pink Floyd?)

11.04.69         Vocals and guitar overdubbed.

 

“Barrett” recording sessions

 

00.02.70         Remixed sessions of the 8.0.6.68 & 11.04.69 sessions. “Swan lee”; “Late night”; “Golden hair”; “Swan lee”; “Late night”.

26.02.70         “Baby lemonade”; “Maisie”; “Gigolo aunt”; “Wolfpack”.

27.02.70         “Wolfpack”; “Waving my arms in the air”; “Living alone”; “Bob Dylan blues”.

02.04.70

03.04.70

05.06.70         Produced by Gilmour. “Rats” (original 2 track demo. Issued - “Opel”. The version with overdubs was published on “Barrett”); “Wined and dined”; “Birdie hop” (original 2 track demo. Issued - “Opel”).

07.06.70         Produced by Gilmour. “Milky way” (take 5. Issued - “Opel”); “Rats”; “She was a millionaire”.

11.06.70      

11.07.70         “Love song”; “It is obvious”; “Untitled”.

14.07.70         Produced by Gilmour. “Effervescing elephant”; “Dolly rocker” (Issued); “Untitled” (“Love song”); “Let's split” (Issued); “Dominoes”. 

The only existing takes of “Dolly rocker” and “Let's split” were recorded during this session.

17.07.70         Produced by Gilmour. “Word song” (Issued - “Opel”).

The only existing  take of “Word song” was recorded during this session.

 

Third unreleased album - Sessions

 

00.11.74         Syd was in the studio for two or three days. Only backing tracks were recorded. These material was very strange, and never has been released. This is the last known time that Syd was in a studio to record.