Story about Syd from the "Opel" album

From: bondt@dutiws.tudelft.nl (Piet de Bondt)
Subject: Syd Barrett - Opel (a short story...)
To: echoes@fawnya.tcs.com (Pink Floyd Submissions)
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 92 17:22:20 MET

Hi echoers,

Just found some paper-copies of some Syd- and Floyd-related material;
interviews, storiess and the like. Here's the first one. I believe it's
from the booklet that accompanied the CD release of Barrett's Opel. The
other stories will appear on the net some other time. Because some are
interviews which have appeared in Dutch magazines and were first
translated into Dutch, I have to translate them directly while typing
the story; this will take some time ! Be patient...

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SYD BARRETT * OPEL

Roger Keith 'Syd' Barrett left Pink Floyd early in 1968. Now, some
twenty years later, his brief time with the group froms only a fraction
of their history, but its legacy remains incalculable. Barrett wrote,
sang and played guitar on almost everything recorded during those first
outings - 'Arnold Layne', 'See Emily Play' and 'The Piper at the Gates
of Dawn' l.p., but the commercial failure of his dazzling 'Apples and
Oranges', coupled with an increasing unpredictability, undermined his
eminant position. Several compromises would quickly flounder - the
addition of a fifth member, Dave Gilmour; a suggestion that Syd should
not perform, but merely write for and record with the group, and the
inevitable parting followed.

Several months later Barrett returned to Abbey Road with his co-manager
Peter Jenner, who acted as producer on a handful of new tracks. Somewhat
exploratory, they included some which would be re-recorded later ('Late
night', 'Golden Hair') and others which were then abandoned. Both 'Swan
Lee' and 'Lanky Pt 1' date from this first session, the former is a
wonderful 'Hiawatha-esque' tale which could well have accompanied the
Floyd of 'Corporal Clegg', while 'Lanky' suggests the fragile
instrumental improvisation of the previous year. Sadly, the recording
charts give no clues to the other musicians involved, sadder still was
the fact that the tempting 'Lanky Pt 2' consisted of percussive backing
tracks.

Little was then heard of Barrett for almost a year, but in March 1969,
he contacted EMI again. His request for studio time was passed on to
Malcolm Jones, then setting up the Harvest subsidiary. Almost by
accident, Jones bacame the producer of the next batch of recordings
which formed the basis for Barrett's solo debut, 'The Madcap Laughs'.

Six of the final album's tracks were recorded between April and May, the
rest came from three sessions cut in June and July, but with Fave
Gilmour and Roger Waters replacing jones. Both provided their share of
out-takes, and it's from these that 'Clowns and Jugglers', 'Opel' and
the various 'Golden Hair's' date. The version of 'Opel' included here is
one of nine which were attempted, but this determination would not
result in an official release; until now. The song is a gem, one of
Barrett's finest, and it's elongated, closing refrain is positively
haunting. 'Clowns and Jugglers' meanwhile would resurface on 'The Madcap
Laughs' under a new title, 'Octopus', but this earlier take features
Syd's first vocal and guitar which was later overdubbed by the Soft
Machine - mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt, something they
also did on two tracks which did appear on 'Madcap', 'No Good Trying'
and 'Love You'. Barrett's irregular timing made the task somewhat
difficult, but there's no denying the exciting edge the combination
gave.

Waters and Gilmour tried eleven takes before they formed a satisfactory
'Golden Hair'. A short poignant piece, even the outtakes boast a
distinct beaty at the persistance (the song was tried at every stage in
the recording) finally succeeded.

'Dark Globe' (aka 'Wouldn't You Miss Me') was one of the 'new' songs
Barrett brought to the Gilmour/Waters' sessions. Few attempts were
required, but while the issued take features Syd on a high register, the
one here is lower, more natural and less strained.

'The Madcap Laughs' was released in January 1970, and within a matter of
months, work began on a second collection. The resulting album, titled
simply 'Barrett' was a less experimental offering, it featured a single
production unit, Dave Gilmour and Rick Wright, and a more structured
backing group. Syd had prepared several demos in readiness for the
sessions, some of which would form the basic vocal and guitar tracks for
the finished master, with the instrumental muscle merely overdubbed.
'Rats' and 'Dominoes' were certainly completed in this way, but the
former is included here simply because the difference between this and
the finished release is so great. 'Wined and Dined' however, is a
different take to that on 'Barrett', but rather than complete this
collection with alternative versions - however interesting - we've opted
instead for unreleased material. 'Word Song', 'Milky Way' and 'Birdie
Hop' are each part of the whimsical Barrett of 'Gigolo Aunt' or
'Effervescing Elephant', rarer of course, without the backing those
finished tracks boasted, but equally captivating. Two further songs were
also uncovered, both of which have, up to now, escaped acknowledgement.
Each is somewhat rudimentary, the sound of Syd turning the page can be
easily heard, but 'Let's Split' and 'Dollyrocker' remain important
finds. The first boasts the complex lines which make accompaniment
awkward, while the second claims one of pop's great lyrics - "she's as
cute as a squirrel's nut" - and a soaring middle-eight that's truely
exceptional. With time, and sympathetic arrangements, any of these could
have graced 'Barrett' and time rather than other factors seems to have
been the final deciding factor.

'Barrett' was released in November 1970, and is, to date, the last album
of new Syd material. This is not a lost third album, but a companion to
those two exceptional original releases and collects the best of what is
left available. Yes there are some flaws, some missed notes and some
fumbling, but there's also an engaging insight into the talent of a most
enigmatic figure. There's still more left 'in the can', takes hampered
by false starts, or which fall apart quickly, there's the rambling
'Rhamadan', the infamous motorbike noises and somewhere there's the lost
'Bob Dylan's Blues'. Wherever that now resides, it's not at Abbey Road,
and neither is its paperwork. Indeed there's no record of any further
sessions there after July 1970, and if the stories which surfaced in
1975 are true; of an altruistic benefactor bringing Syd into EMI's
studios, of Robin Trower's support (etc etc), then those responsible
removed every shred of evidence; tapes, logs, everything. For several
reasons, Syd Barrett's talent crumbled quickly, but for that
all-too-brief time it was startlingly original.

BRIAN HOGG
LIZARDD SOUND ARCHIVES  AUGUST 1988