The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Template:Redirect Template:Good article Template:Pp-pc1 Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: Template:Start date | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=A Saucerful of Secrets1968studioThe Piper at the Gates of DawnPinkFloyd-album-piperatthegatesofdawn 300.jpgPink FloydTemplate:Start date21 February – 21 May 1967EMI, London*Psychedelic rock<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 4 August 1967 by EMI Columbia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is the only Pink Floyd album recorded under the leadership of founder member Syd Barrett (lead vocals, guitar); he was the sole writer of all but three tracks, with additional writing by members Roger Waters (bass, vocals), Nick Mason (drums), and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). The album followed the band's influential 1966-67 performances at London's UFO Club and their early chart success with the 1967 non-album singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play".
The album was recorded at EMI Studios in London's Abbey Road from February to May 1967 and produced by Norman Smith. It blended Pink Floyd's reputation for long-form improvisational pieces with Barrett's short pop songs and whimsical take on psychedelia. The album made prominent use of recording effects such as reverb and echo, employing tools such as EMT plate reverberation, automatic double tracking (ADT), and Abbey Road's echo chamber. Part-way through the recording sessions, Barrett's growing use of the psychedelic drug LSD accompanied his increasingly debilitated mental state, leading to his eventual departure from the group the following year. The album title was derived from referencing the god Pan in chapter seven of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's novel The Wind in the Willows, a favourite of Barrett's.
The album was released to critical and commercial success, reaching number 6 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref name="officialcharts" /> In the United States, it was released as Pink Floyd in October on Tower Records with an altered track listing that omitted three songs and included "See Emily Play". In the UK, no singles were released from the album, but in the US, "Flaming" was offered as a single. Two of its songs, "Astronomy Dominé" and "Interstellar Overdrive", became long-term mainstays of the band's live setlist, while other songs were performed live only a handful of times. In 1973, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was packaged with the band's second album A Saucerful of Secrets (1968) and released as A Nice Pair, to introduce the band's early work to new fans gained with the success of The Dark Side of the Moon (1973).
The album has since been hailed as a pivotal psychedelic music recording. Special limited editions of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn were issued to mark its 30th, 40th, and 50th anniversaries, with the former two releases containing bonus tracks. In 2012, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was placed at number 347 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", moved up to number 253 in the 2020 edition.<ref name="rollingstone1"/><ref name="RS2020">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Background
Architecture students Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright and art student Syd Barrett had performed under various group names since 1962, and began touring as "The Pink Floyd Sound" in 1965.Template:Sfn Around 1966, the group began to achieve underground success for their influential performances at London's UFO Club.<ref>Mason, Nick (2005) [2004]. Dodd, Philip (ed.). Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Paperback ed.). Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-7538-1906-7</ref> They turned professional on 1 February 1967 when they signed with EMI, with an advance fee of £5,000.<ref name="Schaffner54–56">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=blake74>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Irgh137>Template:Cite book</ref> Their first single, a song about a kleptomaniac transvestite titled "Arnold Layne", was released on 11 March to mild controversy, as Radio London refused to air it.<ref name="Schaffner54–56"/><ref>Cavanagh 2003, p. 19</ref>
About three weeks later, the band were introduced to the mainstream media.<ref group="nb">They were already well known in the underground scene.</ref> EMI's press release claimed that the band were "musical spokesmen for a new movement which involves experimentation in all the arts", but EMI attempted to put some distance between them and the underground scene from which the band originated by stating that "the Pink Floyd does not know what people mean by psychedelic pop and are not trying to create hallucinatory effects on their audiences."<ref name="Schaffner57">Schaffner 2005, p. 57</ref><ref name="toby34">Template:Cite book</ref> The band returned to Sound Techniques studio to record their next single, "See Emily Play", on 18 May.<ref name="Schaffner66">Schaffner 2005, p. 66</ref><ref name="Irgh171">Chapman 2010, p. 171</ref> The single was released almost a month later, on 16 June, and reached number six in the charts.<ref name="blake88-89">Blake 2008, p. 88–89</ref><ref name="officialcharts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Pink Floyd picked up a tabloid reputation for making music for LSD users. The popular broadsheet News of the World printed a story nine days before the album's recording sessions began, saying that "The Pink Floyd group specialise in 'psychedelic music', which is designed to illustrate LSD experiences."<ref>Cavanagh 2003, p. 42</ref> Contrary to this image, only Barrett was known to be taking LSD; authors Ray B. Browne and Pat Browne contend that he was the "only real drug user in the band".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Recording
Pink Floyd's record deal was a £5,000 advance over five years, low royalties and no free studio time,<ref name=Povey/> which was poor by today's standards, but typical for the time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It included album development, which was very unusual; EMI, unsure of exactly what kind of band they had signed, gave them free rein to record whatever they wanted.<ref name=Povey>Template:Cite book</ref>
They recorded the album at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London and their recording room was next to the Beatles' recording room where the Beatles were recording the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Pink Floyd sat in on one Beatles session for the song "Lovely Rita".<ref name="toby34" /><ref name="Schaffner55">Schaffner 2005, p. 55</ref> The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was overseen by producer Norman Smith,<ref name="toby34" /><ref name="Irgh169-170">Chapman 2010, pp. 169–170</ref> a central figure in Pink Floyd's negotiations with EMI.<ref name="Mason70 87">Template:Cite book</ref> Balance engineer Pete Bown, who had mentored Smith, helped ensure that the album had a unique sound, through his experimentation with equipment and recording techniques.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Bown, assisted by studio manager David Harris, set up microphones an hour before the sessions began. Bown's microphone choices were mostly different from those used by Smith to record the Beatles' EMI sessions.<ref name="DarkG182">Palacios 2010, p. 182</ref> Because of the quietness of Barrett's singing, he was placed in a vocal isolation booth to sing his parts.<ref name="DarkG182" /> Automatic double tracking (ADT) was used to add layers of echo to the vocals and to some instruments.<ref name="DarkG183">Palacios 2010, p. 183</ref> The album features an unusually heavy use of echo and reverb to create a unique sound. Much of the reverb came from a set of Elektro-Mess-Technik plate reverberators – customised EMT 140s containing thin metal plates under tension – and the studio's tiled echo chamber built in 1931.<ref name="DarkG183" /><ref name="DarkG196" />
The album is made up of two different classes of songs: lengthy improvisations from the band's live performances and shorter songs that Barrett had written.<ref name="Irgh142">Chapman 2010, p. 142</ref> Barrett's LSD intake escalated part-way through the album's recording sessions.<ref name="PFRB">Template:Cite book</ref> Although in his 2005 autobiography Mason recalled the sessions as relatively trouble-free, Smith disagreed and claimed that Barrett was unresponsive to his suggestions and constructive criticism.<ref name="Mason92-93">Mason 2011, pp. 92–93</ref><ref name="DarkG183-184">Palacios 2010, pp. 183–184</ref> In an attempt to build a relationship with the band, Smith played jazz on the piano while the band joined in. These jam sessions worked well with Waters, who was apparently helpful, and Wright, who was "laid-back". Smith's attempts to connect with Barrett were less productive: "With Syd, I eventually realised I was wasting my time."<ref name="blake77">Blake 2008, p. 77</ref> Smith later admitted that his traditional ideas of music were somewhat at odds with the psychedelic background from which Pink Floyd had come. Nevertheless, he managed to "discourage the live ramble", as band manager Peter Jenner called it, guiding the band toward producing songs with a more manageable length.<ref name="toby34" /><ref name="blake84-85">Blake 2008, pp. 84–85</ref>
Barrett would end up writing eight of the album's songs and contributing to two instrumentals credited to the whole band, with Waters creating the sole remaining composition "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk".<ref name="GW7">Template:Cite book</ref> Mason recalled how the album "was recorded in what one might call the old-fashioned way: rather quickly. As time went by we started spending longer and longer."<ref name="Piper39" />
Recording started on 21 February<ref name=MCLM28>Template:Cite book</ref> with six takes<ref name=DarkG185>Palacios 2010, p. 185</ref> of "Matilda Mother", then called "Matilda's Mother".<ref name="Irgh142"/><ref name=Irgh149>Chapman 2010, p. 149</ref> The following week, on the 27th,<ref name=DarkG187>Palacios 2010, p. 187</ref> the band recorded five takes of "Interstellar Overdrive",<ref group="nb">This was not the first time the band had recorded the song as it had been recorded earlier in the year at Sound Techniques Studios in London, between 11 and 12 January, for producer Peter Whitehead's documentary Tonite Let's All Make Love in London.</ref><ref group="nb">An early, unoverdubbed, shortened mix of the album's "Interstellar Overdrive" was used for a French EP release that July.<ref name=DarkG188>Palacios 2010, p. 188</ref></ref><ref name=DarkG188/> and "Chapter 24".<ref name=DarkG187/><ref name=Irgh151>Chapman 2010, p. 151</ref> On 16 March, the band had another go at recording "Interstellar Overdrive", in an attempt to create a shorter version,<ref name=DarkG195>Palacios 2010, p. 195</ref> and "Flaming" (originally titled "Snowing"), which was recorded in a single take<ref name=Irgh152>Chapman 2010, p. 152</ref> with one vocal overdub.<ref name=DarkG196>Palacios 2010, p. 196</ref> On 19 March, six takes of "The Gnome" were recorded.<ref name=DarkG196/><ref name=Irgh153>Chapman 2010, p. 153</ref> The following day, the band recorded Waters' "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk".<ref name=Irgh153/><ref name=DarkG198>Palacios 2010, p. 198</ref> On 21 March, the band were invited to watch the Beatles record "Lovely Rita".<ref name=toby36>Manning 2006, p. 36</ref><ref name=DarkG198-199>Palacios 2010, pp. 198–199</ref> The following day, they recorded "The Scarecrow" in one take.<ref name=Irgh154>Chapman 2010, p. 154</ref><ref name=DarkG199>Palacios 2010, p. 199</ref> The next three tracks – "Astronomy Dominé",<ref group="nb">14 takes of "Astronomy Dominé" were recorded,<ref name=Irgh155>Chapman 2010, p. 155</ref> over a seven-hour session.<ref name=DarkG206>Palacios 2010, p. 206</ref></ref> "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Pow R. Toc H." – were worked on extensively between 21 March and 12 April,<ref>Palacios 2010, pp. 198, 206</ref> having originally been lengthy instrumentals.<ref name=Irgh155/> Between 12 and 18 April,<ref name=Irgh158>Chapman 2010, p. 158</ref> the band recorded "Percy the Rat Catcher"<ref group="nb">"Percy the Rat Catcher"."<ref name=MCLM21-22>Jones 2003, pp. 21–22</ref><ref>Cavanagh 2003, pp. 37–38</ref></ref> and a currently unreleased track called "She Was a Millionaire".<ref name=DarkG209>Palacios 2010, p. 209</ref><ref name=DarkG371>Palacios 2010, p. 371</ref><ref name=HyperMillionaire>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
"Percy the Rat Catcher" received overdubs across five studio sessions and then was mixed in late June, eventually being given the name "Lucifer Sam".<ref name=Piper39>Cavanagh 2003, p. 39</ref> Songwriting for the majority of the album is credited solely to Barrett, with tracks such as "Bike" having been written in late 1966 before the album was started.<ref name=Irgh142/><ref name=toby29>Manning 2006, p. 29</ref><ref name=Irgh162>Chapman 2010, p. 162</ref> "Bike" was recorded on 21 May 1967 and originally entitled "The Bike Song".<ref name=Irgh142/> By June, Barrett's increasing LSD use during the recording project left him looking visibly debilitated.<ref name=PFRB/>
Writing and music
According to the staff of BrooklynVegan, the album "is as classic as psychedelic pop gets." The album has drawn comparisons to British Invasion bands, albeit "weirder and darker." The album's harmonies have been described as "dreamy." The track "Matilda Mother" contains Eastern-style melodies. “Interstellar Overdrive” contains elements of space rock.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Steve Huey of AllMusic assessed that the album's tracks alternate between "catchy, melodic acid pop songs" and "longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the group's instrumental freak-outs." He described the album's lyrical content as "full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD." Additionally, the album contains themes pertaining to space travel. Rick Wright's keyboard work has been described as sounding "eerie," and makes use of dissonance and chromaticism.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Music historian Jeff Gold suggested that the album's "more spacey excursions like "Astronomy Domine," "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Lucifer Sam" firmly captured the freak-flag of British psychedelia."<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref>
Release
In June 1967, before the album was released, the single "See Emily Play" was sold as a 7-inch 45 rpm record, with "The Scarecrow" on the B-side, listed as "Scarecrow".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The full album was released on 4 August 1967, including "The Scarecrow".
Pink Floyd continued to perform at the UFO Club, drawing huge crowds, but Barrett's deterioration caused them serious concern. The band initially hoped that his erratic behaviour was a phase that would pass, but others, including manager Peter Jenner and his secretary June Child,<ref group="nb">Child was employed by Peter Jenner as a secretary and general production assistant.<ref>Schaffner 2005, p. 36</ref></ref> were more realistic:
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To the band's consternation, they were forced to cancel their appearance at the prestigious National Jazz and Blues Festival, informing the music press that Barrett was suffering from nervous exhaustion. Jenner and Waters arranged for Barrett to see a psychiatrist – a meeting he did not attend. He was sent to relax in the sun on the Spanish island of Formentera with Waters and Sam Hutt (a doctor well-established in the underground music scene), but this led to no visible improvement.<ref name="Mason95-105">Mason 2011, pp. 95–105</ref><ref name=blake94>Blake 2008, p. 94</ref><ref name="Schaffner88-90">Schaffner 2005, pp. 88–90</ref><ref name="Schaffner91-92">Schaffner 2005, pp. 91–92</ref>
The original UK LP was released on 4 August 1967 in both monaural and stereophonic mixes. It reached number six on the UK charts.<ref name="officialcharts" /><ref name="Povey 2007 342">Povey 2007, p. 342</ref><ref name=Irgh172>Chapman 2010, p. 172</ref> The original US album appeared on the Tower division of Capitol on 21 October 1967. This version was officially titled simply Pink Floyd,Template:Sfn though the original album title did appear on the back cover as on the UK issue, and Dick Clark referred to the record by its original title when the group appeared on his American Bandstand television program on 18 November.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The US album featured an abbreviated track listing,<ref name=Piper54-55>Cavanagh 2003, pp. 54–55</ref> and reached number 131 on the Billboard charts. The UK single, "See Emily Play", was substituted for "Astronomy Dominé", "Flaming" and "Bike".<ref name=Piper54-55/> Released in time for the band's US tour, "Flaming" was released as a single, backed with "The Gnome".<ref>Cavanagh 2003, p. 55</ref> The Tower issue of the album also faded out "Interstellar Overdrive" and broke up the segue into "The Gnome" to fit the re-sequencing of the songs. Later US issues on compact disc had the same title and track list as the UK version. The album was certified Gold in the US as a part of A Nice Pair with A Saucerful of Secrets on 11 March 1994.<ref name="Povey 2007 342"/>
About being handled on Tower Records, Jenner commented that: "In terms of the U.K. and Europe it was always fine. America was always difficult. Capitol couldn't see it. You know, 'What is this latest bit of rubbish from England? Oh Christ, it'll give us more grief, so we'll put it out on Tower Records', which was a subsidiary of Capitol Records [...] It was a very cheapskate operation and it was the beginning of endless problems The Floyd had with Capitol. It started off bad and went on being bad."<ref>Cavanagh 2003, pp. 55–56</ref>
Packaging
Up-and-coming society photographer Vic Singh was hired to photograph the band for the album cover. Singh shared a studio with photographer David Bailey, and he was friends with Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Singh asked Jenner and King to dress the band in the brightest clothes they could find. Singh then shot them with a prism lens that Harrison had given him.<ref name=blake92/> The cover was meant to resemble an LSD trip, a style that was favoured at the time.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2017, the lens was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as part of the Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition.
Barrett came up with the album title The Piper at the Gates of Dawn; the album was originally titled Projection up to as late as July 1967.<ref name=Irgh148-149>Chapman 2010, pp. 148–149</ref> The title was taken from that of chapter seven of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows<ref>Cavanagh 2003, pp. 2–3</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> which contains a visionary encounter with the god Pan, who plays his pan pipe at dawn.<ref name=Irgh148>Chapman 2010, p. 148</ref> It was one of Barrett's favourite books, and he often gave friends the impression that he was the embodiment of Pan.<ref group="nb">Barrett believed he had a dream-like experience meeting Pan, with characters from the book. Andrew King said Barrett thought Pan had given him understanding of how nature works.<ref name=DarkG187/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref></ref><ref name=GW7/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The moniker was later used in the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", in which Barrett is called "you Piper".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The cover was one of several Pink Floyd album covers used on a series of Royal Mail stamps issued in May 2016 to commemorate 50 years of Pink Floyd.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2018, the album was reissued in its mono mix. With this version came a new packaging box with the original record cover inside. This new design was done by Hipgnosis' Aubrey Powell and Peter Curzon and includes a gold-embossed version of the graphic by Syd Barrett which features on the back cover of the original LP.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Critical reception
At the time of release, both Record Mirror and NME gave the album four stars out of five. Record Mirror commented that "[t]he psychedelic image of the group really comes to life, record wise, on this LP which is a fine showcase for both their talent and the recording technique. Plenty of mind blowing sound, both blatant and subtle here, and the whole thing is extremely well performed."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Review originally published in Record Mirror in August 1967, no author cited.</ref> Cash Box called it "a particularly striking collection of driving, up-to-date rock ventures".<ref>Povey 2007, p. 66</ref> Paul McCartney<ref name=toby36/> and Pink Floyd's previous producer Joe Boyd both rated the album highly. Some voiced the opinion of the underground fans, by suggesting that the album did not reflect the band's live performances.<ref name=Irgh171/>
Legacy
Template:Music ratings "When I first heard their music, I wasn't terribly impressed," recalled then-EMI employee Alan Parsons. "I was working at [EMI's headquarters] Hayes and the Piper at the Gates of Dawn album came to me for duplication. And I was thinking if this was to be the music of the future, I wasn't looking forward to it. But, like a lot of stuff, you get to like bits of it over a long period."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 1999, Rolling Stone gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it "the golden achievement of Syd Barrett". In 2003, it was ranked number 347 on the magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", maintaining that rank in the 2012 update and climbing to number 253 in the 2020 reboot of the list.<ref name="rollingstone1">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="RS2020" />
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is hailed as a psychedelic masterpiece and LSD is named as a direct influence.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> AllMusic called it one of the greatest psychedelic albums of all time, and described it as "full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD," adding that "Barrett's catchy, melodic acid pop songs are balanced with longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the group's instrumental freak-outs."<ref name="AM"/>
James E. Perone says that The Piper at the Gates of Dawn became known as a concept album in later years, because listeners wanted to play it all the way through rather than pick out a favourite song.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> While Beatles biographer Philip Norman agrees that The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a concept album,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> other authors contend that Pink Floyd did not start making concept albums until 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon. Author George Reisch called Pink Floyd the "undisputed" kings of the concept album, but only starting from Dark Side.<ref>Reisch 2007, p. 144</ref> In July 2006, Billboard described The Piper at the Gates of Dawn as "one of the best psychedelic rock albums ever, driven by Barrett's oddball narratives and the band's skill with both long jams and perfect pop nuggets".<ref name="Billboard2006">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In the book 101 Essential Rock Records, music historian Jeff Gold suggested that Pink Floyd "ultimately invented progressive rock in one fell swoop" with the album.<ref name=":2" />
Reissues
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was reissued in the UK in 1979 as a stereo vinyl album,<ref group="nb">UK EMI Fame FA 3065Template:Sfn</ref> and on CD in the UK and US in 1985.<ref group="nb">UK EMI CDP 7463842, US Capitol CDP 7463842Template:Sfn></ref> A digitally remastered stereo CD, with new artwork, was released in the US in 1994,<ref group="nb">US Capitol CDP 7463844Template:Sfn</ref> and in 1997 limited edition 30th anniversary mono editions were released in the UK, on CD and vinyl.<ref group="nb">UK EMI LP EMP 1110, EMI CD EMP 1110Template:Sfn</ref>Template:Sfn The latter included a selection of art prints, and a six-track bonus CD, 1967: The First Three Singles.Template:Sfn
In 1973, the album, along with A Saucerful of Secrets, was released as a two-disc set on Capitol/EMI's Harvest Records label, titled A Nice Pair to introduce fans to the band's early work after the success of The Dark Side of the Moon.Template:Sfn On the US release, the original four-minute studio version of "Astronomy Dominé" was replaced with the eight-minute live version found on Ummagumma.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
For the 40th anniversary, a two-disc edition was released on 28 August 2007,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and a three-disc set was released on 11 September.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was remastered and re-released on 26 September 2011.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> For Record Store Day 2018, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was reissued in its mono mix with a bespoke envelope package containing the original cover art.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Live performances
The band promoted the album with a series of concerts. They played dates in Ireland and Scandinavia, and in late October the band was to embark on their first tour of the United States. It was unsuccessful, mainly because of the mental breakdown of Barrett.<ref name="Mason95-105"/> In his capacity as tour manager, Andrew King travelled to New York to begin preparations, but he ran into serious problems. Visas had not arrived, prompting the cancellation of the first six dates.<ref name=blake94/> The band finally flew across the Atlantic on 1 November, but work permits were not yet obtained, so they settled into a hotel in Sausalito, California, just north of San Francisco.<ref name=povey4-5>Povey 2007, pp. 4–5</ref> After a number of cancellations, the first US performance was given 4 November at Winterland Ballroom, following Janis Joplin fronting Big Brother and the Holding Company.<ref name=povey4-5/>
Communication between record company and band was almost non-existent, and Pink Floyd's relationship with Tower and Capitol was therefore poor. Barrett's mental condition mirrored the problems that King encountered;<ref name="Schaffner88-90"/> when the band performed at Winterland, he detuned his guitar during "Interstellar Overdrive" until the strings fell off. His odd behaviour grew worse in subsequent performances, and during a television recording for The Pat Boone Show he confounded the director by lip-syncing "Apples and Oranges" perfectly during the rehearsal, and then standing motionless during the take. King quickly curtailed the band's US visit, sending them home on the next flight.<ref name="Schaffner91-92"/>
Shortly after their return from the US, beginning 14 November, the band supported Jimi Hendrix on a tour of England,<ref name="Schaffner91-92"/> but on one occasion Barrett failed to turn up and they were forced to replace him with singer/guitarist David O'List borrowed from the opening band the Nice.<ref name="Mason95-105"/> Barrett's depression worsened the longer the tour continued.<ref name="Schaffner94">Schaffner 2005, p. 94</ref> Longtime Pink Floyd psychedelic lighting designer Peter Wynne-Willson left at the end of the Hendrix tour, though he sympathised with Barrett, whose position as frontman was increasingly insecure. Wynne-Willson, who had worked for a percentage, was replaced by his assistant John Marsh, who collected a lesser wage.<ref name=blake102>Blake 2008, p. 102</ref> Pink Floyd released "Apples and Oranges" (recorded prior to the US tour on 26 and 27 October)<ref name=Irgh189>Chapman 2010, p. 189</ref> but, for the rest of the band, Barrett's condition had reached a crisis point, and they responded by adding David Gilmour to their line-up, initially to cover for Syd's lapses during live performances.<ref name="Mason95-105"/>
Some songs on the album were rarely played live.<ref name=Irgh185>Chapman 2010, p. 185</ref> "Flaming" and "Pow R. Toc H." were performed by Pink Floyd after Barrett's departure in 1968.Template:Sfn After September 1967, the band played several new songs in concert. These included "One in a Million", "Scream Thy Last Scream", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and "Reaction in G", the last of which was a song created by the band in response to crowds asking for their hit singles "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne".<ref name=Irgh192-193>Chapman 2010, pp. 192–193</ref> Barrett resurrected the track "Lucifer Sam" with his short-lived 1972 band Stars.<ref name="sbpf">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Astronomy Dominé" was later on the live disc of Ummagumma (1969),<ref name="schaffner156">Schaffner 2005, p. 156</ref><ref name="Mabbett-3">Template:Cite book</ref> and adopted by the post-Waters Pink Floyd during the 1994 Division Bell Tour, with a version included on the 1995 live album Pulse.Template:Sfn David Gilmour, though not a member of Pink Floyd at the time the song was originally recorded, resurrected "Astronomy Dominé" for his On an Island and Rattle That Lock tours.
Track listing
UK release
All tracks are written and sung by Syd Barrett, unless otherwise noted. Template:Track listing Template:Track listing
US release
Template:Track listing Template:Track listing
40th anniversary edition bonus disc
Released in 2007, this edition contains the original mono and stereo mixes of the album, each on its own CD. Some editions also include a third CD consisting of the following bonus tracks.
Outtakes
| Title | Length | Recorded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Remember a Day" | 4:33 | 9 May 1967, Sound Techniques, London | Written by Richard Wright. Recorded during the Piper sessions, but its release was postponed until A Saucerful of Secrets (1968).<ref name="Mason2005">Template:Cite book</ref> |
Personnel
Credits adapted from CD liner notes,<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> except where noted.
Pink Floyd
- Syd Barrett – lead guitar, vocals
- Roger Waters – bass guitar, vocals
- Rick Wright – organ, piano, vocals
- Nick Mason – drums
Additional musicians
- Peter Jenner – intro vocalisations ("Astronomy Dominé")<ref name=DarkG206-207>Palacios 2010, pp. 206–207</ref>
- Norman Smith – drum roll ("Interstellar Overdrive")<ref name="Irgh170">Chapman 2010, p. 170</ref>
Technical
- Norman Smith – producer; vocal and instrumental arrangements<ref name="Irgh170"/>
- Peter Bown – engineer
- Vic Singh – front cover photo
- Syd Barrett – rear cover design
Charts
| Chart (1967-68) | Peak position |
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| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
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| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
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| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
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| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
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Certifications
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Cultural references
- The album The Dark Side of the Moog IV (1996) by Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook is subtitled "Three Pipers at the Gates of Dawn".
References
Footnotes Template:Reflist
Citations Template:Reflist
Sources Template:Refbegin