Roger Waters - What God Wants, Pt. I (2015) (Digital Video)
We are very saddened to share the news that Jeff Beck has passed away at age 78.
Jeff Beck’s connection within the Pink Floyd family goes back to his collaboration on Roger Waters’ 1992 Amused to Death album and with Jon Carin joining Jeff for a rendition of ‘Where Were You” at Richard Wright’s memorial service (at the request of Rick).
Jeff’s last Floyd-related collaboration was when David Gilmour joined on stage for a rendition of “Jerusalem” at Jeff Beck’s Royal Albert Hall show on July 4, 2009.
” I am devastated to hear the news of the death of my friend and hero Jeff Beck, whose music has thrilled and inspired me and countless others for so many years. Polly‘s and my thoughts go out to his lovely wife Sandra. He will be forever in our hearts.” – David Gilmour
Pink Floyd Apples and Oranges on American Bandstand 1967 (Colorised)
Today we celebrate the legacy of Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett on what would have been his 77th birthday.
He was the principal songwriter behind the band’s debut – 1967 masterpiece The Piper at the Gates of Dawn – and a handful of strong early singles that helped define the psychedelic age. His creative genius was derailed by a drug-fueled psychological collapse, forcing his 1968 removal from the group he helped form. Though Barrett helmed Pink Floyd for barely two years out of their three-decade career, his specter haunted the band for the remainder of their existence and his presence is felt in some of their finest work.
By the end of his life, he had reverted to his birth name, Roger, and settled into his role as an amateur painter and local eccentric in his native Cambridge, England. Syd Barrett, the rock icon, died long before pancreatic cancer claimed his physical body on July 7th, 2006.
Between the late ’60s and early ’80s, design house Hipgnosis created some of the most iconic and ubiquitous album artwork of all time. Their original lifespan coincided with the golden age of the 12-inch LP, beginning just as the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper made the record sleeve the ultimate blank canvas and ending just as new technology looked set to usurp vinyl.
Having originally been approached to design an album cover for their friends Pink Floyd, students Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell and Storm Thorgerson would go on to define the visual identity of rock and roll for the next fifteen years, swiftly gaining international prominence for their famed The Dark Side of the Moon artwork. This paved the way for other major musicians to set foot in the surreal photo-design world of Storm and Po, resulting in seminal Hipgnosis creations for the likes of Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Genesis, Black Sabbath, ELO and Yes.
In this authorised account, with access to previously unpublished material and exclusive contributions from David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, Robert Plant and even Aubrey Powell himself, Mark Blake goes behind the scenes of the Hipgnosis partnership to reveal the pioneering ambition and grand vision that led to their success, as well as the clashing egos and artistic differences that undermined it. The Hipgnosis story also offers hitherto-untold insight into some of music’s most legendary bands, as viewed through the prism of the people who shaped their imagery and cultural legacy.
With the work of Hipgnosis continuing to be referenced, reproduced and revered worldwide, Us and Them serves as a celebration, a cautionary tale and a compelling human drama, exploring the vital intersection between art and music.
In an unexpected turn of events, we were greeted by a large number of new visitors thanks to Roger Waters collaborator Andy Fairweather Low, who appeared on the UK show Jools Holland Hootenany to celebrate the New Year festivities.
From all of us here at AFG we extend our best wishes to Dick Parry on his 80th birthday !!
Dick Played saxophone on The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Division Bell, as well as in every Pink Floyd live performance between 1973 and 1977, and the 1994 world tour,
He was last seen on stage with David Gilmour during the 2006 On An Island Tour.
Phil Taylor, guitar technician to David Gilmour for some 45 years, has announced on social media that the Fourth Edition of his book ‘The Black Strat: A History Of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster’ has been restocked on Amazon UK
“After 49 years of ownership, The Black Strat, David Gilmour’s iconic black Fender Stratocaster, was auctioned for charity at Christie’s New York in June 2019, along with 124 more of his instruments. The auction raised an incredible sum for David’s chosen charity, ClientEarth, an environmental law charity, with The Black Strat guitar itself becoming the world’s most expensive guitar. The fourth edition of Phil Taylor’s heavily illustrated book encapsulates the entire history of the instrument, from it’s origins through to just before the recent auction and is available now, exclusively from Amazon.“
The book is a fantastic deep dive in to the history of the famous instrument. It’s full to the brim with technical details, stories from the studio and on the road, as well as plenty of photographs.
Having been out of print for some time now, it’s great to see the book available once again.