On this day (August 4) in 1967, Pink Floyd released their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The album, which was a hit in the band’s home country, featured songs mostly written by Syd Barrett. More importantly, it was an experimental and influential release, marking a new era of psychedelic music.
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Pink Floyd went through a couple of incarnations before becoming the world’s foremost psychedelic rock band. First, they were a blues cover band. The band even took its name from two blues musicians: Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Then, they released a pair of pop-leaning singles in early 1967. “Arnold Layne,” the debut single, peaked at No. 20 in the United Kingdom. Their next release, “See Emily Play,” peaked at No. 6. When The Piper at the Gates of Dawn hit shelves, listeners were unprepared for the music it contained.
Pink Floyd wasn’t the first psychedelic band. They weren’t even the first band in the subgenre to release an album in 1967. The Doors, the Beatles, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and others had already released popular albums laced with psychedelia. However, those albums seemed to be aimed at commercial success. The Piped At the Gates of Dawn, on the other hand, was experimental and downright strange.
The Piper At the Gates of Dawn wasn’t just strange and experimental. It also delivered whimsy and wonder. The band took the LP’s title from The Wind in the Willows, a children’s book by Kenneth Grahame. It was the title of a chapter in the book, which referenced the Greek deity, Pan.
The Piper At the Gates of Dawn Shows a Different Side of Pink Floyd
Today, many fans know Pink Floyd for albums like The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Songs like “Money,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Breathe (In the Air),” and “Time” remain popular among generations of fans. The Piper At the Gates of Dawn, however, showed a different side of the band.
Syd Barrett, the band’s original guitarist and lead vocalist, wrote or co-wrote the bulk of their debut album. However, his declining mental state led him to step away from the group before the completion of their sophomore album, A Saucerful of Secrets. David Gilmour joined the band to take his place.
While the reason behind Barrett’s departure from Pink Floyd was tragic, his exit ultimately allowed the band to grow into the iconic group they are today.
Featured Image by Cyrus Andrews/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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