Pink Floyd releases Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here is the seventh studio album by English rock group Pink Floyd.
Inspired by material they had composed while performing across Europe, it was recorded over numerous sessions at Abbey Road Studios in London.
The album explores themes of absence, the music business, and former band-mate Syd Barrett's mental decline. Initial recording sessions were a difficult and arduous process but it was Roger Waters' idea to split the centrepiece track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" in two, and join each half with three new compositions. "Shine On" was a tribute to Barrett, who, in an ironic twist, made an impromptu visit to the studio while it was being recorded. Each member of the band failed initially to recognise Barrett, who by this time, had gained weight and changed his appearance.
“It was a very difficult period I have to say. All your childhood dreams had been sort of realized and we had the biggest selling records in the world and all the things you got into it for. The girls and the money and the fame and all that stuff it was all ... everything had sort of come our way and you had to reassess what you were in it for thereafter, and it was a pretty confusing and sort of empty time for a while ...”
— David Gilmour
“I'm very sad about Syd. Of course he was important and the band would never have fucking started without him because he was writing all the material. It couldn't have happened without him but on the other hand it couldn't have gone on with him. "Shine On" is not really about Syd—he's just a symbol for all the extremes of absence some people have to indulge in because it's the only way they can cope with how fucking sad it is, modern life, to withdraw completely. I found that terribly sad.”
— Roger Waters
