I set my self the challenge of creating an A-Z of Pink Floyd charting the band members, albums, collaborators and output. Trying to do this from memory was great fun but runs the very real risk of missing things. So this is my ever growing A-Z of Pink Floyd. Some of the bits you will know, others you may not. Let’s see where we get to.
Let’s warm up with the basics..
Where did Pink Floyd get their name from?
The band name Pink Floyd was taken from the blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Apparently Syd Barrett came up with the name Barrett, the band’s co-founder, came up with the name on the spur of the moment when another band called the Tea Set was scheduled to play at one of their gigs. Syd’s Tea Set became Pink Floyd!
Who were the Original Members of Pink Floyd?
The four original members of Pink Floyd were Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Rick Wright. David Gilmour joined the band for their second album, Saucerful of Secrets.
A is for Animals
- About Face (1984): David Gilmour’s solo album featuring a more polished pop-rock sound and includes contributions from Pete Townshend and Steve Winwood.
- Abbey Road: The London Landmark studio where Dark Side of the Moon was recorded (and also a Beatles album or two!)
- Adams, Douglas: Author and friend of the band, suggested the title ‘The Division Bell’.
- Amused to Death (1992): Critically acclaimed for its exploration of mass media’s impact on society, featuring Jeff Beck on guitar.
- Animals (1977): A concept album critiquing socio-political conditions of 1970s Britain, famously featuring a flying pig on its cover.
- Anzio Bridgehead: The site in Italy where Roger Waters’ father was killed during WWII, influencing the band’s music.
- Arnold Layne: Pink Floyd’s debut single, exploring themes of transvestism, a bold move for its time.
- Atom Heart Mother (1970): Known for its 23-minute, side-long title track, this album marked a departure from conventional rock compositions.
- Aurora: David Gilmour’s houseboat recording studio on the Thames.
- Australian Pink Floyd Show, The: A tribute band known for its faithful recreation of Pink Floyd’s music and stage show.
B is for Battersea and Barrett
- Barrett (1970): Features a more structured style, with contributions from Gilmour and Wright.
- Barrett, Syd: Founding member, primary songwriter in the early years, and a key influence on the band’s sound.
- Battersea Power Station: Iconic London landmark featured on the cover of ‘Animals’.
- Bike: A whimsical and psychedelic track from ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’.
- Brain Damage: A regular Pink Floyd fanzine that started in 1986 and ran for over a decade.
- Britannia Row Recording Studios: Recording studio established by Pink Floyd in Islington, London.
- Broken China (1996): A deeply personal album by Richard Wright, exploring themes of depression and hope.
C is for Cambridge, Clegg and Cows
- Cambridge: The city where the founding members of Pink Floyd met and started their musical journey.
- Ça Ira (2005): An opera in three acts by Roger Waters, blending classical music with Waters’ distinctive lyrical themes.
- Clare Torry: Provided the memorable vocal performance on ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’.
- Comfortably Numb: One of Pink Floyd’s most famous songs, known for its haunting lyrics and exceptional guitar solos.
- Corporal Clegg: A satirical song about war from ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’.
- Council, Floyd: Blues musician whose name partly inspired the band’s name.
- Cows: Featured on the cover of ‘Atom Heart Mother’, representing a stark contrast to the psychedelic themes of the album.
D is for Dark Side
- Dark Side of the Moon, The (1973): A landmark album in rock history, known for its exploration of life, death, and mental illness, and its pioneering use of studio effects.
- David Gilmour (1978): Gilmour’s debut solo album, showcasing his signature guitar style and songwriting.
- Delicate Sound of Thunder (1988): A live double album, which captures the band’s performances during the ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason’ tour.
- Desert Trip: the 2016 ‘dadstock’ concerts in the Palm Springs desert. Roger closed both weekends with a spectacular set.
- Division Bell, The (1994): Explores themes of communication and features the song ‘High Hopes,’ noted for its philosophical lyrics.
E is for Echoes and Ely
- Echoes: A 23-minute epic from ‘Meddle’, known for its innovative use of sound and structure.
- Ely Cathedral: Featured on the cover of ‘The Division Bell‘.
- Endless River, The (2014): Pink Floyd’s fifteenth and final studio album, predominantly an instrumental album based on unreleased material.
F is for Floyd
- Fearless: Features a blend of folk and progressive rock elements.
- Final Cut, The (1983): A deeply personal album by Roger Waters, focusing on themes of war and loss, dedicated to his father who died in WWII.
- Fictitious Sports, Nick Mason’s (1981): A collaborative album with a variety of guest musicians, showcasing Mason’s versatility.
- Floyd Council: Blues musician whose name partly inspired the band’s name.
G is for Gilmour
- Geesin, Ron: Collaborated with Pink Floyd on the ‘Atom Heart Mother Suite’. His avant-garde style and orchestral arrangements were pivotal in the creation of this epic piece, showcasing a unique fusion of rock and classical music.
- Geldof, Bob: The Boomtown Rat portrayed Pink in ‘The Wall’ film and was instrumental in Pink Floyd’s reunion for Live 8.
- Gilmour, David: Joined in 1968, became the band’s primary vocalist and guitarist.
- Gilmour, Charlie: Polly’s son from her first marriage, adopted by David. He is mentioned at the end of the Division Bell, “hello is that Charlie?” His first book, ‘Featherhood‘ is a wonderful story about his birth father Heathcote Williams and Charlie’s adoption of a Magpie.
- Great Gig in the Sky, The: A powerful instrumental piece from ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, known for Clare Torry’s stunning vocal performance.
H is for Hipgnosis
- Harper, Roy: English folk rock singer who contributed lead vocals to ‘Have a Cigar’ from ‘Wish You Were Here’.
- Hawking, Stephen: The late English theoretical physicist based in Cambridge. His synthesized voice was featured in ‘Keep Talking’ from the Division Bell.
- High Hopes: The closing track on ‘The Division Bell’, noted for its nostalgic lyrics and distinctive lap steel guitar solo.
- Hipgnosis: Design group co-founded by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, known for their surreal album covers for Pink Floyd.
- Hitch Hiking, The Pros and Cons of (1984): A concept album by Roger Waters exploring his thoughts on life and dreams, featuring Eric Clapton on guitar.
I is for Interstellar Overdrive
- Identity (Zee: Identity) (1984): An experimental project blending electronic music with Richard Wright’s signature keyboard style.
- Interstellar Overdrive: An instrumental track from their debut album, showcasing the band’s early psychedelic style.
- Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017): A return to Waters’ classic Pink Floyd style, with strong socio-political commentary. The lead single was ‘Smell the Roses‘.
J is for Jokers
- Jokers Wild: A band David Gilmour played in before joining Pink Floyd, known for covering R&B and pop songs.
K is for K.A.O.S.
- Radio K.A.O.S.: Roger Water’s second proper studio album (1987) focused on themes of nuclear war and global communication. Jim Ladd played the fictional LA DJ.
- Keep Talking: A track featuring Stephen Hawking’s synthesized voice from ‘The Division Bell’.
L is for Live 8
- Live 8: The 2005 benefit concert that marked the last performance of Pink Floyd with the classic lineup of Waters, Gilmour, Mason, and Wright together. A concert I didn’t bother getting tickets for until it was too late and the reunion had been announced!
- Lockdown Sessions: A compilation of home recordings made by Roger Waters during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. This album features new versions of classic Pink Floyd songs, including ‘Mother’, ‘Vera’, and ‘Comfortably Numb’, offering a unique and intimate take on these iconic tracks. Much of this work would influence Roger’s tour ‘This is not a Drill’ and his ‘Dark Side of the Moon Redux‘ album.
- Luck and Strange: The new (2024) solo album from David Gilmour.
M is for Meddle
- Madcap Laughs, The (1970): Barrett’s debut solo album, known for its raw and emotive acoustic sound.
- Mason, Nick: Drummer and the only member to be part of the band throughout its history.
- Meddle (1971): Features the epic ‘Echoes’ and represents a significant musical transition for the band.
- Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987): The first album without Roger. It markes a new era for the band, with David Gilmour at the helm.
- Money: Known for its unusual time signature and critique of consumerism, from ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’.
- More (1969): Soundtrack to Barbet Schroeder’s film ‘More’, showcasing a range of styles from psychedelic rock to acoustic folk.
- Music from the Body (with Ron Geesin, 1970): A soundtrack album for the film ‘The Body’, featuring a mix of spoken word, sound effects, and musical pieces.
N is for Nick
- Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets: A band formed by Nick Mason to perform Pink Floyd’s early material, focusing on the pre-‘Dark Side of the Moon’ era.
O is Obscured
- Obscured by Clouds (1972): Another soundtrack for Barbet Schroeder, this time for the film ‘La Vallée’, with a more mellow and pastoral sound.
- On An Island (2006): A return to Gilmour’s blues and psychedelic roots, featuring Richard Wright and other notable musicians.
P is for Pigs
- Parry, Dick: Saxophonist who played on several albums including ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’.
- Pigs: Featured on the cover of ‘Animals’ and as inflatable stage props in live shows, symbolizing greed and power.
- Floyd Council: The inspiration behind the band’s name.
- Piper at the Gates of Dawn, The (1967): Pink Floyd’s debut album, heavily influenced by Syd Barrett’s whimsical and psychedelic compositions.
- Pompeii: Ancient Roman city where Pink Floyd recorded the live performance film ‘Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii’.
- Powell, Aubrey: Co-founder of Hipgnosis, created many of Pink Floyd’s iconic album covers. Now a celebrated solo artist.
- Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, The (1984): A concept album that explores Waters’ thoughts on life and dreams, featuring Eric Clapton on guitar.
R is for Relics
- Rattle That Lock (2015): An album by David Gilmour that blends rock, electronic, and orchestral elements, reflecting Gilmour’s diverse musical influences.
- Relics (1971): A Pink Floyd compilation album that includes singles, B-sides, and other tracks from their first three albums. The cover art was drawn by Nick Mason.
- Roger Waters The Wall Berlin 1990: A monumental live performance by Roger Waters and numerous guest artists, commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- Romany Gilmour: the daughter of David and Polly Samson. Sings and performs on David’s album Luck and Strange and on the subsequent tour.
S is for Scarfe
- Samson, Polly: Lyricist and wife of David Gilmour, contributed to the lyrics of many Pink Floyd songs.
- Saucerful of Secrets, A (1968): The transitional album to the Gilmour-inclusive lineup, blending Barrett’s psychedelic influence with the emerging style of the band.
- Scarfe, Gerald: Created the animation and visual imagery for ‘The Wall’.
T is for Thorgerson
- Ten Tenths: Nick Mason’s classic and sports car collection company, reflecting his passion for motor racing and vintage cars.
- Their Mortal Remains: A touring exhibition showcasing Pink Floyd’s history, featuring instruments, music, and stage props.
- Thorgerson, Storm: Co-founder of Hipgnosis, known for his surreal and thematic album cover designs.
- Torry, Clare: Provided the memorable vocal performance on ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’.
U is for UFO
- UFO Club: A London nightclub where Pink Floyd played some of their earliest shows.
- Ummagumma (1969): A double album featuring live recordings and experimental solo pieces by each band member.
- Unattended Luggage (2018): A compilation of Nick Mason’s solo work and collaborations.
V is for Vera
- Vera: A song from ‘The Wall’, reflecting on themes of loss and longing. Vera refers to Vera Lynn, the British ‘forces sweetheart’ from the Second World War.
W is for Waters and Wright
- Wall, The (1979): A rock opera and concept album exploring themes of isolation and alienation, inspired by Waters’ personal experiences.
- Waters, Fletcher: Roger Waters’ late father, whose death in WWII deeply influenced Roger’s songwriting.
- Waters, Roger: Bassist, primary lyricist, and conceptual leader during the band’s most successful period.
- Wet Dream (1978): A largely instrumental album by Richard Wright, showcasing his keyboard and compositional skills.
- When the Tigers Broke Free: A song depicting the death of Roger Waters’ father during WWII, added to later editions of ‘The Final Cut’.
- Wish You Were Here (1975): A tribute to Syd Barrett, featuring the critically acclaimed title track and ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’.
- White, Snowy: acclaimed guitarist and regular band member with Roger’s tours.
- Wright, Richard: Keyboardist, founding member, and significant contributor to the band’s sound.
Y is for Yet another movie
- Yet Another Movie: A song from the Momentary Lapse of Reason album. I believe it is a reference to the Floyd’s earlier soundtrack albums including More and Obscured by Clouds.
- Young Lust: A song from ‘The Wall’, portraying the rock and roll lifestyle and its associated excesses.
What would you add to this Pink Floyd A-Z?
