This day in HISTOROCK !! Wish You Were Here !!

        This day in HISTOROCK !!

              In 1976, ''Wish You Were Here'' had been on the UK charts for close one year !! Pink Floyd’s ninth studio had been premiered at Knebworth in July 1975, and was released in September that year and became an instant success !! Record company EMI was unable to press enough copies to satisfy demand !! With 250,000 advance sales it went straight to number one and demand was such that EMI informed retailers that only 50% of their orders would be filled. With 900,000 advance orders (the largest for any Columbia release),it reached number one on the US Billboard chart in its second week. In 1991 "Wish You Were Here" was Pink Floyd's fastest-selling album ever !! The album has since been acclaimed by critics and appears on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour have each declared "Wish You Were Here" their favorite Pink Floyd album !! The artwork for the album package was once again created by the Hipgnosis team, who created a series of tableaux based on ‘absence’, including the empty gesture of a handshake between two US business men (one of whom is on fire), a diver that causes no ripples, and a piece of gauze floating in the wind, photographed somewhere in Norfolk, UK !! It was the 2nd Pink Floyd album to use a concept theme and was written by Roger Waters !! During the final mix of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"(A tribute to Barrett), an overweight-man with shaven head and eyebrows, and holding a plastic bag, entered the room. Waters, who was working in the studio, initially did not recognize him. Gilmour presumed he was an EMI staff member, Mason also failed to recognize him; he was "horrified" when Gilmour told him it was Syd. Nick Mason recalled Barrett's conversation as "desultory and not entirely sensible". Storm Thorgerson later reflected on Barrett's presence stating: "Two or three people cried. He sat round and talked for a bit but he wasn't really there". Barrett left without saying goodbye and they never seen him again up to his death in 2006 !! Waters was reportedly reduced to tears by the sight of his former bandmate and said: "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" On the bright side, "Wish You Were Here" is an incredible album and one of Floyd's absolute best !! Every song is a "CLASSIC" !! Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun, Shine on you crazy diamond !! Here is the song in it's entirety, parts 1 through 9 !! Enjoy :-) 

Keep on ROCKIN !!
Trike :-)