See Emily Play
Encyclopedia
"See Emily Play" was the second single recorded by the English psychedelic rock
group Pink Floyd
. It was written by original frontman Syd Barrett
and recorded on 23 May 1967. The single featured "Scarecrow" as its B-side. It later appeared on the compilations Relics
(1971), Works
(1983), Shine On
(1992), Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
(2001), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
40th Anniversary Edition (2007), and The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door (2011). The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
. Barrett later stated that the story about sleeping in the woods and seeing a girl before him was made up "...all for publicity." According to A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey, by Nicholas Schaffner
, Emily is the Honourable Emily Young
(born 13 March 1951), daughter of Wayland Hilton Young, 2nd Baron Kennet, and nicknamed "the psychedelic schoolgirl" at the UFO Club
. An article in Mojo
magazine called "See the Real Emily" supposedly shows a picture of Barrett's Emily.
Barrett, reportedly, was not happy with the final studio cut. He protested against its release, which producer
Norman Smith speculated was based on Barrett's fear of commercialism. It was during sessions for the song that David Gilmour became a frequent visitor to the studio and, although being invited by Barrett, was shocked by the perceived changes in Barrett's personality when Barrett did not appear to recognise him. For many years Gilmour would recall this, saying, "I'll go on record as saying, that was when he changed."
The details as to the recording remain shrouded in mystery due to the lack of paperwork in the EMI archive. Engineer Jeff Jarrett recalls the song was recorded in a much longer form which was then edited down for the single release. There was much trickery involved in the recording with backward tapes, much use of echo and reverb, and the first piano bridge between the first chorus and second verse was recorded at a slow pace then sped up for the final master. The 4 track master tape was wiped or misplaced. It no longer exists and has never been mixed into true stereo; it was reprocessed for fake stereo on the 1971 Relics compilation.
The US single (Tower 356) was released by Tower Records
3 times between July 1967 and late 1968. Each time it failed to duplicate its UK success.
It is said, the slide guitar
work on the song was done by Barrett using a Zippo
lighter. The train
depicted on the single's sleeve was drawn by Barrett.
The song only stayed in the band's set list for a few months. It was last played on 25 November 1967 in Blackpool
.
In Switzerland, the song has been released on 7" Single and has been marked with two special attributes, the record's label "CH 01" and the icon of Swiss crossbow in the record's stamper code
"See Emily Play" is also known as "Games for May," and sometimes "Free Games for May," after a free concert in which Barrett's Pink Floyd performed.
Part of the vocal melody was played on a Mini Moog at the very end of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
(Parts VI-IX)" at the end of the Wish You Were Here album, as a tribute to Barrett.
Pink Floyd performed the song three times on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops
. On each occasion, they mimed to the single and Syd Barrett would occasionally sing a live vocal. Also adding to the legend was the fact the BBC wiped the shows, all of which were "live" transmissions. In late 2009, a badly damaged home video recording was recovered by the British Film Institute containing two of the shows the song was performed on, though only the first appearance was recoverable in part.
The first performance was on the 6 July 1967 edition, hosted by Alan Freeman
. Parts of this performance have been recovered from the damaged video recording.
They returned for the following week's edition, 13 July, hosted by DJ Pete Murray.
The last appearance was on 27 July 1967. Once more hosted by Alan Freeman, Barrett failed to turn up for rehearsals at BBC Television Centre. This prompted managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King to perform a frantic search for Syd. They eventually found him and frogmarched him to the BBC.
The recoverable parts of the 6 July performance were given a public screening in London on 9 January 2010 at an event called "Missing Believed Wiped
" devoted to recovered TV shows. It was the first time any footage was seen of the performance since its original broadcast. Pink Floyd management now have a copy of the footage, and have promised to use it on a future project.
Beat Club, Radio Bremen August 1967 — cancelled
The band were booked to appear on this edition of Beat Club. Barrett had suffered "nervous exhaustion" and the band managers decided to give the band a month long break in the hope his health would recover. Therefore the booking for this appearance had to be cancelled.
Belgian TV, February 1968
In 1968, Pink Floyd travelled to Belgium where they filmed a TV special entitled "Pink Floid" (this mis-spelling is on the title credits) which featured lip-synched promotional films for "See Emily Play", as well as for "Astronomy Domine", "The Scarecrow", "Apples and Oranges", "Paint Box", "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun", and "Corporal Clegg". This was David Gilmour's first TV work with the band. Syd Barrett was still technically a member of the band but it had recently been decided to no longer collect him for gigs or shows. Therefore, Gilmour, Roger Waters and Rick Wright had to mime to Barrett's vocals.
.
David Bowie
recorded a version of "See Emily Play" for his Pin Ups
album in 1973.
All About Eve
played the song live c.1992 and recorded a demo, which was not released until 2006 as part of the Keepsakes
compilation.
Judy Dyble
, the original lead singer of Fairport Convention
, recorded a cover of "See Emily Play" in 2004.
A cover of "See Emily Play", appears on the 2006 bluegrass album "Pickin' on Pink Floyd: A Bluegrass Tribute".
A cover of "See Emily Play" appears on the 2008 album "I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
" by Martha Wainwright
.
A cover of "See Emily Play" also appears on the 2008 re-release of the album "The End Is Begun
" by the band 3
. This is a heavily modified version, with an added bridge made by rearranging lyrics from the final verse.
A cover of "See Emily Play" appears as (one of two) B-sides on a 1991 CD single ("I am Here") from The Grapes of Wrath (band)
, a Canadian jangle-pop group. The same version is available on the 1994 compilation album "Seems Like Fate 1984–1992"
Covered by The Changelings
on their 2002 album "Astronomica."
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
group Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
. It was written by original frontman Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
and recorded on 23 May 1967. The single featured "Scarecrow" as its B-side. It later appeared on the compilations Relics
Relics (Pink Floyd album)
Relics is a compilation album by Pink Floyd released in 1971. The album was released on 14 May in the UK and 15 July in the United States. A re-mastered CD was released in 1995 with a different album cover, a three-dimensional version of the original sketch drawn by drummer Nick Mason for the...
(1971), Works
Works (Pink Floyd album)
Works is a Pink Floyd compilation album released in 1983 by their former American label, Capitol Records, to compete with their then-current album The Final Cut...
(1983), Shine On
Shine On (Pink Floyd)
Shine On is a 1992 nine-CD box set by Pink Floyd which was released through EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States to coincide with Pink Floyd's 25th anniversary as a recording and touring band...
(1992), Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd is a compilation album by Pink Floyd. It was released by EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2001 and the following day in the United States through Capitol Records. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart on 24 November 2001, with sales...
(2001), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut album by the English rock group Pink Floyd, and the only one made under founding member Syd Barrett's leadership. The album contains whimsical lyrics about space, scarecrows, gnomes, bicycles and fairy tales, along with psychedelic instrumental songs...
40th Anniversary Edition (2007), and The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door (2011). The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
Structure and release
The song was reportedly about a girl named Emily, whom Barrett claimed he saw while sleeping in the woods after taking a psychedelic drugPsychedelic drug
A psychedelic substance is a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter cognition and perception. Psychedelics are part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens, a class that also includes related substances such as dissociatives and deliriants...
. Barrett later stated that the story about sleeping in the woods and seeing a girl before him was made up "...all for publicity." According to A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey, by Nicholas Schaffner
Nicholas Schaffner
Nicholas Schaffner was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. As an author, his works include the biographies The Beatles Forever and A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey as well as the children's book The Boys from Liverpool: John, Paul, George, Ringo...
, Emily is the Honourable Emily Young
Emily Young
Emily Young is a British sculptor. She is considered one of the foremost sculptors working in Britain today. She was born in London into a family of artists and writers...
(born 13 March 1951), daughter of Wayland Hilton Young, 2nd Baron Kennet, and nicknamed "the psychedelic schoolgirl" at the UFO Club
UFO Club
The UFO Club was a famous but shortlived UK underground club in London during the 1960s, venue of performances by many of the top bands of the day.-History:...
. An article in Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine called "See the Real Emily" supposedly shows a picture of Barrett's Emily.
Barrett, reportedly, was not happy with the final studio cut. He protested against its release, which producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Norman Smith speculated was based on Barrett's fear of commercialism. It was during sessions for the song that David Gilmour became a frequent visitor to the studio and, although being invited by Barrett, was shocked by the perceived changes in Barrett's personality when Barrett did not appear to recognise him. For many years Gilmour would recall this, saying, "I'll go on record as saying, that was when he changed."
The details as to the recording remain shrouded in mystery due to the lack of paperwork in the EMI archive. Engineer Jeff Jarrett recalls the song was recorded in a much longer form which was then edited down for the single release. There was much trickery involved in the recording with backward tapes, much use of echo and reverb, and the first piano bridge between the first chorus and second verse was recorded at a slow pace then sped up for the final master. The 4 track master tape was wiped or misplaced. It no longer exists and has never been mixed into true stereo; it was reprocessed for fake stereo on the 1971 Relics compilation.
The US single (Tower 356) was released by Tower Records
Tower Records (record label)
Tower Records was a record label from 1964 to 1970. A subsidiary of Capitol Records, Tower often released music by artists who were relatively low profile in comparison to those released on the parent label, including a number of artists—such as The Standells and The Chocolate Watch Band—later...
3 times between July 1967 and late 1968. Each time it failed to duplicate its UK success.
It is said, the slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
work on the song was done by Barrett using a Zippo
Zippo
A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the seven decades since their introduction including military ones for specific regiments.-Establishment:George G...
lighter. The train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
depicted on the single's sleeve was drawn by Barrett.
The song only stayed in the band's set list for a few months. It was last played on 25 November 1967 in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
.
In Switzerland, the song has been released on 7" Single and has been marked with two special attributes, the record's label "CH 01" and the icon of Swiss crossbow in the record's stamper code
"See Emily Play" is also known as "Games for May," and sometimes "Free Games for May," after a free concert in which Barrett's Pink Floyd performed.
Part of the vocal melody was played on a Mini Moog at the very end of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and David Gilmour. The song is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, although it was not originally explicitly written with him in mind. It was first performed on their 1974 French...
(Parts VI-IX)" at the end of the Wish You Were Here album, as a tribute to Barrett.
Television performances
Top Of The Pops, BBCTV, July 1967Pink Floyd performed the song three times on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. On each occasion, they mimed to the single and Syd Barrett would occasionally sing a live vocal. Also adding to the legend was the fact the BBC wiped the shows, all of which were "live" transmissions. In late 2009, a badly damaged home video recording was recovered by the British Film Institute containing two of the shows the song was performed on, though only the first appearance was recoverable in part.
The first performance was on the 6 July 1967 edition, hosted by Alan Freeman
Alan Freeman
Alan Leslie "Fluff" Freeman, MBE was a British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years.-Career:...
. Parts of this performance have been recovered from the damaged video recording.
They returned for the following week's edition, 13 July, hosted by DJ Pete Murray.
The last appearance was on 27 July 1967. Once more hosted by Alan Freeman, Barrett failed to turn up for rehearsals at BBC Television Centre. This prompted managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King to perform a frantic search for Syd. They eventually found him and frogmarched him to the BBC.
The recoverable parts of the 6 July performance were given a public screening in London on 9 January 2010 at an event called "Missing Believed Wiped
Missing Believed Wiped
Missing Believed Wiped is an annual event hosted by the British Film Institute in which previously "wiped" television material from the UK, which has recently been recovered is screened....
" devoted to recovered TV shows. It was the first time any footage was seen of the performance since its original broadcast. Pink Floyd management now have a copy of the footage, and have promised to use it on a future project.
Beat Club, Radio Bremen August 1967 — cancelled
The band were booked to appear on this edition of Beat Club. Barrett had suffered "nervous exhaustion" and the band managers decided to give the band a month long break in the hope his health would recover. Therefore the booking for this appearance had to be cancelled.
Belgian TV, February 1968
In 1968, Pink Floyd travelled to Belgium where they filmed a TV special entitled "Pink Floid" (this mis-spelling is on the title credits) which featured lip-synched promotional films for "See Emily Play", as well as for "Astronomy Domine", "The Scarecrow", "Apples and Oranges", "Paint Box", "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun", and "Corporal Clegg". This was David Gilmour's first TV work with the band. Syd Barrett was still technically a member of the band but it had recently been decided to no longer collect him for gigs or shows. Therefore, Gilmour, Roger Waters and Rick Wright had to mime to Barrett's vocals.
Other versions
A cover of "See Emily Play" by the Canadian group Three To One (aka Okee Pokey Band) is on the 1967 Yorkville album CTV After Four. This version also appears on the psychedelic compilation album Pebbles, Volume 14Pebbles, Volume 14
-Release data:This album was released by AIP Records in 1984 and was kept in print for many years.-Notes on the tracks:The two opening songs are among the many garage rock records that could have been national hits ; the former was pulled from the market because of the supposed drug references in...
.
David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
recorded a version of "See Emily Play" for his Pin Ups
Pin Ups
- Personnel :* David Bowie – vocals, guitar, tenor and alto saxophone, harmonica, arrangements, backing vocals, Moog synthesizer* Mick Ronson – guitar, piano, vocals, arrangements* Trevor Bolder – bass* Aynsley Dunbar – drums- Additional personnel :...
album in 1973.
All About Eve
All About Eve (band)
All About Eve were a British rock/pop band. The creative core consisted of the Coventry born Julianne Regan , and the Huddersfield born Andy Cousin , with other members changing over the years...
played the song live c.1992 and recorded a demo, which was not released until 2006 as part of the Keepsakes
Keepsakes
Keepsakes - A Collection is an anthology by All About Eve released on 13 March 2006. It is available either as a double CD or as a limited edition double CD and DVD set ....
compilation.
Judy Dyble
Judy Dyble
Judith Aileen Dyble, better known as Judy Dyble , is an award winning British singer/songwriter most notable for being one of the vocalists with, and founder members of, Fairport Convention and Trader Horne; in between these she was very briefly with Giles, Giles and Fripp, which evolved into...
, the original lead singer of Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
, recorded a cover of "See Emily Play" in 2004.
A cover of "See Emily Play", appears on the 2006 bluegrass album "Pickin' on Pink Floyd: A Bluegrass Tribute".
A cover of "See Emily Play" appears on the 2008 album "I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too is the second full-length album of Canadian-American singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright. It was released in Australia on May 10, 2008, with other countries to follow...
" by Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
.
A cover of "See Emily Play" also appears on the 2008 re-release of the album "The End Is Begun
The End Is Begun
The End Is Begun, released on July 24, 2007, is 3's fourth full length studio album, and the second to be released by Metal Blade Records. On February 19, 2008, a special edition was released with one extra track and a bonus DVD.On May 8, 2007, the...
" by the band 3
3 (band)
3, also known as Three, is an American hybrid band formed in Woodstock, New York in the early 90s.-History:...
. This is a heavily modified version, with an added bridge made by rearranging lyrics from the final verse.
A cover of "See Emily Play" appears as (one of two) B-sides on a 1991 CD single ("I am Here") from The Grapes of Wrath (band)
The Grapes of Wrath (band)
The Grapes of Wrath are a Canadian folk rock band, who were one of Canada's most successful pop bands in the late 1980s and early 1990s before disbanding in 1992. With the band name tied up in litigation, most of the band continued to record through the 1990s as Ginger. The Grapes of Wrath briefly...
, a Canadian jangle-pop group. The same version is available on the 1994 compilation album "Seems Like Fate 1984–1992"
Covered by The Changelings
The Changelings
The Changelings are a band from Atlanta, Georgia self-described as a “blend of ambient pop-fusion laced with neo-Classical and Middle Eastern styles”. Formed in 1995, they have released six albums, and have been named the “Best Local Experimental/Fringe Band/Artist of Atlanta” in Creative Loafing...
on their 2002 album "Astronomica."
Personnel
- Syd BarrettSyd BarrettSyd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
— Lead Vocals and Guitars - Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
— Keyboard, Organ and Backing Vocals - Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
— Bass and Backing Vocals - Nick MasonNick MasonNicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
— Drums and Percussion
External links
- Music video of the song at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Accessed September 2009.