Dave's Thoughts Concerning Syd

Syd was a strange guy even back in Cambridge. He was a very respected figure back there in his own way.

He functions on a totally different plain of logic, and some people will claim, 'Well yeah man he's on a higher cosmic level' - but basically there's something drastically wrong. It wasn't just the drugs - we'd both done acid before the whole Floyd thing - it's just a mental foible which grew out of all proportion. I remember all sorts of strange things happening - at one point he was wearing lipstick, dressing in high heels, and believing he had homosexual tendencies. We all felt he should have gone to see a psychiatrist, though someone in fact played an interview he did to R.D. Laing, and Laing claimed he was incurable. What can you do, you know?

We would hang around in the art department, playing guitars every lunchtime. Teaching each other basically. The thing with Syd was that his guitar wasn't his strongest feature. His style was very stiff. I always thought I was the better guitar player. But he was very clever, very intelligent, an artist in every way. And he was a frightening talent when it came to words, and lyrics. They just used to pour out.

(From Dave's Cambridge Tech days.)

I remember I really started to get worried when I went along to the session for 'See Emily Play'. Syd was still functioning, but he definitely wasn't the person I knew. He looked through you. He wasn't quite there. He was strange even then. That stare, you know?

Syd's on three or four tracks on 'A Saucerful of Secrets', including 'Remember A Day' and 'Jugband Blues'. He's also on a tiny bit of 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.'

We had basically three alternatives at that point, working with Syd. One, we could actually work with him in the studio, playing along as he put down his tracks - which was almost impossible, though we succeeded on 'Gigolo Aunt'. The second was laying down some kind of track before and then having him play over it. The third was him putting his basic ideas down with just guitar and vocals and then we'd try and make something out of it all. It was mostly a case of me saying 'Well what have you got then Syd?' and he'd search around and eventually work something out.

Oh, I don't think anyone can communicate with Syd. I did those albums because I liked the songs, not, as I suppose some might think, because I felt guilty taking his place in the Floyd. I was concerned that he wouldn't fall completely apart.

I last saw him around Christmas in Harrod's. We just said 'hi', you know. I think actually of all the people you've spoken to, probably only Storm and I really know the whole story and can see it all in the right focus. I don't know what Syd thinks or how he thinks. Sure I'd be into going back into the studio with him, but I'm into projects like that anyway. Period.

DG: People were full of drugs, and they went along with everything. A full hour of guitar feedback - no problem, they loved that.

SPIEGEL: And outside London?
DG: Outside London people threw bottles at us or left the gig.

SPIEGEL: On a good evening, how long did it take you to drive everyone away?
DG: On a good evening 20 minutes.

SPIEGEL: Have you yourself taken LSD?
DG: A few times, but LSD was clearly not our thing. After all, the man I have replaced, Syd Barrett, has suffered real damage from LSD and similar drugs. He was useless [after that]. I haven't seen him for 20 years. He lives in a house in Cambridge, goes shopping and washes his clothes in a launderette. But that is about all he is capable of doing.

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID GILMOUR
"DER SPIEGEL", No 23/1995, June 5, 1995

GF: Do you feel that Pink Floyd expresses a specifically English state of mind?
DG: I think so. We are very English, and I wouldn't dream of living anywhere other than England. Also, the early Pink Floyd, under Syd's tutelage, was quintessentially English, in the same way that Ray Davies is. It wasn't your usual rock'n'roll, R&B stuff, which is very American-oriented. And all the stuff that Roger and I sang through the '70s had an English accent.

GF: Do you ever hear what's happening with Syd?
DG: Not really. I'm in second-hand contact with his relatives in Cambridge, who give me reports on how he's doing from time to time.

GF: Is he OK?
DG: He's not mentally OK, but he gets by. He manages, he lives, he takes his clothes to the laundromat to get them cleaned. I'm actually very tempted to visit him. He was a wonderful talent and friend.

Interview by Graham Fuller
Interview Magazine, July 1994, p.20-21,101

Charlie Kendall: In February 1968, Roger Waters asked an old friend of his from Cambridge to join the band, since Syd Barrett's status was up in the air. Seven weeks later, Syd was phased out completely, and David Gilmour became Pink Floyd's guitarist.

Dave Gilmour: Yeah, it was fairly obvious that I was brought in to take over from him, at least on stage ... It was impossible to gauge his feelings about it. I don't think Syd has opinions as such. The first plan was that I would join and make it a five piece so it would make it easier so that Syd could still be strange but the band would still function. And then the next idea was that Syd would stay home and do writing and be the Brian Wilson elusive character that didn't actually perform with us and the third plan was the he wouldn't do nothing at all. And it quickly changed 'round, and it was just....it was obviously impossible to carry on working that way so we basically ditched Syd, stopped picking him up for gigs.

"Shades of Pink" from the Source
with host Charlie Kendall

(Ed. note: This has got to be my favorite explanation of Dave's.)

Nick actually came to me and uh, and sort of nudge, nudge and IF such and such happened and if this and if that would you be interested at all and... went through that whole thing... in a sort of fairly roundabout way suggested that this might come off at some point and then... just after Christmas, right after their... Olympia gig, I actually got the phone call... where I was staying I didn't have a phone actually, or...they didn't know it, but they sent a message through someone else that they knew that knew me, for me to... get in touch...for...taking the job, so to speak. There was no real discussion or any meetings to think about at all, any auditions or anything (laughs) like that. They just said, did I want to and I said, yes and it was as simple as that

Transcribed from "Stoned Alone" RoIO

I don't know - maybe if he was left to his own devices, he might just get it together. But it is a tragedy - a great tragedy because the guy was an innovator. One of the three or four greats along with Dylan. Syd was one of the great rock and roll tragedies. He was one of the most talented people and could have given a fantastic amount. He really could write songs and if he had stayed right, could have beaten Ray Davies at his own game. I know though that something is wrong because Syd isn't happy, and that really is the criteria, isn't it? But then it's all part of being a 'legend in your own lifetime'.