by Robert Wilkinson
January 6 would have been Syd Barrett’s birthday. A legendary and tragic figure in the history of pop music, he was the original genius behind Pink Floyd. It was also the birthday of Sandy Denny, another tragic figure who I believe was one of the greatest female singers of all time. And finally, it was the birthday of the globally loved comedian Mr. Rowan Atkinson, aka “Mr. Bean.”
First, Big Syd! From Wikipedia: Syd Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) “was an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founder 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 direction in their early work. He is credited with creating their name, but left the group in April 1968 amid speculations of mental illness…”
Here are some early Syd Barrett tunes. Definitely psychedelic!
The very first "The Pink Floyd" recording session in the UFO Nightclub from 1966-67 in very Mod, very gear fab Swinging London, via a trailer for a movie! If you want a slice of what life was like when I was young, check it out! Tonight Let’s All Make Love in London”
From Feb 1967, also at the UFO Club, a b/w performance of “Interstellar Overdrive”
From Halloween 1966, an audio recording of “Interstellar Overdrive”
I found it again! Here’s a 1967 BBC TV live performance with a very snooty commentator up front commenting on how loud they were. "Pow R. Toc H.” and “Astronomy Domine”
Here’s Syd and Pink Floyd live in Stockholm in 1967 doing "Pow R. Toc H.”
A score! Here’s the 53 minute complete audio-only set from October 1967! Pink Floyd Live in Stockholm - 1967
An early live performance of their first hit! “See Emily Play”
Here’s an amazing early psychedelic music video! “Astronomy Domine”
From their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, we know this was one of Syd’s last public performances. PF on one of Dick Clark’s shows, a live performance of “Apples and Oranges”
Depending on when these were taped, they may or may not have Syd on lead. I don’t know when this was recorded, but it’s a great live performance of “Let There Be More Light”
Though Syd was no longer in the group, it’s a great snapshot of early Pink Floyd when David Gilmour had just joined! This is a live 1968 performance of “Remember A Day”
Live in Belgium in 1968, here’s a great video performance by Pink Floyd of “Astronomy Domine”
Here’s a great French TV clip! “Astronomy Domine” and “Flaming.” From that same show in 1968, “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.” This year I found all four songs in one clip, including the final tune, “Let There Be More Light.” Pink Floyd on French TV – February 1968
From 1968 in Rome, a live performance of “Interstellar Overdrive”
Here’s a great 21 minute collage of several live performances. Yes, some of them are above, and this one has commercials every so often, but it has performances of “See Emily Play,” “Apples and Oranges,” “Arnold Lane,” “Jugband Blues,” “Pow R. Toc H,” “Astronomy Domine"”
These audio clips all have Syd on lead!
Here’s a BBC 1 clip with “Tomorrow’s World”
From 1967, an audio-only performance of “Matilda Mother”
Live in Rotterdam in 1967 “Reaction in G” (also sometimes known as “Stoned Alone.”)
Here’s the entire 44 minute show! Pink Floyd in Rotterdam – 1967
Now some studio work!
The original studio version of their first hit, “See Emily Play” (this was on the US release, but not the UK)
Also from their first album, Piper At The Gates of Dawn,
“Pick Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk” (written by Roger Waters, but psychedelic nonetheless!)
Here’s a link that takes you to all the tracks on the entire album! Click on it, and it will autoplay all the other tracks in order. For your enjoyment, all 42 minutes of the debut album of one of the most psychedelic groups ever to take the stage! >i>Piper At the Gates of Dawn
While the 1 hour 18 minute Live at the BBC session from 1967 with “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” “Matilda Mother, ”“Jugband Blues,” “The Scarecrow,” “The Flaming,” and “Scream Thy Last Scream” is gone, I found this great album which no doubt incorporates some of that previous clip. For your enjoyment, the very psychedelic Outtakes From Outer Space – the 1967 Pink Floyd BBC Sessions.Here’s the entire 1968 Pink Floyd album A Saucerful of Secrets. Just click on the link, and it will begin the first cut on the album, which will then autoplay all the others in the set. Here’s “Let There Be More Light”
Here’s the full one hour Syd Barrett Documentary! The Syd Barrett Story
Here’s the entire 57 minutes of Syd Barrett’s first solo album from 1970, The Madcap Laughs
Here’s all 46 minutes of Syd Barrett’s 1988 album Opel
This year the four part series called The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story has again disappeared, so instead, we have this great 4 part series!
“The Syd Barrett Story” – Pt. 1 “The Syd Barrett Story” – Pt. 2 “The Syd Barrett Story” – Pt. 3 “The Syd Barrett Story” – Pt. 4For our encore, here's Pink Floyd in 1974 doing a great live audio-only performance of their tribute to Syd, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
Thanks for kicking the doors open to psychedelia! Your music was definitely weird then, and still holds up to the test of time. You wrote some great tunes, opened the doors to some pretty creative chaos in the studio, and your genius is still honored around the world. RIP, most tripped out brother.
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January 6 would also have been the birthday of Sandy Denny (6 January 1947 – 21 April 1978), British folk rock pioneer and tragic figure. She had one of the most powerful voices in history, and was always one of my top female performers while she was alive and fronting for Strawbs, Fairport Convention and Fotheringay. Today we have some great albums and live performances that show off her enormous talent!
From the Strawbs’ first album, “Who Knows Where the Time Goes” and “Stay Awhile With Me”
From 1969, here’s the entire first album she did with Fairport Convention, What We Did On Our Holidays
My favorite Fairport Convention album! From 1969, her third and last album with Fairport, Liege and Leif
Here she is live at the BBC in 1969 on John Peel’s Top Gear performing an audio only clip of THE song from Liege and Leif, “Tam Lin.” From another BBC session, “Autopsy” (Fairport Convention sure did sound like the Jefferson Airplane at times.)
Live in Rotterdam in 1970, a live audio of “Two Weeks Last Summer”
The 1970 video of Fotheringay live performing “Gypsy Davy” has disappeared.
From 1970, a live audio from the Holland Pop Festival in June 1970 of “Nothing More”
Last year I had the entire 43 minutes of the 1970 album Fotheringay, but this year it’s disappeared. So here are some individual clips from that album
“The Ballad of Ned Kelly” “Winter Winds” “Peace in the End” “The Way I Feel” “Too Much of Nothing” “Two Weeks Last Summer” “Gypsy Davey”From the album Fotheringay 2,” here’s
Last year I had a great 17 minute live video from 1970 of their performance at the Beat Club on German tv. This year it’s gone, as are all the individual clips except one. Better luck next year.
Fotheringay Live at the Beat Club - “Too Much of Nothing” (The ones which disappeared are “Nothing More,” “Gypsy Davey,” and “John the Gun.”)
Live on the BBC in 1971, Fotheringay performing “Gypsy Davey”
By popular demand, she was all over this LZ classic! "The Battle of Evermore"
Our closer is Sandy solo in 1971 playing “Late November”
For our encore, a 9 minute live video performance by Sandy Denny in 1971! Sandy Denny Live at the BBC – 1971 I found another part of that show! “Crazy Lady Blues” (Last year’s 28 minute show has vanished)
Sorry you died so young. Too much alcohol will do that to ya. We still miss you.
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On a lighter note, January 6 was also the birthday of the singular Rowan Atkinson (January 6, 1955), aka "Mr. Bean." This actor-comedian is said to be one of the 50 greatest comedians of all time, and from what I've seen, he's pretty iconic, right up there with Chaplin. So here's a big happy and merry to you, Rowan! Happy retirement, Mr. Bean. I suppose we'll be seeing more of Johnny English. And I hope you'll look up the Pythons, since you're a winning combo!
© Copyright 2025 Robert Wilkinson
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