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11-12-2019, 10:33 AM
1

40 years ago today...

...This ground-breaking single reached No.1 in the UK singles chart.



Pink Floyd had given up on releasing singles in the UK in 1968 after several failed releases, but following the wisdom of a studio engineer who noticed that this particular excerpt from the band’s newly-released masterpiece The Wall had a ‘sort-of disco beat’, which followed the treand at the time, the band reluctantly put the track out on a 7”. Regarded as a ‘fluke’ hit, the record nevertheless became the UK’s No.1 single over Christmas and enjoyed five weeks at the top of our chart. Worldwide, it hit the peak in a further 14 countries.

It’s not, as largely believed, a statement of an anarchistic youth rebelling against schooling, but the thoughts of the character from The Walls conceptual theme as he goes through his insular, mixed-up life.

For me, there are better tracks on the album (such as the magnificent ‘Comfortably Numb’ and ‘Run Like Hell’) but this song (part of a trilogy with Pts.1&3 also) is perhaps the most commercial, if Pink Floyd can be attached to that populist category.

Did you buy the single or album? Memories, thoughts?


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11-12-2019, 12:31 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

Seems like yesterday
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11-12-2019, 01:31 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

Did you buy the single or album? Memories, thoughts?
My brother bought the album, and I was crashing at his place, playing it all the time. His girlfriend (they later married) worked for Gerald Scarfe who, of course, did the artwork.

ABITW was never my favourite Floyd song or album but the whole show was great fun at the time. The album was more than a concept, more autobiographical, with something approaching pythonesque animation attached.
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11-12-2019, 02:09 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

Originally Posted by d00d ->
My brother bought the album, and I was crashing at his place, playing it all the time. His girlfriend (they later married) worked for Gerald Scarfe who, of course, did the artwork.

ABITW was never my favourite Floyd song or album but the whole show was great fun at the time. The album was more than a concept, more autobiographical, with something approaching pythonesque animation attached.
A nice recollection, d00d.

I remember buying the single at a store called Binns, which was Hammonds for a while when it entered the top 40 at No.26.
That song was the first time I'd ever heard Pink Floyd and they became my favourite band.

Can you believe it's 28 years since Freddie Mercury died too?
Also, I'm just ordering my first pint in my local as I write and Band Aid is on the jukebox. 35 years ago that song!
Makes me feel old, dunno about you!
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11-12-2019, 02:45 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

I remember it well. I liked the song but didn't like the video (probably didn't understand it at the time). I never really liked any of those videos played when a song reached number one. I seem to remember Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' video was a film of Mickey Mouse. I can't believe that was forty years ago.
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11-12-2019, 04:28 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

Originally Posted by Floydy ->
A nice recollection, d00d.

I remember buying the single at a store called Binns, which was Hammonds for a while when it entered the top 40 at No.26.
That song was the first time I'd ever heard Pink Floyd and they became my favourite band.

Can you believe it's 28 years since Freddie Mercury died too?
Also, I'm just ordering my first pint in my local as I write and Band Aid is on the jukebox. 35 years ago that song!
Makes me feel old, dunno about you!
...not the first time I'd heard them - there'd been a couple of singles in the charts late 60s - but the first time I felt knocked out by them .... Money on DSOTM, the till ringing up in glorious stereo, then that bit with the alarm clock going off. What a gas, great memories.
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11-12-2019, 05:58 PM
7

Re: 40 years ago today...

Originally Posted by d00d ->
...not the first time I'd heard them - there'd been a couple of singles in the charts late 60s - but the first time I felt knocked out by them .... Money on DSOTM, the till ringing up in glorious stereo, then that bit with the alarm clock going off. What a gas, great memories.
Time, my favourite ever piece of music.
Headphones on in the dark, take it away....
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12-12-2019, 01:10 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

The DS of the M album is one of my all-time favourites and I've a quote from Brain Damage as my sig in here.

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12-12-2019, 05:07 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

They were the warmup band for Jimi Hendrix when I saw them



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12-12-2019, 05:55 PM
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Re: 40 years ago today...

I bought my copy of The Wall from the flea market in Stockton-On-Tees way back in the 80s. It was one of those places where you could spend a whole morning flicking through album after album of music and always find something rare and cool.

I still have that album in the garage in a box and at some point I'll invest in a big hi-fi system like I used to have and crank that album to ear splitting volumes. There is just no other way to listen to Pink Floyd other than on vinyl at full tilt.

Happy days ...
 

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