Barrett (album)

Barrett
Studio album by Syd Barrett
Released	14 November 1970 (1970-11-14)
Recorded	Abbey Road Studios 26 February – 17 July 1970
Genre	Psychedelic rock, blues rock
Length	38:43
Label	Harvest/EMI Capitol Records (U.S.)
Producer	David Gilmour and Richard Wright
Syd Barrett chronology
The Madcap Laughs (1970) Barrett (1970) Syd Barrett (1974)

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Barrett was the second and final studio album of new material released by former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett. In February 1970, shortly after releasing his first album, The Madcap Laughs, Barrett appeared on John Peel's Top Gear radio show where he presented only one song from the newly released album. Two days later, he began working on his second album in the Abbey Road Studios, this time with Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Richard Wright as producers and musicians.

The main aim for the Barrett sessions was to give Barrett the structure and focus many felt was missing during the long and unwieldy sessions for The Madcap Laughs. Thus, the sessions were more efficiently run—with much unreleased material recorded—and the album was finished in far less time than it took to complete The Madcap Laughs.

While the sessions for Barrett ran more smoothly, it did not prevent Barrett's by-now characteristically bizarre behaviour from coming through. On 6 June 1970, Barrett gave his one and only solo performance, backed by David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley, and baffled the audience (including Gilmour and Shirley) when he abruptly took off his guitar during the fourth number and walked off stage.

Doing Syd's record was interesting, but extremely difficult. Dave [Gilmour] and Roger did the first one (The Madcap Laughs) and Dave and myself did the second one. But by then it was just trying to help Syd any way we could, rather than worrying about getting the best guitar sound. You could forget about that! It was just going into the studio and trying to get him to sing.

—Richard Wright, 

We really 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.

— David Gilmour, 

Barrett was released in November 1970 to less interest than had greeted The Madcap Laughs earlier in the year, and as a result, failed to chart. Bored and directionless, Barrett headed back to his hometown of Cambridge and — but for a brief dalliance with a band called Stars in 1972, and some abortive recording sessions in 1974 — left his music career behind for good.

Track listing

All songs by Syd Barrett.

Side one

1. "Baby Lemonade" – 4:10

   Take 1, Recorded 26 February 1970

2. "Love Song" – 3:03

   Take 1, Recorded 17 July 1970, overdubs added 17 July

3. "Dominoes" – 4:08

   Take 3, Recorded 14 July 1970

4. "It Is Obvious" – 2:59

   Take 1, Recorded 17 July 1970, overdubs added 20 July

5. "Rats" – 3:00

   Demo, Recorded 7 May 1970, overdubs added 5 June

6. "Maisie" – 2:51

   Take 2, Recorded 26 February 1970

Side two

1. "Gigolo Aunt" – 5:46

   Take 15, Recorded 27 February 1970, overdubs added 2 April

2. "Waving My Arms in the Air" – 2:09

   Take 1, Recorded 27 February 1970, overdubs and new vocal track 2 April

3. "I Never Lied to You" – 1:50

   Take 1, Recorded 27 February 1970, overdubs and new vocal track 2 April

4. "Wined and Dined" – 2:58

   Take 10, Recorded 14 July 1970

5. "Wolfpack" – 3:41

   Take 2, Recorded 3 April 1970

6. "Effervescing Elephant" – 1:52

   Take 9, Recorded 14 July 1970,

This album was reissued in the early 1970s with his first solo album "The Madcap Laughs" as record two of the 2 record set "Syd Barrett" as Harvest's series of Harvest Heritage reissues.

• In 1993, Barrett was reissued with several bonus tracks of alternative takes. See Crazy Diamond for track details.

Personnel

• Syd Barrett: guitars, lead vocals
• David Gilmour: production, bass ("Baby Lemonade"), organ ("It Is Obvious", "Gigolo Aunt", "Wined and Dined"), drums ("Dominoes"), backing vocals
• Richard Wright: production, keyboards, piano, harmonium, Hammond organ
• Vic Saywell: tuba
• Jerry Shirley: drums and percussion
• Willie Wilson: percussion
• John Wilson: drums
• Peter Bown: engineering