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{{Refimprove|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox song <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
{{Infobox song
| Name = Shine On You Crazy Diamond
| name = Shine On You Crazy Diamond
| Cover = Shine_On_You_Crazy_Diamond_Part_One.jpg
| cover = Shine_On_You_Crazy_Diamond_Part_One.jpg
| Caption = The [[Radio edit|single edit]] of Part I
| alt =
| caption = The [[Radio edit|single edit]] of Part I
| Artist = [[Pink Floyd]]
| type = composition
| Album = [[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]
| artist = [[Pink Floyd]]
| album = [[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]
| Type = Song series
| EP =
| written =
| Published = Pink Floyd Music Publishers Ltd
| Released = 15 September 1975
| published = Pink Floyd Music Publishers Ltd
| track_no = 1
| released = 15 September 1975
| recorded = 13 January– 28 July 1975 ("Wine Glasses" on 5 January 1971)<ref>{{cite book |last=Guesdon |first=Jean-Michel |title=Pink Floyd All The Songs |publisher=Running Press |date=2017 |isbn=9780316439237 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rF0RDgAAQBAJ}}</ref>
| Recorded = January–July 1975
| studio = [[Abbey Road Studios]] (Studio One, Two and Three)
| Genre = [[Progressive rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/feature/141547-best-25-rock-songs-of-all-time/P4/|title=The 25 Best Progressive Rock Songs of All Time|last=Murphy|first=Sean|date=22 May 2011|website=[[PopMatters]]|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>
| venue =
| Length = '''26:00''' <small>'''(All parts)'''</small><br />13:32 <small>(Parts I–V)</small><br />12:28 <small>(Parts VI–IX)</small><br />3:53 <small>([[Radio edit|Single edit]])</small>
| genre = * [[Progressive rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/141547-best-25-rock-songs-of-all-time-2496025727.html/5|title=The 25 Best Progressive Rock Songs of All Time|last=Murphy|first=Sean|date=22 May 2011|website=[[PopMatters]]|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="Goldmine 2024">{{cite web|first= Martin|last= Popoff|title= The Top 20 unlikely Progressive Rock hits, ranked|website= [[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]| date= January 5, 2024|url= https://www.goldminemag.com/music-history/top-20-unlikely-progressive-rock-hits-ranked|accessdate= January 7, 2024}}</ref>
| Label = [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] (UK)<br />[[Columbia Records|Columbia/CBS]] (US)
* [[art rock]]<ref>{{cite web|date=12 August 2019|title=The Top 150 Albums of the '70s|url=https://www.treblezine.com/top-150-best-albums-of-the-70s/|access-date=28 April 2021|website=Treble}}</ref>
| Producer = [[Pink Floyd]]
*[[space rock]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=S |first1=R |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=2004 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=638}}</ref>
| Writer = [[David Gilmour]], [[Roger Waters]], [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] <ref name="sheets-piano.ru">{{cite web|url=http://sheets-piano.ru/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Pink-Floyd-Shine-On-You-Crazy-Diamond.pdf |format=PDF |title=Shine On You Crazy Diamond : Sheet Music |website=Sheets-piano.ru |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref>
| length = '''25:57''' '''(all parts)'''<br />13:33 (parts I–V)<br />12:24 (parts VI–IX)<br />17:32 (''[[Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' version) <br />11:05 ([[The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door]] version)<br />10:41 (''[[A Collection of Great Dance Songs]]'' version) <br /> 3:53 ([[Radio edit|single edit]])
| Tracks =
| label = [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] (UK)<br />[[Columbia Records|Columbia/CBS]] (US)
| composer = * [[David Gilmour]]
* [[Roger Waters]]
* [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]]<ref name="sheets-piano.ru">{{cite web|url=http://sheets-piano.ru/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Pink-Floyd-Shine-On-You-Crazy-Diamond.pdf |title=Shine On You Crazy Diamond : Sheet Music |website=Sheets-piano.ru |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref>
| lyricist = Roger Waters
| producer = Pink Floyd
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| title =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
}}
"'''Shine On You Crazy Diamond'''" is a nine-part [[Pink Floyd]] composition written by [[David Gilmour]], [[Roger Waters]], and [[Richard Wright (musician)|Rick Wright]]. It appeared on Pink Floyd's 1975 [[concept album]] ''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]''.
"'''Shine On You Crazy Diamond'''" is a nine-part [[Pink Floyd]] composition written by [[David Gilmour]], [[Roger Waters]], and [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]], which was first performed on Pink Floyd's [[Pink Floyd 1974 tours#1974 French Summer Tour|1974 French tour]] and appeared in Pink Floyd's 1975 [[concept album]] ''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]''. The song is written about and dedicated to founding member [[Syd Barrett]], who departed from the band in 1968 after dealing with mental health problems and substance abuse.


==Background==
==Background==
The song was conceived and written as a tribute and remembrance to their former band member [[Syd Barrett]]; the title of the song itself can also be seen as a reference to Barrett ('''S'''hine On '''Y'''ou Crazy '''D'''iamond). The work was first performed on their [[Pink Floyd 1974 tours#1974 French Summer Tour|1974 French tour]] and recorded for their 1975 concept album ''Wish You Were Here''. It was intended to be a side-long composition (like "[[Atom Heart Mother (suite)|Atom Heart Mother]]" and "[[Echoes (Pink Floyd song)|Echoes]]") but was ultimately split into two sections and used to [[framing device|bookend]] the album, with new material composed that was more relevant to the album and to the situation in which the band found themselves.<ref name="Sedgewick">{{cite web|url=http://www.ingsoc.com/waters/albums/wywh/articles/wywh_roger.html |title=WYWH Interview w/ Roger |website=Ingsoc.com |date= |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref>
The song, originated from a riff composed by guitarist David Gilmour and later developed by the guitarist himself, bassist Roger Waters and pianist Richard Wright, was conceived and written as a tribute and remembrance to Pink Floyd founder member [[Syd Barrett]].<ref name="Kirby">{{cite news|last=Kirby|first=Terry|title=Syd Barrett: The crazy diamond|date=12 July 2006|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/syd-barrett-the-crazy-diamond-407618.html|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=17 August 2018}}</ref> Barrett was eased out of the band in 1968 because his [[Substance abuse|LSD use]] and deteriorating mental health were affecting his ability to integrate with the other band members and create and perform as a musician. He was replaced by his former school friend David Gilmour, who had initially been brought in as second guitarist. The remaining members of the band felt guilty about having removed him, but although they admired Barrett's creativity, they were concerned about his severe mental decline and felt it had been necessary.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wN-fDAAAQBAJ |last1=Palacios |first1=Julian |title=Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd: Dark Globe|date=2010|publisher=Plexus Publishing Limited|location=London|isbn=9780859658829 }}</ref> "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" was first performed on Pink Floyd's [[Pink Floyd 1974 tours#1974 French Summer Tour|1974 French tour]] and was recorded for their 1975 concept album ''Wish You Were Here''. The track was originally intended to be a side-long composition, like "[[Atom Heart Mother (suite)|Atom Heart Mother]]" and "[[Echoes (Pink Floyd song)|Echoes]]", but was ultimately split into two parts and used to bookend the album, with other newly composed material acting as a bridge.<ref name="Sedgewick">{{cite web|url=http://www.ingsoc.com/waters/albums/wywh/articles/wywh_roger.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104052544/http://www.ingsoc.com/waters/albums/wywh/articles/wywh_roger.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 November 2016 |title=A Rambling Conversation with Roger Waters Concerning All This and That|website=Ingsoc.com |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref>


==Recording==
==Recording==
Bassist [[Roger Waters]] commented, as the sessions were underway, that "at times the group was there only physically. Our bodies were there, but our minds and feelings somewhere else."<ref name=RtC114>{{cite book|last=Macan |first=Edward |title=Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture |year=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=illustrated |isbn=9780195098877 |page=114}}</ref> Eventually an idea was raised to split the epic in two, Parts I–V and Parts VI–IX.<ref name=RtC114/>
Bassist [[Roger Waters]] commented, as the sessions were underway, that "at times the group was there only physically. Our bodies were there, but our minds and feelings somewhere else."<ref name=RtC114>{{cite book|last=Macan |first=Edward |title=Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture |url=https://archive.org/details/rockingclassicse0000maca |url-access=registration |year=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=illustrated |isbn=9780195098877 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rockingclassicse0000maca/page/114 114]}}</ref> Eventually an idea was raised to split the song in two, Parts I–V and Parts VI–IX.<ref name=RtC114/>


According to guitarist [[David Gilmour]] and drummer [[Nick Mason]] on the ''Wish You Were Here'' episode of ''[[In the Studio with Redbeard]]'', Pink Floyd recorded a satisfactory take of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", but because of a new mixing console which was installed at [[Abbey Road Studios]], it needed to be re-recorded because excessive 'bleed' from other instruments could be heard on the drum tracks.<ref name=Cooper/>
According to guitarist [[David Gilmour]] and drummer [[Nick Mason]] on the ''Wish You Were Here'' episode of ''[[In the Studio with Redbeard]]'', Pink Floyd recorded a satisfactory take of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" but because of a new mixing console which was installed at [[Abbey Road Studios]], it needed to be re-recorded as excessive 'bleed' from other instruments could be heard on the drum tracks. As explained by Gilmour,


{{blockquote|We originally did the backing track over the course of several days, but we came to the conclusion that it just wasn't good enough. So we did it again in one day flat and got it a lot better. Unfortunately nobody understood the desk properly and when we played it back we found that someone had switched the echo returns from monitors to tracks one and two. That affected the tom-toms and guitars and keyboards which were playing along at the time. There was no way of saving it, so we just had to do it yet again.<ref name=Cooper>{{cite web|url=http://www.pink-floyd.org/artint/99.htm |title=Wish You Were Here songbook |website=Pink-floyd.org |access-date=2016-07-27}}</ref>}}
On part 3, a piano part seems to have been added "live" to the final mix, making it absent from multitrack masters. That part was re-recorded at [[British Grove Studios]] by pianist [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] during the multi-channel mix used for the album Immersion Edition and the SACD release.<ref name="bootBeat">{{cite web|author=4 years ago |url=http://vimeo.com/41085122 |title=The Missing Piano on Vimeo |website=Vimeo.com |date=2012-04-26 |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref>


On part 3, a piano part seems to have been added "live" to the final mix, making it absent from multitrack masters. That part was re-recorded at [[British Grove Studios]] by pianist [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] during the multi-channel mix used for the album Immersion Edition and the SACD release.<ref name="bootBeat">{{cite web|url=http://vimeo.com/41085122 |title=The Missing Piano on Vimeo |website=Vimeo.com |date=26 April 2012 |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref>
{{quote|We originally did the backing track over the course of several days, but we came to the conclusion that it just wasn't good enough. So we did it again in one day flat and got it a lot better. Unfortunately nobody understood the desk properly and when we played it back we found that someone had switched the echo returns from monitors to tracks one and two. That affected the tom-toms and guitars and keyboards which were playing along at the time. There was no way of saving it, so we just had to do it yet again.|David Gilmour|An Interview with David Gilmour by Gary Cooper<ref name=Cooper>{{cite web|url=http://www.pink-floyd.org/artint/99.htm |title=Wish You Were Here songbook |website=Pink-floyd.org |date= |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref>}}


Nick Mason said:
{{quote|With the invention of 16-track and 2-inch tape there was the belief for quite a while that there would be something wrong with editing tape that big. Consequently whenever we played these pieces, they had to be played from beginning to end. Particularly for Roger [Waters] and myself being the rhythm section, which would be laid down first, this was [chuckling] a fairly tough business because the whole thing had to be sort of right.|Nick Mason|''In the Studio with Redbeard''}}


{{blockquote|With the invention of 16-track and 2-inch tape there was the belief for quite a while that there would be something wrong with editing tape that big. Consequently whenever we played these pieces, they had to be played from beginning to end. Particularly for Roger [Waters] and myself being the rhythm section, which would be laid down first, this was [chuckling] a fairly tough business because the whole thing had to be sort of right.<ref>''In the Studio with Redbeard''</ref>}}The song would be the first song to be started and the last song to be recorded for the album. On 24 February, a sequence that was titled "Wine Glasses" was overdubbed onto part 1 of the song, titled after how the band used wine glasses to record it. The sequence was recorded on 5 January 1971, originally intended to be a part of a series of musical experiments the band conducted titled "Nothings".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Guesdon |first=Jean-Michel |title=Pink Floyd All The Songs |publisher=Running Press |year=2017 |isbn=9780316439237 |language=English}}</ref>
==The Syd Barrett incident==
[[File:Syd Barrett Abbey Road 1975.jpg|thumbnail|[[Syd Barrett]], visiting Abbey Road Studios on 5 June 1975]]
One day during recording, Barrett (now heavyset, with a completely shaved head and eyebrows) wandered into the studio (although Mason has since stated that he is not entirely certain whether "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was the particular work being recorded when Barrett was there). Because of his drastically changed appearance, the band did not recognize him for some time. When they eventually determined the withdrawn man in the corner was Barrett, Roger Waters allegedly became so distressed about his appearance he was reduced to tears.<ref name="Sedgewick"/> Someone asked to play the suite again for Barrett and he said a second playback was not needed when they had just heard it. When asked what he thought of the song, Barrett said it sounded a "bit old". He subsequently slipped away during celebrations for Gilmour's wedding to [[Ginger Gilmour|Ginger Hasenbein]], which took place later that day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Total_Guitar_1996 |title=Nothing Found For Wiki Total_Guitar_1996 404 |website=Neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref> Gilmour confirmed this story, although he could not recall which composition they were working on when Barrett showed up.<ref name="La Repubblica">{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/2006/b/sezioni/spettacoli_e_cultura/gilmo/gilmo/gilmo.html |title=spettacoli_e_cultura » Il requiem di David Gilmour "I Pink Floyd? Sono finiti" |website=Repubblica.it |date=2006-02-03 |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/news/0602061.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2006-08-19 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826062749/http://www.brain-damage.co.uk:80/news/0602061.html |archivedate=26 August 2006 |df=dmy }}</ref>


==Barrett's studio visit==
{{Quote|Roger was there, and he was sitting at the desk, and I came in and I saw this guy sitting behind him – huge, bald, fat guy. I thought, "He looks a bit... strange..." Anyway, so I sat down with Roger at the desk and we worked for about ten minutes, and this guy kept on getting up and brushing his teeth and then sitting – doing really weird things, but keeping quiet. And I said to Roger, "Who is he?" and Roger said "I don't know." and I said "Well, I assumed he was a friend of yours," and he said "No, I don't know who he is." Anyway, it took me a long time, and then suddenly I realised it was Syd, after maybe 45 minutes. He came in as we were doing the vocals for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", which was basically about Syd. He just, for some incredible reason picked the very day that we were doing a song which was about him. And we hadn't seen him, I don't think, for two years before. That's what's so incredibly... weird about this guy. And a bit disturbing, as well, I mean, particularly when you see a guy, that you don't, you couldn't recognize him. And then, for him to pick the very day we want to start putting vocals on, which is a song about him. Very strange.|[[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Shades of Pink - The Definitive Pink Floyd Profile |work=The Source Radio Show |author=Kendall, Charlie |url=http://www.pinkfloydfan.net/t1483-gilmour-waters-mason-wright-shades.html |year=1984 |accessdate=27 July 2011}}</ref>}}
[[File:Syd Barrett Abbey Road 1975.jpg|thumbnail|[[Syd Barrett]], visiting [[Abbey Road Studios]] on 5 June 1975]]
On 5 June 1975, Barrett, by this point heavyset, with a completely shaved head and eyebrows, wandered into the studio where the band were recording. They did not recognise him for some time because of his drastically changed appearance, but when they eventually realised who the withdrawn man in the corner was, Roger Waters became so distressed about Barrett's appearance that he was reduced to tears.<ref name="Sedgewick"/> Someone asked to play the suite again for Barrett and he said a second playback was not needed when they had just heard it. When asked what he thought of the song, Barrett said it sounded a "bit old". He subsequently slipped away during celebrations for Gilmour's wedding to [[Ginger Gilmour|Ginger Hasenbein]], which took place later that day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Total_Guitar_1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060709143040/http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Total_Guitar_1996 |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 July 2006 |title=Total Guitar 1996 |website=Neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk |access-date=27 July 2016 }}</ref> Gilmour confirmed this story, although he could not recall which composition they were working on when Barrett showed up.<ref name="La Repubblica">{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/2006/b/sezioni/spettacoli_e_cultura/gilmo/gilmo/gilmo.html |title=Il requiem di David Gilmour "I Pink Floyd? Sono finiti" |website=Repubblica.it |date=3 February 2006 |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/news/0602061.html |title=David Gilmour: "Pink Floyd? It's over" |access-date=19 August 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826062749/http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/news/0602061.html |archive-date=26 August 2006}}</ref> Mason has also stated that he is not certain whether "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was the piece being recorded when Barrett was there.

The episode is related by Wright as follows:

{{blockquote|Roger was there, and he was sitting at the desk, and I came in and I saw this guy sitting behind him – huge, bald, fat guy. I thought, "He looks a bit... strange..." Anyway, so I sat down with Roger at the desk and we worked for about ten minutes, and this guy kept on getting up and brushing his teeth and then sitting – doing really weird things, but keeping quiet. And I said to Roger, "Who is he?" and Roger said "I don't know." And I said "Well, I assumed he was a friend of yours," and he said "No, I don't know who he is." Anyway, it took me a long time, and then suddenly I realised it was Syd, after maybe 45 minutes. He came in as we were doing the vocals for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", which was basically about Syd. He just, for some incredible reason picked the very day that we were doing a song which was about him. And we hadn't seen him, I don't think, for two years before. That's what's so incredibly... weird about this guy. And a bit disturbing, as well, I mean, particularly when you see a guy, that you don't, you couldn't recognise him. And then, for him to pick the very day we want to start putting vocals on, which is a song about him. Very strange.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shades of Pink The Definitive Pink Floyd Profile |work=The Source Radio Show |author=Kendall, Charlie |url=http://www.pinkfloydfan.net/t1483-gilmour-waters-mason-wright-shades.html |year=1984 |access-date=27 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927080840/http://www.pinkfloydfan.net/t1483-gilmour-waters-mason-wright-shades.html |archive-date=27 September 2012}}</ref>}}


==Composition==
==Composition==
{{original research|section|date=April 2011}}
{{original research|section|date=April 2011}}
As neither the original 1975 vinyl release nor the CD re-release actually delineate the various parts precisely, the make-up of the parts below is based on a comparison of the recorded timings with the identifications in the published sheet music. Without benefit of the publication, it is easy to mistake Parts I and II as Part I, Part III as Part II, and so on, with the extensive postlude of Part V (at 11:10) as the beginning of the fifth section.
As neither the original 1975 vinyl release nor the CD re-release delineate the various parts precisely, the make-up of the parts below is based on a comparison of the recorded timings with the identifications in the published sheet music.

The song is in G [[natural minor]] ([[Aeolian mode|Aeolian]]) scale, but with hints of the G [[Dorian mode]] with the inclusion of the E (raised sixth) note in various parts throughout, most prominently in the four-note theme in Part II. Gilmour's solos are largely [[blues]]-inspired, with a few notes hinting the inclusion of the G [[melodic minor]] scale.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Becker|first=Daniel|date=May 2016|title=A New Perspective on the Concept Album: The Governing Tonal Axis in Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here |url=https://danielbeckerclarinetcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/the-governing-tonal-axis-in-pink-floyds-wish-you-were-here.pdf|access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cohen|first=Gilad|date=1 May 2018|title="The Shadow of Yesterday's Triumph": Pink Floyd's "Shine On" and the Stage Theory of Grief |url=https://academic.oup.com/mts/article/40/1/106/4972847 |journal=Music Theory Spectrum|language=en|volume=40|issue=1|pages=106–120 |doi=10.1093/mts/mty011|issn=0195-6167}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Jones|first=Christopher Everett |url=https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8139&context=etd |title=Tear Down the Wall: Long-Form Analytical Techniques and the Music of Pink Floyd|year=2017|pages=42}}</ref>


===Parts I–V===
===Parts I–V===
'''Part I''' ''(Wright, Waters, Gilmour; from 0:00 to 3:54)'' begins with the fade-in of a dense G-minor synthesizer pad created with an [[EMS VCS 3]], [[ARP Instruments, Inc.|ARP]] [[ARP String Synthesizer|Solina]], a [[Hammond organ]] and the sounds of a [[Glass harp|wine glass harp]] (recycled from an earlier project known as ''Household Objects''). This is followed by Wright's [[Minimoog]] passages followed by a lengthy, [[blues]]y [[guitar solo]] played by Gilmour on a [[Fender Stratocaster]] (neck pickup) using a heavily [[effects units#Dynamics|compressed]] sound and [[reverberation|reverb]]. The harmony changes from G minor to D minor at 2:29, then to C minor, and back to G minor. This is repeated, and the part ends with the synth pad fading into the background. During this section some very faint conversation in the studio can be heard in the left channel.
'''Part I''' ''(Wright, Gilmour; from 0:00 to 3:54)'' There are no lyrics in Part I. The instrumental begins with a fade-in of a [[G minor]] chord created with an [[EMS VCS 3]], [[ARP Solina String Synthesizer|ARP Solina string synthesizer]], a [[Hammond organ]], and a [[Glass harp|wine glass harp]] (recycled from an earlier project known as ''[[Household Objects]]''). This is followed by Wright's [[Minimoog]] passages leading into a lengthy, bluesy [[guitar solo]] played by Gilmour on a [[Fender Stratocaster]] (neck pickup) using a heavily [[Dynamic range compression|compressed]] sound and [[reverberation|reverb]]. Part I ends with the synthesizer chord fading into the background. During the fade-out, some very faint conversation in the studio can be heard on the left channel, although this has not been confirmed.


{{Listen|filename=Shine On You Crazy Diamond four notes.ogg|title=Four Note Theme|description=The main four note guitar theme that sets the tempo for the next section of the epic.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{Listen|filename=|title=Four Note Theme|description=The main four note guitar theme that sets the tempo for the next section of the piece.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
'''Part II''' ''(Gilmour, Waters, Wright; from 3:54 to 6:27)''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gilmourish.com/?p=287 |title=Classic tone: Shine On You Crazy Diamond &#124; |website=Gilmourish.com |date= |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref> begins with a four-note theme (B♭, F, G, E) (known informally as "Syd's theme") repeated throughout much of the entire section. This theme leads the harmony to C major (in comparison to the use of C minor in Part I). Mason starts his drumming and Waters his bass playing after the fourth playing of the four-note theme, which is the point where the riffs get into a fixed tempo, in 6/8 time. The chord leads back to G minor (as from Part I), followed by E♭ major and D major back to a coda from G minor. This part includes another solo by Gilmour.


'''Part II''' ''(Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 3:54 to 6:27)''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gilmourish.com/?p=287 |title=Classic tone: Shine On You Crazy Diamond &#124; |website=Gilmourish.com |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref> begins with a four-note theme (B♭, F, G [below the B♭], E), known informally as "Syd's theme", repeated throughout much of the entire section. This theme leads the harmony to [[C major]] (in comparison to the use of [[C minor]] in Part I). Mason starts his drumming and Waters his bass playing after the fourth playing of the four-note theme, which is the point where the riffs get into a fixed tempo, in {{music|time|6|8}} time. The chord leads back to G minor (as from Part I), followed by [[E-flat major|E♭ major]] and [[D major]] back to a coda from G minor. This part includes another solo by Gilmour.
'''Part III''' ''(Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 6:27 to 8:42)'' begins with a Minimoog [[solo (music)|solo]] by Wright accompanied by a less complex variation of Mason's drums from Part II. This part includes Gilmour's third guitar solo, in the G natural minor scale, and ends with a fade into Part IV. When performed on the ''[[Animals (Pink Floyd album)|Animals]]'' tour, Gilmour added [[distortion (music)|distortion]] to the guitar for this solo. This solo is often dropped in live performances while the rest of part III is still played—notably on ''[[Delicate Sound of Thunder]]'' and ''[[Pulse (Pink Floyd album)|Pulse]]''.


'''Part III''' ''(Wright, Gilmour, Waters; from 6:27 to 8:41)'' begins with a Minimoog [[solo (music)|solo]] by Wright accompanied by a less complex variation of Mason's drums from Part II. This part includes Gilmour's third guitar solo, in the G natural minor scale, and ends with a fade into Part IV. When performed on the ''[[Animals (Pink Floyd album)|Animals]]'' tour, Gilmour added [[distortion (music)|distortion]] to the guitar for this solo. This solo is often dropped in live performances while the rest of part III is still played—notably on ''[[Delicate Sound of Thunder]]'' and ''[[Pulse (Pink Floyd album)|Pulse]]''.
'''Part IV''' ''(Waters, Gilmour, Wright; from 8:42 to 11:10)'' Waters sings his lyrics, with Gilmour, Wright and female backing vocalists [[Venetta Fields]] and Carlena Williams on harmonies.


'''Part IV''' ''(Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 8:41 to 11:08)'' Waters sings his lyrics, with Gilmour, Wright and backing vocalists [[Venetta Fields]] and [[Carlena Williams]] on harmonies.
'''Part V''' ''(Waters, from 11:10 to 13:32)'' Part IV is followed by two guitars repeating an [[arpeggio]] [[variation (music)|variation]] on the main theme for about a minute with the theme of Part II. A [[baritone saxophone]] overlays the sounds, played by [[Dick Parry]]. The saxophone changes from a baritone to a [[tenor saxophone]], as a time signature switch from 6/8 to 12/8 creates the feeling that the tempo doubles up. The sax solo is accompanied by an ARP string synthesizer keyboard sound. A machine-like hum fades in with ''[[musique concrète]]'' and [[segue]]s into "[[Welcome to the Machine]]".

'''Part V''' ''(Gilmour, Waters, Wright; from 11:08 to 13:33)'' Part IV is followed by two guitars repeating an [[arpeggio]] [[variation (music)|variation]] on the main theme for about a minute with the theme of Part II. A [[baritone saxophone]] overlays the sounds, played by [[Dick Parry]]. The saxophone changes from a baritone to a [[tenor saxophone]], as a time signature switch from {{music|time|6|8}} to {{music|time|12|8}} creates the feeling that the tempo doubles up. The sax solo is accompanied by a Solina string synthesizer keyboard sound. A machine-like hum fades in with ''[[musique concrète]]'' and [[segue]]s into "[[Welcome to the Machine]]".


===Parts VI–IX===
===Parts VI–IX===
'''Part VI''' ''(Wright, Waters, Gilmour; from 0:00 to 4:39)'' begins with a howling wind from the preceding song "[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song)|Wish You Were Here]]".<ref name=RtC123>{{cite book|last=Macan |first=Edward |title=Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture |year=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=illustrated |isbn=9780195098877 |page=123}}</ref> As the wind fades away, Gilmour comes in on the bass guitar. Waters adds another bass with a continuing riff pattern. Then Wright comes in playing an ARP String Ensemble Synthesizer and after a few measures, several rhythm guitar parts (Gilmour played the power chord rhythm part using his black Fender Stratocaster before switching to lap steel guitar for the solo in live performances from 1974–77. [[Snowy White]] did the rhythm guitar parts on this track on the band's 1977 [[In the Flesh (1977 Pink Floyd 'Animals' tour)|"In the Flesh" tour]]) and drums come in, as well as a Minimoog synthesizer to play the opening solo. At the two-minute mark, Wright's Minimoog and Gilmour's [[lap steel guitar]] play notes in unison before Gilmour does a lap steel guitar solo (the lap steel had open D tuning) with some counterpointing from Wright's synthesizers. It lasts for about three minutes (four when played on the band's "In the Flesh" tour) and Gilmour played each section an octave higher than the previous one. The highest note he hit on the lap steel/slide solo was a B♭6, followed by a reprise of the guitar solo from Part IV (which was played by White live on Pink Floyd's 1977 tour so Gilmour could switch from the lap steel guitar back to his Fender Stratocaster). The song then switches time signatures to 6/8 (found in Parts II–V), giving the appearance of a slower tempo and reintroducing the vocals.
'''Part VI''' ''(Wright, Gilmour; from 0:00 to 4:56)'' begins with a howling wind from the preceding song "[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song)|Wish You Were Here]]".<ref name=RtC123>{{cite book|last=Macan |first=Edward |title=Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture |url=https://archive.org/details/rockingclassicse0000maca |url-access=registration |year=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=illustrated |isbn=9780195098877 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rockingclassicse0000maca/page/123 123]}}</ref> As the wind fades away, Gilmour comes in on the bass guitar with a continuing riff pattern. Waters adds another bass. Then Wright comes in playing a Solina String Ensemble Synthesizer and after a few measures, several rhythm guitar parts (Gilmour played the power chord rhythm part using his black Fender Stratocaster before switching to lap steel guitar for the solo in live performances from 1974 to 1977. [[Snowy White]] performed the rhythm guitar parts on this track on the band's 1977 [[In the Flesh (Pink Floyd tour)|In the Flesh Tour]]) and drums come in, as well as a Minimoog to play the opening solo. At the two-minute mark, Wright's Minimoog and Gilmour's [[lap steel guitar]] play notes in unison before Gilmour performs a lap steel guitar solo (the lap steel had open G tuning with the high D string tuned to E) with some counterpointing from Wright's synthesizers. It lasts for about three minutes (four when played on the band's In the Flesh Tour) and Gilmour played each section an octave higher than the previous one. The highest note he hit on the lap steel and slide solo was a B♭<sub>6</sub>, followed by a reprise of the guitar solo from Part IV (which was played by White live on Pink Floyd's 1977 tour so Gilmour could switch back to his Fender Stratocaster). The song then switches time signatures to {{music|time|6|8}} (found in Parts II–V), giving the appearance of a slower tempo and reintroducing the vocals.


'''Part VII''' ''(Waters, Gilmour, Wright; from 4:39 to 6:09)'' contains the vocals, in a similar vein to Part IV though half the length, before segueing into Part VIII. Waters again sings the lead vocals with Gilmour, Wright, Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams providing backing vocals.
'''Part VII''' ''(Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 4:57 to 5:58)'' contains the vocals, in a similar vein to Part IV though half the length, before segueing into Part VIII. Waters again sings the lead vocals with Gilmour, Wright, Fields and Williams providing backing vocals.


'''Part VIII''' ''(Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 6:09 to 9:07)'' brings in Waters to play a second electric guitar for a high-noted sound riff while Gilmour plays the arpeggio riff that bridges Parts VII and VIII. A solid progression of [[funk]] in 4/4 plays for about two minutes before very slowly fading out as a single sustained keyboard note fades in around the nine-minute mark. Throughout this section, Wright's keyboards dominate, with the use of a Minimoog synthesizer, and a Hohner Clavinet. Originally the section clocked in at 8 minutes before it was edited down to three minutes on the final version (the unedited Part 8 without the electric piano and Mini-Moog overdubs surfaced on a bootleg called The Extraction Tapes). When performed on the [[In the Flesh (1977 Pink Floyd 'Animals' tour)|"In the Flesh" tour]] in 1977, the section would be extended to between 5 and 10 minutes as it would feature guitar solos from Gilmour (which would vary from funky power chords to a proper solo as the Animals tour progressed) and Snowy White. In addition to their guitar solos, there was also occasional trading of leads from Gilmour and White instead of the keyboard sounds as heard on record.
'''Part VIII''' ''(Wright, Gilmour, Waters; from 5:58 to 9:03)'' brings in Waters to play a second electric guitar for a high-noted sound riff while Gilmour plays the arpeggio riff that bridges Parts VII and VIII. A solid progression of [[funk]] in {{music|time|4|4}} plays for about two minutes before very slowly fading out as a single sustained keyboard note fades in around the nine-minute mark. Throughout this section, Wright's keyboards dominate, with the use of a Minimoog synthesizer, and a Hohner Clavinet. Originally the section clocked in at 8 minutes before it was edited down to three minutes on the final version (the unedited Part 8 without the electric piano and Minimoog overdubs surfaced on a bootleg called The Extraction Tapes). When performed on the "In the Flesh" tour in 1977, the section would be extended to between 5 and 10 minutes as it would feature guitar solos from Gilmour (which would vary from funky power chords to a proper solo as the Animals tour progressed) and Snowy White. In addition to their guitar solos, there was also occasional trading of leads from Gilmour and White instead of the keyboard sounds as heard on the record.


'''Part IX''' ''(Wright, from 9:07 to 12:28)'' is played in 4/4 time. Gilmour described Part IX in an interview{{which|date=February 2014}} as "a slow 4/4 [[funeral march]]... the parting musical eulogy to Syd".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/47616/Pink-Floyd-Wish-You-Were-Here/ |title=Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (album review 5) |website=Sputnikmusic.com |date=2012-01-21 |accessdate=2016-07-27}}</ref> Again, Wright's keyboards dominate, with little guitar input from Gilmour. Mason's drums play for much of this part, and the keyboards play for the final minute before fading out. On the fade-out, a short keyboard part of the melody of "[[See Emily Play]]" (at 12:12), one of Barrett's signature Pink Floyd songs, can be heard. Part IX, and the album, ends in G major, a [[Picardy third]]. When performed early on the Animals tour, the part begins with the piano (as heard on record) then the synth solo is played (as on record) by Dick Parry with some slide guitar accompaniment by Snowy White would then change to half synthesizer/half harmony lead guitar solo for the remainder of European leg and first US leg. For the final US leg, after the piano began it was a bluesy guitar solo from Gilmour then harmony guitars from Gilmour and White (Gilmour playing the highest parts) and then ending like on record. This was the final solo writing credit Wright would receive in Pink Floyd during his lifetime, as well as his last writing credit of any kind until ''The Division Bell'' in 1994.
'''Part IX''' ''(Wright, from 9:03 to 12:24)'' is played in {{music|time|4|4}} time. Gilmour described Part IX as "a slow {{music|time|4|4}} [[funeral march]]... the parting musical eulogy to Syd".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/47616/Pink-Floyd-Wish-You-Were-Here/ |title=Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (album review 5) |website=Sputnikmusic.com |date=21 January 2012 |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref> Again, Wright's keyboards dominate, with little guitar input from Gilmour. Mason's drums play for much of this part, and the keyboards play for the final minute before fading out. On the fade-out, a short keyboard part of the melody of "[[See Emily Play]]" (at 12:07), one of Barrett's signature Pink Floyd songs, can be heard. This was allegedly added after Barrett visited the studio. Part IX, and the album, ends in [[G major]], a [[Picardy third]]. When performed early on the Animals tour, the part begins with the piano (as heard on the record) then the synth solo is played (as on the record) by Dick Parry with some slide guitar accompaniment by Snowy White would then change to half synthesizer/half harmony lead guitar solo for the remainder of European leg and first US leg. At the beginning of the final US leg, the piano would play, then David played a bluesy guitar solo, then Snowy played a guitar solo, and then White would play the high harmonies while Gilmour played the low harmonies; but after a show in Chicago, White’s solo was dropped and the harmony guitar solo from earlier in the tour by Gilmour and White (Gilmour playing the highest parts) was reinstated and then ending like on the record. This was the final solo writing credit Wright would receive in Pink Floyd during his lifetime, as well as his last writing credit of any kind until ''[[The Division Bell]]'' in 1994.


==Live performances==
==Live performances==
{{Refimprove section|date=June 2013}}
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2013}}
The song series was first performed in 1974 as "Shine On",<ref name=Uncen>{{cite book|last=Carruthers|first=Bob|title=Pink Floyd – Uncensored on the Record|year=2011|publisher=Coda Books Ltd|isbn=978-1-908538-27-7}}</ref> during the band's [[Pink Floyd 1974 tours#1974 French Summer Tour|French tour]] in June that year. It was first introduced as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on the British tour in November 1974. The set was originally performed as one whole suite with some of the parts differing from the album versions with samplings of Barrett's solo song "[[Dark Globe]]" during the opening of the performance. The version from the British tour was included on the 2011 [[Why Pink Floyd...?#Experience 2|Experience]] and [[Why Pink Floyd...?#Immersion 2|Immersion]] editions of ''Wish You Were Here''. The multi-part version of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was first performed on the band's 1975 North American tour with "[[Have a Cigar]]" thrown into the middle of the piece. The 1975 versions were close to the final versions except parts one and nine were still not refined yet. The band performed the whole nine-part "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" as part of the ''Wish You Were Here'' portion of their 1977 [[In the Flesh (1977 Pink Floyd 'Animals' tour)|In the Flesh Tour]], with extra musicians White on guitar and backing vocals and Parry on saxophones.
The song series was first performed as "Shine On",<ref name=Uncen>{{cite book|last=Carruthers|first=Bob|title=Pink Floyd – Uncensored on the Record|year=2011|publisher=Coda Books Ltd|isbn=978-1-908538-27-7}}</ref> during the band's [[Pink Floyd 1974 tours#1974 French Summer Tour|French tour]] in June 1974. It was introduced as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on the British tour in November 1974. The set was originally performed as one whole suite with some of the parts differing from the album versions, and samplings of Barrett's solo song "[[Dark Globe]]" during the opening of the performance. The version from the British tour was included on the 2011 [[Why Pink Floyd...?#Experience 2|Experience]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-11-17|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Why Pink Floyd...?#Experience 2|reason= }} and [[Why Pink Floyd...?#Immersion 2|Immersion]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-11-17|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Why Pink Floyd...?#Immersion 2|reason= }} editions of ''Wish You Were Here''. The multi-part version of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was first performed on the band's 1975 North American tour with "[[Have a Cigar]]" in between the two halves of the piece. The 1975 versions were close to the final versions, except parts one and nine were still not refined yet. The band performed the whole nine-part "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" as part of the ''Wish You Were Here'' portion of their 1977 [[In the Flesh (Pink Floyd tour)|In the Flesh Tour]], with extra musicians White on guitar and backing vocals and Parry on saxophones and additional keyboards.


Parts I–V of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" became a staple of Pink Floyd's live performances from 1987–94. The track opened shows for most of the ''[[A Momentary Lapse of Reason]]'' [[A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour|tour of 1987–89]] and the tour closing performance at Knebworth in 1990 with [[Candy Dulfer]] on saxophone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/dvds-videos/live-at-knebworth-1990-with-pink-floyd-2.html |quote=As far as the Floyd selection here, not a bad choice - a nice performance of "Shine On", with a lovely solo from the Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer, and "Run Like Hell", which ended the concert. |title=Live at Knebworth 1990 |accessdate=5 September 2008 |work=Live at Knebworth DVD Review |publisher=Pink Floyd News Resource}}</ref> The first eleven performances had "[[Echoes (Pink Floyd song)|Echoes]]" as the show opener before the band proceeded to play all of ''A Momentary Lapse of Reason'' in the rest of the first half in a slightly different sequence to the album. A condensed edition of the track (without the Gilmour solo in Part III) would then open the second half of the shows on the group's 1994 [[The Division Bell Tour|The Division Bell tour]] (documented on ''[[Pulse (Pink Floyd album)|Pulse]]'') except on shows where all of ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]'' was performed when "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" opened the first half and in the last month and a half of the tour the band added part VII to Parts I–V. A similar version was also played during David Gilmour's [[Rattle That Lock Tour]] in 2015 with the according screen film on display.
Parts I–V became a staple of Floyd's performances from 1987 to 1994. The track (without the Gilmour solo in part III) opened shows for most of the [[A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour]], including its final performance at Knebworth in 1990 with [[Candy Dulfer]] on saxophone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/dvds-videos/live-at-knebworth-1990-with-pink-floyd-2.html |quote=As far as the Floyd selection here, not a bad choice - a nice performance of "Shine On", with a lovely solo from the Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer, and "Run Like Hell", which ended the concert. |title=Live at Knebworth 1990 |access-date=5 September 2008 |work=Live at Knebworth DVD Review |publisher=Pink Floyd News Resource}}</ref> The first eleven performances had "[[Echoes (Pink Floyd song)|Echoes]]" as the show opener before the band proceeded to play all of ''A Momentary Lapse of Reason'' in the rest of the first half in a slightly different sequence to the album. A condensed edition of the track (again without the Gilmour solo in Part III) would then open the second half of the shows on the group's 1994 [[The Division Bell Tour]], except in shows where all of ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]'' was performed, in which case "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" opened the first half of the concert. In the last month and a half of the tour, the band added part VII to Parts I–V (as documented on the live album ''[[Pulse (Pink Floyd album)|Pulse]]''). A similar version was also played during David Gilmour's [[Rattle That Lock Tour]] in 2015 with the according screen film on display.


Gilmour performed almost the whole suite (save part IX) at his 2001 and 2002 semi-unplugged concerts (which were documented on his 2002 ''[[David Gilmour in Concert]]'' video film) and has performed Parts I–II and IV–V (in a new arrangement) on his 2006 ''[[On an Island]]'' solo tour. Part III was omitted and Parts I and II were simplified and more guitar-focused. Gilmour performed Parts I–V on his ''[[Live in Gdańsk]]'' album on disc two and on the DVD in the four-disc edition of the album. The five-disc edition and the online downloads available in the three and four-disc editions include Parts I–V recorded in [[Venice]] and [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]] in 2006. In many of his performances, solo and with Pink Floyd, Gilmour alters the vocal melody to avoid the higher notes that were originally sung by Waters.
Gilmour performed almost the whole suite (save parts III, VIII and IX) at his 2001 and 2002 semi-unplugged concerts (documented on his 2002 ''[[David Gilmour in Concert]]'' DVD). "There was," he said, "a moment of thinking, 'Shall I attempt an acoustic guitar version of the long, synthesised opening?' It came to me one day how I could do it, and it worked out not too badly."<ref>Fielder, Hugh: "Sinking the pink"; ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' #48, Christmas 2002, p58</ref>


Gilmour performed parts I–II and IV–V (in a new arrangement) on his 2006 [[On an Island Tour|On an Island]] concert series. Part III was omitted and Parts I and II were simplified and more guitar-focused. Gilmour performed Parts I–V on his ''[[Live in Gdańsk]]'' album on disc two and on the DVD in the four-disc edition of the album. The five-disc edition and the online downloads available in the three and four-disc editions include Parts I–V recorded in [[Venice]] and [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]] in 2006. In many of his performances, solo and with Pink Floyd, Gilmour alters the vocal melody to avoid the higher notes that were originally sung by Waters.
Waters has also performed the epic on his [[In the Flesh (1999-2002 concert tour by Roger Waters)|1999 and 2000 tours]] documented on his ''[[In the Flesh – Live]]'' album and DVD which was a condensed parts I, II, IV, VI, VII, and IX. Part VI on these performances had a lap steel solo from [[Jon Carin]] then guitar solos from [[Doyle Bramhall II]] and White. Then on Waters' 2002 tour, he played all nine parts like on record (although part VIII was shortened). An abridged version of parts I–V was performed on Waters' 2006–07 ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon Live]]'' tour.

Waters has also performed the epic on his [[In the Flesh (1999-2002 concert tour by Roger Waters)|In The Flesh]] concert series, documented on [[In the Flesh – Live|the live album of the same name]] which was a condensed parts I, II, IV, VI, VII, and VIII. Part VI on these performances had a lap steel solo from [[Jon Carin]] then guitar solos from [[Doyle Bramhall II]] and White. Then on Waters' 2002 tour, he played all nine parts like on record (although parts I, VIII and IX were shortened). An abridged version of parts I–V was performed on Waters' 2006–07 [[The Dark Side of the Moon Live]], Waters also performed the song on the 2016 concerts, including the free concert of the [[Zócalo|Mexico City's Zócalo]], and the concert at the [[Desert Trip]] festival; besides the parts VI–IX, Waters performed all the ''Wish You Were Here'' album live in order. During Waters' [[This Is Not a Drill]], he played the B side of ''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]] '' in order, including parts VI through VIII (excluding part IX) but dropped Part VIII after a few shows to end with Part V.


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
*[[Roger Waters]] – [[bass guitar]], [[Lead vocalist|lead vocals]], additional [[electric guitar]] on Part VIII, [[glass harp]]
*[[Roger Waters]] – bass guitar, lead vocals, additional electric guitar on Part VIII, [[glass harp]]
*[[David Gilmour]] – [[electric guitar]]s, [[Backing vocalist|backing vocals]], [[lap steel guitar]], additional bass guitar on Part VI, [[EMS Synthi AKS]], glass harp
*[[David Gilmour]] – electric guitars, backing vocals, Fender Stringmaster [[pedal steel guitar]], additional bass guitar on Part VI, [[EMS Synthi AKS]], glass harp
*[[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] – [[Hammond organ]], [[ARP String Ensemble]], [[Minimoog]], quadruple-tracked [[EMS VCS 3]], [[clavinet]] and [[electric piano]] on Part VIII, [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway piano]] on Parts III and IX, glass harp, backing vocals, [[Bösendorfer|Bösendorfer piano]] on the multi-channel re-release (recorded in 2008).<ref name="bootBeat" />
*[[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] – [[Hammond organ]], [[ARP String Ensemble]], [[Minimoog]], quadruple-tracked [[EMS VCS 3]], [[clavinet]] and [[electric piano]] on Part VIII, [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway piano]] on Parts III, VI and IX, glass harp, backing vocals, [[Bösendorfer|Bösendorfer piano]] on the multi-channel re-release (recorded in 2008).<ref name="bootBeat" />
*[[Nick Mason]] – [[drum kit|drums]], [[percussion instrument|percussion]]
*[[Nick Mason]] – drums, percussion


with:
with:
*[[Dick Parry]] – [[baritone saxophone|baritone]] and [[tenor saxophone]]s
*[[Dick Parry]] – [[baritone saxophone|baritone]] and [[tenor saxophone]]s
*Carlena Williams – backing vocals
*[[Carlena Williams]] – backing vocals
*[[Venetta Fields]] – backing vocals
*[[Venetta Fields]] – backing vocals

==Edited versions==
Three different edited versions of the composition have appeared on compilation albums:

;''[[A Collection of Great Dance Songs]]'' (Parts I, II, IV, VII)
The version on this compilation album was cut significantly. Parts III, V, VI, VIII and IX were dropped completely. Parts IV and VII are linked by the guitar solo from earlier in Part IV. Lastly, the riff that links Parts VII and VIII is repeated several times as the song [[segue]]s into the introductory radio passage from "Wish You Were Here".

;''[[Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' (Parts I–VII)
The version on this compilation album was also cut, but less significantly. The guitar solo on Part III was dropped. Part VI was shortened. Parts VIII and IX were dropped completely. Linking Parts V and VI is the sound of wind. These are the same wind effects used to bridge "Wish You Were Here" to Part VI of "Diamond" on the original LP. Finally, the riff that links Parts VII and VIII is repeated several times as the song segues into the introductory passage of clocks of "[[Time (Pink Floyd song)|Time]]".

;''[[A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' (Parts I–V)
This version was also cut. Parts VI–IX were dropped completely. Part I was shortened. The guitar solo on Part III was dropped. The saxophone on Part V has an early fade-out. Finally, the machine-like hum that segues into "Welcome to the Machine" in the original album was dropped, the song simply stops and "[[Brain Damage (song)|Brain Damage]]" begins.


==Releases==
==Releases==
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" features on all the below releases:
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" features on all the below releases:


;Albums
'''Albums'''
*''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]'' (Original release) – Pink Floyd, 1975
*''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]'' (Original release, Parts I–V and VI–IX) – Pink Floyd, 1975
*''[[A Collection of Great Dance Songs]]'' (Edited version) – Pink Floyd, 1981<ref>{{cite web|last=Ruhlmann |first=William |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-collection-of-great-dance-songs-mw0000650630 |title=A Collection of Great Dance Songs - Pink Floyd : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=30 June 2013}}</ref>
*''[[A Collection of Great Dance Songs]]'' (Edited version, Parts I, II, IV, VII) – Pink Floyd, 1981<ref>{{cite web|last=Ruhlmann |first=William |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-collection-of-great-dance-songs-mw0000650630 |title=A Collection of Great Dance Songs Pink Floyd : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref>
*''[[Delicate Sound of Thunder]]'' (Live version, Parts I–V) – Pink Floyd, 1988
*''[[Delicate Sound of Thunder]]'' (Live version, Parts I–V) – Pink Floyd, 1988
*''[[Pulse (Pink Floyd album)|PULSE]]'' (Live version, Parts I–V and VII) – Pink Floyd, 1995
*''[[Pulse (Pink Floyd album)|PULSE]]'' (Live version, Parts I–V, VII) – Pink Floyd, 1995
*''[[In the Flesh – Live]]'' (Live version, Parts I–VIII) – Roger Waters, 2000
*''[[In the Flesh – Live]]'' (Live version, Parts I, II, IV, VI, VII, VIII) – Roger Waters, 2000
*''[[Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' (Edited version) – Pink Floyd, 2001<ref name="Echoes">{{cite web|url=http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/echoes/ae/credits.html |title=Echoes: the album credits |publisher=Pink Floyd |accessdate=20 June 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602090825/http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/echoes/ae/credits.html |archivedate=2 June 2010}}</ref>
*''[[Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' (Edited version, Parts I–VII) – Pink Floyd, 2001<ref name="Echoes">{{cite web|url=http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/echoes/ae/credits.html |title=Echoes: the album credits |publisher=Pink Floyd |access-date=20 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602090825/http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/echoes/ae/credits.html |archive-date=2 June 2010}}</ref>
*''[[Live in Gdańsk]]'' (Live version, Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2008
*''[[Live in Gdańsk]]'' (Live version, Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2008
*''[[Why Pink Floyd...?|Wish You Were Here]]'' 2011 remastered "Experience" and "Immersion" sets (early live version recorded in November 1974) – Pink Floyd, 2011
*''[[Why Pink Floyd...?|Wish You Were Here]]'' 2011 remastered "Experience" and "Immersion" sets (early live version recorded in November 1974) – Pink Floyd, 2011
*''[[A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' (Edited version, Parts I–V) – Pink Floyd, 2011
*''[[A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' (Edited version, Parts I–V) – Pink Floyd, 2011
*''[[Live at Pompeii]]'' (Live version, Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2017


;Video/DVD/BD
'''Video/DVD/BD'''
*''Delicate Sound of Thunder'' (VHS, Part I only) – Pink Floyd, 1988
*''Delicate Sound of Thunder'' (VHS, Part I only) – Pink Floyd, 1988
*''PULSE'' (VHS and DVD, Parts I–V and VII) – Pink Floyd, 1995 (VHS) 2006 (DVD)
*''PULSE'' (VHS and DVD, Parts I–V, VII) – Pink Floyd, 1995 (VHS) 2006 (DVD)
*''In the Flesh – Live'' (DVD, Parts I–VIII) – Roger Waters, 2000
*''In the Flesh – Live'' (DVD, Parts I, II, IV, VI, VII, VIII) – Roger Waters, 2000
*''[[David Gilmour in Concert]]'' (DVD, Parts I–II, IV–V and VI–VII, reprise of Part V) – David Gilmour, 2002
*''[[David Gilmour in Concert]]'' (DVD, Parts I–II, IV–V (acoustic) and VI–VII with end of Part V) – David Gilmour, 2002
*''[[Remember That Night]]'' (DVD and [[Blu-ray Disc|BD]], Parts I–II and IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2007
*''[[Remember That Night]]'' (DVD and [[Blu-ray Disc|BD]], Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2007
*''[[Live in Gdańsk]]'' 3-disc, 4-disc and deluxe editions (Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2008
*''[[Live in Gdańsk]]'' 3-disc, 4-disc and deluxe editions (Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2008
*''[[Live at Pompeii]]'' (DVD, BD and deluxe edition, Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2017

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Parts 1-5|award=Gold|relyear=1975|certyear=2024|access-date=September 30, 2024|note=Parts I–V}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Parts 1-5|award=Silver|relyear=2011|certyear=2023|id=19125-1497-1|access-date=7 July 2023|note=Parts I–V}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

==Use in other media==
In December 2018, the song was the subject of an episode of [[BBC Radio 4]]'s [[Soul Music (radio series)|''Soul Music'']], examining its cultural influence, including an interview with Gilmour about how the song was created.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001r7h|work=BBC Radio 4|title=Soul Music – Shine On You Crazy Diamond|date=26 December 2018}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)}}
{{Wikiquote|Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)}}
*[{{Allmusic|class=song|id=t3521245|pure_url=yes}} William Ruhlmann review of Shine On You Crazy Diamond]
*[{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t3521245|pure_url=yes}} William Ruhlmann review of Shine On You Crazy Diamond]
*[http://deepastronomy.com/hubble-deep-field.html Hubble Ultra Deep Field video featuring Part 1 of the song]
*[http://deepastronomy.com/hubble-deep-field.html Hubble Ultra Deep Field video featuring Part 1 of the song]
* {{MetroLyrics song|pink-floyd|shine-on-you-crazy-diamond}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->


{{Wish You Were Here}}
{{Wish You Were Here}}
{{Pink Floyd}}
{{Pink Floyd}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2011}}


[[Category:Pink Floyd songs]]
[[Category:1975 quotations]]
[[Category:1975 songs]]
[[Category:1975 songs]]
[[Category:Suites]]
[[Category:Pink Floyd songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by David Gilmour]]
[[Category:Quotations from music]]
[[Category:Songs written by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Songs written by Richard Wright (musician)]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by David Gilmour]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by David Gilmour]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Richard Wright (musician)]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Nick Mason]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Nick Mason]]
[[Category:Songs in memory of Syd Barrett]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Richard Wright (musician)]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Songs about Syd Barrett]]
[[Category:Songs written by David Gilmour]]
[[Category:Songs written by Richard Wright (musician)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Suites (music)]]

Latest revision as of 14:53, 27 December 2024

"Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
The single edit of Part I
Composition by Pink Floyd
from the album Wish You Were Here
PublishedPink Floyd Music Publishers Ltd
Released15 September 1975
Recorded13 January– 28 July 1975 ("Wine Glasses" on 5 January 1971)[1]
StudioAbbey Road Studios (Studio One, Two and Three)
Genre
Length25:57 (all parts)
13:33 (parts I–V)
12:24 (parts VI–IX)
17:32 (Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd version)
11:05 (The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door version)
10:41 (A Collection of Great Dance Songs version)
3:53 (single edit)
LabelHarvest (UK)
Columbia/CBS (US)
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Roger Waters
Producer(s)Pink Floyd

"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright, which was first performed on Pink Floyd's 1974 French tour and appeared in Pink Floyd's 1975 concept album Wish You Were Here. The song is written about and dedicated to founding member Syd Barrett, who departed from the band in 1968 after dealing with mental health problems and substance abuse.

Background

[edit]

The song, originated from a riff composed by guitarist David Gilmour and later developed by the guitarist himself, bassist Roger Waters and pianist Richard Wright, was conceived and written as a tribute and remembrance to Pink Floyd founder member Syd Barrett.[7] Barrett was eased out of the band in 1968 because his LSD use and deteriorating mental health were affecting his ability to integrate with the other band members and create and perform as a musician. He was replaced by his former school friend David Gilmour, who had initially been brought in as second guitarist. The remaining members of the band felt guilty about having removed him, but although they admired Barrett's creativity, they were concerned about his severe mental decline and felt it had been necessary.[8] "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" was first performed on Pink Floyd's 1974 French tour and was recorded for their 1975 concept album Wish You Were Here. The track was originally intended to be a side-long composition, like "Atom Heart Mother" and "Echoes", but was ultimately split into two parts and used to bookend the album, with other newly composed material acting as a bridge.[9]

Recording

[edit]

Bassist Roger Waters commented, as the sessions were underway, that "at times the group was there only physically. Our bodies were there, but our minds and feelings somewhere else."[10] Eventually an idea was raised to split the song in two, Parts I–V and Parts VI–IX.[10]

According to guitarist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason on the Wish You Were Here episode of In the Studio with Redbeard, Pink Floyd recorded a satisfactory take of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" but because of a new mixing console which was installed at Abbey Road Studios, it needed to be re-recorded as excessive 'bleed' from other instruments could be heard on the drum tracks. As explained by Gilmour,

We originally did the backing track over the course of several days, but we came to the conclusion that it just wasn't good enough. So we did it again in one day flat and got it a lot better. Unfortunately nobody understood the desk properly and when we played it back we found that someone had switched the echo returns from monitors to tracks one and two. That affected the tom-toms and guitars and keyboards which were playing along at the time. There was no way of saving it, so we just had to do it yet again.[11]

On part 3, a piano part seems to have been added "live" to the final mix, making it absent from multitrack masters. That part was re-recorded at British Grove Studios by pianist Richard Wright during the multi-channel mix used for the album Immersion Edition and the SACD release.[12]

Nick Mason said:

With the invention of 16-track and 2-inch tape there was the belief for quite a while that there would be something wrong with editing tape that big. Consequently whenever we played these pieces, they had to be played from beginning to end. Particularly for Roger [Waters] and myself being the rhythm section, which would be laid down first, this was [chuckling] a fairly tough business because the whole thing had to be sort of right.[13]

The song would be the first song to be started and the last song to be recorded for the album. On 24 February, a sequence that was titled "Wine Glasses" was overdubbed onto part 1 of the song, titled after how the band used wine glasses to record it. The sequence was recorded on 5 January 1971, originally intended to be a part of a series of musical experiments the band conducted titled "Nothings".[14]

Barrett's studio visit

[edit]
Syd Barrett, visiting Abbey Road Studios on 5 June 1975

On 5 June 1975, Barrett, by this point heavyset, with a completely shaved head and eyebrows, wandered into the studio where the band were recording. They did not recognise him for some time because of his drastically changed appearance, but when they eventually realised who the withdrawn man in the corner was, Roger Waters became so distressed about Barrett's appearance that he was reduced to tears.[9] Someone asked to play the suite again for Barrett and he said a second playback was not needed when they had just heard it. When asked what he thought of the song, Barrett said it sounded a "bit old". He subsequently slipped away during celebrations for Gilmour's wedding to Ginger Hasenbein, which took place later that day.[15] Gilmour confirmed this story, although he could not recall which composition they were working on when Barrett showed up.[16][17] Mason has also stated that he is not certain whether "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was the piece being recorded when Barrett was there.

The episode is related by Wright as follows:

Roger was there, and he was sitting at the desk, and I came in and I saw this guy sitting behind him – huge, bald, fat guy. I thought, "He looks a bit... strange..." Anyway, so I sat down with Roger at the desk and we worked for about ten minutes, and this guy kept on getting up and brushing his teeth and then sitting – doing really weird things, but keeping quiet. And I said to Roger, "Who is he?" and Roger said "I don't know." And I said "Well, I assumed he was a friend of yours," and he said "No, I don't know who he is." Anyway, it took me a long time, and then suddenly I realised it was Syd, after maybe 45 minutes. He came in as we were doing the vocals for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", which was basically about Syd. He just, for some incredible reason picked the very day that we were doing a song which was about him. And we hadn't seen him, I don't think, for two years before. That's what's so incredibly... weird about this guy. And a bit disturbing, as well, I mean, particularly when you see a guy, that you don't, you couldn't recognise him. And then, for him to pick the very day we want to start putting vocals on, which is a song about him. Very strange.[18]

Composition

[edit]

As neither the original 1975 vinyl release nor the CD re-release delineate the various parts precisely, the make-up of the parts below is based on a comparison of the recorded timings with the identifications in the published sheet music.

The song is in G natural minor (Aeolian) scale, but with hints of the G Dorian mode with the inclusion of the E (raised sixth) note in various parts throughout, most prominently in the four-note theme in Part II. Gilmour's solos are largely blues-inspired, with a few notes hinting the inclusion of the G melodic minor scale.[19][20][21]

Parts I–V

[edit]

Part I (Wright, Gilmour; from 0:00 to 3:54) There are no lyrics in Part I. The instrumental begins with a fade-in of a G minor chord created with an EMS VCS 3, ARP Solina string synthesizer, a Hammond organ, and a wine glass harp (recycled from an earlier project known as Household Objects). This is followed by Wright's Minimoog passages leading into a lengthy, bluesy guitar solo played by Gilmour on a Fender Stratocaster (neck pickup) using a heavily compressed sound and reverb. Part I ends with the synthesizer chord fading into the background. During the fade-out, some very faint conversation in the studio can be heard on the left channel, although this has not been confirmed.

Part II (Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 3:54 to 6:27)[22] begins with a four-note theme (B♭, F, G [below the B♭], E), known informally as "Syd's theme", repeated throughout much of the entire section. This theme leads the harmony to C major (in comparison to the use of C minor in Part I). Mason starts his drumming and Waters his bass playing after the fourth playing of the four-note theme, which is the point where the riffs get into a fixed tempo, in 6
8
time. The chord leads back to G minor (as from Part I), followed by E♭ major and D major back to a coda from G minor. This part includes another solo by Gilmour.

Part III (Wright, Gilmour, Waters; from 6:27 to 8:41) begins with a Minimoog solo by Wright accompanied by a less complex variation of Mason's drums from Part II. This part includes Gilmour's third guitar solo, in the G natural minor scale, and ends with a fade into Part IV. When performed on the Animals tour, Gilmour added distortion to the guitar for this solo. This solo is often dropped in live performances while the rest of part III is still played—notably on Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse.

Part IV (Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 8:41 to 11:08) Waters sings his lyrics, with Gilmour, Wright and backing vocalists Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams on harmonies.

Part V (Gilmour, Waters, Wright; from 11:08 to 13:33) Part IV is followed by two guitars repeating an arpeggio variation on the main theme for about a minute with the theme of Part II. A baritone saxophone overlays the sounds, played by Dick Parry. The saxophone changes from a baritone to a tenor saxophone, as a time signature switch from 6
8
to 12
8
creates the feeling that the tempo doubles up. The sax solo is accompanied by a Solina string synthesizer keyboard sound. A machine-like hum fades in with musique concrète and segues into "Welcome to the Machine".

Parts VI–IX

[edit]

Part VI (Wright, Gilmour; from 0:00 to 4:56) begins with a howling wind from the preceding song "Wish You Were Here".[23] As the wind fades away, Gilmour comes in on the bass guitar with a continuing riff pattern. Waters adds another bass. Then Wright comes in playing a Solina String Ensemble Synthesizer and after a few measures, several rhythm guitar parts (Gilmour played the power chord rhythm part using his black Fender Stratocaster before switching to lap steel guitar for the solo in live performances from 1974 to 1977. Snowy White performed the rhythm guitar parts on this track on the band's 1977 In the Flesh Tour) and drums come in, as well as a Minimoog to play the opening solo. At the two-minute mark, Wright's Minimoog and Gilmour's lap steel guitar play notes in unison before Gilmour performs a lap steel guitar solo (the lap steel had open G tuning with the high D string tuned to E) with some counterpointing from Wright's synthesizers. It lasts for about three minutes (four when played on the band's In the Flesh Tour) and Gilmour played each section an octave higher than the previous one. The highest note he hit on the lap steel and slide solo was a B♭6, followed by a reprise of the guitar solo from Part IV (which was played by White live on Pink Floyd's 1977 tour so Gilmour could switch back to his Fender Stratocaster). The song then switches time signatures to 6
8
(found in Parts II–V), giving the appearance of a slower tempo and reintroducing the vocals.

Part VII (Gilmour, Wright, Waters; from 4:57 to 5:58) contains the vocals, in a similar vein to Part IV though half the length, before segueing into Part VIII. Waters again sings the lead vocals with Gilmour, Wright, Fields and Williams providing backing vocals.

Part VIII (Wright, Gilmour, Waters; from 5:58 to 9:03) brings in Waters to play a second electric guitar for a high-noted sound riff while Gilmour plays the arpeggio riff that bridges Parts VII and VIII. A solid progression of funk in 4
4
plays for about two minutes before very slowly fading out as a single sustained keyboard note fades in around the nine-minute mark. Throughout this section, Wright's keyboards dominate, with the use of a Minimoog synthesizer, and a Hohner Clavinet. Originally the section clocked in at 8 minutes before it was edited down to three minutes on the final version (the unedited Part 8 without the electric piano and Minimoog overdubs surfaced on a bootleg called The Extraction Tapes). When performed on the "In the Flesh" tour in 1977, the section would be extended to between 5 and 10 minutes as it would feature guitar solos from Gilmour (which would vary from funky power chords to a proper solo as the Animals tour progressed) and Snowy White. In addition to their guitar solos, there was also occasional trading of leads from Gilmour and White instead of the keyboard sounds as heard on the record.

Part IX (Wright, from 9:03 to 12:24) is played in 4
4
time. Gilmour described Part IX as "a slow 4
4
funeral march... the parting musical eulogy to Syd".[24] Again, Wright's keyboards dominate, with little guitar input from Gilmour. Mason's drums play for much of this part, and the keyboards play for the final minute before fading out. On the fade-out, a short keyboard part of the melody of "See Emily Play" (at 12:07), one of Barrett's signature Pink Floyd songs, can be heard. This was allegedly added after Barrett visited the studio. Part IX, and the album, ends in G major, a Picardy third. When performed early on the Animals tour, the part begins with the piano (as heard on the record) then the synth solo is played (as on the record) by Dick Parry with some slide guitar accompaniment by Snowy White would then change to half synthesizer/half harmony lead guitar solo for the remainder of European leg and first US leg. At the beginning of the final US leg, the piano would play, then David played a bluesy guitar solo, then Snowy played a guitar solo, and then White would play the high harmonies while Gilmour played the low harmonies; but after a show in Chicago, White’s solo was dropped and the harmony guitar solo from earlier in the tour by Gilmour and White (Gilmour playing the highest parts) was reinstated and then ending like on the record. This was the final solo writing credit Wright would receive in Pink Floyd during his lifetime, as well as his last writing credit of any kind until The Division Bell in 1994.

Live performances

[edit]

The song series was first performed as "Shine On",[25] during the band's French tour in June 1974. It was introduced as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on the British tour in November 1974. The set was originally performed as one whole suite with some of the parts differing from the album versions, and samplings of Barrett's solo song "Dark Globe" during the opening of the performance. The version from the British tour was included on the 2011 Experience[broken anchor] and Immersion[broken anchor] editions of Wish You Were Here. The multi-part version of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was first performed on the band's 1975 North American tour with "Have a Cigar" in between the two halves of the piece. The 1975 versions were close to the final versions, except parts one and nine were still not refined yet. The band performed the whole nine-part "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" as part of the Wish You Were Here portion of their 1977 In the Flesh Tour, with extra musicians White on guitar and backing vocals and Parry on saxophones and additional keyboards.

Parts I–V became a staple of Floyd's performances from 1987 to 1994. The track (without the Gilmour solo in part III) opened shows for most of the A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour, including its final performance at Knebworth in 1990 with Candy Dulfer on saxophone.[26] The first eleven performances had "Echoes" as the show opener before the band proceeded to play all of A Momentary Lapse of Reason in the rest of the first half in a slightly different sequence to the album. A condensed edition of the track (again without the Gilmour solo in Part III) would then open the second half of the shows on the group's 1994 The Division Bell Tour, except in shows where all of The Dark Side of the Moon was performed, in which case "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" opened the first half of the concert. In the last month and a half of the tour, the band added part VII to Parts I–V (as documented on the live album Pulse). A similar version was also played during David Gilmour's Rattle That Lock Tour in 2015 with the according screen film on display.

Gilmour performed almost the whole suite (save parts III, VIII and IX) at his 2001 and 2002 semi-unplugged concerts (documented on his 2002 David Gilmour in Concert DVD). "There was," he said, "a moment of thinking, 'Shall I attempt an acoustic guitar version of the long, synthesised opening?' It came to me one day how I could do it, and it worked out not too badly."[27]

Gilmour performed parts I–II and IV–V (in a new arrangement) on his 2006 On an Island concert series. Part III was omitted and Parts I and II were simplified and more guitar-focused. Gilmour performed Parts I–V on his Live in Gdańsk album on disc two and on the DVD in the four-disc edition of the album. The five-disc edition and the online downloads available in the three and four-disc editions include Parts I–V recorded in Venice and Vienne in 2006. In many of his performances, solo and with Pink Floyd, Gilmour alters the vocal melody to avoid the higher notes that were originally sung by Waters.

Waters has also performed the epic on his In The Flesh concert series, documented on the live album of the same name which was a condensed parts I, II, IV, VI, VII, and VIII. Part VI on these performances had a lap steel solo from Jon Carin then guitar solos from Doyle Bramhall II and White. Then on Waters' 2002 tour, he played all nine parts like on record (although parts I, VIII and IX were shortened). An abridged version of parts I–V was performed on Waters' 2006–07 The Dark Side of the Moon Live, Waters also performed the song on the 2016 concerts, including the free concert of the Mexico City's Zócalo, and the concert at the Desert Trip festival; besides the parts VI–IX, Waters performed all the Wish You Were Here album live in order. During Waters' This Is Not a Drill, he played the B side of Wish You Were Here in order, including parts VI through VIII (excluding part IX) but dropped Part VIII after a few shows to end with Part V.

Personnel

[edit]

with:

Releases

[edit]

"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" features on all the below releases:

Albums

Video/DVD/BD

  • Delicate Sound of Thunder (VHS, Part I only) – Pink Floyd, 1988
  • PULSE (VHS and DVD, Parts I–V, VII) – Pink Floyd, 1995 (VHS) 2006 (DVD)
  • In the Flesh – Live (DVD, Parts I, II, IV, VI, VII, VIII) – Roger Waters, 2000
  • David Gilmour in Concert (DVD, Parts I–II, IV–V (acoustic) and VI–VII with end of Part V) – David Gilmour, 2002
  • Remember That Night (DVD and BD, Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2007
  • Live in Gdańsk 3-disc, 4-disc and deluxe editions (Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2008
  • Live at Pompeii (DVD, BD and deluxe edition, Parts I–II, IV–V) – David Gilmour, 2017

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[30]
Parts I–V
Gold 50,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[31]
Parts I–V
Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Use in other media

[edit]

In December 2018, the song was the subject of an episode of BBC Radio 4's Soul Music, examining its cultural influence, including an interview with Gilmour about how the song was created.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2017). Pink Floyd All The Songs. Running Press. ISBN 9780316439237.
  2. ^ Murphy, Sean (22 May 2011). "The 25 Best Progressive Rock Songs of All Time". PopMatters. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  3. ^ Popoff, Martin (5 January 2024). "The Top 20 unlikely Progressive Rock hits, ranked". Goldmine. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. ^ "The Top 150 Albums of the '70s". Treble. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  5. ^ S, R (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 638.
  6. ^ "Shine On You Crazy Diamond : Sheet Music" (PDF). Sheets-piano.ru. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. ^ Kirby, Terry (12 July 2006). "Syd Barrett: The crazy diamond". The Independent. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  8. ^ Palacios, Julian (2010). Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd: Dark Globe. London: Plexus Publishing Limited. ISBN 9780859658829.
  9. ^ a b "A Rambling Conversation with Roger Waters Concerning All This and That". Ingsoc.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  10. ^ a b Macan, Edward (1997). Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture (illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 114. ISBN 9780195098877.
  11. ^ "Wish You Were Here songbook". Pink-floyd.org. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  12. ^ a b "The Missing Piano on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  13. ^ In the Studio with Redbeard
  14. ^ Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2017). Pink Floyd All The Songs. Running Press. ISBN 9780316439237.
  15. ^ "Total Guitar 1996". Neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  16. ^ "Il requiem di David Gilmour "I Pink Floyd? Sono finiti"". Repubblica.it. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  17. ^ "David Gilmour: "Pink Floyd? It's over"". Archived from the original on 26 August 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
  18. ^ Kendall, Charlie (1984). "Shades of Pink – The Definitive Pink Floyd Profile". The Source Radio Show. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  19. ^ Becker, Daniel (May 2016). "A New Perspective on the Concept Album: The Governing Tonal Axis in Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here" (PDF). Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  20. ^ Cohen, Gilad (1 May 2018). ""The Shadow of Yesterday's Triumph": Pink Floyd's "Shine On" and the Stage Theory of Grief". Music Theory Spectrum. 40 (1): 106–120. doi:10.1093/mts/mty011. ISSN 0195-6167.
  21. ^ Jones, Christopher Everett (2017). Tear Down the Wall: Long-Form Analytical Techniques and the Music of Pink Floyd. p. 42.
  22. ^ "Classic tone: Shine On You Crazy Diamond |". Gilmourish.com. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  23. ^ Macan, Edward (1997). Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture (illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 123. ISBN 9780195098877.
  24. ^ "Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (album review 5)". Sputnikmusic.com. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  25. ^ Carruthers, Bob (2011). Pink Floyd – Uncensored on the Record. Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-908538-27-7.
  26. ^ "Live at Knebworth 1990". Live at Knebworth DVD Review. Pink Floyd News Resource. Retrieved 5 September 2008. As far as the Floyd selection here, not a bad choice - a nice performance of "Shine On", with a lovely solo from the Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer, and "Run Like Hell", which ended the concert.
  27. ^ Fielder, Hugh: "Sinking the pink"; Classic Rock #48, Christmas 2002, p58
  28. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "A Collection of Great Dance Songs – Pink Floyd : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  29. ^ "Echoes: the album credits". Pink Floyd. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  30. ^ "Italian single certifications – Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Parts 1-5" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 30 September 2024. Select "2024" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Parts 1-5" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  31. ^ "British single certifications – Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Parts 1-5". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  32. ^ "Soul Music – Shine On You Crazy Diamond". BBC Radio 4. 26 December 2018.
[edit]