Edit filter log

'{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}} {{EngvarB|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox album | name = Wish You Were Here | type = studio | artist = [[Pink Floyd]] | cover = Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here (1975).png | border = yes | alt = An image of two men dressed in dark grey business attire standing in the grounds of a Hollywood film studio, facing each other and shaking hands. The man on the right's hair and clothes are on fire, but he seems oblivious to the fact. The upper right edge of the photograph appears singed. | caption = Standard artwork for most releases | released = 12 September 1975 | recorded = January – July 1975 | studio = [[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]], London | genre = {{hlist|[[Progressive rock]]<ref name="50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time">{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-greatest-prog-rock-albums-of-all-time-20150617/pink-floyd-wish-you-were-here-1975-20150617 |title=50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=17 June 2015 |accessdate=28 July 2016}}</ref>|[[art rock]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Pink Floyd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wy5LAAAAYAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=[[Spin Magazine]] |page=78}}</ref>|[[experimental rock]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound |url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1135949506 |year=1993 |publisher=Guy A Marco |page=1651}}</ref>}} | length = 44:11 | label = [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] | producer = Pink Floyd | prev_title = [[The Dark Side of the Moon]] | prev_year = 1973 | next_title = [[Animals (Pink Floyd album)|Animals]] | next_year = 1977 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Additional cover | type = studio | cover = Wish You Were Here album first issue vinyl Pink Floyd black plastic wrap.jpg | border = yes | alt = The black plastic covers the whole vinyl package. The circle sticker at the right-centre position shows two machines clasped together, resembling a handshake. The whole circle is divided into four quarters in different colours. The pink quarter, located on upper-left, has the sun shining and "PINK FLOYD" in big font; below the band name is "WISH YOU WERE HERE" in small font. The yellow quarter is at lower-left displaying sand dunes. The blue quarter is at upper-right showing blue skies. The green quarter is at south displaying green-coloured water. | caption = Original vinyl shrink wrap banner, also used for 1970s tape releases, 1980s European CD re-releases, and slipcase of 2010s vinyl re-release }} {{Singles | name = Wish You Were Here | type = studio | single1 = [[Have a Cigar]]" / "[[Welcome to the Machine]] | single1date = 15 November 1975 }} }} '''''Wish You Were Here''''' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band [[Pink Floyd]], released on 12 September 1975 through [[Harvest Records]] and [[Columbia Records]], their first release for the latter. Based on material Pink Floyd composed while performing in Europe, ''Wish You Were Here'' was recorded over numerous sessions throughout 1975 at [[Abbey Road Studios]] in London. The album's themes include criticism of the [[Music industry|music business]], alienation, and a tribute to founding member [[Syd Barrett]], who left seven years earlier with deteriorating mental health. Like their previous record, ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]'' (1973), Pink Floyd used studio effects and synthesisers. Guest singers included [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]], who provided the lead vocals on "[[Have a Cigar]]", and [[Venetta Fields]], who added backing vocals to "[[Shine On You Crazy Diamond]]". To promote the album, the band released the double A-side single "Have a Cigar" / "[[Welcome to the Machine]]". ''Wish You Were Here'' received mixed reviews from critics on its release, who found its music uninspiring and inferior to their previous work. It has retrospectively received critical acclaim, hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time, and was cited by keyboardist [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] and guitarist [[David Gilmour]] as their favourite Pink Floyd album. It reached number one in the US and UK and Harvest's parent company, EMI, was unable to keep up with the demand. Since then, the record has sold an estimated 13 million copies. ==Background== During 1974, Pink Floyd sketched out three new compositions, "[[Sheep (song)|Raving and Drooling]]", "[[Dogs (Pink Floyd song)|You Gotta Be Crazy]]" and "[[Shine On You Crazy Diamond]]".{{refn|The first two would later be renamed "[[Sheep (song)|Sheep]]" and "[[Dogs (Pink Floyd song)|Dogs]]", and reappear on ''[[Animals (Pink Floyd album)|Animals]]''.|group="nb"}}<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=178}}</ref> These songs were performed during a series of concerts in France and England, the band's first tour since 1973's ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]''. As Pink Floyd had never employed a publicist and kept themselves distant from the press, their relationship with the media began to sour. Mason said later that a critical ''[[NME]]'' review by [[Syd Barrett]] devotee [[Nick Kent]] may have had influence in keeping the band together, as they returned to the studio in the first week of 1975.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=178–184}}</ref> ==Concept== ''Wish You Were Here'' is Floyd's second album with a conceptual theme written entirely by [[Roger Waters]]. It reflects his feeling that the camaraderie that had served the band was, by then, largely absent.<ref name="Masonp204" /> The album begins with a long instrumental preamble and segues into the lyrics for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", a tribute to Syd Barrett, whose mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier.<ref name="Barrettstory">{{citation |title=[[The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story]] |type=DVD |publisher=BBC |year=2003}}</ref> Barrett is fondly recalled with lines such as "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun" and "You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon".<ref>{{Harvnb|Di Perna|2002|p=23}}</ref> ''Wish You Were Here'' is also a critique of the music business. "Shine On" crosses seamlessly into "[[Welcome to the Machine]]", a song that begins with an opening door (described by Waters as a symbol of musical discovery and progress betrayed by a music industry more interested in greed and success) and ends with a party, the latter epitomising "the lack of contact and real feelings between people". Similarly, "[[Have a Cigar]]" scorns record industry "fat-cats" with the lyrics repeating a stream of cliches heard by rising newcomers in the industry, and including the question "by the way, which one's Pink?" asked of the band on at least one occasion.<ref name="Schaffnerp187">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=187}}</ref> The lyrics of the next song, "[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song)|Wish You Were Here]]", relate both to Barrett's condition and to the dichotomy of Waters' character, with greed and ambition battling with compassion and idealism.<ref name="Schaffnerp188">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=188}}</ref> "I had some criticisms of ''Dark Side of the Moon''…" noted [[David Gilmour]]. "One or two of the vehicles carrying the ideas were not as strong as the ideas that they carried. I thought we should try and work harder on marrying the idea and the vehicle that carried it, so that they both had an equal magic… It's something I was personally pushing when we made ''Wish You Were Here''."<ref>Fielder, Hugh: "Sinking the pink"; ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' #48, Christmas 2002, p59</ref> ==Recording== [[File:Abbey road studios.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A number of cars are parked in the asphalt car-park of a two-storey white building. The building appears once to have been detached, but a two-storey extension is apparent, on the right side of the building. The ground floor contains three large sash windows, each with a small metal railing around the sill. The first floor contains four shorter sash windows. The decorative stonework around the windows and main entrance has been painted grey. Two chimney stacks are visible on the roof, at opposite ends. The staircase entrance to the building is bordered by metal railings. To the left of the image, a much larger brick building can be seen in the distance.|[[Abbey Road Studios]]]] [[Alan Parsons]], EMI staff engineer for Pink Floyd's previous studio album, ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', declined to continue working with them. The group had worked with engineer Brian Humphries on ''[[More (soundtrack)|More]]'', recorded at Pye Studios,<ref>{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|pp=134, 200}}</ref> and again in 1974 when he replaced an inexperienced concert engineer.<ref>{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|p=200}}</ref> Humphries was therefore the natural choice to work on the band's new material, although being a stranger to EMI's Abbey Road set-up, he encountered some early difficulties. On one occasion, Humphries inadvertently spoiled the backing tracks for "Shine On", a piece that Waters and drummer [[Nick Mason]] had spent many hours perfecting, with [[echo]]. The entire piece had to be re-recorded.<ref name="Schaffnerp187" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|pp=202–203}}</ref><ref name="Redbeard1992">{{citation |url=http://www.inthestudio.net/this-week-in-the-studio/pink-floyd-4 |title=In the Studio with Redbeard |publisher=Barbarosa Ltd. Productions |year=1992 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214111128/http://www.inthestudio.net/this-week-in-the-studio/pink-floyd-4 |archivedate=14 December 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The sessions for ''Wish You Were Here'' at Abbey Road's Studio Three<ref name="Masonp208">{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|p=208}}</ref> lasted from January until July 1975, recording on four days each week from 2:30 pm until very late in the evening.<ref name = "SOS">{{cite web |last=Buskin |first=Richard |date=December 2014 |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec14/articles/classic-tracks-1214.htm |title=Pink Floyd 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' |work=[[Sound on Sound]] |accessdate=24 April 2016}}</ref> The group found it difficult at first to devise any new material, especially as the success of ''The Dark Side of the Moon'' had left all four physically and emotionally drained. Keyboardist [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] later described these sessions as "falling within a difficult period", and Waters recalled them as "torturous".<ref name="Schaffnerpp184185">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=184–185}}</ref> Mason found the process of multi-track recording drawn-out and tedious,<ref>{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|p=202}}</ref> while Gilmour was more interested in improving the band's existing material. Gilmour was also becoming increasingly frustrated with Mason, whose failing marriage had brought on a general malaise and sense of apathy, both of which interfered with his drumming.<ref name="Schaffnerpp184185" /> {{bquote|It was a very difficult period I have to say. All your childhood dreams had been sort of realised and we had the biggest selling records in the world and all the things you got into it for. The girls and the money and the fame and all that stuff it was all&nbsp;... everything had sort of come our way and you had to reassess what you were in it for thereafter, and it was a pretty confusing and sort of empty time for a while. {{emdash}}David Gilmour<ref name="Redbeard1992"/>}} Humphries gave his point of view regarding these struggled sessions in a 2014 interview: “There were days when we didn't do anything. I don't think they knew what they wanted to do. We had a dartboard and an air rifle and we'd play these word games, sit around, get drunk, go home and return the next day. That’s all we were doing until suddenly everything started falling into place.”<ref name = "SOS"/> After several weeks, Waters began to visualise another concept.<ref name="Schaffnerpp184185" /> The three new compositions from 1974's tour were at least a starting point for a new album, and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" seemed a reasonable choice as a centrepiece for the new work. Mostly an instrumental twenty-minute-plus piece similar to "[[Echoes (Pink Floyd song)|Echoes]]", the opening four-note guitar phrase reminded Waters of the lingering ghost of former band-member Syd Barrett.<ref name="Schaffnerp184">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=184}}</ref> Gilmour had composed the phrase entirely by accident, but was encouraged by Waters' positive response.<ref name="WatkinsonAndersonp119">{{Harvnb|Watkinson|Anderson|2001|p=119}}</ref> Waters wanted to split "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and sandwich two new songs between its two halves. Gilmour disagreed, but was outvoted three to one.<ref name="Poveyp190">{{Harvnb|Povey|2007|p=190}}</ref> "Welcome to the Machine" and "Have a Cigar" were barely veiled attacks on the music business, their lyrics working neatly with "Shine On" to provide an apt summary of the rise and fall of Barrett;<ref name="Schaffnerpp185186">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=185–186}}</ref> "Because I wanted to get as close as possible to what I felt&nbsp;... that sort of indefinable, inevitable melancholy about the disappearance of Syd."<ref name="Schaffnerp184" /> "Raving and Drooling" and "You Gotta Be Crazy" had no place in the new concept, and were set aside until the following album, 1977's ''[[Animals (Pink Floyd album)|Animals]]''.<ref name="Masonp204">{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|p=204}}</ref> ===Syd Barrett's visit=== On 5 June 1975, on the eve of Pink Floyd's second US tour that year, Gilmour married his first wife, [[Ginger Gilmour|Ginger]].{{refn|There seems to be some confusion about the date that Barrett turned up, and Gilmour's wedding. Blake (2008) writes that Gilmour's wedding was on 7 July, the date also given by Ginger in "The Pink Floyd FAQ", but that witnesses swore they saw Barrett at his reception at Abbey Road. Other authors claim that the reception and Barrett's visit were on 5 June.|group="nb"}} That day, the band were completing the mix of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"{{refn|Nick Mason has expressed doubt over this.<ref name="Masonp208"/>|group="nb"}} when an overweight man with shaven head and eyebrows entered, carrying a plastic bag. Waters did not recognise him.<ref name="Barrettstory" /> Gilmour presumed he was an EMI staff member.<ref name="WatkinsonAndersonp119" /> Wright presumed he was a friend of Waters, but realised it was Barrett.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=189}}</ref> Mason also failed to recognise him and was "horrified" when Gilmour identified him. In Mason's Pink Floyd memoir ''[[Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd|Inside Out]]'', he recalled Barrett's conversation as "desultory and not entirely sensible".<ref name="Masonpp206208">{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|pp=206–208}}</ref> [[Storm Thorgerson]] reflected on Barrett's presence: "Two or three people cried. He sat round and talked for a bit but he wasn't really there."<ref>{{Harvnb|Watkinson|Anderson|2001|p=120}}</ref> Waters was reportedly reduced to tears by the sight of his former bandmate. When fellow visitor [[Andrew King (music manager)|Andrew King]] asked how Barrett had gained so much weight, Barrett said he had a large refrigerator in his kitchen and had been eating lots of pork chops. He mentioned that he was ready to help with the recording, but while listening to the mix of "Shine On", showed no signs of understanding its relevance to him. Barrett joined Gilmour's wedding reception in the EMI canteen, but left without saying goodbye. Apart from Waters seeing Barrett buying sweets in [[Harrods]] a couple of years later, it was the last time any member of the band saw him alive. Barrett's appearance may have influenced the final version of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"; a subtle refrain performed by Wright from "[[See Emily Play]]" is audible towards the end.<ref name="Masonpp206208" /> {{bquote|I'm very sad about Syd. Of course he was important and the band would never have fucking started without him because he was writing all the material. It couldn't have happened without him but on the other hand it couldn't have gone on with him. "Shine On" is not really about Syd{{mdash}}he's just a symbol for all the extremes of absence some people have to indulge in because it's the only way they can cope with how fucking sad it is, modern life, to withdraw completely. I found that terribly sad. {{emdash}}Roger Waters<ref>{{Harvnb|Watkinson|Anderson|2001|p=121}}</ref>}} ===Instrumentation=== {{listen | filename = Shine On You Crazy Diamond four notes.ogg | title = "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" | description = The four note phrase from "[[Shine On You Crazy Diamond]]", composed by David Gilmour | format = [[Ogg]] | filename2 = Pink floyd have a cigar lyrics.ogg | title2 = "Have a Cigar" | description2 = "[[Have a Cigar]]" was sung by [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]], something that Waters later regretted. The song contains lyrics that are critical of the music industry. | format2 = [[Ogg]]}} As with ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', the band used synthesizers such as the [[EMS VCS 3]] (on "Welcome to the Machine"), but softened with Gilmour's acoustic guitar, and percussion from Mason.<ref name="Schaffnerp187" /> The beginning of "Shine On" contains remnants from a previous but incomplete studio recording by the band known as "[[Household Objects]]". Wine glasses had been filled with varying amounts of fluid, and recordings were made of a wet finger circling the edge of each glass. These recordings were multi-tracked into chords.<ref name="Masonp204" /> Jazz violinist [[Stéphane Grappelli]] and classical violinist [[Yehudi Menuhin]] were performing in another studio in the building, and were invited to record a piece for the new album. Menuhin watched as Grappelli played on the song "Wish You Were Here"; however, the band later decided his contribution was unsuitable and, until 2011, it was believed that the piece had been wiped.<ref name="Masonp206">{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|p=206}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Wilson |first=John |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15064243 |title=Violinist Grappelli found on 'lost' Pink Floyd track |publisher=BBC |date=26 September 2011 |accessdate=24 September 2012}}</ref> It turns out his playing was included on the album, but so low in the final mix that the band presumed it would be insulting to credit him.<ref name="grappelli">{{citation |last=Richard |first=Metzger |url=http://dangerousminds.net/comments/wish_you_were_here_pink_floyd_jam_with-stephane_grappelli_1975 |title=Wish You Were Here: Pink Floyd Jam with Stéphane Grappelli, 1975 |website=Dangerous Minds |date=26 April 2013 |accessdate=27 April 2013}}</ref> He was paid £300 for his contribution (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|300|1975|r=-2}}|0}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK}}<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=188–189}}</ref> [[Dick Parry]] again played saxophone, on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".<ref name="Blakep224">{{Harvnb|Blake|2008|p=224}}</ref> The opening bars of "Wish You Were Here" were recorded from Gilmour's car radio, with somebody turning the dial (the classical music heard is the finale of [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]]'s [[Symphony No. 4 (Tchaikovsky)|Fourth Symphony]]).<ref>{{Harvnb|Blake|2008|p=230}}</ref> ===Vocals=== Recording sessions had twice been interrupted by US tours (one in April and the other in June 1975),<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=186–187}}</ref> and the final sessions, which occurred after the band's performance at [[Concerts at Knebworth House|Knebworth]], proved particularly troublesome for Waters.<ref name="Poveyp190" /> He struggled to record the vocals for "Have a Cigar", requiring several takes to perform an acceptable version. His problems stemmed in part from the stresses placed upon his voice while recording the lead vocals of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". Gilmour was asked to sing in his place,<ref name="Masonp206" /> but declined, and eventually colleague and friend [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]] was asked to stand in. Harper was recording his own album in another of Abbey Road's studios, and Gilmour had already performed some guitar licks for him. Waters later regretted the decision, believing he should have performed the song.<ref name="Schaffnerpp187188">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=187–188}}</ref> [[Venetta Fields|The Blackberries]] recorded backing vocals for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".<ref name="Blakep224" /> === Touring === The band played much of ''Wish You Were Here'' on 5 July 1975 at the Knebworth music festival. Roy Harper, performing at the same event, on discovering that his stage costume was missing, proceeded to destroy one of Pink Floyd's vans, injuring himself in the process. This delayed the normal setup procedure of the band's sound system. As a pair of World War II [[Supermarine Spitfire]] had been booked to fly over the crowd during their entrance, the band were not able to delay their set. The result was that a power supply problem pushed Wright's keyboards completely out of tune, damaging the band's performance. At one point he left the stage, but the band were able to continue with a less sensitive keyboard, a piano and a simpler light show. Following a brief intermission, they returned to perform ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', but critics displeased about being denied access backstage savaged the performance.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=192–193}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Mason|2005|pp=211–212}}</ref> ==Packaging== [[File:Warner bros studio lot.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Bordering an asphalt road, receding into the distance, are two rows of large beige coloured buildings. Another beige building blocks the horizon, above which mountains are visible in the distance. The sky is blue with no clouds. Several cars are parked outside the buildings. Near the photographer, at a large open entrance to one building, the word STOP has been painted in white on the road. Next to it, a fire hydrant is visible, in front of which the words FIRE LANE are painted on the road.|Part of the Warner Bros. studio complex in California, where the cover image was photographed]] [[File:Mono Lake Tufa.JPG|right|thumb|alt=A rock formation rises from the surface of a calm lake. In the distance, the horizon is filled with hills. The sky is blue with clouds The rocks appear grey in colour.|[[Mono Lake]] in California]] ''Wish You Were Here'' was sold in one of the more elaborate packages to accompany a Pink Floyd album. Storm Thorgerson had accompanied the band on their 1974 tour and had given serious thought to the meaning of the lyrics, eventually deciding that the songs were, in general, concerned with "unfulfilled presence", rather than Barrett's illness.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=190}}</ref> This theme of absence was reflected in the ideas produced by his long hours spent brainstorming with the band. Thorgerson had noted that [[Roxy Music]]'s ''[[Country Life (Roxy Music album)|Country Life]]'' was sold in an opaque green cellophane sleeve – censoring the cover image – and he copied the idea, concealing the artwork for ''Wish You Were Here'' in a black-coloured shrink-wrap (therefore making the album art "absent"). The concept behind "Welcome to the Machine" and "Have a Cigar" suggested the use of a handshake (an often empty gesture), and [[George Hardie (artist)|George Hardie]] designed a sticker containing the album's logo of two mechanical hands engaged in a handshake, to be placed on the opaque sleeve (the mechanical handshake logo would also appear on the labels of the vinyl album this time in a black and blue background).<ref name="Schaffnerpp190192">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=190–192}}</ref><ref name="Poveyp346">{{Harvnb|Povey|2007|p=346}}</ref> The album's cover images were photographed by Aubrey "Po" Powell, Storm's partner at the design studio Hipgnosis, and inspired by the idea that people tend to conceal their true feelings, for fear of "getting burned", and thus two businessmen were pictured shaking hands, one man on fire. "Getting burned" was also a common phrase in the music industry, used often by artists denied royalty payments. Two stuntmen were used (Ronnie Rondell and Danny Rogers), one dressed in a fire-retardant suit covered by a business suit. His head was protected by a hood, underneath a wig. The photograph was taken at the [[Warner Bros.]] studios in [[Burbank, California]].<ref name="Schaffnerpp190192"/><ref name="Poveyp346"/> Initially the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, and the flames were forced into Rondell's face, burning his moustache. The two stuntmen changed positions, and the image was later reversed.<ref name="coverstories">{{citation |last=Stuart |first=Julia |title=Cover stories |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=117C291F281AEFF0&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=3 |work=[[The Independent]] hosted at infoweb.newsbank.com |format=Registration required |date=7 March 2007 |accessdate=21 August 2009}}</ref> The album's back cover depicts a faceless "Floyd salesman", in Thorgerson's words, "selling his soul" in the desert (shot in the [[Yuma Desert]] in California again by Aubrey "Po" Powell). The absence of wrists and ankles signifies his presence as an "empty suit". The inner sleeve shows a veil concealing a nude woman in a windswept Norfolk grove, and a splash-less diver at [[Mono Lake]] – titled ''Monosee'' (the German translation of Mono Lake) on the liner notes – in California (again emphasising the theme of absence).<ref name="Schaffnerpp190192" /><ref name="Poveyp346" /> The decision to shroud the cover in black plastic was not popular with the band's US record company, [[Columbia Records]], who insisted that it be changed (they were over-ruled). EMI were less concerned;<ref name="coverstories" /><ref>{{citation |last=Kean |first=Danuta |title=Cover story that leaves authors out of picture |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/7a9b72e6-201f-11dc-9eb1-000b5df10621.html |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=21 June 2007 |accessdate=21 August 2009}}</ref> the band were reportedly extremely happy with the end product, and when presented with a pre-production mockup, they accepted it with a spontaneous round of applause.<ref name="Schaffnerpp190192" /> ==Release== The album was released on 12 September 1975 in the UK, and on the following day in the US.<ref name="Poveyp197">{{Harvnb|Povey|2007|p=197}}</ref> It was Pink Floyd's first album with Columbia Records, an affiliate of [[CBS]]; the band and their manager [[Steve O'Rourke]] had been dissatisfied with the efforts of EMI's US label [[Capitol Records]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Harris|2006|pp=158–161}}</ref> The band remained with [[EMI]]'s [[Harvest Records]] in Europe.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=173}}</ref> In Britain, with 250,000&nbsp;advance sales, the album went straight to number one, and demand was such that EMI informed retailers that only 50 percent of their orders would be fulfilled.<ref name="Schaffnerp193" /> With 900,000&nbsp;advance orders (the largest for any Columbia release)<ref>{{Harvnb|Blake|2008|p=235}}</ref> it reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' chart in its second week. ''Wish You Were Here'' was Pink Floyd's fastest-selling album ever.<ref name="Schaffnerp193">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=193}}</ref> The album was certified Silver and Gold (60,000 and 100,000&nbsp;sales respectively) in the UK on 1 August 1975, and Gold in the US on 17 September 1975. It was certified six times platinum on 16 May 1997,<ref>{{citation |title=RIAA&nbsp;– Gold & Platinum |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Wish%20You%20Were%20Here&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |publisher=[[RIAA]] |accessdate=15 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924153521/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Wish%20You%20Were%20Here&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |archivedate=24 September 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> and by 2004 had sold an estimated 13&nbsp;million copies worldwide.<ref name="Poveyp346" /> "Have a Cigar" was chosen by Columbia as their first single,<ref name="Schaffnerp187" /> with "Welcome to the Machine" on the B-side in the US.{{refn|EMI Capitol 72438–58885<ref>{{Harvnb|Povey|2007|p=347}}</ref>||group="nb"}} The album was a commercial hit in Europe, topping Dutch, English and Spanish charts – in Spain, the album remained at number one for 20 weeks. == Critical reception == {{Album ratings |title = Retrospective professional reviews | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref>{{citation |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |title=Wish You Were Here |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:6z1tk6kx9krk |work=AllMusic |accessdate=14 August 2009}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' | rev2Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref>{{citation |last=Twist |first=Carlo |title=Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/53890/wish-you-were-here.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219073419/http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/53890/wish-you-were-here.html |work=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |archivedate=19 December 2010 |accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref> |rev3 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]'' |rev3Score = A–<ref name="CG">{{cite book |last=Christgau |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Christgau |year=1981 |title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]] |publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]] |isbn=089919026X |chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: P |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=P&bk=70 |accessdate=March 10, 2019 |via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' | rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book |ref=harv |last=Larkin |first=Colin |authorlink=Colin Larkin (writer) |year=2011 |chapter=Pink Floyd |title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |isbn=0857125958 |edition=5th}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[The Great Rock Discography]]'' | rev5Score = 10/10<ref name="Acclaimed">{{cite web |title=Pink Floyd ''Wish You Were Here'' |url=http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Currentc/A347.htm |publisher=[[Acclaimed Music]] |accessdate=27 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227124544/http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A347.htm |archivedate=27 December 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | rev6 = [[Music Story]] | rev6Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Acclaimed"/> | rev7 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]'' | rev7score = 5/5<ref>{{cite book |last1=Graff |first1=Gary |last2=Durchholz |first2=Daniel (eds) |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |publisher=Visible Ink Press |location=Farmington Hills, MI |year=1999 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/872 872] |isbn=1-57859-061-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/872 }} </ref> | rev8 = ''[[Record Collector]]'' | rev8Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.target.com/p/pink-floyd-wish-you-were-here-cd/-/A-54309545 |title=Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (CD) |publisher=[[Target Corporation]] |accessdate=March 10, 2019}}</ref> | rev9 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev9Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="RSguide">{{cite web |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |authorlink=Rob Sheffield |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/pink-floyd/albumguide |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217230328/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/pink-floyd/albumguide |title=Pink Floyd: Album Guide |work=Rolling Stone |publisher=Wenner Media, Fireside Books |date=2 November 2004 |archivedate=17 February 2011 |accessdate=27 December 2014}}</ref> | rev10 = ''[[Tom Hull – on the Web]]'' | rev10Score = A<ref>{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|authorlink=Tom Hull (critic)|date=n.d.|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=Pink+Floyd|title=Grade List: Pink Floyd|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|accessdate=19 July 2020}}</ref> }} On release, the album received mixed reviews. Ben Edmunds wrote in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' that the band's "lackadaisical demeanor" leaves the subject of Barrett "unrealised; they give such a matter-of-fact reading of the goddamn thing that they might as well be singing about Roger Waters's brother-in-law getting a parking ticket." Edmunds concluded the band is "devoid" of the "sincere passion for their 'art'" that contemporary [[space rock]] acts purportedly have.<ref name="RollingstoneEdmunds">{{citation |last=Edmunds |first=Ben |title=Pink Floyd&nbsp;– Wish You Were Here |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/241141/review/6067708/wishyouwerehere |work=Rolling Stone |date=6 November 1975 |accessdate=14 August 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503075741/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/241141/review/6067708/wishyouwerehere |archivedate=3 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Melody Maker]]''{{'s}} reviewer wrote: "From whichever direction one approaches ''Wish You Were Here'', it still sounds unconvincing in its ponderous sincerity and displays a critical lack of imagination in all departments."<ref name="Poveyp197" /> A positive review came from [[Robert Christgau]] in ''[[The Village Voice]]'': "The music is not only simple and attractive, with the synthesizer used mostly for texture and the guitar breaks for comment, but it actually achieves some of the symphonic dignity (and cross-referencing) that ''The Dark Side of the Moon'' simulated so ponderously."<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news |last=Christgau |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Christgau |date=1 December 1975 |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv12-75.php |title=Consumer Guide |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |location=New York |accessdate=August 17, 2015}}</ref> Years later, he reflected further on the record: "My favorite Pink Floyd album has always been ''Wish You Were Here'', and you know why? It has soul, that's why – it's Roger Waters's lament for Syd, not my idea of a tragic hero but as long as he's Roger's that doesn't matter."<ref name="Christgau2">{{citation |last=Christgau |first=Robert |title=Radiohead&nbsp;– OK Computer |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=2857 |year=1997 |accessdate=30 July 2012}}</ref> ''Wish You Were Here'' has since been frequently regarded as one of the greatest albums. According to [[Acclaimed Music]], it is the 185th-most ranked record on critics' all-time lists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/Pink%20Floyd.htm |title=Pink Floyd |publisher=Acclaimed Music |accessdate=29 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922155315/http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/Pink%20Floyd.htm |archivedate=22 September 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2012, it was voted 211th on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".<ref name="rollingstone1">{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/pink-floyd-wish-you-were-here-19691231 |title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Pink Floyd, ''Wish You Were Here'' |work=Rolling Stone |accessdate=12 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606002120/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/pink-floyd-wish-you-were-here-19691231 |archivedate=6 June 2012 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2015, it was chosen as the fourth-greatest progressive rock album by that magazine.<ref name="50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time"/> In 1998, [[Q (magazine)|''Q'']] readers voted ''Wish You Were Here'' the 34th-greatest album of all time.<ref>{{citation |title=Q Readers All Time Top 100 Albums |work=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |edition=Q137 |date=February 1998}}</ref> In 2000, the same magazine placed it at number&nbsp;43 in its list of the 100&nbsp;Greatest British Albums Ever.<ref>{{citation |title=The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever |work=Q |edition=Q165 |date=June 2000}}</ref> In 2000 it was voted number 38 in [[Colin Larkin]]'s ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]|author=[[Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=3rd|isbn=0-7535-0493-6|page=52}}</ref> In 2007, one of Germany's largest public radio stations, [[WDR 2]], asked its listeners to vote for the 200 best albums of all time. ''Wish You Were Here'' was voted number one.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.wdr.de/radio/wdr2/sonderdetail/407811.phtml |title=WDR listeners vote album No. 1 |language=German |publisher=[[Westdeutscher Rundfunk|WDR]] |date=3 October 2007 |accessdate=14 August 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411092332/http://www.wdr.de/radio/wdr2/sonderdetail/407811.phtml |archivedate=11 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2004, ''Wish You Were Here'' was ranked number&nbsp;36 on [[Pitchfork Media]]'s list of the Top 100 albums of the 1970s.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5932-top-100-albums-of-the-1970s/7/ |title=Top 100 Albums of the 1970s |work=[[Pitchfork Media]] |date=23 June 2004 |accessdate=14 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117030327/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5932-top-100-albums-of-the-1970s/7/ |archivedate=17 January 2013 }}</ref> [[IGN]] rated ''Wish You Were Here'' as the eighth-greatest [[classic rock]] album,<ref>{{citation |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/777/777248p6.html |title=Top 25 Classic Rock Albums |work=[[IGN]] |accessdate=27 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310222210/http://music.ign.com/articles/777/777248p6.html |archivedate=10 March 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> and [[Ultimate Classic Rock]] placed ''Wish You Were Here'' second best in its list of "Worst to Best Pink Floyd Albums".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/pink-floyd-albums-ranked/ |title=Worst to Best Pink Floyd Albums |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |language=en-US |access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref> Despite the problems during production, the album remained Wright's favourite: "It's an album I can listen to for pleasure, and there aren't many Floyd albums that I can."<ref name="Barrettstory" /><ref>{{citation |last=Redbeard |title=Pink Floyd&nbsp;– Richard Wright Tribute |url=http://www.inthestudio.net/online-on-demand/pink-floyds-late-keyboardist-richard-wright |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613141515/http://www.inthestudio.net/online-on-demand/pink-floyds-late-keyboardist-richard-wright |publisher=inthestudio.net |date=28 September 2008 |archivedate=13 June 2011 |accessdate=14 August 2009}}</ref> Gilmour shares this view: "I for one would have to say that it is my favourite album, the ''Wish You Were Here'' album. The end result of all that, whatever it was, definitely has left me an album I can live with very very happily. I like it very much."<ref name="Redbeard1992" /> ==Reissues and remastering== ''Wish You Were Here'' has been remastered and re-released on several formats. In the UK and US the album was re-issued in [[Quadraphonic sound|quadraphonic]] using the [[Stereo Quadraphonic|SQ format]] in 1976,{{refn|EMI Harvest Q4 SHVL 814 (UK), Columbia PCQ 33453 (US)|group="nb"}} and in 1980 a special ''Hi-Fi Today'' audiophile print was released in the UK.{{refn|EMI Harvest SHVL 814|group="nb"}} It was released on CD in Japan in October 1982,{{refn| CBS/Sony 35DP 4|group="nb"}} in the US in 1983, and in the UK in 1985,{{refn|Columbia CK 33453 (US), EMI CDP 7460352 (UK)|group="nb"}} and again as a remastered CD with new artwork in 1994.{{refn|EMI CD EMD 1062|group="nb"}} In the US, Columbia's CBS Mastersound label released a half-speed mastered audiophile LP in 1981,{{refn|Columbia HC 33453|group="nb"}} and in 1994 Sony Mastersound released a 24-carat gold-plated CD, remastered using [[Super Bit Mapping]], with the original artwork from the LP in both [[longbox]] and [[Optical disc packaging|jewel case]] forms, the latter with a cardboard slipcover.{{refn|Columbia CK 53753|group="nb"}}<ref name="Poveyp346" /> The album was included as part of the box set ''[[Shine On (Pink Floyd album)|Shine On]]'',<ref>{{citation |last=Eder |first=Bruce |title=Shine On&nbsp;– Review |url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r59636|pure_url=yes}} |work=AllMusic |accessdate=15 August 2009}}</ref> and five years later Columbia Records released an updated remastered CD, 17&nbsp;seconds longer than the EMI remasters from 1994, giving a running time of 44:28.<ref name="Poveyp346" /> The label was a recreation of the original machine handshake logo, with a black and blue background.{{refn|Columbia CK 64405|group="nb"}} The album was subsequently re-released in<!-- on 25 April --> 2000 for its 25th anniversary, on the Capitol Records label in the US.<!--and on the EMI label for the rest of the world, again using the 1992 ''Shine On'' remaster but with the artwork from the 1994 EMI reissue. -->{{refn|Capitol 72438297502|group="nb"}}<ref name="Poveyp346" /> The album was re-released and remixed in 2011 in multiple editions as part of the ''[[Why Pink Floyd...?]]'' reissue campaign. The ''Wish You Were Here – Immersion Box Set'' includes the new stereo digital remaster (2011) by James Guthrie on CD, an unreleased 5.1 Surround Mix (2009) by James Guthrie on DVD and Blu-ray, a Quad Mix (which had been released only on vinyl LP and 8-track tape) on DVD, as well as the original stereo mix (1975) on DVD and Blu-ray.{{refn|Capitol 509990294352|group="nb"}} This campaign also featured the 2011 stereo remaster on 180g heavyweight vinyl,{{refn|Capitol 5099902988016 |group="nb"}} as well as the 2011 stereo remaster and the 5.1 surround sound mix (2009) as a hybrid [[Super Audio CD|Super Audio CD (SACD)]]. In 2016, the 180g vinyl was re-released on the band's own Pink Floyd Records label (with distribution by [[Warner Music]] and [[Sony Music]]) this time remastered by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and [[Bernie Grundman]]. ==Track listing== <!-- titles and contributors taken from Vinyl version, 1A 064-96918 --> {{Track listing | headline = Side one | all_writing = | all_lyrics = [[Roger Waters]] | extra_column = Lead vocals | total_length = 21:00 | title1 = [[Shine On You Crazy Diamond|Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1–5)]] | music1 = {{flatlist| * [[Roger Waters]] * [[David Gilmour]] * [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]]}} | extra1 = Waters | length1 = 13:32 | title2 = [[Welcome to the Machine]] | music2 = Waters | extra2 = Gilmour | length2 = 7:28 }} {{Track listing | all_writing = | headline = Side two | extra_column = Lead vocals | total_length = 23:11 | title1 = [[Have a Cigar]] | note1 = featuring Roy Harper | music1 = Waters | extra1 = [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]] | length1 = 5:08 | title2 = [[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song)|Wish You Were Here]] | music2 = {{flatlist| * Gilmour * Waters}} | extra2 = Gilmour | length2 = 5:35 | title3 = [[Shine On You Crazy Diamond|Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 6–9)]] | music3 = {{nowrap|Wright, Gilmour, Waters <small>(Parts 6–8)</small><br /> Wright <small>(Part 9)</small>}} | extra3 = Waters | length3 = 12:28 }} {{Track listing | all_writing = | headline = 1982 Japanese CD Reissue | extra_column = Lead vocals | total_length = 44:13 | title1 = Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5) – Welcome To The Machine | length1 = 21:03 | title2 = Have A Cigar – Wish You Were Here – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 6-9) | length2 = 23:10 }} ==Personnel== ===Pink Floyd=== * [[David Gilmour]]&nbsp;– [[Singing|vocals]], [[guitar]]s, [[pedal steel guitar]], [[EMS Synthi AKS]], additional bass, glass harmonica, tape effects * [[Roger Waters]]&nbsp;– vocals, [[bass guitar]], [[EMS VCS 3]], additional guitar, glass harmonica, tape effects * [[Nick Mason]]&nbsp;– [[Drum kit|drums]], [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], [[tympani]], [[cymbal]]s, tape effects * [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]]&nbsp;– [[Hammond organ]], [[ARP String Ensemble]], [[Minimoog]], [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway piano]], EMS VCS 3, [[Clavinet|Hohner Clavinet D6]], [[Wurlitzer electric piano|Wurlitzer EP-200 electric piano]], glass harmonica, backing vocals ===Additional musicians=== * [[Dick Parry]]&nbsp;– tenor and baritone [[saxophone]] on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/oct/21/little-known-musicians-famous-moments-baker-street |title=The little-known musicians behind some of music's most famous moments |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=21 October 2014 |accessdate=3 April 2017}}</ref> * [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]]&nbsp;– lead vocals on “Have a Cigar”<ref>{{Harvnb|Blake|2011|p=231}}</ref> * [[Venetta Fields]]&nbsp;– [[Backing vocalist|backing vocals]] * [[Carlena Williams]]&nbsp;– backing vocals ===Production=== * Brian Humphries&nbsp;– [[Audio engineer|engineering]] * Peter James&nbsp;– engineering, assistant engineering * Bernie Caulder * Phil Taylor&nbsp;– additional photography (remaster) * [[Hipgnosis]]&nbsp;– design, photography * [[Peter Christopherson]], Jeff Smith, Howard Bartrop and Richard Manning&nbsp;– design assistants * [[George Hardie (artist)|George Hardie]]&nbsp;– graphics * [[Jill Furmanovsky]]&nbsp;– additional photography (remaster) * [[James Guthrie (record producer)|James Guthrie]]&nbsp;– [[Audio mastering|remastering]] producer * Doug Sax&nbsp;– remastering ==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Chart (1975) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- |Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |authorlink=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |publisher=Australian Chart Book |location=St. Ives, N.S.W. |year=1993 |edition=Illustrated |page=233 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> |align="center"|1 |- {{albumchart|Austria|2|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=autchart1|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- {{albumchart|Canada|14|chartid=4045a|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- {{albumchart|Netherlands|1|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- {{albumchart|Germany4|6|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=http://www.musikmarkt.de/Charts/Chartsgalerie/Albumcharts/Albumcharts-1975/15.11.1975|title=15.11.1975|publisher=Musikmarkt GmbH & Co. KG|work=Musikmarkt|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- {{albumchart|New Zealand|1|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=https://charts.nz/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=1975&date=19751031|title=New Zealand charts portal (31/10/1975)|work=charts.nz|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- {{albumchart|Norway|2|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=1975&date=197540|title=Norwegian charts portal (40/1975)|work=norwegiancharts.com|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- |Spanish Albums ([[Productores de Música de España|AFE]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri |first=Fernando |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |edition=1st |date=September 2005 |publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE |location=Spain |isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> |align="center"|1 |- {{albumchart|Sweden|14|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=http://swedishcharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=1975&date=19751114|title=Swedish charts portal (14/11/1975)|work=swedishcharts.com|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- {{albumchart|UK|1|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=ukchart1|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- {{albumchart|Billboard200|1|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=uschart1|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Chart (1978) ! scope="col" |Peak<br />position |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Austria|23|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=autchart2|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Germany4|6|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|id=6347|refname=germancharts1|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|UK|52|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=ukchart2|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Chart (1994) ! scope="col" |Peak<br />position |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Germany4|33|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|id=6347|refname=germancharts2|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|UK|52|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=ukchart3|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Chart (1997) ! scope="col" |Peak<br />position |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Germany4|33|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|id=6347|refname=germancharts3|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Chart (2006) ! scope="col" |Peak<br />position |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Flanders|85|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=flanderschart1|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Wallonia|95|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=walloniachart1|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Italy|13|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Spain|67|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Switzerland|70|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=swisschart1|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Chart (2011) ! scope="col" |Peak<br />position |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Austria|31|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=autchart3|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Flanders|77|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=flanderschart2|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Wallonia|68|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=walloniachart2|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Czech|34|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|date=201139|accessdate=17 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Netherlands|62|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Finland|50|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|France|34|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=http://lescharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2011&date=20111112|title=Les charts francais (12/11/2011)|work=lescharts.com|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Germany4|4|id=6347|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=germancharts4|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Italy|10|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=http://italiancharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2011&date=20111117|title=Italian charts portal (17/11/2011)|work=italiancharts.com|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|New Zealand|24|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=https://charts.nz/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2011&date=20111114|title=New Zealand charts portal (14/11/2011)|work=charts.nz|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Norway|24|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2011&date=201145|title=Norwegian charts portal (45/2011)|work=norwegiancharts.com|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Poland|20|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|id=702|accessdate=22 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Portugal|19|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Spain|17|M|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|url=http://spanishcharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2011&date=20111113|title=Spanish charts portal (13/11/2011)|work=spanishcharts.com|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Sweden|22|M|url=http://swedishcharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2011&date=20111111|title=Swedish charts portal (11/11/2011)|work=swedishcharts.com|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Switzerland|15|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=swisschart2|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|UK|38|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=ukchart4|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Billboard200|33|artist=Pink Floyd|album=Wish You Were Here|refname=uschart2|accessdate=9 June 2016}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Chart (2018) ! scope="col" |Peak<br />position |- | scope="row"{{albumchart|Poland|32|id=1144|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 June 2018}} |} ==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Argentina|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|certref=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=&album=&LanDesde_MM=1&LanDesde_AA=1980&LanHasta_MM=12&LanHasta_AA=2010&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20110706084844/http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=&album=&LanDesde_MM=1&LanDesde_AA=1980&LanHasta_MM=12&LanHasta_AA=2010&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archivedate=6 July 2011 |title=Discos de oro y platino |language=Spanish |accessdate=15 August 2012 |publisher=[[Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas]] |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|award=Platinum|number=7|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|salesamount=350,000|accessdate=21 August 2012|recent=false|certyear=2011}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=21 August 2012|recent=false|certyear=1989}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|award=Platinum|number=3|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=21 August 2012|recent=false|certyear=1989}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=France|award=Diamond|salesamount=1,427,200|salesref=<ref name=infodisc>https://www.infodisc.fr/Ventes_Albums_Tout_Temps.php?debut=50</ref> |type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=21 August 2012|recent=false|certyear=1989}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=21 August 2012}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Greece|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|salesamount=50,000|certref=<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-IDX/IDX/1978/Billboard-1978-06-10-OCR-Page-0066.pdf#search=%22poland%20pink%20floyd%20dark%20side%20of%20the%20moon%20sold%22|title=International - Golden Floyd|magazine=Billboard|page=70|date=10 June 1978|via=American Radio History|accessdate=26 February 2020}}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=2009|certyear=2016|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|note=since 2009|accessdate=26 February 2020}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1975|certyear=2003|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=8 January 2014}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=21 August 2012}}<ref name="bpi.co.uk">[http://www.bpi.co.uk/searchresult/bpi-sales-awards-launch-automatic-certification.aspx BPI Sales Awards Launch Automatic Certification], BPI</ref> {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Platinum|number=6|type=album|relyear=1975|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Wish You Were Here|accessdate=21 August 2012}} {{Certification Table Summary}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|nocert=true|salesamount=13,000,000|salesref=<ref name="Poveyp346" />|accessdate=26 February 2020}} {{Certification Table Bottom}} ==References== '''Informational notes''' {{reflist|group="nb"}} '''Citations''' {{reflist}} '''Bibliography''' {{refbegin}} * {{citation |last=Blake |first=Mark |title=Comfortably Numb—The Inside Story of Pink Floyd |publisher=Da Capo |year=2008 |isbn=0-306-81752-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/comfortablynumbi00mark }} * {{citation |last=Blake |first=Mark |title=Pigs Might Fly-The Inside Story of Pink Floyd |publisher=Aurum Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-845-13748-9}} * {{citation |last=Di Perna |first=Alan |title=Guitar World Presents Pink Floyd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ui_z1Bxa3doC |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |year=2002 |isbn=0-634-03286-0}} * {{citation |last=Harris |first=John |title=The Dark Side of the Moon |publisher=Harper Perennial |edition=3 |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-00-779090-6}} * {{citation |last=Mason |first=Nick |title=[[Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd]] |publisher=Phoenix |edition = Paperback | editor = Philip Dodd | year = 2005 |isbn=0-7538-1906-6}} * {{citation |last=Povey |first=Glenn | title = Echoes | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qnnl3FnO-B4C | publisher = Mind Head Publishing | year = 2007 |isbn=0-9554624-0-1}} * {{citation |last=Schaffner |first=Nicholas | title = Saucerful of Secrets | location = London| publisher = [[Sidgwick & Jackson]] | year = 1991 | edition = 1 |isbn=0-283-06127-8}} * {{citation |last1=Watkinson |first1=Mike |last2=Anderson |first2=Pete |title=Crazy diamond: Syd Barrett & the dawn of Pink Floyd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kPJlLjf4OogC |edition=Illustrated |publisher=Omnibus Press |year=2001 |isbn=0-7119-8835-8}} {{refend}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book |last=Reising |first=Russell |title=Speak to Me |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_0oXORl4dIC |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=0-7546-4019-1}} * For a television documentary on the album, see {{citation |title=The Story Of Wish You Were Here |publisher=Eagle Rock |date=25 June 2012}} ==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090318173313/http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/ Official Pink Floyd website] * {{Discogs master|type=album|11703|name=Wish You Were Here}} {{Wish You Were Here}} {{Pink Floyd}} {{featured article}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd Album)}} [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for Argentina]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for Australia]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for Austria]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for Canada]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for France]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for Germany]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for Italy]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for Poland]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom]] [[Category:Certification Table Entry usages for United States]] [[Category:1975 albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by David Gilmour]] [[Category:Albums produced by Nick Mason]] [[Category:Albums produced by Richard Wright (musician)]] [[Category:Albums produced by Roger Waters]] [[Category:Albums with cover art by Hipgnosis]] [[Category:Albums with cover art by Storm Thorgerson]] [[Category:Capitol Records albums]] [[Category:Columbia Records albums]] [[Category:Concept albums]] [[Category:EMI Records albums]] [[Category:Harvest Records albums]] [[Category:Pink Floyd albums]] [[Category:Albums recorded at Abbey Road Studios]]'