See Emily Play
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"See Emily Play" is a song by English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
, released as their second single in June 1967. Written by original frontman
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...
, it was released as a non-album single, but appeared as the opening track of the U.S. edition of the band's debut album ''
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn ''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 5 August 1967 by EMI Columbia. It is the only Pink Floyd album made under the leadership of founding member Syd Barrett (lead vocals, gu ...
'' (1967). The song was written by Barrett following the
Games for May Games for May was a rock music concert that took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 12 May 1967, three months after the venue opened. It was one of the first significant concert events held by Pink Floyd. The show was organized by Pink Floyd m ...
concert, and became a top 10 hit when released in the UK the following month. The group appeared three times on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'', where Barrett started showing signs of erratic behaviour, which ultimately led to him leaving the group in early 1968. Though Pink Floyd seldom performed the song live, it has been covered by a number of diverse artists and regarded as a classic
psychedelic pop Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included " trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...
single.


Writing

"See Emily Play" is also known as "Games for May", after a free concert on 12 May 1967 at the
Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The ...
on London's
South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial district in central London, next to the River Thames opposite the City of Westminster. It forms a narrow strip of riverside land within the London Borough of Lambeth (where it adjoins Alber ...
, in which Pink Floyd performed. It was the first show where the group set up a
quadrophonic Quadraphonic (or quadrophonic and sometimes quadrasonic) sound – equivalent to what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four audio channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of a listening space. The system allows for th ...
PA system, which would be a regular feature of future gigs. The song was reportedly about a girl named Emily, who Barrett claimed to have seen while sleeping in the woods after taking a
psychedelic drug Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...
. According to ''A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey'', by
Nicholas Schaffner Nicholas Schaffner (January 28, 1953 – August 28, 1991) was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. Biography Schaffner was born in Manhattan to John V. Schaffner (1913–1983), a literary agent whose clients includ ...
, Emily is the Honourable
Emily Young Emily Young FRBS (born 1951) is a sculptor, who has been called "Britain's greatest living stone sculptor". She was born in London into a family of artists, writers and politicians. She currently divides her time between studios in London and It ...
, daughter of
Wayland Young, 2nd Baron Kennet Wayland Hilton Young, 2nd Baron Kennet (2 August 1923 – 7 May 2009) was a British writer and politician, notably concerned with planning and conservation. As a Labour minister, he was responsible for setting up the Department of the Environment ...
and nicknamed "the psychedelic schoolgirl" at the
UFO Club The UFO Club ( ') was a short-lived British counter-culture nightclub in London in the 1960s. The club was established by Joe Boyd and John "Hoppy" Hopkins. It featured light shows, poetry readings, well-known rock acts such as Jimi Hendrix, ...
. Bassist
Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...
later said the woods mentioned in the song were based next to the
Gog Magog Hills The Gog Magog Hills are a range of low chalk hills, extending for several miles to the southeast of Cambridge in England. The highest points are situated either side of the A1307 Babraham Road, and are marked on Ordnance Survey 1:25000 maps as ...
near
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
. It has been suggested by some that the
slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
effect was produced by Barrett using a
Zippo A Zippo lighter is a reusable metal lighter produced by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the nine decades since their introduction, including milita ...
lighter, but elsewhere that he used a plastic ruler. The train depicted on the single's sleeve was drawn by Barrett.


Recording

The song was recorded at
Sound Techniques Sound Techniques was a recording studio in Chelsea, London that was operational between 1965 and 1976. Housed in a former dairy, it was founded by recording engineers Geoff Frost and John Wood. The studio became well known as the place where man ...
studios on 18 May 1967 The exact recording details are unclear because of a lack of paperwork in the EMI archive. Engineer Jeff Jarrett recalls that it was recorded in a much longer form, which was then edited down for the single release. The recording involved backward tapes and much use of echo and reverb; the first piano bridge between the first chorus and second verse was recorded at a slow pace then sped up for the final master. The four-track master tape was wiped or misplaced. It no longer exists and has never been mixed into true stereo; it was reprocessed for
Duophonic Duophonic sound was a trade name for a type of audio signal processing used by Capitol Records on certain releases and re-releases of mono recordings issued during the 1960s and 1970s. In this process monaural recordings were reprocessed into a ...
stereo on the 1971 ''
Relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
'' compilation. Barrett, reputedly, was not happy with the final studio cut, and protested against its release, which producer Norman Smith speculated was based on his fear of commercialism. During sessions for the song
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...
visited the studio, on Barrett's invitation, and was shocked by the perceived changes in Barrett's personality when he did not appear to recognize him. For many years Gilmour would recall this, saying, "I'll go on record as saying, that was when he changed".


Release

The UK single was released by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
on 16 June 1967, with " The Scarecrow" as the B-side. It reached number 6 in the charts. ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' said they recognised the single as Pink Floyd's "by the horrible organ sound" but said it was "much better than
Arnold Layne "Arnold Layne" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd. Released on 10 March 1967, it was the band's first single release. It was written by Syd Barrett. Lyrics The song's title character is a transvestite whose strange hobby is stealing wom ...
". The US single was released by
Tower Records Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...
on 24 July 1967, both as a standard issue and a
white label A white label record is a vinyl record with white labels attached. There are several variations each with a different purpose. Variations include test pressings, white label promos, and plain white labels. Test pressings Test pressings, usua ...
promotional pressing. ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said that it's "one of those hard to predict outings that could hit in a grand manner or fall flat." It reached number 134 in the charts. A further white label promo was issued on 22 July 1968 with a note asking if DJs would play it. "See Emily Play" later appeared on a number of compilations: ''
Relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
'' (1971), ''
Works Works may refer to: People * Caddy Works (1896–1982), American college sports coach * Samuel Works (c. 1781–1868), New York politician Albums * '' ''Works'' (Pink Floyd album)'', a Pink Floyd album from 1983 * ''Works'', a Gary Burton album ...
'' (1983), '' Shine On'' (1992), '' Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd'' (2001), ''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' 40th Anniversary Edition (2007), '' The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door'' (2011) and ''
The Early Years 1965–1972 ''The Early Years 1965–1972'' is a box set that details the early work of the English rock band Pink Floyd released on 11 November 2016. It was released by Pink Floyd Records with distribution held by Warner Music for the UK and Europe and So ...
'' (2016). The song was also included on the Barrett retrospective ''
An Introduction to Syd Barrett ''An Introduction to Syd Barrett'' is a 'best of' compilation featuring the work of Syd Barrett spanning the period 1967–1970, including both material written during his time with Pink Floyd and his post-band solo career. Release The album wa ...
'' (2010).


Television performances

Pink Floyd performed the song three times on BBC TV's ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
''. The appearances were taped at the
BBC Studios BBC Studios is a British content company. It is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC that was formed in April 2018 through the merger of the BBC's commercial production arm and the BBC's commercial international distribution arm, BBC Worldwide. ...
in
Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a district of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, i ...
and broadcast on 6, 13 and 27 July. For the final appearance, Barrett complained that the band shouldn't appear, because "
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
doesn't have to do ''Top of the Pops''". He did perform, but without the enthusiasm of the previous week. This was the first sign of Barrett exhibiting erratic behaviour, which caused problems for the group throughout the remainder of the year, and ultimately leading to him leaving the band in early 1968. The BBC wiped the shows. In late 2009 a badly damaged home video recording was recovered by the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
containing the first and third show the song was performed on, though only the first appearance was recoverable in part. Parts of the 6 July performance have been recovered from the damaged video recording. It was given a public screening in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on 9 January 2010 at an event called " Missing Believed Wiped" devoted to recovered TV shows. It was the first time any footage of the performance had been seen since its original broadcast. The Pink Floyd management used a copy of the footage in ''
The Early Years 1965–1972 ''The Early Years 1965–1972'' is a box set that details the early work of the English rock band Pink Floyd released on 11 November 2016. It was released by Pink Floyd Records with distribution held by Warner Music for the UK and Europe and So ...
''. The band were booked to appear on the German television programme ''
Beat-Club ''Beat-Club'' is a West German music programme that ran from September 1965 to December 1972. It was broadcast from Bremen, West Germany on ''Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen'', the national public TV channel of the ARD, and produced by one of its m ...
''. The appearance was cancelled, explaining Barrett had suffered "nervous exhaustion" and the band decided to take a month-long break in the hope his health would recover. In February 1968, Pink Floyd travelled to the RTB studios in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
to film a TV special for the television programme '' Tienerklanken'', broadcast on 31 March. The special featured promotional films for "See Emily Play", as well as for "
Astronomy Domine "Astronomy Domine" (alternative "Astronomy Dominé") is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The song, written and composed by the original vocalist/guitarist Syd Barrett, is the opening track on their debut album, ''The Piper at the Ga ...
", "The Scarecrow", "
Apples and Oranges A comparison of apples and oranges occurs when two items or groups of items are compared that cannot be practically compared, typically because of inherent, fundamental and/or qualitative differences between the items. The idiom, ''comparing ...
", " Paint Box", "
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, appearing on their second album, '' A Saucerful of Secrets'' (1968). It was written by Roger Waters, taking lyrics from a Chinese poetry book, and features ...
", and "
Corporal Clegg "Corporal Clegg" is a song by the English psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, and is featured on their second album, ''A Saucerful of Secrets'' (1968). It was written by Roger Waters and features David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright sharing ...
". This was Gilmour's first TV work with the band. The footage for "See Emily Play" was shot in the Parc de Laekan. Though Barrett was no longer performing with Pink Floyd, his departure had yet to be formally announced. Gilmour, Waters and Richard Wright mimed to Barrett's vocals.


Live performances

"See Emily Play" was very different to Pink Floyd's live show, which was based around lengthy instrumentals, and the group avoided playing it. Promoters outside London insisted that they include the song in their live shows to avoid rioting. As a response, the group wrote a piece called "Reaction in G" as a reaction against having to play "See Emily Play" on tour. The song only stayed in the band's set list for a few months; the last documented live performance was on 25 November 1967 in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
as part of a package tour supporting
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
. On the group's late 1971 US tour supporting ''
Meddle ''Meddle'' is the sixth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released by Harvest Records. The album was produced between the band's touring commitments, from January to August 1971 at a series of locations around London, including EMI ...
'', a fan cried out for "See Emily Play", to which Waters retorted, "You must be joking!"


Legacy

Part of the vocal melody was played on a
Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...
by
Rick Wright Richard William Wright (28 July 1943 – 15 September 2008) was an English musician who was a co-founder of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He played keyboards and sang, appearing on almost every Pink Floyd album and performing on a ...
at the very end of "
Shine On You Crazy Diamond "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. It appeared on Pink Floyd's 1975 concept album ''Wish You Were Here''. The song is written about and dedicated to Syd ...
(Parts VI-IX)" at the end of 1975's ''
Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * Wish You Were Here (1987 film), ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * Wish You Were Here (2012 film), ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 ...
'', as a tribute to Barrett. The final couplet from " High Hopes" ("The endless river/Forever and ever") recalls a line from See Emily Play, ("Float on a river/Forever and ever"), and inspired the name of the band's final studio album, ''
The Endless River ''The Endless River'' is the fifteenth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released in November 2014 by Parlophone Records in Europe and Columbia Records in the rest of the world. It was the third Pink Floyd album recorded under ...
'', released in 2014. The song was played by
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets are an English rock band formed in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. The band comprises the Pink Floyd drummer and co-founder Nick Mason, the bassist Guy Pratt, the guitarists Gary Kemp and Lee Har ...
in 2018. "See Emily Play" has been covered by Canadian group Three to One (aka Okee Pokey Band) on the 1967 Yorkville album ''CTV After Four'';
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, for his ''
Pin Ups ''Pin Ups'' (also referred to as ''Pinups'' and ''Pin-Ups'') is the seventh studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 19October 1973 through RCA Records. Devised as a "stop-gap" album to appease his record label, it is a cover ...
'' album in 1973; Japanese group Salon Music, for their 1984 album ''La Paloma Show'';
The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize ...
, as a B-side on the 1991 CD single "I Am Here"; on the 1996 Games for May EP by perfect children;
Arjen Anthony Lucassen Arjen Anthony Lucassen (born 3 April 1960) is a Dutch singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer best known for his long-running progressive metal/rock opera project Ayreon. Lucassen started his career in 1980 as the ...
, on his 1997 album ''
Strange Hobby Strange Hobby is an uncredited cover album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released in 1996. The album and the booklet contained no information about Lucassen and did not explain who was responsible for the recordings, to make the album even more "str ...
''; The Changelings, on their 2002 album ''Astronomica'';
Judy Dyble Judith Aileen Dyble (pronounced ''Die-bull''; 13 February 1949 – 12 July 2020) was an English singer-songwriter, most notable for being a vocalist and a founding member of Fairport Convention and Trader Horne. In addition, she and Ian McDona ...
, for her album ''Spindle''; David West, on the 2001 bluegrass tribute album ''Pickin' on Pink Floyd: A Bluegrass Tribute'';
Martha Wainwright Martha Wainwright (born May 8, 1976) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She has released seven critically-acclaimed studio albums. Wainwright is the daughter of musicians Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III a ...
, on her 2008 album '' I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too''; and by 3, on the 2008 re-release of their album ''
The End Is Begun ''The End Is Begun'', released on July 24, 2007, is 3's fourth full-length studio album, and the second to be released by Metal Blade Records. (The band's previous album, Wake Pig, was initially released on Planet Noise Records, but was later re ...
''.
John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...
has played it live.
All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does ...
played the song live c. 1992 and recorded a demo, which was not released until 2006 as part of the '' Keepsakes'' compilation. "See Emily Play" is included in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" list. It is also the 277th most acclaimed song of all time according to
Acclaimed Music Acclaimed Music is a website created by Henrik Franzon, a statistician from Stockholm, Sweden in September 2001. Franzon has statistically aggregated hundreds of published lists that rank songs and albums into aggregated rankings by year, deca ...
.


EP

An EP including the song was released in Spain in 1967, on the La Voz De Su Amo label. All tracks were written by
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...
.


Personnel

;Musicians *
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...
– lead vocals, electric guitar,
slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
* Richard Wright
Farfisa organ Farfisa (Fabbriche Riunite di Fisarmoniche) is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy, founded in 1946. The company manufactured a series of compact electronic organs in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Compact, FAST, Professiona ...
, piano,
tack piano A tack piano (also known as a harpsipiano, jangle piano, and junk piano) is an altered version of an ordinary piano, in which objects such as thumbtacks or nails are placed on the felt-padded hammers of the instrument at the point where the ham ...
, Baldwin
electric harpsichord An electric piano is a musical instrument which produces sounds when a performer presses the keys of a piano-style musical keyboard. Pressing keys causes mechanical hammers to strike metal strings, metal reeds or wire tines, leading to vibrations ...
, backing vocals *
Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...
– bass guitar, backing vocals *
Nick Mason Nicholas Berkeley Mason, (born 27 January 1944) is an English drummer and a founder member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He is the only member to feature on every Pink Floyd album, and the only constant member since its formation in ...
– drums ;Technical * Norman Smith – producer


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* {{Authority control Pink Floyd songs Psychedelic pop songs 1967 singles Songs about drugs Songs written by Syd Barrett 1967 songs Columbia Graphophone Company singles it:See Emily Play/The Scarecrow#See Emily Play