*Pink Floyd*
Dr. Rox Remember When?
Article #115 Sep 2020
For: Radi0 WFNU .org 94.1 FM Frogtown Radio
By: RLSchwinden aka MrZerr0
So some time ago a customer had read one of my articles and stated “I liked them better in your early days, when you wrote more of an opinion about a band or artist vs. a list of what they did. So this month I thought I’d revisit that format. As I just released my 162nd Episode of the “PsychoGello Show” on Radi0 WDGY on the band “Pink Floyd”. And I will be doing a “Pink Floyd: Evolation Show” for WFNU .org 94.1 FM Frogtown Radi0, in a month or 2. So I will use this band as the subject of my “Original Format” of my articles all the way back to April 2011.
> Pink Floyd<
Formed in 1963 as the “Tea Set” they later changed their name to “The Pink Floyd Sound” in late 1965 after “Pink Anderson” and “Floyd Council” blues artists Syd Barrett liked.
The Band:
*Bassist, Vocalist, Song Writer: George Roger Waters born 6 September 1943 in Surrey, England.
*Drummer: Nicholas Berkeley Mason born 27 January 1944 in Birmingham, England
*Keyboardist, Vocalist: Richard William Wright born 28 July 1943 in Middlesex, England; passed on 15 September 2008
*Vocalist, Guitarist: Roger Keith “Syd”: Barrett born 6 January 1946 in Cambridge, England; passed 7 July 2006.
*Guitarist Vocalist: David Jon Gilmour born 6 March 1946 in Cambridge, England.
So the 1st time I remember hearing about “Pink Floyd” was some time in Oct 1978, I was a huge fan of the TV Show “WKRP in Cincinnati” (I was smitten by Jan Smithers she was soooo pretty, did you know Loni Anderson was from Roseville, MN. back in the 60s). There is a scene where Dr. Johnny Fever is in a catatonic state listening to “Pink Floyd” and Mr. Carlson asks him “Do I hear dogs barking in this music?” Johnny sleepily replies “I do” I thought this was hysterical, although back then Records cost about $6.98, and I was a poor kid on the Westside of Sioux City. So buying new music I had never heard before was just not feasible.
The next time I experienced “Pink Floyd” was Summer 1979 on a Sunday afternoon on a Cable TV show called “Pop Clips” (Produced by Michael Nesmith formerly of The MONKEES, he later sold this show to the producers of MTV) “Pop Clips” was about 1/2 hour show that played usually current (Promo) Videos, like Triumph, Genesis, The Police, Michael Nesmith, Gary Numan, Split Enz etc … this video came on by “Pink Floyd” titled “Mademoiselle Nobs” with Waters on Guitar, Gilmour on Harmonica & Wright holding down a dog named “Nobs” that provided the Vocals of this ?song? … I could not believe what I was hearing, much less what I was seeing …at this point it was hard for me to take this band seriously … as at this time I was really into “Black Sabbath” “RUSH” & “Triumph”
Onto the next time I experienced “Pink Floyd” was in Summer 1980 I was at a party at my friend Derek L. Apt. and he was sitting on the couch, having a “Smoke” and watching TV with the sound down listening to “Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict” I remember standing there looking at the left speaker and thinking “What the hell is this? Why would anyone listen to this crap? Why would a band record this and release it on an album?” I asked him “What is this?” he smiled and said “Pink Floyd” I said “Oh, that explains it, why do you have the TV on with the sound turned down?” he replied “It gives me something to look at, otherwise I would fall asleep” … it was then I realized just what “Pink Floyd” was made for … something to listen to while doing drugs …. (me, no thanks)
| Then I became a Senior at West High in Sioux City, a girl a year or 2 behind me Margaret S. (a fabulous Artist and Musician) rode the same bus I did, since I saw her almost everyday (and I thought she was kind of cute) we began to talk and she gave me one of my prize possessions a Cassette Tape of “RUSH: Live In St. Louis in 1980”. As we got to know each other, I began to understand her favorite band was “Pink Floyd” Now I already knew I did not like “Pink Floyd” but she did turn me onto a song I did like “There’s No Way Out Of Here” from May 1980 by Guitarist David Gilmour of “Pink Floyd” we hung out together a lot as she dated my best friend at the time Strat (he wore a Strat belt buckle, my grandma Marge used to call him “Stuff”). Margaret used to tell me all about “Pink Floyd” I began to know more about “Pink Floyd” than I did about one of my favorite bands at the time “Triumph” ironic huh? As we were good friends she asked to accompany her to see the film “The Wall” at the Orpheum in the Summer of 1982. I went because I wanted to see what all the hubbub was all about. I remember sitting there thinking the same thing I always thought when I heard or saw “Pink Floyd”. “What the hell is this S***, and why do so many people like it?” My lasting memory of “The Wall” is Joanne Whalley as a groupie asking “Do you want to take a bath?” |
Jump to Fall of 1984 I met one of the great loves of my life Cathy C. and Paul McCartney had a new song out “No More Lonely Nights” turns out David Gilmour was the Lead Guitarist on this track. Funny thing is it was the lead guitar solo I disliked the most about this song.
Around Xmas ’85, I met a DJ and Record Dealer Ace of “Ace High Records” and his brother Jim, now these 2 Loved “Pink Floyd” and between the 2 of them, I learned Even more about the band then back when Margaret used to school me on the band. Still … I did not like them … I just didn’t get it. However the brothers did turn me onto “See Emily Play” “Interstellar Overdrive” “Arnold Layne” & “Day The Tigers Broke Free” I do kind of like those songs.
Summer of 1986 I met a Bass Player Mike M. at “Ye Olde Guitar Shoppe” in N. Des Moines, IA. We made fast friends and began to jam and put together a band, only thing was he only wanted to play songs by: Pink Floyd, The Police, Beatles & Black Sabbath. While I love “The Beatles” & “Black Sabbath” (I do have a “Black Sabbath” tribute Band “NeVeR sAy Die”) I didn’t care much for the other 2 bands, but being a trooper I learned about 5 “Pink Floyd” songs, 7 “Police” songs and about 5 “Black Sabbath” songs, I found while I did not like listening to some of these songs I did enjoy playing them in a band, like the song “Money” ironic eh? Turns out I really did like “Comfortably Numb” & “Hey You”
At one point Ace & I worked together at “Wherehouse Ent.” and “Pink Floyd” was on tour in June of 1994, Everyone I knew went to see “Pink Floyd” in Ames, Iowa at Cyclone Stadium, except me, and the beautiful redhead, Lori L. that worked next door to me in Southridge Mall, we happened to be leaving at the same time this particular evening so I asked her if we want to go watch a movie, thus began our 2 month affair, thank God for “Pink Floyd”.
In Fall of 1995 “Wherehouse Ent.” filed for Chapter 11 and closed almost all of its Mid-West stores, my D.M. at the time Larry S. and 2 other managers from our District (Matt M & Keith S.) had a meeting about pooling together and opening our own store. Larry then offered “How do we get enough Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin & Beatles to stock this new store?” it was then I announced “I’m out” I knew it would be an impossible task. As everyone wanted to buy “Pink Floyd” but no one was willing to sell back their “Pink Floyd” CDs (NO one wanted Vinyl back then)
In Fall of 1996 I was working at “Best Buy Southridge” we were coming up on Xmas-time and I noticed my store had no Pink Floyd CDs of “The Wall” “Wish You were Here” or “Animals” turns out the band had decided to go back to their old record label “Capitol-EMI” and leave “Sony” which they had been on since 1975. To this day I still do not know why? In 2004 I was working in Burnsville Mall having been transferred there (against my will in 1999) and I hired one of the best employees I ever had who eventually became one of my best friends Wyatt B. and here again “Pink Floyd” was his favorite band so I got to learn even more about a band I did not like …. go figure, however, due to Wyatt, I did come to realize that I do like the song “Wish You Were Here” .
So to quote my old friend Ace High, “I forgot more about “Pink Floyd” then you’re ever going to know”
In Fall 2011 the “Star Tribune” was doing a story on my Record Store “Mr. Zer0’s 55113 Roseville” because “Vinyl Is Back” my response was “Is It? As I am selling the exact same artists I was selling back when I started in 1985: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin & Beatles, so to me and the people I knew, it never went away”
I do like facts so I thought I would include some:
*Albums:
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn: Aug 1967
A Saucerful of Secrets: Jun 1968
Tonight Let’s All Make Love In London: July 1968
More: June 1969
Ummagumma: Nov 1969
Zabriskie Point: May 1970
Atom Heart Mother: Oct 1970
Relics: May 1971
Meddle: Nov 1971
Obscured By Clouds: Jun 1972
The Dark Side Of The Moon: Mar 1973
Wish You Were Here: Sept 1975
Animals: Jan 1977
The Wall: Nov 1979
A Collection Of Great Dance Songs: Nov 1981
Works: June 1983
The Final Cut: Mar 1983
*Billboard Hits: (yes, ONLY 6)
“Another Brick In The Wall Part 2”: #1 Mar 1980
“Money” #13 July 1973
“Run Like Hell” #53 April 1980
“Learning To Fly” #70 Oct 1987
“Take It Back” #73 July 1994
“On The Turning Away” #81 Dec 1987
*Singles:
Arnold Layne/ Candy And A Currant Bun: March 1967
See Emily Play/ The Scarecrow: June 1967
Flaming/ The Gnome: November 1967
Apples And Oranges/ Paint Box: November 1967
It Would Be So Nice/ Julia Dream: April 1968
Let There Be More Light/ Remember A Day: August 1968
Point Me At The Sky/ Careful With that Ax Eugene: December 1968
Nile Song/ Izbia Bar: March 1969
One Of These Days/ Fearless: November 1971
Free Four/ Stay: July 1972
Money/ Any Colour You Like: May 1973
Us And Them/ Time: February 1974
Have A Cigar/ Welcome To The Machine: November 1975
Another Brick In The Wall: Part 2/ One Of My Turns: November 1979
Run Like Hell/ Don’t Leave Me Now: April 1980
Comfortably Numb/ Hey You: June 1980
When The Tigers Broke Free/ Bring The Boys Back Home: July 1982
Not Now John/ Heroes Return: May 1983
*VHS:
Live In Pompeii: Sep 1972
The Wall: Aug 1982
Final Cut: July 1983
*Concerts in Minnesota:
24 May 1988 in MPLS at HHH Metrodome
22 June 1994 in MPLS at HHH Metrodome
So having spewed out all of this I must admit in my 35 year career “Pink Floyd” is The Best Selling, Most Popular Artist Over All, For All Time ….
Take it for what it’s worth … until the next time … MrZerr0
Mr. Zer0’s
*Est. 2009
1744 Lexington Ave N.
Roseville, MN. 55113
www.MrZer0S.Com
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