Pink Floyd See Emily Play Promo Poster

Check out the super rare Pink Floyd See Emily Play promo poster!

"See Emily Play" was the second single recorded by British psychedelic rock group Pink Floyd. It was written by original frontman Syd Barrett and recorded on May 23, 1967. The single featured "Scarecrow" as its B-side. It later appeared on the compilations Relics (1971), Works (1983), Shine On (1992), Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd (2001) and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 40th Anniversary Edition (2007).

The song was reportedly about a girl named Emily, whom Barrett claimed he saw while sleeping in the woods after taking a hallucinogenic drug. Barrett later stated that the story about sleeping in the woods and seeing a girl before him was made up "...all for publicity." According to A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey, by Nicholas Schaffner, Emily is the Honourable Emily Young (b. March 13, 1951), daughter of Wayland Hilton Young, 2nd Baron Kennet, and nicknamed "the psychedelic schoolgirl" at the UFO Club. An article in Mojo magazine called "See the Real Emily" supposedly shows a picture of Barrett's Emily.

Barrett, reportedly, wasn't happy with the final studio cut. He protested against its release, which producer Norman Smith has speculated was based on Barrett's fear of commercialism. During the sessions for the song, David Gilmour was a visitor to the studio, after being invited by Syd. He was shocked by what he perceived as a change in Syd's personality, and Syd did not appear to even recognise his old friend, despite having invited him there in the first place. For many years Gilmour would recall this encounter with the saying, "I'll go on record as saying, that was when he changed."

The US single (Tower 356) was released by Tower Records 3 times between July 1967 and late 1968. Each time it failed to duplicate its UK success.

The slide guitar work on the song is said to have been done by Barrett with a Zippo lighter. The train depicted on the single's sleeve was actually drawn by Barrett himself.

In 1968, Pink Floyd travelled to Belgium where they filmed an odd lip-synched promotional film for "See Emily Play", as well as for "Astronomy Domine", "The Scarecrow", "Apples and Oranges", "Paint Box", "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun", and "Corporal Clegg". Syd Barrett did not go to Belgium; he was replaced by David Gilmour, with Gilmour and Wright lip-syncing Syd's role in the songs.

In Switzerland, the song has been released on 7" Single and has been marked with two special attributes, the record's label "CH 01" and the icon of Swiss crossbow in the record's stamper code.

"See Emily Play" is also known as "Games For May," and sometimes "Free Games For May," after a free concert in which Barrett's Pink Floyd performed.

Lyrics:
Emily tries but misunderstands, ah ooh
She often inclined to borrow somebody's dreams till tomorrow
There is no other day
Let's try it another way
You'll lose your mind and play
Free games for may See Emily play

Soon after dark Emily cries, ah ooh
Gazing through trees in sorrow hardly a sound till tomorrow
There is no other day
Let's try it another way
You'll lose your mind and play
Free games for may See Emily play

Put on a gown that touches the ground, ah ooh
Float on a river forever and ever, Emily!
There is no other day
Let's try it another way
You'll lose your mind and play
Free games for may See Emily play

Pink Floyd Astronomy Domine - Aug 31, '68 Kastival, Belgium

Pink Floyd Astronomy Domine - Aug 31, '68 Kastival, Belgium. Great version of this song!

Mark Jones - Effervescing Elephant Video

Laaaaaaadies and Gentlemeeeeeeen! Witness the Laughing Madcaps own MARK JONES at Open Mic Night, Eden, Manchester, 1st Feb 2009! Mark does a good Effervescing Elephant Video! It's vid! It's vid!

Effervescing Elephant
(Barrett) 1:52

An Effervescing Elephant
with tiny eyes and great big trunk
once whispered to the tiny ear
the ear of one inferior
that by next June he'd die, oh yeah!
because the tiger would roam.
The little one said: "Oh my goodness I must stay at home!
and every time I hear a growl
I'll know the tiger's on the prowl
and I'll be really safe, you know
the elephant he told me so."
Everyone was nervy, oh yeah!
and the message was spread
to zebra, mongoose, and the dirty hippopotamus
who wallowed in the mud and chewed
his spicy hippo-plankton food
and tended to ignore the word
preferring to survey a herd
of stupid water bison, oh yeah!
And all the jungle took fright,
and ran around for all the day and the night
but all in vain, because, you see,
the tiger came and said: "Who me?!
You know, I wouldn't hurt not one of you.
I'd much prefer something to chewand you're all to scant." oh yeah!
He ate the Elephant

Syd Barrett Poster - Wouldn't You Miss Me?

Check out this cool Syd Barrett poster! My dear friend, Mark, sent me this from Ennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngland. It's an actual promo poster for Wouldn't You Miss Me? That's Syd's "best of" collection.