Below is a documentation of all Syd
Barrett solo recording
sessions for 'The Madcap Laughs'. It includes the 1968 sessions
supervised by Peter Jenner, none of which were issued with the
exception of a small part of 'Late Night' (see the album
breakdown on page 17, where details of take numbers are alsolisted).
A: PRODUCED BY PETER JENNER:
6/5/68 Silas Lang : not issued (Later re-titled 'Swan Lee')
Late Night ; not issued. Version 1. Probably erased when re-recorded 21/5/68
14/5/68 Rhamadan : not issued
Lanky Part 1. not issued
Lanky Part 2. not issued
Golden Hair version 1. not issued
21/5/68 Late Night version 2. Partly used for L.P.
Silas Lang (contd)(note 1) not issued
28/5/68 Golden Hair version 1. Contd. not issued
Swan Lee contd. not issued
Rhamadan contd. not issued
8/6/68 Swan Lee contd. not issued
20/6/68 Swan Lee contd. not issued
Late Night version 2 contd. (see 21/5/68 note)
Golden Hair version 1 contd. not issued
20/7/68 Clowns And Jugglers (later re-titled 'Octopus') version 1 (this session produced by Syd alone) not issuedd
B: PRODUCED BY MALCOLM JONES:
10/4/69 Swan Lee contd. not issued
Clowns And Jugglers version 1 contd. not issued
11/4/69 Opel : not issued
Love You version 1 (fast) not issued
Love You version 2 (slow) not issued
Love You (take 4) issued version (see note 2)
It's No Good Trying.
Terrapin
Late Night version 2 contd
Golden Hair version 1 contd. not issued
17/4/69 No Man's Land Here I Go (with Jerry Shirley, drums, and John 'Willie' Wilson, bass.)
Note 1. When an existing recording from a previous session is continued, for example to overdub vocals, or guitars, etc., I have put 'continued'. This means that the recording in question is not another version. Note 2. Naturally, any recording without the note 'not issued' is the one which appears on 'Madcap Laughs'.
23/4/69 Rhamadan contd. not issued Motorbike effects. not issued
25/4/69 The following titles were transferred from the original 4 track masters to 8 track tape for overdubs at a later date. No new recording was done other than on 'Love You', but it is included as a session as it is an indication as to the songs that Syd was planning to continue with, and Syd supervised the copyinghimself. It's No Good Trying; Terrapin; Opel; Clowns and Jugglers, Love You, Golden Hair; Late Night; Swan Lee;
Love You was overdubbed, but as I was not present at this session I cannot specify what.They were certainly minor additions. Items 1, 2, 5, 7, were issued - items 3, 4, 6, 8 were not, although items 4, 6 were re-recorded later and issued.
3/5/69 Love You contd.
It's No Good Trying, contd
Clowns And Jugglers contd not issued
Note: on this session, the Soft Machine (Mike Ratledge, keyboards; Robert Wyatt, drums; Hugh Hopper, bass) overdubbed backings.
4/5/69 It's No Good Trying, contd.
Terrapin contd.
No Mans Land contd
C: PRODUCED BY DAVE GILMOUR AND ROGER WATERS:
12/6/69 Octopus version 2. not issued (for clarification, see note 1)
Golden Hair version 2. (note 2)
Octopus version 3 (Note 3)
Dark Globe version 1 (issued)
Long Gone version 1 not issued
Dark Globe version 2 not issued
Note: the recording sheet lists Syd and Dave Gilmour as producers, with no reference to Roger Waters. Note 1. 'OCTOPUS' (also known as 'Clowns and Jugglers' in its early versions). Syd made this song on two separate occasions. Syd produced the original backing track to the first version (20/7/68) which I overdubbed with the Soft Machine (3/5/69). This version was never issued and the version made on this session (12/6/69), produced by Dave Gilmour, is the issued one. In fact, Octopus was attempted twice on this session. The first, producing two complete takes, was abandoned, and after 'Golden Hair' was successfully completed, Syd had another go at 'Octopus', this time making the successful version that was issued on the album. In all, then, there were four completed versions of the song! Syd started one which I completed (vocals, and later, the Soft Machine), and Dave Gilmour made two versions (three takes), making four in all. Note 2: for clarity, this is the issued version Note 3; for clarity, this is the issued version
13/6/69 Octopus version 3 contd.
26/7/69 She Took A Long Cold Look, version 1, not issued
Long Gone, version 2
Wouldn't You Miss Me (incorrect announcement for Dark Globe re-make, version 3) not issued
She Took A Long Cold Look, version 2
Feel
If It's In You
MIXING SESSIONS FROM MULTITRACK TO STEREO MASTER:
The mixing of the album was accomplished in two days, in a total of three sessions by Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters. Long Gone, She Took A Long Cold Look, Feel, If It's In You and Octopus were all mixed in a morning session on August 5th by Daveand Roger. Golden Hair, Dark Globe and Terrapin were mixed in a similar three hour session in the afternoon of the same day. The remaining tracks, all my productions, were mixed by Dave alone on September 16th. The splicing together of the album, including the sequencing of the running order, was done by Dave and Syd on October 6th.
"THE MADCAP LAUGHS"
What follows is a rundown, track by track, of the album as it finally appeared, listing the recording dates of the tracks that were finally used. Alternative recorded versions, takes, etc., appear elsewhere in the booklet. * Produced by the author ** ditto, with assistance from Peter Jenner. Ta!
SIDE ONE:
* 1. TERRAPIN April 11th '69 take 1. Guitar and voice (both double tracked) May 4th '69. Lead guitar overdubbed.
* 2. NO GOOD TRYING April 11th '69 take 3. Guitar and voice May 3rd., '69 Organ, bass, drums overdubbed (Soft Machine) May 4th., '69 Syd's backwards guitar part overdubbed.
* 3. LOVE YOU
April 11th '69 take 4. Guitar and voice
May 3rd '69 Piano, bass, drums, overdubbed (Soft Machine)
* 4. NO MANS LAND
April 17th '69 take 5. Syd, plus Jerry Shirley, drums, John
'Willie' Wilson, bass. (Bass, vocals re-made later on same session)
May 4th '69 Syd overdubbed lead guitar.
*5. DARK GLOBE
June 12th '69 take 2 Guitar and voice.
* 6. HERE I GO
April 17th '69 take 5 Syd, voice / guitar plus Jerry Shirley, drums, John 'Willie' Wilson ,bass. Recorded 'live'.
SIDE TWO:
*1. OCTOPUS June 12th '69 take 11. Guitar and voice June 13th '69 elec. gtr., bass, drums overdubbed (Shirley,Gilmour, Syd,)
*2. GOLDEN HAIR
June 12th '69 take 11. Guitar, voice. Vocal, vibes, organ, cymbals overdubbed after
(Rick Wright? plus unknown cymbals, maybe Shirley ?)
*3. LONG GONE
July 26th '69 take 1 Guitar and voice. Organ overdubbed later with second vocal.
*4. SHE TOOK A LONG COLD LOOK
July 26th '69 take 5 Guitar and voice.
*5. FEEL July 26th '69 take 1 Guitar and voice
6. IF IT'S IN YOU July 26th '69 take 5 Guitar and voice
**7. LATE NIGHT May 21st '68 take 2 Backing track; (unknown musicians) April 11th '69 Vocals and guitar overdubbed.