Roger Waters didn't consider either of the working titles sufficiently interesting, believing they needed a better one before the afternoon's recording. 'On July 18th, 1970, Floyd and Geesin were at the BBC's Paris Cinema studios in Lower Regent Street preparing a session for John Peel's Radio 1 Sunday Concerts series. Pink Floyd playing songs from Atom Heart Mother in Hyde Park, London in July 1970 taken by Tony Collins While recording it at Abbey Road in June, Geesin quarrelled with the brass players of the EMI Pops Orchestra, who had trouble getting it right, and stood down as conductor in favour of choirmaster John Aldiss. His arrangement was composed to a spare backing track laid down by Mason and Waters, with melodic suggestions by Wright and Gilmour. 'During the scorching summer of 1970, Geesin, who'd met the band through Nick Mason, laboured in his top-floor studio in Ladbroke Grove on 'Epic' and the score to The Body (with songs by Waters), clad only in underpants. It could have been called Argument in E Minor for Band and Orchestra. The group's drone is on the tonic note of E, my brass drones pull and twist that in tension, up and down, never settling on it. I find my part embodies a dilemma for and against. 'I've got very mixed feelings about rock music. 'The opening section is clearly a critical statement about the nature of so-called 'progressive rock',' Geesin told The Word's Jim Irvin in August 2008. Ron Geesin, who'd already influenced (and collaborated with) Roger Waters, contributed to the title track and received a then-rare outside songwriting credit. It was the band's first album to reach No. 'The album was released by Harvest on 2nd October 1970, having been recorded at Abbey Road Studios.

Jim Irvin writing for The Word, August 2008 (Courtesy of Rock's Backpages) To many it marks the point at which Pink Floyd emerged from their post-Syd malaise and found their way forward, towards everything we remember them best for.

We've collectively delved back through our archives to share a selection of historic images and features that tell the story of this remarkable record.Īlternative cover art for Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother created by Storm ThorgersonĪtom Heart Mother was the fifth studio album by Pink Floyd.

To celebrate, we've put together another special collaboration with Rock's Backpages, the definitive online archive of music journalism. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother.

Pink floyd poster atom heart mother