Listen to Early Morning Henry featuring Pink Floyd

[Jumaris]

Hi all

This is Juliet, I am William Billy Butler‘s daughter, and I can confirm that it is my father singing on this recording. Yes it is a song that he wrote, and yes Norman Smith did take it to Pink Floyd to record a demo. However with that said, I don’t believe that the backing band is Pink Floyd. But I will check with my father and see if I can pry lose some of those memories.

I wouldn’t get your hopes up whoever has the acetate. I’m not fully convinced that this wasn’t one of the many times my dad recorded his own songs at Abbey Road.

He had full use of the studio. Although at the time he was not working at Abbey Road. And it wasn’t until afterwards that he became a sound engineer with studio G.

Just as an aside we immigrated to Canada as a family in 1973 and my father went on to become a sound recordist for movies and one of them he, a Juno, to Leo awards and three N. Saskatchewan awards.

He had an interesting life in those years between 1955 and 1970. My sister and I are currently working on his collection of real to reel tapes.

And as another note for interest after he left the eternal triangle and went to work at studio G he was part of the team that recorded the multi python albums in the studio. Lots of interesting stories around that.

Leave me a message here and I’ll try to answer some questions if I can. It’s in the middle of the night here in Canada and I’m responding because I got a message from Mark on my Facebook and fell down this rabbit hole ha ha.

Cheers

[Wolfpack]

The library reference number was D 375 (on the Acetate sleeve), [...]

Where do the pics of the acetate and the sleeve show the number "D 375"?

No one is forcing there anyone to buy it. I find a whole attitude to seller insulting, frankly. He provided sample and backstory, backstory fits with all documents. David Parker, who wrote Random Precision also 100% sure it's PF. I can clearly hear Roger & Rick playing on it as well. Anyone who had expected another Interstellar Overdrive is clearly wrong. This is just very basic demo with members of PF clearly playing not in their style.

'Random Precision' shows the title 'Early Morning Henry', but it doesn't prove any connection with this actual acetate.
It could at least be another recording of the composition, not by Pink Floyd.

You can clearly hear Waters and Wright?
Well, I'm curious to hear any "Beard of Knowlegde"! Just listening to this short sample...
If they were present... where's Mason? Where's Barrett?

Sorry if I appear to be harsh towards the seller, but so far the Pink Floyd community has to celebrate some mystery snippet that might disappear in some private collection.

[Hadrian]

Dave, Rick and Nick were an effective backing band for Roger Waters between 1977 - 1983

Trust me on this one, The Wall as a solo album by Roger Waters would've been a disappointing listen, collecting dust on the shelves of collectors together with The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking and Radio K.A.O.S.

[Keith Jordan]

I am curious as to who will buy it and what they will do with it. Particularly that they are only buying the disc and not the copyright/publishing rights.

It would be nice if a rich collector came along, bought it, then made it available free of charge to us peculiar people who find it interesting. There is certainly no commercial value in the record I would say. It is a very specialist piece of material.

It would be different if Pink Floyd wrote it, recorded it and it had been lost for 53 years.

Still, a very exciting find for us maniacs who find this sort of thing interesting.

[Wolfpack]

No one here is claiming this is a lost Barrett, or even a Pink Floyd written song, get your facts right first.
This is just a demo Pink Floyd helped a friend with and that is it, the fact and the history.

I'm not claiming it's a Pink Floyd written song. I'm just questioning this acetate has anything to do with Pink Floyd.

I don’t really care what you think, because you will probably won’t be able to afford it, get over it and move on.....

Is this a matter of money?

Why would I pay for an acetate based on the (lack of) evidence you've given so far, other than providing a sample of a recording of a 'Early Morning Henry'?
Why wouldn't the Pink Floyd management accept a good quality "Pink Floyd" recording like this acetate? The backing itself sounds good to me, musically. It's nothing to be ashamed of. If it was "Pink Floyd", they did a remarkably good job being a backing group in an interely different style - all in just one take!

Barrett in the 'Last Minute Put Together Boogie Band'... Isn't that spontaneous live recording just mostly interesting for having Barrett's guitar somewhere, anywhere in the mix? I can imagine Pink Floyd's (and apparently) Barrett's management not being interested in releasing such a CD.
I just can't imagine the Pink Floyd management not accepting a good quality studio recording of a 'Early Morning Henry' performed by Pink Floyd. And I just guess that Waters and Mason already must have heard the sample. Why would they let this opportunity go, to celebrate a remarkably good quality studio recording - which sparked their memories of them actually being involved?

The seller wants as much money as possible, by keeping most of the recording a secret.
I just want as much evidence as possible.

(edit: duplicate text deleted, already sent in my previous post)

[Annoying Twit]

Trust me on this one, The Wall as a solo album by Roger Waters would've been a disappointing listen, collecting dust on the shelves of collectors together with The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking and Radio K.A.O.S.

Would it have been a two disk Final Cut?

It would be nice if a rich collector came along, bought it, then made it available free of charge to us peculiar people who find it interesting. There is certainly no commercial value in the record I would say. It is a very specialist piece of material.

I must admit that I'm not too bothered if a rich collector buys it and locks it away never to be heard again.

Still, a very exciting find for us maniacs who find this sort of thing interesting.

I apologise for not being sufficiently maniacal. But, and I don't mean you Keith, I sometimes get the impression that I get more enjoyment out of the PF and solo catalogue than some other people on here and elsewhere. E.g. those that think that the good albums ITtLWRW and RtL are gawdawful abominations, etc.

[Hadrian]

Would it have been a two disk Final Cut?

Something like it. He gravitates towards narrative works, spoken word album would be the ultimate Roger Waters form. The rest of the gang are about music. It is so evident who was essentially bringing what to the table when you spin The Pros and Cons (the story, the concept) and The Endless River (the sound). When you put these together, you get the golden age. Even The Final Cut shines in moments when Gilmour plays the solo guitar.

[Annoying Twit]

Something like it. He gravitates towards narrative works, spoken word album would be the ultimate Roger Waters form. The rest of the gang are about music. It is so evident who was essentially bringing what to the table when you spin The Pros and Cons (the story, the concept) and The Endless River (the sound). When you put these together, you get the golden age. Even The Final Cut shines in moments when Gilmour plays the solo guitar.

I do think that The Final Cut is musically better than some say. There are some very nice musical moments on it even when Gilmour isn't playing lead. But, it is subtle.

[Wolfpack]

'Early Morning Henry' meets 'The Final Cut'!
Well, that escalated quickly!

[Hadrian]

I do think that The Final Cut is musically better than some say. There are some very nice musical moments on it even when Gilmour isn't playing lead. But, it is subtle.

Yes, I agree. Saxophone solo moments are great. Roger Waters should perform that entire album as a set somewhere, and tape the show. Video of that would be a spectacular 40th anniversary companion piece for 2023.

[Keith Jordan]

Hopefully I will be able to set something up with Mr Butler to tell his version of events regarding his recording and what he went on to do with it over the years. It is quite probable that other versions of the song exist as he probably played it with one band of his at least.

I for one would like to hear the full song and a live or proper studio version. Not just the quick demo version.

[Keith Jordan]

This is what Juliet - William Butler's daughter - said before the forum software butchered the post for some reason when I approved it....

Hi all

This is Juliet, I am William Billy Butler‘s daughter, and I can confirm that it is my father singing on this recording. Yes it is a song that he wrote, and yes Norman Smith did take it to Pink Floyd to record a demo. However with that said, I don’t believe that the backing band is Pink Floyd. But I will check with my father and see if I can pry lose some of those memories.

I wouldn’t get your hopes up whoever has the acetate. I’m not fully convinced that this wasn’t one of the many times my dad recorded his own songs at Abbey Road.

He had full use of the studio. Although at the time he was not working at Abbey Road. And it wasn’t until afterwards that he became a sound engineer with studio G.

Just as an aside we immigrated to Canada as a family in 1973 and my father went on to become a sound recordist for movies and one of them he, a Juno, to Leo awards and three N. Saskatchewan awards.

He had an interesting life in those years between 1955 and 1970. My sister and I are currently working on his collection of real to reel tapes.

And as another note for interest after he left the eternal triangle and went to work at studio G he was part of the team that recorded the multi python albums in the studio. Lots of interesting stories around that.

Leave me a message here and I’ll try to answer some questions if I can. It’s in the middle of the night here in Canada and I’m responding because I got a message from Mark on my Facebook and fell down this rabbit hole ha ha.

Cheers

[Shakesomeaction]

No disrespect to Billy Butler’s daughter, but memories often get muddled, there was never a studio G in Abbey Road, I spent 6 months working there.
There were always just 3 studios in Abbey Road and they were numbered Studio 1, Studio 2 and Studio 3.
She might be confusing this with another studio EMI used at the time.

You can check that fact on many websites.

[Jumaris]

Studio G is a company that with separate of Abbey Road. My dad started his recording career after his music career in about 1970. He went to work for a company called studio G run by John Gale. Andre Jacquemin is also associated with this studio.

I had a long conversation with my dad today about this song and he is not suffering any dementia and has vivid memories of all of it. Could you please give me the respect of waiting until he decides how he would like to proceed. He’s feeling a little vulnerable with his music and the interest that has been taken, and we are still working that with him.

[Kerry King]

You can't hear anything "clearly" on this demo. The vocals are the only distinctive part.

I sometimes get the impression that I get more enjoyment out of the PF and solo catalogue than some other people on here and elsewhere. E.g. those that think that the good albums ITtLWRW and RtL are gawdawful abominations, etc.

Would you allow for the possibility that you are not open minded enough to accept that members of pink floyd are capable of producing dreck?

Consider the backing tracks on this very demo.