Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

General discussion about Pink Floyd.
TheLazenby
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Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by TheLazenby »

I just read on Wikipedia yesterday about "The Big Spliff," an unreleased album from The Division Bell era for which PF recorded hours of ambient sounds.

It suddenly occurred to me.... could the hidden track on the "Pulse" cassette (the half-hour compilation of sound effects) be a chunk of this? (I've also heard speculation that "Spliff" would've been similar to the Trance Remixes CD's, but I assume that they meant the spacey sound effects, not the actual manipulated Floyd music.)
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Sonic Destruction
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by Sonic Destruction »

Hidden track on the "Pulse" cassette????? :shock: :shock: :shock:

I know nothing about this!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

Tell me more ...
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by jmr »

The cassette version of Pulse had a 22 minute instrumental sound collage. I've seen it on bootlegs (which will remain unnamed), listed as 'Soundscape'. I've no idea if it was actually titled on the cassette.
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by davidjay »

it is not titled on the cassette. "the big spliff" is obviously a fan designation and is probably what wiki is reffering to. there's no indication on the cassette that it's there at all. side 3 is tdsotm and side 4 is the encores which are much shorter than tdsotm. they put the "soundscape" or whatever at the end of side 4 as a gag to fill up the extra tape. i was pretty stoked when i found it for the first time!
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by TheLazenby »

No, you misunderstood me - "The Big Spliff" was the working title of an ambient album that PF made alongside "The Division Bell", according to Nick Mason. I was merely speculating that the nameless soundscape was actually a half-hour chunk of "The Big Spliff" album.
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by mosespa »

Probably, I'd guess.
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by Creek »

Ok, now I have to pull out my Pulse box set and check this out. BTW my blinking led made it a little over 8 1/2 years. I was wondering how long some of the others made it?
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by Sonic Destruction »

I have the 2CD version, and the 2DVD release, but not the cassette. They probably haven't even made any for years. I had better see whether I can find a second-hand copy.

While I think of it, hasn't the cassette version also got "One Of These Days"?, which I think was missing from the 2CD thing?

Edit: I have just looked up Wikipedia and have found the following info: "The cassette issue had two bonus tracks: "One of These Days" and a 22 minute ambient piece that was played prior to the 1994 concerts".

That still doesn't answer the question as to whether or not this was "The Big Spliff" of legend. :?
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by mosespa »

Creek wrote:Ok, now I have to pull out my Pulse box set and check this out. BTW my blinking led made it a little over 8 1/2 years. I was wondering how long some of the others made it?
Mine's still blinking after almost 15 years. :D

I change the batteries regularly...but that's still maybe every five years or so.
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by J Ed »

I remember the ambient sounds before (and after) the 1987 concerts
I also remember ambient sounds before Rogers 1984 concert
they bounced around the quadrophonic sound setup, sort of drawing attention to the presence of speakers at the sides and back while we were waiting for the show to start
but the sounds were very quiet, below the general level of crowd noise until something chirped or ticked from the closest speakers
I also remember after the MLoR concerts that the ambient sounds resolved for a few seconds into Good Vibrations then back into random pinging again

so maybe the PULSE soundscape is not part of unrealeased followup album, I think its something theyd been using for years as a subtle part of the concert
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by Damn!t »

I remember these sounds before the concert very clearly and huge clouds of pot laying all around the stadium.
I walked with my brother to the stage to see the beast while it was still daylight, all in awe and I remember hearing Cessna flying over us.
We looked around like dickheads but didnt see a thing. That was my first encounter with quadrophonic sound system.
We just sat down like everyone else, listening to lawnmowers and birds right till the spacey sounds and the beginning of Astronomy.
Fuck that was a great day.

However, that wasnt the big spliff I think.
I think that we still didnt heard that.
Imo, that would be some music - Gilmour and Wright long improvisations, not sounds of airplanes, trains and lawnmowers.
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by TheLazenby »

Ugh... the typical "huge clouds of pot" were probably the reason that I noticed handmade "NO SMOKING" signs suddenly taped all over the classy theatre where I saw Aussie Floyd! :-P

Why some people feel they need drugs to enjoy Floyd, I'll never know... hearing "Echoes" while straight is a euphoric enough experience for me, thank you very much. :D
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by snifferdog »

I agree with you. I'm one of those boring people who has never taken drugs (unless you want to define alcohol as a drug) and I really enjoy Pink Floyd's music with all my faculties intact.
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by mosespa »

I was listening to Pink Floyd and enjoying the HELL out of it long before I ever started doing drugs.

Drugs did not affect my adoration of their music in either a positive or negative direction.
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Re: Pulse hidden track = The Big Spliff?

Post by ddebil »

Also one of the boring people (nowadays :D ), I can agree that I enjoy PF and others very much indeed.
Although I have to stress that the experience was undoubtedly enhanced immeasurably, following a few smokes. To be honest, I quite miss it. :(