Home / Pink Floyd Timeline / Pink Floyd History 1973
The previous chapter covered Pink Floyd’s trip to Japan, recording and releasing La Vallee soundtrack as Obscured by Clouds and spent time recording and touring Dark Side of the Moon. It was not until 1973, the topic of this page, that the album was released which launched them into the stratosphere in terms of popularity. It was the beginning of the end of their middle Era (Syd 1st, Roger 2nd and David Gilmour 3rd phase). Lets take a look at what happened in Pink Floyd’s 1973 history timeline.
21 January 1973
Clare Torry recorded her vocal for the song The Great Gig In The Sky at Abbey Road
Clare Torry, a session singer, recorded her iconic vocal for the song “The Great Gig in the Sky” at Abbey Road Studios. This song was included on Pink Floyd’s next album, “The Dark Side of the Moon”.
During the recording session, Torry was invited without knowing much about the band or the song. She improvised her vocal part as an instrument, without any words. The band members prompted her to think about death and horror and then go into the studio to improvise something over the music. Her performance became one of the most memorable parts of the album.
Work on “The Dark Side of the Moon” continued at Abbey Road throughout the month, with the band refining and perfecting the album. Torry’s contribution to the song was initially uncredited, but she later received recognition for her work after suing the band.
12 February 1973
Pink Floyd’s Roland Petit’s Ballet Performance 2nd Run of Shows
In Marseille located in the South of France, Pink Floyd performed with the Roland Petite Ballet in front of the stage in a run of successful shows in November of 1972. Additionally, they performed for the French public again in February 1973, again accompanied by Roland Petite’s Ballet group but in Paris.
You can see them in the photo above and also watch them on YouTube because the rehearsals on 21st November 1972 were filmed by French TV station ORTF TV for their arts programme JT 20H.
They performed One Of These Days, Careful With That Axe, Eugene, Obscured By Clouds, When You’re In and Echoes to accompany Roland Petit’s choreographed ballet. A bizarre and brilliant part of the bands history. There were many shows but Pink Floyd only performed at a handful of them, with audio recordings being used for the remainder.
Take a look at the Pink Floyd Roland Petit Ballet Programme and Pink Floyd touring schedule from 72/73
19 February 1973
Pink Floyd had Production Dress Rehearsals for three days at London’s Rainbow Theatre for USA Tour
Pink Floyd staged three days of full production rehearsals at London’s Rainbow Theatre in preparation for their forthcoming North American tour. These rehearsals took place in February 1972 and were crucial for the band to fine-tune their live performance and stage setup.
The rehearsals included testing a new Watkins Electric Music PA system designed by Bill Kelsey, which featured a complete quadrophonic sound system. This preparation helped ensure that their performances would be of the highest quality for their North American audience.
See Pink Floyd 1973 USA Tour Schedule, Pink Floyd’s Quad Sound Mixer Recreated
27 February 1973
EMI Press Reception for The Dark Side of the Moon
On February 27, 1973, EMI Records held a press reception for the debut presentation of Pink Floyd’s new album The Dark Side Of The Moon at the London Planetarium. The event was highly anticipated, with invites for London’s press and media being in high demand due to the buzz surrounding the album.
However, the event did not go as planned. Only Richard Wright, the band’s keyboardist, attended the event. The other band members refused to attend in protest at what they believed to be an inferior sound system brought in by EMI². Richard Wright, unaware of the boycott, hastily left the event when he realized he was alone.
Melody Maker’s Roy Hollingworth described Side One as “so utterly confused with itself it was difficult to follow”, but praised Side Two, writing: “The songs, the sounds, the rhythms were solid and sound, Saxophone hit the air, the band rocked and rolled, and then gushed and tripped away into the night.”
Despite the absence of most band members, the event was a success, and the album went on to sell over 50 million copies to date. The band’s nonappearance at the event generated more press coverage and accolades for the music than their presence might have. This incident is a testament to Pink Floyd’s anti-establishment attitude and their tendency to buck the system throughout their career.
Links – Read about the event on Pink Floyd’s website, View the 1973 Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon Premiere Programme
4 March 1973
Pink Floyd USA Tour 1973
Pink Floyd began their 16-date US tour on March 4, 1973 at the Dane County Memorial Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin. The band was joined by saxophonist Dick Parry and backing vocalists Nawasa Crowder, Phyllis Lindsey, and Mary Ann Lindsey.
Their set list featured the entire The Dark Side Of The Moon album, along with Obscured By Clouds, When You’re In, and Careful With That Axe, Eugene. They also performed an encore of One Of These Days.
The tour concluded on March 24, 1973 at Atlanta’s Municipal Auditorium. The US promoter cancelled a scheduled show in Florida, believing that a Santana show in town would drastically reduce Pink Floyd’s audience.
Links – Pink Floyd 1973 Tour Schedule for USA Leg,
1 March 1973
Dark Side of the Moon released in USA
7 May 1973
Single Money/Any Colour You Like released
“Money” was released in the US as a single on May 7, 1973 with “Any Colour You Like” as the B-side. The song was written by Roger Waters and is known for its distinctive 7/4 time signature and the use of sound effects such as cash registers and coins.
The single became Pink Floyd’s first major hit in the United States, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success helped to further cement the band’s popularity in the US and contributed to the massive success of their album The Dark Side of the Moon.
Links – Pink Floyd Singles,
18 & 19 May 1973
Pink Floyd perform large format shows at London’s Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Pink Floyd played two nights at Earls Court Exhibition Hall in London on May 18 and 19, 1973. These concerts were part of their Dark Side of the Moon Tour and marked a significant moment in the band’s history as they transitioned from playing smaller venues to larger arenas.
For these performances, the band was joined by additional personnel: Dick Parry on saxophones and Backing vocalists Liza Strike and Vicki Brown mother of Sam Brown who would later perform with the band.
The set list for these concerts included the entire The Dark Side of the Moon album, along with other songs from their ever expanding back catalogue.
Links – 1973 Pink Floyd Earls Court Official Tour Programme, and 1973 Pink Floyd Earls Court Unofficial Tour Programme. For tour schedule see Pink Floyd Live at Earls Court 1973.
16 June 1973
Pink Floyd head back to USA for Dark Side of the Moon Tour second coming!
Following the amazing success of Dark Side of the Moon on the Billboard Top 100, the band returned to the USA For a second stint of Dark Side concerts.
They played 13 shows, starting at New York’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center and ending at Florida’s Tampa Stadium. The band set a new record gross at New Jersey’s Roosevelt Stadium by making $110,565 for a single performance.
1973-06-17 : Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, New York, USA
1973-06-18 : Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA [Record setting show]
1973-06-19 : Civic Center Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
1973-06-20 : Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland, USA
1973-06-21 : Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland, USA
1973-06-22 : Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo (New York), USA
1973-06-23 : Olympia Stadium (Detroit), Detroit, Michigan, USA
1973-06-24 : Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA
1973-06-25 : Convention Center (Louisville), Louisville, Kentucky, USA
1973-06-26 : Lake Spivey Park, Jonesboro, Georgia, USA
1973-06-27 : Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
1973-06-28 : The Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida, USA
1973-06-29 : Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida, USA
1 October 1973
Pink Floyd’s Household Objects
Having had amazing success with Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd once again indulged their experimental side by working on the Household Objects side project.
In late 1973, following the massive success of The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd embarked on an experimental project known as the ‘Household Objects Project’. The idea behind this project was to create music without using any conventional musical instruments. Instead, the band used everyday household items to produce sounds and rhythms.
The recording sessions took place intermittently over 20 days at Abbey Road Studios in London. The band was assisted by engineer Alan Parsons, who had previously worked with them on The Dark Side of the Moon. The group experimented with various household items, including elastic bands, wine glasses, matchsticks, and sticky tape, to create unique sounds.
Some of the notable sounds created during these sessions included:
* Elastic bands being plucked to mimic bass guitar sounds
* Wine glasses filled with varying amounts of liquid to produce different notes
* Matchsticks and sticky tape used to create percussive effects
Despite the innovative approach, the project was ultimately abandoned as the band found it challenging to produce cohesive music using these unconventional methods. Only a few tracks from the sessions, such as “Wine Glasses” and “The Hard Way”, were ever released. These tracks were later included in the “Immersion Edition” box sets of Wish You Were Here and The Dark Side of the Moon.
Links – Have a listen to The Hard Way from Household Objects (song 4) which was released as part of the Discovcery Editions of Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon.
4 November 1973
Pink Floyd perform Two Shows in one day for Robert Wyatt benefit concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London
On November 4, 1973, Pink Floyd played two benefit concerts at London’s Rainbow Theatre to raise funds for ex-Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt. These concerts were organized to support Wyatt, who had been paralyzed from the waist down after falling from a fourth-floor window earlier that year.
The concerts featured performances by Pink Floyd, supported by Soft Machine and were compered by the legendary DJ John Peel. The setlist for these shows included the entire The Dark Side of the Moon album, along with other tracks such as Obscured by Clouds and When You’re In. The concerts were a great success, raising a reported £10,000 for Wyatt.
Many years later David Gilmour would perform at Robert Wyatt’s Meltdown concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2001. I had a ticket to attend this concert but was unable due to having a university exam the following day in Liverpool. Still not stopped sulking.
Links – Pink Floyd & Robert Wyatt writeup in Melody Maker, see ticket scan and photo from the gig, Watch Nick Mason performing with Robert on Top of the Pops in 1974
5 December 1973
Pink Floyd on Crystal Voyager Soundtrack
Crystal Voyager, an Australian cult surf movie, premiered in Melbourne on December 5, 1973. The film was directed by David Elfick and filmed by Albert Falzon⁴. It was written and narrated by surfer, photographer, and filmmaker George Greenough, who had previously made the 1970 surfing film The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun.
The film is structured as a loose biography of Greenough and documents his search for uncrowded waves, which led to the construction of his 37-foot ocean-going yacht. It also features Greenough’s surfing friends, Californian Richie West and Australian world champion Nat Young.
One of the most notable aspects of Crystal Voyager is its soundtrack, which includes Pink Floyd’s song “Echoes”. The closing sequence of the film, known as “Echoes”, is considered the highlight of the movie. This sequence was filmed with a camera in a waterproof housing strapped to Greenough’s back and is composed entirely of slow-motion footage shot inside the curl of waves. The 23-minute song “Echoes” by Pink Floyd accompanies this footage, creating a transcendental cinematic experience.
The group reportedly allowed Elfick and Greenough to use the music in their film in exchange for the use of Greenough’s footage as a visual background when they performed “Echoes” in concert. This collaboration between Pink Floyd and the filmmakers added a unique and memorable element to the film, making it a significant piece of surf cinema history.
Links – Discuss the film/video
5 December 1973
“A Nice Pair” Pink Floyd Compilation Released
“Pink Floyd A Nice Pair” is a compilation album released in 1973. This album is essentially a re-packaging of Pink Floyd’s first two albums, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” (1967) and “A Saucerful of Secrets” (1968). It was released after the success of “The Dark Side of the Moon,” as Pink Floyd’s music was gaining more widespread attention.
Links – A Nice Pair Discography
