Pink Floyd - Have A Cigar (Alternative Version)

‘Syd, Roger, Richard, Nick and David – An Evolving Pink Floyd Playlist’ highlights the band’s contribution to music over the last 60 years. Every Friday, the playlist will feature rare tracks (via streaming or download) originally available on the Immersion boxsets. Tracks include for the following Fridays:

5 June - Any Colour You Like (Live at Wembley 1974) – ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ Immersion
12 June – Run Like Hell (The Wall WIP pt2 Band Demo) – ‘The Wall’ Immersion
19 June – Money (Early Mix 1972) – ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ Immersion
More currently unavailable tracks will be scheduled and announced soon….

**PINK FLOYD SOCIAL MEDIA**

#PinkFloydFridays #PinkFloyd #Remastered

[atharvachoudhary]

This feels like it could be a track on Animals... the music, the groove, the overall vibe.... I can imagine this between Dogs and Pigs(Three Different Ones).

[Meanandgogetter]

It always made sense to me that somebody else sings this song, since it represents someone outside Pink Floyd

[hybridaquatics]

I like that this version is longer but I still prefer the Roy Harper vocals for this one. The fact that David and Roger sing "oh by the way which one is pink" together in a duet is pretty cool. Never thought I'd hear that.

[chickletsever]

I don't want to see any more comments about Roger's bass playing. The bass lines in this piece are perfect. The backbone of the song.

[hann]

I love both of the versions. They both have their own feel y’know?

[FirionLeFleur]

I miss hearing him say Everything is just greeeEEn.

[nsk]

The thing about this song is to me, that is the Pink Floyd song about Pink Floyd, hence it sounds so good and, when sang by Roy Harper, it just completes the perfect puzzle.

[genatzvalee]

I'm not gonna argue which version is better, it's just cool to have an alternative one with both Rog and Dave on vocals. It's definitely not so easy to sing, it requires a certain style, especially to belt out "...Riding The Gravy properly!

[anishlimbu]

Long live pink Floyd.!
Missing you syd Barrett ;.!

[brettpalmer]

what an amazing band. They had some of the best licks in Rock History and also probably the saddest backstories (Syd Barrett) and rivalaries (GIlmour and Waters)

[annemoyano]

Superb spirit and soul of Gilmour, discret and timide (, i 'm french ) soul of the wish you were here

[oscarorduz]

Guitar solo was sustancially improved ! And Harper´s voice fitted perfectly for the final version

[ethanbanta]

I love this version. There's something very cool about it and I don't really know how to describe it.

[devv_]

Have you seen the chart?
It's a hell of a start,
It could be made into a monster,
If we all pull together as a team.

[nixpool]

In 2023 it'll be 50 years since I first heard Floyd, life has never been the same since, just a boy of 11 then, into T.Rex Slade Sweet etc, it all changed, coming with me to the grave and beyond, incredible band, love this version too.

[nickhirst]

So the story goes that the album 'Wish You Were Here' was originally going to consist of 'Shine On', 'Gotta Be Crazy' and 'Raving and Drooling'. They'd been playing those 3 at gigs throughout 1974 as the first set, with Dark Side as the second. However Roger didn't think they fitted together as a concept and wanted to shelve 'Crazy' and 'Raving' and adding new songs while keeping 'Shine On'. David wanted to keep it as those 3 songs but was out-voted. They went into Abbey Road in January 1975 to start recording. Meanwhile Roy Harper was in Abbey Road recording his 'HQ' album. Roger has come up with a new song 'Have a Cigar'. I think this is a first take, not a demo. The sounds and instrumentation are identical to the final version but it's a bit slow and a bit ragged, so they play it again and get a good take. However, they use the rough take to try out vocals. In strolls Roy and finds Roger struggling with the vocals. The line 'we call it riding the gravy train' with it's long sustained note requires a lot of breath and Roger had apparently strained his voice so Roy says "I could do that line if you like". They agree and Roy adds it to this rough take. After listening back, they realise Roy has cut the mustard, so someone (probably Roy himself) suggest he sings the whole song, and it's agreed on the spot. So they go to the good take and Roy does the vocal on the take which ended up on the album. This is only my theory but it would explain why Roy is singing that one line on here with Roger doing the main vocal. Once Roy had done the vocal on the finished take, this rough take was shelved until it finally saw the light of day decades later, at least, its first official release. On the Exraction Tapes boot, you can actually hear Roy saying "Yeah, yeah!" just before his line on this version but it's been mixed out here.

[cesaregrassi]

Grazie Syd Barret per aver dato vita a questa band 🙏 R.I.P

[himadrichoudhury]

*Have a cigar*

Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar,
You're gonna go far,
You're gonna fly high,
You're never gonna die,
You're gonna make it if you try,
They're gonna love you.
I've always had a deep respect and I mean that most sincerely;
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think,
Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?

And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?
We call it "Riding The Gravy Train".

We're just knocked out.
We heard about the sell out.
You're gonna get an album out,
You owe it to the people.
We're so happy we can hardly count.
Everybody else is just green,
Have you seen the chart?
It's a hell of a start,
It could be made into a monster,
If we all pull together as a team.

And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?
We call it "Riding The Gravy Train"

[AlbertSpice]

Roy fits this song so well. He has a certain rawness in his voice, plus it suits the narrative of a record executive forcing bands to pump out songs as quickly as possible and "RIDING THE GRAVY TRAIN!"

Roy Harper, in this is the outsider talking to the band members. But I'm happy that they also have this duet version, too.

[stevestandley]

Fantastic! Thank you Roger, Dave, Nick, Richard, and last but not least, Syd.