Jugband Blues

Song_infobox
Name = Jugband Blues


Artist = Pink Floyd
Album = A Saucerful of Secrets
Released = June 29, 1968 (UK)
July 27, 1968 (US)
track_no = 7
Recorded = October 1967
De Lane Lea Studios, London
Genre = Psychedelic rock
Length = 3:01
Writer = Syd Barrett
Producer = Norman Smith
prev = See-Saw
prev_no = 6

"Jugband Blues" is a song by British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, and is featured on their second album, "A Saucerful of Secrets" (1968). It was written by Syd Barrett, being his sole writing contribution to the album, and also his last published for the band.

The promotional video for this song features Barrett (shown with an acoustic guitar for the first time) and the group miming to the song in a more conventional stage setting, with psychedelic projections in the background. The original audio to the promo is lost, and most versions use the BBC recording from late 1967, consequently causing sync issues most evident as Syd sings the opening verse. Roger Waters and Rick Wright switch to tuba and trombone respectively in the brass-driven instrumental break.

Barrett wanted a Salvation Army band to play on the track. They were brought in, but when he stated that he wanted them to simply "play whatever they want" regardless of the rest of the group, Norman Smith insisted on recorded parts. Eventually both versions were recorded and used.

Because of Barrett's increasingly erratic behavior, which reduced his committment to both songwriting and recording, as well as song's distinctive three-tiered structure (all three parts are in separete keys and in different time) some listeners believed that "Jugband Blues" was more than likely a mash-up of three of four separate Barrett demos from various points that the rest of the band spliced together; presumably to create the impression that "Jugband" was a singular, stand-alone piece. But this has proven not to be the case, and that "Jugband Blues" was recorded how Barrett composed it.

The song is viewed by many fans as a sad farewell piece by Barrett who, by the beginning of the recording sessions for "Saucerful of Secrets", was already shrinking into a delirious state of mind, exacerbated by his feelings of alienation from the rest of the band, as can be gleaned from the painfully specific lyrics in the song ("I don't care if the sun don't shine/ And I don't care if nothing is mine"), although it has been argued that the common interpretation of the lyrics as reflecting Barrett's dementia owes more to Barrett's popular image more than fact, and that they could be read as a criticism of the other band members for forcing him out [cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:fzfwxz90ldte |title=Jugband Blues: Song Review |accessdate=2008-09-15|last=Mason |first=Stewart|publisher=All Music Guide] .

"Jugband Blues" is the second song from "Saucerful" to appear on the compilation album "" (the first being "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"). It is ordered near the end of the second disc, immediately following "Wish You Were Here", a song written by the rest of the band in 1975 in tribute to Barrett.

Personnel

*Syd Barrett - Guitar and Vocals
*Richard Wright - Keyboards
*Roger Waters - Bass
*Nick Mason - Drums and Percussionwith
*8 members of the Salvation Army (The International Staff Band [http://www.theisb.com/ The International Staff Band] ) - Ray Bowes (cornet), Terry Camsey (cornet), Mac Carter (trombone), Les Condon (Eb bass), Maurice Cooper (Euphonium), Ian Hankey (trombone), George Whittingham (Bb bass), and one other.

References