Biding My Time
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Biding My Time
Classic getting-it-together-in-the-country vibe. Fabulous wig-out guitar solo for the last three minutes - and a fucking trombone (played by Rick Wright), amazingly
So, this delightful Floyd nugget only ever saw the light of day on Relics, with no more of a clue than the credit "Produced by Norman Smith, 9 July 1969". There is speculation that it may have been recorded for use on either Ummagumma or Atom Heart Mother, but it is no more than speculation.
It has never been released on any other compilations - not even the otherwise exhaustively comprehensive Early Years box set - and I am wondering why. Anyone have any theories - or even better, knowledge?
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Re: Biding My Time
The Slider wrote:
It has never been released on any other compilations - not even the otherwise exhaustively comprehensive Early Years box set - and I am wondering why. Anyone have any theories - or even better, knowledge?
There is a live version of it on the box set (tiled "Afternoon") but I've only ever seen the studio one on Relics.
and, yes, I love it too
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Re: Biding My Time
Yes, it was part of the Man and The Journey concept, which was how they framed their live shows in the middle of 1969.
There are a few In Concert versions of it , like the one above, but the studio take has only ever appeared on Relics.
Embryo is another (sort of) rarity, in that it never appeared on a PInk Floyd record (it was on a weird various artist Harvest comp) until the Early Years.
But at least it is out there now.
Even Scream Thy Last Scream, Vegetable Man and In The Beechwoods are on The Early Years. But no (proper studio version of) Biding My Time.
Why is this?
There are a few In Concert versions of it , like the one above, but the studio take has only ever appeared on Relics.
Embryo is another (sort of) rarity, in that it never appeared on a PInk Floyd record (it was on a weird various artist Harvest comp) until the Early Years.
But at least it is out there now.
Even Scream Thy Last Scream, Vegetable Man and In The Beechwoods are on The Early Years. But no (proper studio version of) Biding My Time.
Why is this?
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Re: Biding My Time
Could it be that they were looking to make the new reissue of Relics ( 2016)that bit more desirable?
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Re: Biding My Time
The Slider wrote:Embryo is another (sort of) rarity, in that it never appeared on a PInk Floyd record (it was on a weird various artist Harvest comp) until the Early Years.
Its American debut was on a Pink Floyd comp called Works, released in 1983 to compete with The Final Cut. That album seems to have been released everywhere but Western Europe! (The comp was also noteworthy for alternate mixes of a few Dark Side tracks - reportedly fold-downs of the quad mixes.)
As for "Biding My Time", assuming the recording date given is correct, that would put it, like "Embryo", in the Ummagumma sessions, if I'm not mistaken - but they clearly don't belong on that album. My guess is they were recorded for the album but ditched when the "four solo projects" concept came about. Or perhaps they were thinking of a non-LP single - it had only been a half-year or so since "Point Me At The Sky" - then thought, nah.
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Re: Biding My Time
I love it to bits - who knows what context they must have seen it in that (apparently) caused them to view it as such a "dead end" (on Relics, it's likely there as filler, and it seems likely as anything that its omission from the box set was an oversight). To be unerring in any assessment of one's own work...things get tainted by any number of subjective associations.
Anyhow - yeah, tremendous track. Mason's double kick drum work in the coda is fucking excellent!
Anyhow - yeah, tremendous track. Mason's double kick drum work in the coda is fucking excellent!
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Re: Biding My Time
yomptepi wrote:Could it be that they were looking to make the new reissue of Relics ( 2016)that bit more desirable?
That would be my theory too
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Re: Biding My Time
I didn't even realize that it wasn't on the 'Early Years' box set. I have to wonder if 'The Man' and 'The Journey' was originally conceived as their idea for their third or fourth album.
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Re: Biding My Time
Are there any other early Floyd songs with a trombone in them? There is a trombone amongst the instruments on the back cover of Ummagumna which would suggest that Biding My Time might have been played regularly pre-Ummagumna.
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Re: Biding My Time
Hugh wrote:Are there any other early Floyd songs with a trombone in them? There is a trombone amongst the instruments on the back cover of Ummagumna which would suggest that Biding My Time might have been played regularly pre-Ummagumna.
"Jugband Blues"?
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Re: Biding My Time
pcqgod wrote:Hugh wrote:Are there any other early Floyd songs with a trombone in them? There is a trombone amongst the instruments on the back cover of Ummagumna which would suggest that Biding My Time might have been played regularly pre-Ummagumna.
"Jugband Blues"?
I knew there would be one
Would that have been in the post-Syd, pre-Ummagumna live repertoire?
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Re: Biding My Time
Hugh wrote:pcqgod wrote:Hugh wrote:Are there any other early Floyd songs with a trombone in them? There is a trombone amongst the instruments on the back cover of Ummagumna which would suggest that Biding My Time might have been played regularly pre-Ummagumna.
"Jugband Blues"?
I knew there would be one
Would that have been in the post-Syd, pre-Ummagumna live repertoire?
Almost certainly not. But according to this...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_a ... urney_Tour
...there were quite a few performances of The Man and The Journey in early/mid '69, which would have included "Biding My Time."
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Re: Biding My Time
The live versions don't have the trombone though, despite what the Wiki article says.
Rick plays piano on those.
On the bootlegs *I* have of the shows from that tour
Rick plays piano on those.
On the bootlegs *I* have of the shows from that tour
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Re: Biding My Time
pcqgod wrote:I didn't even realize that it wasn't on the 'Early Years' box set. I have to wonder if 'The Man' and 'The Journey' was originally conceived as their idea for their third or fourth album.
It usually included material that had already been on albums - Interstellar Overdrive, Pow R Toch, Saucerful....so probably not.
I think it was just a frame upon which to hang their regular set.
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Re: Biding My Time
Bent Fabric wrote: it seems likely as anything that its omission from the box set was an oversight
I tend to agree with Yompy, though it seems a slim thing to hang a purchase on.
The fact that it appears in its live form is odd, isn't it? Its a pretty fucking massive oversight if it was.
No one picked up on it?
There are a few other omissions too - there is a Narrow Way from one of the BBC sessions (69) and an untitled Blues from the 71 one that are present on all the bootlegs but have been excised from the Box Set.
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Re: Biding My Time
The Slider wrote:The live versions don't have the trombone though, despite what the Wiki article says.
Rick plays piano on those.
On the bootlegs *I* have of the shows from that tour
I’m sure someone posted a link to live version with trombone here a few years ago.
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Re: Biding My Time
Charlie O. wrote:The Slider wrote:Embryo is another (sort of) rarity, in that it never appeared on a PInk Floyd record (it was on a weird various artist Harvest comp) until the Early Years.
Its American debut was on a Pink Floyd comp called Works, released in 1983 to compete with The Final Cut. That album seems to have been released everywhere but Western Europe! (The comp was also noteworthy for alternate mixes of a few Dark Side tracks - reportedly fold-downs of the quad mixes.)
As for "Biding My Time", assuming the recording date given is correct, that would put it, like "Embryo", in the Ummagumma sessions, if I'm not mistaken - but they clearly don't belong on that album. My guess is they were recorded for the album but ditched when the "four solo projects" concept came about. Or perhaps they were thinking of a non-LP single - it had only been a half-year or so since "Point Me At The Sky" - then thought, nah.
I was aware of Works, and the fact it had an otherwise unavailable song on it, but as you say it was never released here
I never heard the studio version of Embryo until the box came out.
There are theories that it was originally mooted as a Rog item for Ummagumma but replaced by SSOSFAGTIACAGWAP or Grantchester Meadows in the event. But it is a band performance so that wouldn't fly.
I think you are right - it was recorded before they decided to go with the 4 way concept.
But it's far too good to have been junked.
He could have saved it for AHM - it's loads better than If, which I really don't like
I found it on line
Last edited by The Slider on 18 Sep 2018, 13:45, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Biding My Time
Hugh wrote:I’m sure someone posted a link to live version with trombone here a few years ago.
oh I'm not saying it didn't happen, and the trombone on the back of Ummagumma might even indicate it did, but I haven't heard a boot with it - that I can remember
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