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Originally Posted by rdbaron02 I dont know wether this is true, or just a rumor. But the reason that i heard roy harper sang have a cigar cause roger waters asked the band if they wanted him to sing it, wanting them to say no, to make himself feel better, ya know? And to his suprise, the rest of the band said yes. Im sorry i couldn't put the to make himself feel better thing not sound better. Input? | No;i don't think that its a rumour;but I can't claim that I Agree With Roy Harper's Story;cos' its been put on his personal site and he's free to write/twist/brag or whatever  on his "PERSONAL" pages;claiming FTS (US law).
Here's what i found : Quote: | An Interview with Roy Harper:by Joe Penczak | the biography on Roy's website says this Quote: | "In 1969 Roy undertook a short 6-venue tour with Ron Geesin and Ralph McTell. The tour program contained a great introductory paragraph: 'Roy Harper isn't an example of any category, the epitome of any movement or a rung on anybody's ladder; he built himself alone, piece by piece and his defiant character stands proud as if chiseled from belligerent granite.'" | Quote: JP: "So how did you come to do the vocals for "Have a Cigar"?
Roy Harper: The Pink Floyd were recording at Abbey Road in 1975. So was I. I was in Studio 2 and they were in Studio 3. We were in and out of each other's sessions. I was giving myself a break from my own mixing slog on my own record, HQ. They were really struggling with "Have A Cigar". Roger had written it in a key which was above their range. The longer they sang it, the more hoarse they got trying to reach the top notes, and the more impossible it got for them to be able to record it. There was even talk about dropping it from the record. "I'll sing it for you if you like", I said, "For a price...""What's the price"?, Roger said. I thought for a second or two, and I thought that I didn't really want to insult him by giving him a price in cash or royalty, rather something that I would treasure for a lifetime. I thought for a few seconds longer about what I would really enjoy having, no matter how long I lived, or which ever direction my life was to take.What would I really like to have?, I thought. "A season ticket to Lords for life", I said. Lords cricket ground is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, and features all the championship finals and at least one England international match every year. I lived a walk away. It would have been the most meaningful gift for them to have given me for a valuable interpretation of Roger's view of crooked management.
"Done", he said, and we shook hands on it. All the members of The Pink Floyd were in the room at the time. Suddenly I was at work in Studio 3 as well as Studio 2! For the first day I was learning it from the inside, so to speak, and making adjustments to words and flow. The following day we recorded it. I think that Roger was relieved that he'd not had to sing it eventually. I think that it was a shot fired at the Brian Morrison school of management that he'd not actually had to fire himself.
JP: And he reneged on the deal?
RH: A cheque for a couple of hundred quid came in the post the following week. It was an insult. I let him know that he was out of order, and I never put it in the bank. It's been a bone of contention ever since. Dave has treated me well, but I hardly ever spoke with Roger after that. I sent him a few letters, and I did get one reply. It was on the corner of a piece of newspaper, and it said, 'Roy, No, Roger'. I have to admit that it's very difficult for me to understand that.JP: How so?
RH: I wouldn't have imagined at the time that Roger could have used me in the same way as the 'Dear Boy' of the song, but that's exactly what happened. Funny the way in which former friends, and life, turns out in the end. I wish him well. To be any other way at this stage would be crass and stupid.JP: Were the vocals done separately, or was the band playing at the same time?
RH: Separately. Roger used to be quite nervous about his work and his contact with others. He was very careful and methodical, and his humour had a cynical edge to it... I expect he's mellowed a bit these days | Quote:
JP:How did you come to know David Gilmour?
RH: I was present at a Pink Floyd gig at the Hampstead Country Club, (promoted by Stuart Lyons), which was somewhere off Haverstock Hill in Hampstead, when Syd had just gone AWOL. The band had only three members, and I can remember Roger jumping up and down on stage that night in a way that wasn't his usual thing. I think he was trying to compensate for Syd's non-appearance. It wasn't working, and in the dressing room after the gig there was talk of retirement, mainly from Roger, but the other two were in the same mood. It was a very depressing scene. I left that night thinking that I'd seen the final Pink Floyd gig. The next time I turned up to a Floyd gig, after that 'retirement', they had a new member.I saw quite a lot of Dave in the early days. He had a retired shire horse and he played the guitar while he ate, had conversation, watched TV and fiddled with everything in sight..
JP: Some observations on the feeling in the studio at the time: Floyd had just had this hugely successful album, The Dark Side of the Moon, and were making a follow-up album which sort of paid homage to Syd Barrett ("Wish You Were Here", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"), whilst attacking the music industry to perhaps suggest it was partially responsible for his condition ("Welcome to the Machine", "Have a Cigar"). Did you know Syd Barrett?
RH:I met Syd a few times in the early days in places like Middle Earth. I can remember seeing female nude mud wrestling in there one night, as Floyd were playing in one room and some quite poppy band in another corner. We talked once or twice in that era. He was quiet, and I liked him. He was arty, but I guess we all had that vibe.I met him a few years later on Oxford Street, after he'd left the band. I think we all thought that he was in a bit of trouble, and I started to try to help him, trying to make conversation. I had a car, and eventually I asked him where he was going, you know, thinking I could give him a lift. I asked him about three times... like... "Where're you going?" and he finally said, "Further than you could possibly imagine." | Quote:
JP: You performed with the Floyd at Knebworth in 1975. What can you remember about that event?
RH: I smashed my dressing room (trailer) to pieces.
JP: Why?
RH: All of my gear was stolen out of the car bringing us to the gig and I had to borrow a guitar, etc. I ended up smashing my trailer to pieces, because all I saw were ideals in tatters, and no one gave a shit.
JP: Is it true that you pissed Roger off with a comment about how "they could play in front of a wall and people wouldn't know the difference", a comment which may have had a hand in the creation of The Wall?
RH: Probably, but that's not quite the story. Pete Jenner and I were mixing in Studio 4 at Abbey Road at the time, and the Floyd were in Studio 3. We got to talking about the Floyd, and how, if you were to stand cardboard cutouts on stage and play the record, it wouldn't sound any different; there would, in fact, be no difference. We were on dope, and we laughed. It got round the studios, and at evening mealtime a couple of nights later, there was a moment of silence, and Roger looked at me and said, in that sardonic tone of his, "Cardboard cutouts, eh?" and there was a bit of banter.A few months later, during having a snooker match with him at Brit Row, which seemed to be endless, (we were at about five games apiece and we'd agreed that the one who got two frames ahead was the winner, but the game never ended ), he started to play me the demos for the new ideas he had. I wanted to get on with the game, but he was insistent, and eventually I started to listen. It sounded very Roger until he said, "And then they build a wall in front of us while we're playing... blah blah... and we're then replaced by a substitute band" and I thought 'we've been here before haven't we... cardboard cutouts?
JP: Did you get on with the other members of Pink Floyd?RH: I was the musical entertainment at Nick's first wedding somewhere in Weybridge.
JP: And Rick Wright?
RH: Rick's a gentle soul. He's quite nervous, but I always felt that he was a good guy..... | blah blah...
Thats all folks!
Last edited by Botley; 03-30-2006 at 01:33 PM.
Reason: merged
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05-27-2003, 05:59 AM
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