This promises to be the ultimate book on Syd Barrett, his life and times.

The inclusion of many unseen photos of Syd and the Floyd (including the band at UFO, at the launch of IT at the Roundhouse, and the London Free School concerts at All Saints Church) is reason enough to make this a must, but when you consider that the Syd Barrett estate will benefit from the book’s sale it makes this an essential buy!

Col Turner, A Fleeting Glimpsehttp://www.pinkfloydz.com

This will be an essential book for all fans of Syd Barrett and the early Pink Floyd.

It’s a mesmerizing selection of pictures, not just Syd's artwork and letters, but rare photos including live, backstage, and portrait images, and endearing family snapshots – a collection the like of which has not been seen before.

With the Syd Barrett estate benefiting from sales of the book, Floyd fans have every reason to snap this book up!

Matt Johns, Brain Damagehttp://www.brain-damage.co.uk

The Book

Essential Works are currently assembling Barrett – a large-format illustrated book centred on the creative life of Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett. Superbly produced, it will be the definitive visual companion to Syd’s work. The book has been authorized by the Syd Barrett Estate and a percentage of the sales from it will go to the Estate. We have put this website together to gauge interest in the book. If it appeals to you, please register and you will help ensure the book goes ahead. Find out more below.

This will be a real collectors’ item, featuring:

It will only be available online and through specialist outlets.

Projected price
£60
Expected publication
Autumn 2010

The Images

Over 100 images covering Syd’s life, out of which more than 60 are unseen and unpublished, including:

The Words

The text traces Syd’s creative life and includes new and archive interviews with many of his friends and colleagues including:

The Contents

Barrett starts at the beginning, with photos from Syd’s youth along with comments from his sister Rosemary about her younger brother’s formative years.

As a teenager, Syd was a part of the creative Cambridge scene and this is where he started to develop his artistic and musical talents. The book will contain comments and thoughts from many of Syd’s musical associates, artistic accomplices, and girlfriends and friends from this era such as Viv Brans, Warren Dosanjh, Libby Gausden-Chisman, Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon, Jenny Spires, Anthony Stern, and even Jasper Rose who was his art teacher at the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology.

Whilst a teenager Syd made a small book, Fart Enjoy, and gave it to his close friend Andrew Rawlinson. The whole of Fart Enjoy will be reprinted at full size in Barrett along with an interview with Andrew discussing Fart Enjoy and Syd.

In 1964 Syd moved to London to study at Camberwell and it was then that he began to play with the people who would later go on to become Pink Floyd. He sent many letters back to Cambridge which detail early gigs with the band, including one that discusses the band’s first ever foray into a recording studio.

Syd and Pink Floyd started to make a name for themselves in London in the September of 1966 when they played benefit gigs for the London Free School at All Saints Church in Notting Hill. The book will contain rare and previously unseen images with commentary from the photographers and other key individuals from the time such as Nick Mason and Roger Waters.

The next big step for the band was playing at The Roundhouse in October of that year for the launch of International Times. We have unearthed many, many hidden gems from this event which will be accompanied by interviews with the photographers as well as some of the protagonists involved such as Joe Boyd, Miles, and John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins.

The benefit gigs at the All Saints Church provided the blueprint for what was to become London’s first serious underground all-night club; the UFO. It was the nights that Pink Floyd played at the UFO that really got them going. We have managed to unearth images of the band from that time, as the glorious, pioneering lightshows painted highly Psychedelic pictures upon them.

On 16th December 1966, the band played at the Students’ Christmas Carnival at the Architects Association in London. The book covers, with generous visuals, both the gig and the rehearsals leading up to it.

The band’s ascent continued throughout the early months of 1967 as they began recording ‘Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ and on 29th April they played the legendary ‘14-Hour Technicolor Dream’. Although no images exist of the band playing that night we have managed to track down some stunning images of the event itself that have never been available before that not only illustrate the enormity of the evening but give a flavour of what it must have been like during the night and the morning after.

The following month found the band playing their groundbreaking ‘Games For May’ gig on 12th May at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The concert was a multi-media event and is seen by many as the genesis of how the band would look at live performance for the rest of their career.

The band had played their first ever European date on the same date as the ‘14-Hour Technicolor Dream’ and had hurried back from Holland to perform. They didn’t venture into Europe again until September 1967 when they did a mini-tour of Scandinavia and we have tracked down the only pictures that exist of the Barrett line-up of Pink Floyd playing in Aarhus, Denmark.

‘Christmas on Earth Continued’ at the Olympia on 22nd December 1967 is regarded as Syd’s last proper gig with Floyd as a 4 piece and we have unseen photos of the event, although not with the band, as well as images of Syd.

Syd’s tenure with the band did not go on for long after this event and he quickly embarked on a solo career. One of his most iconic shoots was for The Madcap Laughs album and although it was assumed that all of the images from that day had been published we have found some that have not.

After his two solo albums Syd disappeared from public view and, apart from one final musical venture – the short-lived and ill-fated ‘Stars’ – retreated from music and concentrated on what many believe was his true passion and calling: art.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is producing this book?

Barrett will be published by Essential Works, a well-established book production company based in the UK. Essential regularly create quality illustrated books for major publishers all around the world. Titles include: Art of the LP, Clash. We also produce limited edition books.

Why should I pre-register my interest?

Producing a book like Barrett is a costly and time-consuming process, so we need to be sure the book has enough support before work commences. By registering now, you can give us an indication of the level of support.

If I register my interest, am I committing to buying the book?

No. We’re just looking for an initial expression of interest. It’s not a firm commitment to buy the book, and you will not be asked to part with any money at the registration stage.

What will you do with my email address?

We’ll email you updates on the progress of the Barrett project. We will not give or sell your email address to anybody else.

Can I buy the book in the shops?

No, you will not find this in your local bookstore. The book will be produced in a small run and sold direct to fans online and in a few specialist outlets.

When will the book go on sale?

We hope to have the book on sale for pre-purchasing shortly and to publish in Autumn 2010. However, this will depend on establishing enough support for the book now.

How much will the book cost?

The final price of the book has not been set yet, but is likely to be around £60 (excluding delivery).

What happens if the book doesn’t get enough support?

If the number of people registering interest is not high enough, the project may not be viable. If that happens, we will review our plans and see if they can be revised. If not, Barrett may not go ahead.

How else can I help make the book happen?

Once you’ve registered your interest, you can also help spread the word about Barrett. Tell your friends, and mention the project on your website or blog – you can even use our Barrett book banners. You can also join us on Facebook and follow @barrettbook on Twitter.

My question is not answered here. How can I find out more?

For the latest information on the Barrett project, join us on Facebook and follow @barrettbook on Twitter.

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