Pink Floyd had wanted to keep Syd Barrett on as a ‘Brian Wilson’ like figure, Roger Waters claims

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A plan to keep the first Pink Floyd frontman, Syd Barrett, on as a “Brian Wilson” figure was floated by the band, according to Roger Waters. The bassist and songwriter suggested there had been a moment where the rest of Pink Floyd hoped Barrett could remain a member. The plan would have seen Barrett remain in the studio working on new material while the band headed out on tour.

But this plan was not to be, and instead Barrett would retire from the public eye in the early 1970s. He would release a solo album, produced by David Gilmour, but there was no suggestion that he would rejoin Pink Floyd from then. Barrett appeared in the studio while the band recorded Wish You Were Here but provided no work to the album and went unrecognised when first attending the sessions.

Waters would speak on what was planned for Barrett in an interview given shortly after he left the band, leaving Gilmour to front Pink Floyd. The bassist said: “I last saw him about ten years ago. But my mother still lives in Cambridge and I get to hear about him from time to time. He’s not doing very much at all.

“What happened with Syd was that we were being managed by Andrew King and Peter Jenner of Blackhill Enterprises, for whom I still have a very soft spot. When Syd slipped, I had this theory that we could go on with Syd still being a member of the group if he could become Brian Wilson and simply be a backroom boy. But Syd had other ideas: he wanted to get in two sax players and a girl singer. To which we resolutely said no!”

The comparison to The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is likely a reference to what happened around the time Pet Sounds was recorded. Wilson remained behind in the studio working on the band’s masterpiece while the rest of the group was out on the road and touring the already released material.

This would likely not have worked for Barrett or Pink Floyd in the long run, as evidenced by his appearance in the studio in the mid-1970s. Barrett fronted The Piper at the Gates of Dawn but left shortly after to focus on his solo career. He retreated from public life soon after the release of his self-titled album in 1970.

His seemingly reclusive lifestyle and sudden appearance change in 1975, which stunned members of Pink Floyd, had the group wary of future changes to the core members. Waters had worried the band during the making of one album, when the group wondered if he had “gone the way of Syd Barrett.” A request from Waters for the live shows following the release of Animals is believed to have worried some members of Pink Floyd.

Barrett fronted The Piper at the Gates of Dawn but left shortly after to focus on his solo career. He retreated from public life soon after the release of his self-titled album in 1970. His seemingly reclusive lifestyle and sudden appearance change in 1975, which stunned members of Pink Floyd, had the group wary of future changes to the core members.

Waters had worried the band during the making of one album, when the group wondered if he had “gone the way of Syd Barrett.” A request from Waters for the live shows following the release of Animals is believed to have worried some members of Pink Floyd.