PT1. DIRECTOR JOHN EDGINTON TALKS ABOUT HIS PINK FLOYD INTERVIEWS EP 4 - FINGALS'S CAVE PODCAST.
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- Опубліковано 19 лип 2023
- This is PT 1 of the full video version of the audio podcast Ep 4 - Fingal's Cave - A Podcast for all true Pink Floyd Fans
• Ep.4 - John Edginton "...
In this FCave episode, Nils Zehnpfennig talks to documentary filmmaker and producer John Edginton, about his two documentaries "The Pink Floyd & Syd Barrett Story" and "Pink Floyd : The Story of Wish you Were Here". They talk about the motivation to produce a documentary about Syd Barrett and discuss John's band member interviews in detail.
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Rock On !! John
Thank you John for participating in this interview! It was a great pleasure and very valuable for us Pink Floyd fans!
Thank you Nils for your encouragement and enthusiastically supporting my work ! You’re a terrific interviewer yourself !
Chapeau bas John! Thank you so very much for affording us a glimpse behind the how and why of your PF documentaries. I am certain that I speak for many when I say that we are as equally captivated about your thoughts, reasons, reactions, etc. in the making of these films. In other words, your impressions of the interviews are as interesting as reminisces of the four PF members. This is indeed a rare treat so again thank you.
Neal Schier
Hi Neal .. that is high praise indeed ! And it's very much appreciated
Thank you John! We love your work. You gave us so much
I appreciate that very much !
We owe this guy a debt of gratitude for documenting PF with an emphasis on Syd.
Thanks John
Respect
My total pleasure !
Mr Edginton , god bless your son and I hope he finds a way forward and leads a happy life .
Thank you so much Mike. Your words are very much appreciated.
Thank you for doing these interviews, John. The Pink Floyd story is so fascinating and I appreciate being able to get a sense of who these men are and were.
Much appreciated !
Thank you for sharing with us! Your channel is incredible ❤
Thank you so much!
Thank you John! These interviews were fantastic!
Wow! Thanks so much.
I was hooked to the screen on every words that were said. Fascinating interview!
Thank you for your very kind words.
Thanks for this John. It was indeed a seminal film, infact you can attribute everything thats come after to your original account, really moved to understand the motivation behind it's conception. Beautiful 🙏
Thank you .. I'm very appreciative of your comments here
Such a great insight and addition to the Interviews, I wasn't bored a second. I had no idea that your son was also battling with drugs. That must have been very emotional for you talking about Syds drug abuse. Also interesting to hear that everybody warned you about Roger, though I can't say I'm suprised. But you stood your ground! It's certainly not easy getting these four very different personalities to open up. Especially the Interview with Rick is a huge win for the Pink Floyd Community. Can't wait to see Part 2.
Thank you 🙏
OK. That's amazing. I had commented a few days ago on the interview with David Gilmour that I would be very interested to know what the atmosphere was like during the interviews. And boom! Now here I have my answers. Crazy. Thanks a lot for the upload.
Boom! indeed ! I love your response to this interview ! Thank you
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES And I love that you answered me. It really is such a great coincidence that I was looking for these very answers. Sometimes the universe works in strange ways. I can't wait for the second part. I love your work and hats off to Nils. Great interview.
Thank you John and Nils for the wonderful interview, can't wait for part 2.
Glad you enjoyed it !
Love John. Great interview ❤
Cheers !
Wonderful interview, thank you !
The best part of the interviews is getting info directly from the band members, regarding Syd. I like history, and Pink Floyd, so I really appreciate hearing the early history of the band. As for the issues the other members had with each other, I don't really care about that. That's between them. I'm just grateful they created the music they did.
About the 33 min mark Nils says Gilmour didn't' know Syd as well as the other guys in the band ? I get the total opposite feeling and feel like David was closer to him and had been friends since they were very young .
Brilliant interviews will watch these over and over. Thanks John ❤
Thanks so much !
John, this series of interviews has been fascinating. Thanks so much for all your work, I feel like I understand Syd and the band a bit better now. Best wishes for you and your son.
Thank you. Much appreciated. You're very kind.
Thnx John, I'm a big fan of your channel! Greetings from the Netherlands! 👍
Greetings! Thanks for your support!
Syd is a complicated subject. Requires a delicate touch. Without him, the world would be a much more boring place. Thank you for exploring Syd’s journey through this universe ❤RIP RKB “SYD”
A very insightful interview. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've recently watched the four "unfiltered" interviews...invaluable historical documents. Side note: the Amazon links don't work...at least in the US.
Thanks for letting me know re the links. I’ll remove them
Thanks for sharing these John. :)
My pleasure!
I took a fair amount of LSD in the early 80's, it is an amazing experience BUT it hangs around with you for the rest of your life.
I "got away with it" but 2 of my closest friends both ended up in a mental unit in hospital, 1 killed himself many years later the other is hard work to talk to, its as if he is "stuck" and can't get out.
I hope your son can get on with his life and smile and be happy. Thank you John for all you do.
Thank you so much for your very insightful comments. My son has good and bad days and has a wonderful sense of humour.
He also has a wonderful Father, carry on being cool John.@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES
@PETER did u take Microdots? I know Stonehenge festivals sold and was took every free festival -year ,it puzzles me when acid makes one poorly I've seen e heads be head not the same and get social anxiety but did your friends have their bad trips hang over them in living memory like pdsd?
Yes, it reared its head many times over the course of 40 years, my friend hasnt worked since 2001, its kind of ruined his life,but he is used to it now.@@waynesilverman3048
Why would Roger come across as anything but an empath....?
The guy's music is pure humanism. Why anybody would say he's difficult is beyond me. He's a smart guy. He doesn't suffer fools.
Period.
There's good and bad sides to everyone. I agree Roger has a lot of humanity but we can't pretend he isn't a flawed person.
@@DavidAdarmases12 oh shut up
@@jipangooAm I wrong? I mean, Edington does make a fair point that Waters spends a lot of time in his interview laughing at Barrett's mental illness.
@DavidAdarmases12 I don't see that at all and this isn't the only interview in which Roger has been needled on the question of Syd. People are just fixated on the myth of the guy and I've seen all of the Floyd roll their eyes at his mention, as if to suggest: oh... here we go again.
Roger was confronted by Jimmy Fallon wherein he (Waters) was severely pissed off. Fallon ain't no John Edgington. The latter appeals to an educated audience, despite going over some familiar territory (sorry John).
So it's in this context that Roger has had to live with some really silly questions, as if Syd might be somehow the 'real' driving force behind all that Roger created.
But hey, Syd = See Emily Play; Roger = Us and Them
The differences in creative prowess couldn't be more stark and Roger needs real Kudos for giving us the Pink Floyd we all love?
@@jipangoo I shouldn't have said "a lot of time" but the two instances he mentions when Edington asks him about Syd's breakdown are both stories Waters finds funny. And he doesn't even talk much about them and then goes right back to himself.
But he also has an obvious care for his fellow man, and as such has been an activist on many political issues, such as human rights, and he has the emotional intelligence to write lyrics and songs that are so universal that that connect with millions.
Roger Waters is just like everyone else. There are good sides and bad sides.
I haven't seen the documentary but I watched Roger and David's interview and I honestly now feel I don't need to see it, lol. I never thought I'd learn so much about Barrett but those interviews were amazing.
Thanks ! Great to know how much you value the interviews !
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES You know, I've read so much about Pink Floyd but I've never really had the chance to ask what Roger Waters is really like as a person. I know in this video you talk about it a bit but what is he like? Is he really as difficult as he's often said to be?
@@DavidAdarmases12 Equal parts moody and charming / difficult and cooperative
An interview about interviews
Very POMO
John, I'm so sorry to hear that your son had such a dreadful experience. I had no idea that this was how you became interested in Syd Barrett. I know I am only some 'random' on the internet, but I wish him all the very best for the future. I hope it isn't impertinent of me to say this, but keep an eye on what Elon Musk is doing with Neuralink. I know its initial remit is enabling the blind to see and disabled people to walk, but I think it'll spread to helping the mind in many other ways. God bless your son, John. He'll be in my prayers tonight.
Thank you Mike. That’s much appreciated. You’re rapidly moving off my list of ‘randoms ‘ !
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Trust me, John: I'm about as random as it gets!
I wonder if Syd ever saw those 2001 interviews and what he would’ve thought about it.
He did watch the documentary about him that they were filmed for
I think Roger has smugly made the point (and its usually correct depending on how smug Roger is when stating it) that in the nineties they changed how 'the charts' were calculated so that older albums COULDN"T make the charts any more, so its very likely Dark Side has ALWAYS been 'in the charts', and likely always will, particularly given what counts for albums these days.
My favourite parts of the interviews were when Dave gets a little testy when The Wall is brought up, but is a little flustered when the topic of drugs is brought up. I don't know about the gossip but I'd heard that it was meeting Polly that 'cleaned him up', but it was funny watching him in that part.
For Roger there is a hysterical part where you can almost feel John sweating as he's getting to a sort of question and you see Roger just with the intensity of the bright side of the sun staring at him and dissecting every word to find out what John is saying. That would be any interviewers nightmare, but when he mentions 'there's a fair bit of anger in there' and Roger almost gets HAPPY when that is brought up. And when he says "i've been guilty of concealing my feelings in the british way" and that makes me wonder, holy crap, all the stories about Roger are him being RESERVED! But for Rogers personality I recommend people check out GE Smith's Emmy TV interviews. He was the guitar leader on SNL, and its a great interview but you can skip to the end and he talks abotu working with Roger on The Wall, and you really get a different take on Rogers personality from that interview.
For Rick I always love when they talk about the 'music from household objects' and in that very reserved way he quotes himself telling Roger "this is insane". I'm just wondering how long a band can go through making matchbox basses before getting up the nerve to tell Roger "this is insane". But I think its also quite brilliant. If people haven't watched the interviews with the guys from Captain Beefhearts Magic Band about the eight months they spent making Troutmask Replica they really should, I suspect right after Dark Side was much like that in Pink Floyd. People should remember musicians aren't always the most motivated people and there always seems to need to be ONE guy who is kind of a dick and keeps things going. In the YES interviews they talk about Jon Anderson being that guy, and you think "that little guy who sings with the high voice about spirituality, oneness, and love is the DICK in the band". But it takes all kinds. I've said before I wonder what Jon Anderson, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Banks, and Roger Waters with Ginger Baker would be like as a band, and if anybody would survive a week.
The most interesting part of the story I think is his SOLO albums, because he's kicked out, then the band were 'sort of' trying to get somethign workable, which is weird because they said the 'Brian Wilson thing wasn't working", but then why work on his solo stuff? If your going to work on his solo stuff, then why not call it Pink Floyd? Thats the story I don't get.
Thank you Mike. Wonderful insights as usual! Your idea of ‘the monstrous control freaks’ band is brilliant!
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES I forgot to mention, a shoutout to some canadian talent along these lines for rock story junkies is Paul Quarringtons' "Whale Music". The book was made into a movie decades ago and a great album by the Rheostatics, who were 'sort of' like Canada's Soundgarden in that artists like Barenaked Ladies and Tragically Hip loved them and kept pushign them forward but they really could get no traction.
But for those not familiar, its about a crazy musician ala Syd or Brian Wilson who embarks on a new album....for whales.
Martin Tielli was the frontman of Rheostatics and you can see a lot of Syd Barrett in those crazy songs that are often juvenile and yet profound at the same time.Their biggest 'hit' in Canada was in the eighties about a kid who skips school to go to the river and commit suicide.
Go type in "Record Body Count" and Rheostatics to check it out. And like Syd he is actually a painter, these crazy musicians seem to walk that line between sound and images, so maybe its good that Bob Klose chose the less 'celebrity prone' way. I think his interview was about the best, a real philosopher of sorts. But I still haven't listened to Syd's sister, I think that may just ruin the whole mystique of Syd.
Great comment,I too also kick around various ideas of sorts,a good I thought of would be waters, lennon,Morrison, "imagine that,imagine that"
Mr. Edginton, It is interesting hearing you discuss seeing someone you knew also seemingly falling victim to excess LSD as an inspiration for this project. Obviously, you are very accommodating to all of your interview subjects, and their various views regarding the basic question that draws us all to this story: What really caused the mental breakdown/withdrawal of this brilliant, charismatic, talented musical genius? I have made clear in other posts that I am in the Rick Wright camp - that this is almost exclusively about copious amounts of LSD destroying certain neural function, and either downplaying the tragedy or ascribing it to inevitable schizophrenia is a way of either dealing with some level of guilt (though perhaps they should not have any) or bringing their own narratives to bear. This interview, though, does not shed much light on your thoughts on that ultimate question, but instead delves into the typical band personalities, pressures etc. Why not do a video, sans interviewer, where you simply tell us your own thoughts, without the accommodation of band, family or others?
Indeed, the interviewer as we can see thinks it's "not so simple" as LSD causing Syd's breakdown and mentions something David Gilmour said and it's that they all took LSD back in the sixties. What the interviewer didn't mention is that Gilmour said that his lifetime consumption of LSD probably didn't match Syd's weekly use (in Edginton interview).
So yeah people who are emphasizing other factors while downplaying the LSD thing are either nitpicking to show their consideration and thoughtfulness, trying to downplay the importance of drugs in general for Floyd, which I think is what Roger is doing now that he is old, sober, and boring (he's trying to dissociate himself from drugs), and plus aren't really aware of the power of LSD and what it can do to people.
@@svetozarkuzman2924 Agreed. Another aspect of this is that, for those close to him, it becomes easier to deal with any guilt by saying, “Oh, this would have happened anyway.” Not that I think a bunch of kids (band mates, Cambridge mafia, etc) should bear guilt or responsibility. Blackhill is another question entirely, and whether their half-steps should have been something different. Regardless of those questions, those commentators/writers/etc today who wish to dismiss psychedelic drugs as the primary cause of his decline ignore things like HPPD, ignore the effects of large amounts of LSD on mental disorders (other than schizophrenia) which are totally treatable and allow the person to lead productive lives, and ignore that very few schizophrenics are able to live alone as Barrett did, and the evidence that Barrett, like Brian Wilson, may well have had bipolar disorder that became schizoaffective disorder with the use of copious amounts of LSD. In the final years of his life, it appears the schizoaffective condition lessened significantly as the bipolar condition was probably treated. That is, of course, all speculation and could be wrong, but IMO, is supported by lots of evidence.
@@scottmooneyham5521 exactly, with intense use of hallucinogens we have long-lasting changes to both brain and psyche, as manifested in persistent hallucinations which continue long after the effects of hallucinogens stop.
Moreover, we cannot forget about the comorbidity of disorders as you mentioned yourself. In fact, a mental disorder rarely comes alone, without other disorders. This is a testament to the complexity of human soul. It's possible that Barrett suffered from depression, alongside other disorders you mentioned. Surely, Duggie Fields (I believe that's his name) who lived with Syd post-Floyd, could observe that Barrett would hardly do anything and would just lie around, basically. To me, this can be indicative of depression (and also other disorders you mentioned). And we cannot forget about Barrett's use of other substances, such as Mandrax, Cannabis, probably alcohol I guess, and possibly other things.
Mandrax especially contributed to Barrett's flattened affect and further withdrawal. I do think that he had some issues he tried to sort out by popping Mandrax often, and I would say this core issue comes from hallucinogens plus a potential congenital tendency towards schizo-spectrum of disorders.
Finally we must not forget about the atmosphere at the time and the fact taht Barrett didn't really stand out that much with his lifestyle. The photographer, forgot his name, a close to Barrett and the one who took the picture for the first Barrett album Madcap Laughs, speaks very eloquently about this, in 67, 68, 69, among young, hip people, it was all about the lifestyle, in the words of photographer: "not to have a job, not to get up before noon", the photographer also remembers tripping with Syd around the issue of Madcap Laughs, so it's possible that Barrett never really stopped using LSD even after the infamous breakdown. Soon enough the hippy lifestyle kind of died out, or Syd's issues exacerbated further (or both) and he couldn't cope but move out of London and back to safety of his childhood home.
I don't know if you've come across this theory but some people link the arrival of DOM (aka STP) a powerful hallucinogen, in London and Syd's breakdown and for that matter the breakdown of numerous people. DOM (2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine) arrived in capsules with extremely high dosage, enough for a whole day of tripping; this drug has a longer onset of effects compared to LSD, and people who took DOM thought it was LSD, and when it took to long for the effects to start, they redosed. You can imagine what happens when you redose an already strong capsule of DOM, you are literally on intense effects of a psychedelic for days, without any sleep (due to the amphetamine base of DOM). Moreover, this drug seems to be less "positive" than LSD, but sharper, kind of less emotional and less spiritual I believe.
Incidentally, George Harrison's arrival in San Francisco and his dissilusionment is also related to DOM. DOM first arrived in San Francisco where it also caused chaos you can imagine.
It is possible that Syd obtained some DOM capsules and being an experienced LSD user, abused DOM thinking he could get away with it and never really came back. We can only imagine the hell of going through a DOM trip that lasts 30, 40 hours, perhaps even more. I think this is enough to cause insanity in just about anybody. The intensity and length of effects will make you seriously question the line between reality and fiction, hallucination and reality.
It really is tragic, but Syd wouldn't be the first casualty of DOM (or LSD for that matter).
@@svetozarkuzman2924Yep. Read the stuff about STP. Very plausible. There is also research showing that those with bipolar disorder are attracted to both LSD and downers because each can initially dampen some of the bipolar extremes. At the very least, I suspect Syd self-medicated with the Mandies by 69,70. Regardless of the actual issues, pretty obvious that his life would have been very different without the large amounts or specific dosages (STP) of psychedelics. It remains one of the great tragedies of modern music.
Really revealing interview. I think you're both driving at this maybe - just my opinion, but the underlying opinion of most people, including the rest of Floyd (such unanimity seems unlikely to be a coincidence) is that the prize for "villain narcissist" goes to Roger. I think his recent pursuit of social-media viral fame, is pushing a few buttons.
Roger w looks better in that interview syds doc,then he did in them old bnw band photos as he looked a bit funny -some fan Said that as well in the comments while back
It was a strange transition for him, I agree with you
Hi all, this analysis in many ways is more interesting than the individual interviews themselves.
Syd was the real talent in the band. I reckon Roger W (great artist in his own right) was maybe the bully in the band and Syd might’ve taken to LSD to escape the pressures of this. After all drugs are just a means to escape reality. And his intake of LSD compounded with the death of his father took him over the edge. Maybe Roger and Syd fell out and they realised Dave would be a better fit. Maybe this is the biggest secret.
Roger seems in your interview, taken aback that people are still fascinated by Syd’s amazingly personal whimsical songs compared to his own amazing body of work.
I think Syd would have been amazing as a solo artist but as Nila says they probably would’ve run out of steam and broken up later.
There are many parallels with Brian Wilson and the beach boys I think. With the genius and the bully: Mike Love. Brian took to drugs for escapism.
Syd as a solo artist would’ve at least been up there with David Bowie had he been fully compus mentus I reckon.
I found it odd that all four of them could remember some events in details but conveniently forgot some events.
But it doesn’t really explain why Sys lived as a hermit for the rest of his life.
Ah well, a superlative piece of work these interviews. Keep em coming 👍👍👍👍
I'm not sure I completely agree that Syd took drugs because Waters bullied him. It isn't impossible, but it could also very well just be a result of the fact that that was just the era.
Sorry to ramble on but since recent years I knew Roger was drunk like the 14 hour Technicolor dream documentary interview.
huh? 14 hour what? drunk? when? what?
@@biegebythesea6775 He looked a bit merry in that interview
@@waynesilverman3048 which interview is it? is that the one where everything is green?
Rick seems most like Syd to me
i put the speed to 1.5 as the speaking is slow on this excellent interview
🤣😂
I was just about to do the same thing - it's not John, it's the interviewer.
Seemingly, please catch me if this sounds off, Waters ran with Barrett’s “illness” scapegoating it as an Archetypal Mythos, a kind of Muse for Roger who was threading into the band his own pathos-his childhood life issues/his fathers death, issues with his mother/women and the band itself.
I would hope Waters genuinely loved his friend, who was the Brilliant Comet of the Floyd, yet Waters behaviors express little actual LOVE in odd ways..whereas Rick Wright is polar opposite. Rick really genuinely loved Syd & anguished over playing in a band that was originally SYD’s!…Roger waters took it over using the LSD “Acid Casualty” element as the launching point for his dominion over the Floyd post 1969.
Thanks. An very interesting comment
Not showing love is often a result of not having received love; hiding one's vulnerability is often a result of being hurt. Probably best if we go for compassion, respect and gratitude for the music, all round. Peace to all, have a nice day.
Sadly, there is truth in what you say. The Waters juggernaut, it might also be said, suppressed the genius of Wright and with it a key source of the band's originality.
@@davereckoning5910Roger is a try gifted Artist. He transfused his generational pain into his music, his art, his political beliefs, political musical strategy, many of his songs & Albums are truly incredible. ‘Soundtrack from the film ‘The Body’ with Ron Geesin is still my favorite work of Waters. His grasp of the current Environmental degradation in 1970 was ahead of its time & one of critical insight, still is today. I agree that seeing the Positive light amidst the detritus is the objective…not always easy yet a noble endeavor none the less!
I like Nick s empathy for syd and viewed him wrongly as them photos when they was a 3 piece as the names bigger then the members as Roger w learnt when solo at 1st ,that old photo shows Nick scowling but he seems nice ,Roger was the main complainer about 'The syd problem ' in 68, told syd that in no way that he is going on stage as syd came to a gig with his guitar one post sacking night.
IMO, Syd had schizophrenia. He self medicated with LSD.
John "in a sense" Edgington.
thanks i just subbed to youre podcast
thank you!