He had the cast, but not the location. After a talk on the phone, the young Adrian Maben had managed to convince Pink Floyd’s manager to film the group for a movie. But he lacked a place. A site that came well with its enigmatic and unattainable sound.
“Maben had suggested David Gilmour and Manager Steve or ‘Rourke to musicalize images of René Magritte’s paintingsJean Tinguely and Giorgio de Chirico. The idea did not prosper, ”says Norberto Cambiasso, journalist, academic and author of the book of two volumes, Selling England for a pound. A social history of British progressive rock.
With the restlessness resonating Maben as a bell, he traveled on vacation to Italy. Without looking for him, the perfect location appeared before him. “when Maben traveled to Italy during the summer of that year, He discovered that Pompeii’s amphitheater had a perfect acoustics, at the foot of Mount Vesubio ”Apunta Cambiasso.
It was the origin for an ambitious project. record the Floyd, in the middle of the ruins playing their particular sound suites. But it would not be a film like others. It would not be a movie like the one of Woodstock (1970) by Michael Wadleight, focused on people’s experience. This should concentrate on the mystery of sound.
“The idea, together with the German producer Reiner Moritz, was to go against the classic rock films, Woodstock onwards. Film the band in an immense empty amphitheater. At the beginning of October Pink Floyd traveled to Pompeya to start filming. The Floyd had demanded that they be filmed live, without any playback, ”adds Cambiasso.
Until then, Pink Floyd were an experimental quartet, that had enjoyed some popularity in their beginnings. But by 1971, when Maben’s call occurred, they were in full transition.
“In 1971 Pink Floyd takes two albums. Emi Edita Relics In May, subtitled A Bizarre Collection of Antiques and Curiosin a low budget subsidiary. A compilation that rescued old songs like its first two singles –Arnold Layne y See Emily Play-, some classics such as “Interstellar Overdrive” and Careful with that Axe Eugenealong with some sides B less known (Paint Box o Julia Dream). Six months later, in November, it appeared Meddle. They were the past and future of Pink Floyd. Relics With the shadow of Syd Barrett in much of the themes. Meddleparticularly thanks to Echoespointing towards the promising future that would arrive with Dark Side of the Moon”Apunta Cambiasso.
Somehow, in the old stone walls of the Pompeii amphitheater, Pink Floyd began to leave behind his tumulty search, to focus on what would come. The presentation of a long piece like Echoescomposed of several parts, gave them a north. A meaning to its composition.
“I think Live at Pompeii constitutes the perfect distillation of this transition momenta synthesis between Floyd’s second album, A saucerful of Secretsand this new Meddle. In fact, Echoes It is, without a doubt, the resistance room From the film, “adds the Argentine author.
Maben and his team had to overcome several difficulties; The console had to be brought from Paris to record and when they wanted to plug the equipment, there was no electricity in the complex. To take advantage of the time, the director went up to the band to a bus to film on the slopes of Vesubio, with such bad luck, that they ran into the procession of Our Lady of the Rosary.
That is why in Pompeya could only register the group by playing three of their compositions: The famous Echoesthe mysterious A Saucerful of Secrets (which included the famous passage Celestial Voicessustained between Rick Wright’s organ and David Gilmour’s Engolada voice) and One of These Days (where Nick Mason’s impressive performance stands out in its huge six -piece LUDWIG kit).
Maben understood that he lacked material. “In December they met in Paris and there were more shots (Set the Controls of the heart of the sun, Careful with that Axe Eugene y Seamus). Also some photoge of an interview that I think did not come out in the original edition of the film. A 60 -minute version premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 1972 ″.
In that search there was the chance to film the band working at Abbey Road. Somehow, that was good with the rest of the material, a kind of back room of its particular sound design. “As an extended version of the film, Maben will film At the beginning of 1973 some recording sessions of the following album, the celebration Dark Side of the Moon”says Cambiasso.
There it is possible to look at the band working in some pieces. Waters manipulates equipment to create On the runon the other hand, Rick Wright works on Bella Us and themwhile Gilmour is seen working the guitar phrases of Brain Damage y Eclipse (In fact, it touches some that were not in the final cut).
Although Cambiasso notes that in his opinion, the documentary does not allow the Pink Floyd work process to totally appreciate. “Floyd’s creative process depended greatly on the recording studiowasting, in the words of Gilmour himself, precious hours that almost no other band of the time could afford. They were very aware of the emergence of some idea, sometimes a simple sound, as in the case of the beginning of Echoeson which they later built all their sound architecture. It is not what the original film reflects. “
After being available in a 2003 DVD version, he will return to cinemas in IMAX format. A trend that in recent years has had other documentaries and musical films. Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXIIit is a remastering version in 4K formatworked by Lana Topham, which has a new sound mixture in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos by Steven Wilson, the current reference of progressive rock.
Wilson, in addition to being one of the exponents of the enveloping sound, is a recognized fan of the group. In fact, he follows the band from his childhood. “The first time I paid for something was for Animalsde Pink Floyd”he told Worship.
“It was Christmas of 1977 -Apunta-. I was 10 years old and my father had washed my brain by putting me Dark Side of the Moon during most of my childhood. About four years later, Pink Floyd was about to launch Animalsand I was convincing my parents to buy it for Christmas. That was the first album I bought. “
Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII will be available only in the city of Santiago, In the enclosures of the Cinemark chains (taking advantage of the IMAX room of Plaza Vespucio) and Cinépolis (in the venues the Queen and Plaza Egaña).
In addition, The film’s music will be released in a new double vinyl album, double CD, Digital and Dolby Atmosavailable from May 2. This includes two new cuts, an alternative shot of Careful With that Axe, Eugene and an unpublished version of A Saucerful of Secrets.
For its side, for progressive rock fans, Norberto Cambiasso will be dictating a workshop on the Canterbury scene and rock in opposition (Rio). This will be held in weekly virtual meetings of about two hours. In principle the course would extend for three months, as of May. For more information, you can write to [email protected]
