Pink Floyd announce 50th anniversary edition of ‘Wish You Were Here’
Pink Floyd have confirmed plans to release a 50th anniversary edition of their seminal album, Wish You Were Here.
The new edition, set for release on December 12th through Sony Music, will be available on multiple formats, including 3LP, 2CD, Blu-ray, digital and a deluxe box set. The digital release also features a new Dolby Atmos mix by James Guthrie.
Wish You Were Here boasts 25 bonus tracks made up of nine studio rarities, and 16 live recordings recorded by bootlegger Mike Millard at Pink Floyd’s Los Angeles Sports Arena concert on April 26th 1975, which is set to be released officially for the first time in December.
To coincide with the announcement, Pink Floyd have shared a demo version of the track, ‘Welcome to the Machine’, which was initially titled ‘The Machine Song’. The later release will also include ‘The Machine Song (Roger’s Demo)’, an unheard instrumental mix ‘Wish You Were Here’ with David Gilmour playing the pedal steel guitar, and ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-9)’.
Hipgnosis’ Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell has also reflected on the iconic album cover, recalling, “One has to remember that Pink Floyd were the only band on EMI and Capitol Records who had the rights to the creative – in terms of album cover – besides the Beatles. That’s why we were allowed to do what we wanted. It was brilliant.”
Powell continued, “Just the same way that Pink Floyd were a very inventive band at the time, so were Hipgnosis. We were determined to keep that abstract, enigmatic image alive and hence, we were able to do that for Pink Floyd.”
Meanwhile, earlier this week, at the premiere for Live at the Circus Maximus at London’s BFI IMAX, Gilmour discussed the possibility of potentially bringing a virtual Pink Floyd hologram show to The Spehere in Las Vegas in the future.
He said (per Louder Sound): “The Sphere? Well, you know, I’m hoping, one of these days, to go there and sit and watch myself doing it, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. My avatar, you know? So I don’t actually have to get up and do it.”
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