Whinersmusic

Floyd Musings by KEITH from Toronto
Originally posted in HOT WACKS, Supplement 4, HOT WACKS Press 1996 ... I penned myself as "KEITH from Toronto" and wrote several items about Pink Floyd for the publication.

In memory: John Lennon (John Winston Ono Lennon) 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980 | George Harrison (George Harold Harrison) 25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 | George Martin 3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016 | Syd Barret (Roger Keith Barrett) 6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006 | Richard Wright (Richard William "Rick" Wright) 28 July 1943 – 15 September 2008 | Norman (Hurricane) Smith 22 February 1923 – 3 March 2011 | Storm Elvin Thorgerson 28 February 1944 – 18 April 2013

In one corner we have the group that began it all. They set off the 60's rock music invasion and merely changed the face of popular music for all time. If that wasn't enough, they also were a major influence for the group in the other corner. So chalk up an early point for Pink Floyd. Just kidding folks! Of course it's the Beatles who came first. But let me clarify what this article is about. It has nothing to do with an actual competition between Pink Floyd and the Beatles. Instead, I want you to think of all the similarities, oddities and parallels between the two bands. There are quite a few. You can probably come up with some quick and easy ones: Both groups come from England: Both had members that knew each other from their school days. Both had more than one songwriter and one vocalist. Both were five piece bands at one stage. Both groups came out of the 1960s. Both experienced creative differences causing very public and not too pleasant splits involving their bass players. But get past these and you get down to the real comparison. Pink Floyd and the Beatles have many more things in common.