Vegetable Man

2016 song by Pink Floyd

Not to be confused with Vegetable Man (Cryptid).

"Vegetable Man"

Song by Pink Floyd
from the album  The Early Years 1965–1972
Released| 11 November 2016
Recorded| 9–11 October 1967
Genre|

* Psychedelic[1]
* garage rock[2]

Length| 2:32
Songwriter(s)| Syd Barrett
Producer(s)| Norman Smith
Official audio
"Vegetable Man" (2010 mix) on YouTube

"Vegetable Man" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, written by the frontman, Syd Barrett, and recorded in 1967. It was considered for a release as a single or for inclusion on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, but went unreleased. Bootlegged for decades, the song did not have an official release until 2016, when it was included on the box set The Early Years 1965–1972.

## Recording and consideration

[edit]

The song was recorded from 9 to 11 October 1967.[3] The first take ends with 15 seconds of laughter from the band,[4] while a different take is a faster-paced jam of the song.[5] The song was an attempt to record a follow-up single to "See Emily Play",[4][6] as well as the beginning of sessions for the album that would eventually become A Saucerful of Secrets. Among the songs considered were "Paint Box", "Scream Thy Last Scream", "Jugband Blues" and "Apples and Oranges". "Vegetable Man" was scheduled for release, as the B-side to "Scream Thy Last Scream", but cancelled, and both tracks remained unreleased until 2016.[7][8] Eventually, "Apples and Oranges" was chosen for the single release instead, with "Paint Box" as the B-side and "Jugband Blues" appearing on their next album A Saucerful of Secrets. The band played "Vegetable Man" live for a BBC radio broadcast on 20 December 1967.[9]

Peter Jenner wanted the song released: "I always thought they should be put out, so I let my copies be heard. I knew that Roger would never let them out, or Dave. They somehow felt they were a bit indecent, like putting out nude pictures of a famous actress: it just wasn't cricket. But I thought they were good songs and great pieces of art. They're disturbing, and not a lot of fun, but they're some of Syd's finest work – though God knows, I wouldn't wish anyone to go through what he's gone through to get to those songs. They're like Van Gogh."[10] Producer Malcolm Jones (who produced Barrett's The Madcap Laughs solo album) remixed this song and "Scream Thy Last Scream"[11] for inclusion on the Barrett rarities album Opel (1988); however, the band blocked its inclusion.[12][13]

## Composition

[edit]

Jenner claims Barrett wrote the song describing himself as he sat at Jenner's home,[4][14] "He had to go and record and, because a song was needed, he just wrote a description of what he was wearing at the time..."[15][16] Jenner called the track "too dark".[17] Many cite it as a document of Syd's apparent monumental breakdown as a recording artist and as a person.[18] The song was written around the same time as "Jugband Blues" which is directed towards anyone within Barrett's orbit, while "Vegetable Man" is aimed at the music industry and himself.[19][20] Both songs contain the same cynical humour.[19]

## Official release

[edit]

Although popular as a bootleg in a low quality form for decades, the song was not officially released until 2016, when it appeared on The Early Years 1965–1972 box set.[21] The remastered version of the song was given its radio debut on BBC Radio 6 Music on 4 November 2016.[22] It was performed live for the first time by Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets on their 2018 European Tour.

## Personnel

[edit]

* Syd Barrett – guitar, lead vocals
* Richard Wright – keyboards, backing vocals
* Roger Waters – bass guitar, backing vocals
* Nick Mason – drums, percussion, backing vocals

## Cover versions

[edit]

The Soft Boys covered this song on the 1980 EP Near the Soft Boys,[23] and the track was included on some editions of their Underwater Moonlight album.[24] A cover version by Scottish band the Jesus and Mary Chain[25] originally featured as the B-side of their debut single "Upside Down"[26] and appears on their 2008 compilation The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities[27] and the 2011 2CD/DVD reissue of Psychocandy. Canadian band Kosmos recorded the song for the 2008 tribute album Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett.[28] The Vegetable Man Project was a series of six CDs (plus a one-sided 10" single with 60 10-second excerpts) of various acts performing cover versions of the song, released by the Italian labels Oggetti Volanti Non Identificati and Yellow Shoes between 2002 and 2009.[29] British post-punk band the Mothmen recorded a version, released on the 2015 CD reissue of their 1981 album Pay Attention.

## See also

[edit]

* List of unreleased Pink Floyd material

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "New Pink Floyd box set has everything but a bell on it". RTÉ. July 28, 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
2. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (4 August 2017). "The 50 Greatest Pink Floyd Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
3. ^ Palacios, Julian (1998). Lost in the Woods: Syd Barrett and the Pink Floyd. London: Boxtree. p. 194\. ISBN 0-7522-2328-3. Accessed 7 December 2012.
4. ^ a b c Chapman, Rob (2010). Syd Barrett: A Very Irregular Head (Paperback ed.). London: Faber. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-571-23855-2. Accessed 31 October 2012.
5. ^ Palacios, Julian (2010). Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd: Dark Globe (Rev. ed.). London: Plexus. p. 285\. ISBN 978-0859654319. Accessed 28 October 2012.
6. ^ Frame, Pete (1996). MacDonald, Bruno (ed.). Pink Floyd - Through the Eyes of... (1 ed.). London: Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 38\. ISBN 0-283-06273-8.
7. ^ Chapman 2010. p. 187.
8. ^ Jones, Malcolm (2003). The Making of The Madcap Laughs (21st Anniversary ed.). Brain Damage. p. 23\. Accessed 7 December 2012.
9. ^ Palacios 2010. p. 306.
10. ^ Schaffner, Nicholas (2005). Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey (New ed.). London: Helter Skelter. p. 113\. ISBN 1-905139-09-8. Accessed 31 October 2012.
11. ^ Palacios 2010. p. 419.
12. ^ Manning, Toby (2006). The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 186\. ISBN 1-84353-575-0. Accessed 28 July 2012.
13. ^ Schaffner 2005. p. 134.
14. ^ Schaffner, Nicholas (2005). Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey (New ed.). London: Helter Skelter. p. 112\. ISBN 1-905139-09-8. Accessed 31 October 2012.
15. ^ MacDonald, Bruno (1996). Pink Floyd - Through the Eyes of... (1st ed.). London: Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 279\. ISBN 0-283-06273-8.
16. ^ Chapman 2010. p. 192.
17. ^ Manning, Toby (2006). The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 43\. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
18. ^ Chapman 2010. p. 190.
19. ^ a b Chapman 2010. p. 191.
20. ^ Schaffner, Nicholas (2005). Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey (New ed.). London: Helter Skelter. p. 112\. ISBN 1-905139-09-8. Accessed 31 October 2012.
21. ^ "Pink Floyd to release rarity-packed 27-disc set of their early years". The Guardian. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
22. ^ Yoo, Noah (4 November 2016). "Listen to Unreleased Pink Floyd Song "Vegetable Man" Written By Syd Barrett | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
23. ^ "Soft Boys, The - Near The Soft Boys EP (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1980. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
24. ^ "Soft Boys, The - Underwater Moonlight (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1980. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
25. ^ Palacios, Julian (2010). Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd: Dark Globe (Rev. ed.). London: Plexus. p. 418\. ISBN 978-0859654319. Accessed 5 July 2012.
26. ^ Manning 2006. p. 287.
27. ^ Collar, Matt. "The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities - The Jesus and Mary Chain : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
28. ^ Sullivan, Patrick. "Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett - Various Artists : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
29. ^ "The Vegetable Man Project". discogs.com. Retrieved 12 April 2017.

* v
* t
* e

A Saucerful of Secrets

Songs|

| Side one|

* "Let There Be More Light"
* "Remember a Day"
* "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"
* "Corporal Clegg"

|

Side two|

* "A Saucerful of Secrets"
* "See-Saw"
* "Jugband Blues"

Related articles|

* Pink Floyd World Tour 1968
* "Scream Thy Last Scream"
* "Vegetable Man"
* "Apples and Oranges"
* "Have You Got It Yet?"
* The Early Years 1965–1972

* The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
* A Saucerful of Secrets
* More
* Ummagumma
* Atom Heart Mother
* Meddle
* Obscured by Clouds
* The Dark Side of the Moon
* Wish You Were Here
* Animals
* The Wall
* The Final Cut
* A Momentary Lapse of Reason
* The Division Bell
* The Endless River

* v
* t
* e

Pink Floyd

* Nick Mason
* David Gilmour

* Roger Waters
* Richard Wright
* Syd Barrett

Studio albums|

* The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
* A Saucerful of Secrets
* More
* Ummagumma
* Atom Heart Mother
* Meddle
* Obscured by Clouds
* The Dark Side of the Moon
* Wish You Were Here
* Animals
* The Wall
* The Final Cut
* A Momentary Lapse of Reason
* The Division Bell
* The Endless River

Live albums|

* Ummagumma
* Delicate Sound of Thunder
* Pulse
* London '66–'67
* Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81
* The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974
* Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII

Compilations|

* The Best of the Pink Floyd
* Relics
* A Nice Pair
* A Collection of Great Dance Songs
* Works
* Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
* The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door
* 1967–1972: Cre/ation
* The Later Years: 1987–2019

Extended plays|

* 1967: The First Three Singles
* 1965: Their First Recordings

Box sets|

* Shine On
* Oh, by the Way
* Discovery
* The Early Years 1965–1972
* The Later Years
* The Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary

Soundtracks|

* San Francisco
* The Committee
* Tonite Lets All Make Love in London
* More
* Zabriskie Point
* La Carrera Panamericana

Singles|

* "Lucy Leave" / "I'm a King Bee"
* "Arnold Layne" / "Candy and a Currant Bun"
* "See Emily Play" / "The Scarecrow"
* "Flaming" / "The Gnome"
* "Apples and Oranges" / "Paint Box"
* "It Would Be So Nice" / "Julia Dream"
* "Let There Be More Light" / "Remember a Day"
* "Point Me at the Sky" / "Careful with That Axe, Eugene"
* "The Nile Song"
* "One of These Days" / "Fearless"
* "Free Four"
* "Money" / "Any Colour You Like"
* "Time" / "Us and Them"
* "Have a Cigar" / "Welcome to the Machine" / "Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part I"
* "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" / "One of My Turns"
* "Run Like Hell" / "Don't Leave Me Now"
* "Comfortably Numb" / "Hey You"
* "When the Tigers Broke Free" / "Bring the Boys Back Home"
* "Not Now John" / "The Hero's Return"
* "Learning to Fly" / "Terminal Frost"
* "On the Turning Away"
* "One Slip" / "The Dogs of War"
* "Keep Talking"
* "Lost for Words"
* "What Do You Want from Me"
* "Take It Back" / "Astronomy Domine"
* "High Hopes"
* "Wish You Were Here" / "Coming Back to Life"
* "Louder than Words"
* "Grantchester Meadows"
* "Childhood's End"
* "Green Is the Colour"
* "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!"
* "Brain Damage"
* "The Great Gig in the Sky"

Films|

| Concerts|

* London '66–'67
* Live at Pompeii
* Delicate Sound of Thunder
* Pulse

|

Narratives|

* The Wall

Documentaries|

* The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story
* London '66–'67
* La Carrera Panamericana
* The Story of Wish You Were Here

Tours|

* World Tour 1968
* The Man and The Journey Tour
* Dark Side of the Moon Tour
* 1974 French Summer/British Winter Tour
* North American/Wish You Were Here Tour
* In the Flesh/Animals Tour
* The Wall Tour
* A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour (Concert in Venice, Italy)
* The Division Bell Tour

Lists|

* Discography
* Songs
* Unreleased songs
* Videography
* Band members
* Live performances
* Bootleg recordings

Related media
and tributes|

* 19367 Pink Floyd
* The Amazing Pudding
* The Australian Pink Floyd Show
* Brit Floyd
* The Dark Side of the Moo
* "Echoes"
* "Embryo"
* Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd
* Live at the Empire Pool
* The Man and The Journey
* Music from The Body
* Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets
* Pinkfloydia
* Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains
* Pink Floyd: The Music and the Mystery
* "Proper Education"
* Roger Waters: The Wall
* Synalpheus pinkfloydi
* Umma gumma
* Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd

Related topics|

* The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream
* Azimuth Co-ordinator
* Blackhill Enterprises
* Britannia Row Studios
* The Dark Side of the Rainbow
* Games for May
* Pink Floyd pigs
* Publius Enigma
* Bob Klose

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