Recommendations of the Editorial team
Exactly fifty years ago, Pink Floyd’s album “Wish You Were here” was released. For the anniversary, Sony now publishes the box set “Wish You Were here 50”, available as 3LP, 2CD, deluxe box and digital. Included are a new Dolby Atmos mix, nine studio rarities and a complete concert of April 26, 1975 in the Los Angeles Sports Arena, recorded by the legendary bootlegger Mike “The Mic” Millard. There is also a hardcover book with unpublished photos, a comic tour program and a Knebworth poster. “The Machine Song (demo #2, revisited)” is available as a foretaste – an early version of “Welcome to the Machine”.
Millards legendary recordings
Other rarities are a new stereomix of all nine parts of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” in one piece, an alternative version of “Have a Cigar”, a version of “Wish You Were here” with jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli and a take with David Gilmour on the pedal steel guitar.
The concert recording comes from Mike Millard, who recorded brilliant bootlegs from Genesis, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Yes and others in the seventies with a hidden Nakamichi recorder in a camouflage wheelchair construction. Pink Floyd himself had not made any professional live recordings at the time. Drummer Nick Mason explained in 2018: “We were paranoid for bootlegs and did not record our shows. It’s a shame that there are no complete recordings of ‘Dark Side’, ‘Animals’ or now this album.”
David Gilmour recently added that many cassette cuts existed, which are probably stored by Sony today. Obviously, Millard’s admission was considered superior. The recording was restored and remastered by Steven Wilson. Millard, who died in 1994, no longer experienced the official publication of his recordings.
Formats and content
The box set appears in the following configurations:
Digital / CD / vinyl
- Original album: “Shine on You Crazy Diamond (1-5)”, “Welcome to the Machine”, “Have a Cigar”, “Wish You Were here”, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond (6-9)”
- Bonus tracks: “Wine Glasses”, “Have a Cigar (Alternate Version)”, “Wish You Were here” with Stéphane Grappelli, “The Machine Song (Roger’s Demo)”, “The Machine Song (Demo #2, Revisited)”, “Wish You here (take 1)”, “Wish you were here (Pedal Steel Instrumental Mix) ”,“ Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-9, New Stereo Mix) ”
- Live-Boatleg (La Sports Arena 1975): UA “Raving and Droooling”, “You’ve got to be crazy”, “Shine on you crazy diamond (1-9)”, “Time”, “Money”, “Us and Them”, “Echoes”
Blu-ray
- Original album in different mixes: Dolby Atmos 2025, 5.1 (2011), Stereo 1975, Quad 4.0 (1975)
- Bonus audio and complete La-Boatleg in stereo
- Concert films (“Shine on You Crazy Diamond”, “Welcome to the Machine”) and short film by Storm Thorgerson (2000)
Deluxe box
- Contains 2CD, 3LP (Clear Vinyl), Blu-ray
- In addition, LP4: “Live at Wembley 1974” (“Shine on You Crazy Diamond”, “You’ve got to be crazy”)
- Japanese replica-7 “single:” Have a Cigar “(edit) /” Welcome to the Machine “
- Hardcover photo book, comic tour program, Knebworth poster
- Tracklist extract
- “Wish you were here (Featuring Stéphane Grappelli)”
- “The Machine Song (demo #2, revisited)”
- “Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-9, New Stereo Mix)”
- “Echoes” (Live, La 1975)