BBC Radio 4, in conjunction with John Harris (author of the DSOTM book), explore the tragic breakdown of Syd Barrett, and how his fellow band members and family coped, in a repeat airing of a programme originally broadcast in June 2011.
The Twilight World Of Syd Barrett airs again tomorrow (Thursday, May 3rd) at 11pm -
11:30pm. Band members reveal the concerns they had when he began to go
catatonic on-stage, playing music that had little to do with their
material, or not playing at all. By spring 1968 Barrett was out of the
group but he re-emerged in 1970 with a pair of albums, which failed to
chart. Barrett retired to a hermit-like existence under the watchful
gaze of his sister Rosemary.
The programme includes interviews with Rosemary, as well as David
Gilmour and Nick Mason, plus one of Rick Wright's final interviews
before he died. Band members describe how there was then little
understanding of mental illness and that steps taken to help him might
not have been appropriate.
BBC Radio 4 can be heard on FM and DAB radio, digital cable, satellite
and freeview, and via the BBC website where they have their "Listen
Live" and "Listen Again" facilities, allowing you to hear the broadcasts
for up to seven days following transmission. Our thanks to Malcolm Walker for tipping us off about this show's repeat airing.
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