Rare Footage of Pink Floyd Recording Dark Side Of The Moon

On this day 50 years ago, Pink Floyd dropped Dark Side of the Moon and to this day it has a big impact on people who listen to the album. But many people don’t know the secrets of the behind the scenes in the making album, including Paul McCartney cut from the album, Roger Waters being the sole lyricist, and more. 

Roger Waters, Pink Floyd’s bassist, was officially the sole lyricist of this album and wanted this album to be like nothing they had done previously. In a documentary from 1972 called Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, Waters says “The only thing that is important is whether it moves you or not.” Pink Floyd found unique ways to make their Dark Side of the Moon an unforgettable album including having features of interviews in their songs. In an article back in 2018 with Rolling Stone, Roger Waters came up with the idea to have multiple people record interviews and incorporate them into their final mix of the album. During this process, Paul McCartney was given a chance to be a part of the interview process, but was later deleted from the due to him performing too much. His music was still managed to be a feature on the album. While writing the album, the band drew inspiration from Booker T and the MG’s for their song “Money.” Walters reveals he had the inspiration from Booker T’s Green Onion album and had previously been a fan and even did some covers. 

Dark Side of the Moon has had a tremendous impact on not only those from the 70’s, but also a younger demographic who are inspired to listen to rock and roll music. This album had tireless effort into making sure it was THE album for Pink Floyd to release, and others would describe this album as “perfect from start to finish” and truly is a great experience to listen to.  

Some people did puzzles. Some people got really into doing TikTok dances. Other people baked bread. For me, the lockdown days of the pandemic found me getting baked for the first time ever.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "How does someone wait until their mid-thirties to explore the world of cannabis?"

The answer is simple: In my late teens, I tried weed, and it made me super-paranoid. As a result, I kept a safe distance from it for well over a decade. Instead, I just rolled with alcohol if I was looking to unwind.

Cut to 2020, and like most people, I had a lot of time on my hands. Besides working (thankfully) from home and streaming TV shows and movies, I started reading more news.

One day, I fell down an internet rabbit hole about delta-8 THC. In 2020, delta-8 THC was the latest craze in the cannabis world. In a nutshell, delta-8 THC is derived from the hemp plant. It is a milder version of delta-9 THC that is derived from marijuana. This is a compound with psychoactive properties that cause users to feel "high."

One of the big differences between both THC compounds is that delta-8 was found to be less likely to induce anxiety. The biggest difference, however, was that delta-8 fell into a unique gray area that caused it to technically be federally legal for a period of time. This was thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Per NBC News, "That legislation legalized hemp, which is defined as a cannabis plant that contains 0.3 percent delta-9 THC or less — levels considered too low to have a psychoactive effect. However, the bill does not address delta-8 THC levels, an omission that makes it legal for vendors to sell the compound, often as edibles, vape cartridges and tinctures, with no oversight."

As of October 2023, delta-8 is legal in 25 state. As a resident of Michigan, delta-8 is legal but now falls under the same regulations as state-legal marijuana following legislation signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in July 2021.

Once I read a lot of reports from reliable sources and consulted friends who were more familiar with the world of cannabis than me, I decided to try a delta-8 gummy edible. To my delight, the "high" was mild and very pleasant. Most importantly, I did not experience the paranoia that had scared the hell out of me in my late teens. It also helped me get a quality night's sleep, and unlike unwinding with alcohol, I had no hangover-like symptoms.

The next step, of course, was obvious: Listen to iconic stoner albums while high! Naturally, the first one I reached for was Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, an album I loved but never listened to while stoned.

So, what was it like to listen to Dark Side of the Moon high for the first time at age 35? Here were my five takeaways:

There are a number of instances on Dark Side of the Moon where audio moves from the right channel/speaker to the left and back again. The most dizzying example comes courtesy of "On the Run," which is rather intense sober, but when you're high, I could feel the sensations of the audio move from the right and left sides of my body.

Dark Side of the Moon is an album to be experienced with a quality pair of headphones. It enhances the aforementioned channel transitions immensely. Before listening to the LP high for the first time, I coincidently purchased a pair of Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. They retail at $148, but fortunately, Amazon offered (and as of publishing, continues to offer) an option to split the cost of the headphones into three monthly payments of $49.34, which I was able to financially handle. (For those interested, you can check out the listing for those headphones here.)

Singer Clare Torry is the force behind the acrobatic vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky." They remain some of the most stunning vocals in recorded rock history, and even though I enjoyed the track before, it felt like I was hearing them for the first time. What an incredible achievement this song is on an LP already filled with incredible moments.

Let's just put it out there: "Time" is a bit of a downer of a song. However, that underlying grove that bursts through with the first verse ("Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day") just SLAPS! It's uniquely seductive, and it's amazing it's not ripped off more. It's probably due to very few, if any, having the hubris to out-Pink Floyd the actual Pink Floyd.

Could I get into trouble for saying "Money" is overplayed on classic rock radio? Yes, but this whole article may get me into trouble, so what's the sense in stopping now? Anyway, while I wish more Pink Floyd tunes would get airplay, I have a new understanding and appreciation for "Money" after listening to the classic track high for the first time. Perhaps, it's the alternating time signatures from 7/8 to 4/4, back to 7/8 and then back to 4/4 again. Maybe my own disdain for the super-wealthy is enhanced whist high. Either way, I get it now, and I'll try my best to refrain from playing "armchair radio program director."