Pink Floyd plans to reintroduce its vinyl catalog, with the 180-gram releases flowing throughout 2016.
The first batch of releases, due in early June, contains “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” “A Saucerful of Secrets,” the double-LP live/studio set “Ummagumma” and the film soundtrack to “More.”
The albums, being issued by Pink Floyd Records, have been remastered “from the original analogue tapes” by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman. The releases appear to be stereo only.
The vinyl catalog will be reproduced throughout 2016, with release dates announced “at regular intervals,” the Pink Floyd web site says. “Special care” will be taken to preserve original elements.
The vinyl releases are to be manufactured and distributed by Sony Music, except for the U.K. and Europe, which is being handled by Warner Music (Parlophone). The releases had been anticipated, but details are now just surfacing.
While fans have been awash in Pink Floyd rereleases in recent years, this appears to be the first full rerelease of the catalog on vinyl in over two decades.
To no one’s surprise, there is no talk of a band reunion to promote the latest rereleases. David Gilmour has been touring the world in support of his “Rattle That Lock” solo album, and will play Pompeii’s Roman Amphitheatre in early July. Pink Floyd filmed “Live at Pompeii” there in 1971.
Roger Waters, meanwhile, is slotted for the aging superstar music fest at the Coachella venue in Indio, Calif. The three-day October event also features the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, the Who, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
Pink Floyd Records released several EPs of early Pink Floyd works in April to cover copyright concerns. It also has been rereleasing the group’s CDs but with no changes of note since the reissue surge at the beginning of the decade. The label came to life after the end of a five-year agreement that had EMI Music distributing and marketing the veteran psychedelic rock act’s catalog.
In 2014, Pink Floyd released the album “Endless River,” which consisted of reworked unreleased tracks that began life in 1993. It was a tribute to the late keyboardist Richard Wright.