The Flaming Cover Behind Pink Floyd's 1979 Album - 'Wish You Were Here'

Welcome to the fifteenth insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we’ll be looking at the blazing hot imagery walking the cover of Pink Floyd’s worshipped ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here (1975).

Following Pink Floyd’s billboard topping commercial success - Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here cried for resolution in dragging riffs and psychedelic synths, criticising the music industry in songs like ‘Shine On’ and ‘Welcome to the Machine’. While paying respect

to the band’s co-founder Syd Barret who departed 7 years earlier, the album was recorded over the course of 1975, played in the prolific Abbey Road Studios under full written direction of Roger Waters. His strive for triumph is heard through the whispers of greed, harmonizing with angelic vocals and gripping lyrics. The theme is riddled with duality, opening a generation’s third eye to electric vibrations and timeless production.

Roger Water’s idea of ambivalence derived from both inner conflict and loss of former band member Syd Barret, who tragically fell ill as a result of schizophrenia. A close friend to Water’s, Barret epitomized the soul splitting reality that comes with fame and the sacrifice he took to create an everlasting impact. Roger Water’s wanted to portray this concept of a split persona and the feeling of Syd Barret’s absence on the cover, enlisting British photographer Aubrey “Po” Powell to bring it to life.

The two chose a handshake to symbolize the two-faced mantra and emotional vacancy in the music industry, often a gesture that communicates a false sense of solidarity and ends in someone being burned. Running with this idea, they posed two business men (one on fire) to shoot the album cover, intentionally hovering between the shake to represent the suspense found in the tracklist. The drastic contrast also played on the duality between Rogers and Syd summing up the album beautifully. Taking only 15 attempts before agreeing on the final product, the now infamous image debuted an album unparalleled to this day in the most incredible manner.