Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Encyclopedia
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is a song by British
rock
band Pink Floyd
and is featured on their second album A Saucerful of Secrets
(1968). It was written by Roger Waters
and features a drum part by Nick Mason
played with timpani mallets. The song was regularly performed between 1967 and 1973 and can be heard on the live record of the 1969 album Ummagumma
and seen in the 1972 movie Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
. It also appears on the compilation album Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
which was released in 2001.
According to an interview with David Gilmour
on the 2006 documentary Which One's Pink?, the song features minor guitar work both from Gilmour and Syd Barrett
, making "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" the only Pink Floyd song that features all five band members, though many listeners couldn't really discern the guitar tracks as Richard Wright
's keyboards and organs were overlapping the guitars.
The song's recording commenced in August 1967, with overdubs recorded in October of that year and in January 1968. In an article reprinted in the book Pink Floyd – through the eyes of... by Bruno McDonald, Roger Waters admitted to "borrowing" the lyrics from a book of Chinese poetry
from the Tang Dynasty
period (which was later identified as the book Poems of the late T'ang, translated by A.C. Graham
).
Some of the borrowed lines were written by Li He
, whose poem Don't go out the door contains the line "witness the man who raged at the wall as he wrote his question to heaven", and Li Shangyin
, whose poetry contained the lines, "watch little by little the night turn around", "countless the twigs which tremble in dawn" and "one inch of love is an inch of ashes."
The song has been a staple in Roger Waters' solo tours. Beginning with the 1984–1985 tours, "Set the Controls..." has been presented in a radically rearranged rendition - with female backing vocals, saxophone solos and a guitar solo (and even a shakuhachi
solo in 1985). A truncated version (just the three verses) of the song featuring a simple acoustic guitar part was performed on a handful of occasions during the Radio K.A.O.S tour of 1987. The song was included in the set list for Waters' 2006-2008 tour, and previously his In the Flesh
tour, featuring stills from the videos of "Arnold Layne
" and "Scarecrow
" projected on large screens. In June 2002, audiences enjoyed a surprise when the two nights at London
's Wembley Arena
saw the appearance, as guest drummer for the performance of the track, of Waters' former Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason
, the first indication of a reconciliation following the acrimonious split of the mid-1980s.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
and is featured on their second album A Saucerful of Secrets
A Saucerful of Secrets
A Saucerful of Secrets is the second studio album by the English rock group Pink Floyd. It was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road Studios on various dates from August 1967 to April 1968...
(1968). It was written by Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
and features a drum part by Nick Mason
Nick Mason
Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
played with timpani mallets. The song was regularly performed between 1967 and 1973 and can be heard on the live record of the 1969 album Ummagumma
Ummagumma
Ummagumma is a double album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1969 by Harvest and EMI in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States...
and seen in the 1972 movie Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a 1972 film featuring Pink Floyd performing six songs in the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy. It was directed by Adrian Maben and recorded in the month of October using studio-quality 24-track recorders without a live audience.The performances of...
. It also appears on the compilation album Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd is a compilation album by Pink Floyd. It was released by EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2001 and the following day in the United States through Capitol Records. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart on 24 November 2001, with sales...
which was released in 2001.
According to an interview with David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
on the 2006 documentary Which One's Pink?, the song features minor guitar work both from Gilmour and Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
, making "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" the only Pink Floyd song that features all five band members, though many listeners couldn't really discern the guitar tracks as Richard Wright
Richard Wright
Richard Wright may refer to:* Richard Wright , African-American novelist, writer, poet, essayist* Richard Wright , also known as Rick Wright, English musician, founding member of Pink Floyd...
's keyboards and organs were overlapping the guitars.
The song's recording commenced in August 1967, with overdubs recorded in October of that year and in January 1968. In an article reprinted in the book Pink Floyd – through the eyes of... by Bruno McDonald, Roger Waters admitted to "borrowing" the lyrics from a book of Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
from the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
period (which was later identified as the book Poems of the late T'ang, translated by A.C. Graham
Angus Charles Graham
Angus Charles Graham , Professor of classical Chinese at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, was a noted sinologist....
).
Some of the borrowed lines were written by Li He
Li He
Li He , courtesy name Changji , was a short-lived Chinese poet of the late Tang Dynasty, known for his unconventional and imaginative style.-Biography:...
, whose poem Don't go out the door contains the line "witness the man who raged at the wall as he wrote his question to heaven", and Li Shangyin
Li Shangyin
Li Shangyin , courtesy name Yishan , was a Chinese poet of the late Tang Dynasty, born in Henei . Along with Li He, he was much admired and "rediscovered" in the 20th century by the young Chinese writers for the imagist quality of his poems...
, whose poetry contained the lines, "watch little by little the night turn around", "countless the twigs which tremble in dawn" and "one inch of love is an inch of ashes."
The song has been a staple in Roger Waters' solo tours. Beginning with the 1984–1985 tours, "Set the Controls..." has been presented in a radically rearranged rendition - with female backing vocals, saxophone solos and a guitar solo (and even a shakuhachi
Shakuhachi
The is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
solo in 1985). A truncated version (just the three verses) of the song featuring a simple acoustic guitar part was performed on a handful of occasions during the Radio K.A.O.S tour of 1987. The song was included in the set list for Waters' 2006-2008 tour, and previously his In the Flesh
In the Flesh (tour)
In The Flesh was a series of worldwide concert tours by Roger Waters that spanned three individual tours over the course of three years . Returning from a 12-year long hiatus from the road, In The Flesh was a showcase of his best known work from his days with Pink Floyd to his most recently...
tour, featuring stills from the videos of "Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne
David Gilmour, during his solo tour promoting On an Island, unexpectedly added the song to the setlist near the end of the American tour on the 17 April 2006 show at the Oakland Paramount Theatre...
" and "Scarecrow
The Scarecrow (Pink Floyd song)
"The Scarecrow" is a song on Pink Floyd's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn , though it first appeared as the B-side of their second single "See Emily Play" two months before...
" projected on large screens. In June 2002, audiences enjoyed a surprise when the two nights at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
saw the appearance, as guest drummer for the performance of the track, of Waters' former Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason
Nick Mason
Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
, the first indication of a reconciliation following the acrimonious split of the mid-1980s.
Personnel
- Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
– Farfisa organ, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family.... - Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Nick MasonNick MasonNicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(played with timpani mallets) - David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Syd BarrettSyd BarrettSyd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Alternative and live versions
- Pink Floyd performed the song from 1967–1973. The last ever performance with Waters, took place on 13 October 1973 at the Stadthalle, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. In 1984/1985 and from 1999–present, Roger Waters has performed the song. - On both the live UmmagummaUmmagummaUmmagumma is a double album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1969 by Harvest and EMI in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States...
disc and the Live at Pompeii: Director's Cut, the song is significantly extended with a wide range of dynamics. For instance the drums stop in the quiet middle section. - A version of the song, containing a saxophone solo, features on Waters' In the Flesh: Live DVD, as well as Disc 1 of the 2002 album of the same name.
Cover versions
- A cover version was also done by prog metalProgressive metalProgressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
supergroup OSIOSI (band)OSI is an American progressive rock band, originally formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2002. Chroma Key keyboardist and vocalist Kevin Moore is the only other full-time member of the band...
and is on the bonus disc of their debut album OSIOffice of Strategic Influence (album)Office of Strategic Influence is the first album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by InsideOut Music on February 18, 2003. The album was recorded in June 2002 and mixed in August 2002 at the Carriage House Studios in Stamford, Connecticut....
. - Another version of the song was done by IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i doom/death band Salem. - On ErasureErasureErasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
's 1994 release of their single "Run to the SunRun to the Sun"Run to the Sun" is a song by British synth pop duo Erasure, released as the second single from their sixth studio album I Say I Say I Say. An uptempo dance music track, the song displays signature synthesizer programming by band member Vince Clarke...
", a remix by Chris and CoseyChris and CoseyChris & Cosey, now performing as Carter Tutti, are a band formed in 1981, consisting of partners Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, both previously members of industrial music pioneers Throbbing Gristle.- History :...
is titled the "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun Mix". - Smashing Pumpkins played a twenty-minute live version of the song in the final leg of their 2008 tour and released a cover of the song in their Live Smashing PumpkinsLive Smashing PumpkinsLive Smashing Pumpkins is a joint venture between the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and the music distributor Nugs.net Enterprises to sell audio recordings "mastered directly from the soundboard" of The Smashing Pumpkins concerts from the band's 2008 20th anniversary tour of...
album series. - Sludge metalSludge metalSludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
band NightstickNightstick (band)Nightstick are a sludge metal band from Weymouth, Massachusetts, who are often compared to Black Sabbath or Monster Magnet.The band was formed by ex-Siege drummer Rob Williams....
covered the song on their 1995 album BlotterBlotter (album)Blotter is the first full-length studio album by the American band Nightstick, released in 1996 on Relapse Records.-Tracklist:# "Workers Of The World Unite!!" - 9:56 # "Some Boys" - 6:04...
. - Black metalBlack metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band 13491349 (band)1349 is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1997. Their name comes from the year the Black Death reached Norway.- History :1349 formed in 1997 and comprises several former members of the band Alvheim...
recorded a cover version which appears on their album, Revelations of the Black FlameRevelations Of the Black FlameRevelations of the Black Flame is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal band 1349.The studio sessions took place during December 2008 in a woodland studio in Bøverbru . 1349 mixed the album in January 2009. The album was co-mixed by Tom Gabriel Fischer...
. - GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
band The House of Usher recorded a cover version which appears on their 2007 compilation album, When Our Idols Fall.