The Making of "The Madcap Laughs"

Syd Barrett Recording Sessions
 
Below is a documentation of all Syd Barrett solo recording sessions for 'The Madcap Laughs'.  It includes the 1968 sessions supervised by Peter Jenner, none of which were issued with the exception of a small part of 'Late Night' (see the album breakdown on page 17, where details of take numbers are also listed).

PRODUCED BY PETER JENNER:

5/6/68

 Silas Lang : not issued (Later re-titled 'Swan Lee')
Late Night : not issued.  Version 1.  Probably erased when re-recorded 5/21/68

5/14/68

 Rhamadan :  not issued
Lanky Part 1:  not issued
Lanky Part 2:  not issued
Golden Hair version 1:  not issued

5/21/68

 Late Night version 2.: Partly used for L.P.
Silas Lang: cont'd (Note 1) not issued

5/28/68

 Golden Hair version 1.: cont'd. not issued
Swan Lee:  cont'd. not issued
Rhamadan: cont'd. not issued
6/8/68 Swan Lee: cont'd. not issued
6/20/68 Swan Lee: cont'd. not issued
Late Night version 2: cont'd. (see 5/21/68 note)
Golden Hair version 1: contd. not issued
7/20/68 Clowns And Jugglers (later re-titled 'Octopus') version 1: (this session produced by Syd alone) not issued
PRODUCED BY MALCOM JONES:
4/10/69 Swan Lee: cont'd. not issued
Clowns And Jugglers version 1: cont'd. not issued
4/11/69 Opel: not issued
Love You version 1 (fast): not issued
Love You version 2 (slow): not issued
Love You (take 4): issued version (see note 2)
It's No Good Trying
Terrapin
Late Night version 2: cont'd
Golden Hair version 1: cont'd not issued
4/17/69 No Man's Land
Here I Go:  (with Jerry Shirley, drums, and John 'Willie' Wilson, bass.)
4/23/69 Rhamadan: contd. not issued
Motorbike effects: not issued
4/25/69
The following titles were transferred from the original 4 track masters to
8 track tape for overdubs at a later date.  No new recording was done other than on
'Love You', but it is included as a session as it is an indication as to the songs that
Syd was planning to continue with, and Syd supervised the copying himself. It's No Good Trying; Terrapin; Opel; Clowns and Jugglers, Love You, Golden Hair; Late Night; Swan Lee; Love You was overdubbed, but as I was not present at this session I cannot specify what. They were certainly minor additions. Items 1, 2, 5, 7, were issued - items 3, 4, 6, 8 were not, although items 4, 6 were re-recorded later and issued.
5/3/69 Love You: cont'd. (Note 3)
It's No Good Trying: cont'd
Clowns And Jugglers: cont'd not issued
5/4/69 It's No Good Trying: cont'd.
Terrapin: cont'd.
No Mans Land: cont'd.
PRODUCED BY DAVE GILMOUR AND ROGER WATERS:
6/12/69 Octopus version 2: not issued (for clarification, see note 4)
Golden Hair version 2:  (note 5)
Octopus version 3:  (Note 6)
Dark Globe version 1: (issued)
Long Gone version 1: not issued
Dark Globe version 2: not issued
6/13/69 Octopus version 3: cont'd.
7/26/69 She Took A Long Cold Look version 1: not issued
Long Gone version 2
Wouldn't You Miss Me (incorrect announcement for Dark Globe re-make, version 3): not issued
She Took A Long Cold Look version 2
Feel
If It's In You
MIXING SESSIONS FROM MULTITRACK TO STEREO MASTER:
The mixing of the album was accomplished in two days, in a total of three sessions by Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters. Long Gone, She Took A Long Cold Look, Feel, If It's In You and Octopus were all mixed in a morning session on August 5th by Dave and Roger. Golden Hair, Dark Globe and Terrapin were mixed in a similar three hour session in the afternoon of the same day. The remaining tracks, all my productions, were mixed by Dave alone on September 16th.  The splicing together of the album, including the sequencing of the running order, was done by
Dave and Syd on October 6th.
"THE MADCAP LAUGHS"
What follows is a rundown, track by track, of the album as it
finally appeared, listing the recording dates of the tracks that
were finally used.  Alternative recorded versions, takes, etc.,
appear elsewhere in the booklet.  * Produced by the author
** ditto, with assistance from Peter Jenner. Ta!
SIDE ONE:

* 1. TERRAPIN

April 11th '69 - take 1.  Guitar and voice (both double tracked)
May 4th '69 - Lead guitar overdubbed.

* 2. NO GOOD TRYING

April 11th '69 - take 3. Guitar and voice
May 3rd., '69 - Organ, bass, drums overdubbed (Soft Machine)
May 4th., '69 - Syd's backwards guitar part overdubbed.

* 3. LOVE YOU

April 11th '69 - take 4.  Guitar and voice
May 3rd '69 - Piano, bass, drums, overdubbed (Soft Machine)

* 4. NO MANS LAND

April 17th '69 - take 5. Syd, plus Jerry Shirley, drums, John 'Willie' Wilson, bass.  (Bass, vocals re-made later on same session)
May 4th '69 - Syd overdubbed lead guitar.

*5. DARK GLOBE

June 12th '69 - take 2 Guitar and voice.

* 6. HERE I GO

April 17th '69 - take 5  Syd, voice / guitar plus Jerry Shirley, drums, John 'Willie' Wilson ,bass.  Recorded 'live'.
SIDE TWO:

*1. OCTOPUS

June 12th '69 - take 11. Guitar and voice
June 13th '69 - elec. gtr., bass, drums overdubbed (Shirley,Gilmour, Syd,)

*2. GOLDEN HAIR

June 12th '69 - take 11.  Guitar, voice.  Vocal, vibes, organ, cymbals overdubbed after (Rick Wright? plus unknown cymbals, maybe Shirley ?)

*3. LONG GONE

July 26th '69 - take 1  Guitar and voice.  Organ overdubbed  later with second vocal.

*4. SHE TOOK A LONG COLD LOOK

 July 26th '69 - take 5  Guitar and voice.
*5. FEEL July 26th '69 - take 1  Guitar and voice
6. IF IT'S IN YOU July 26th '69 - take 5  Guitar and voice
**7. LATE NIGHT May 21st '68 - take 2 Backing track; (unknown musicians)
April 11th '69 - Vocals and guitar overdubbed.
Notes:
Back Note 1. When an existing recording from a previous session is continued, for example to overdub vocals, or guitars, etc., I have put 'continued'.  This means that the recording in question is not another version.

Back

 Note 2. Naturally, any recording  without the note 'not issued' is the one which appears on 'Madcap Laughs'.
Back Note 3. on this session, the Soft Machine (Mike Ratledge, keyboards; Robert Wyatt, drums; Hugh Hopper, bass) overdubbed backings.

Back

 Note: the recording sheet lists Syd and Dave Gilmour as producers, with no reference to Roger Waters. 
Note 4. 'OCTOPUS' (also known as 'Clowns and Jugglers' in its early versions).  Syd made this song on two separate occasions.  Syd produced the original backing track to the first version (20/7/68) which I overdubbed with the Soft Machine (3/5/69). 
This version was never issued and the version made on this session (12/6/69), produced by Dave Gilmour, is the issued one.  In fact, Octopus was attempted twice on this session.  The first, producing two complete takes, was abandoned, and after 'Golden Hair' was successfully completed, Syd had another go at 'Octopus', this time making the successful version that was issued on the album.  In all, then, there were four completed versions of the song!  Syd started one which I completed (vocals, and later, the Soft Machine), and Dave Gilmour made two versions (three takes), making four in all.
Back Note 5: for clarity, this is the issued version
Back Note 6: for clarity, this is the issued version