Billy Corgan Shares Candid Moments Behind the Scenes
Hosting an episode of The Magnificent Others with John 5 as his guest, Billy Corgan didn’t hold back when recounting an unforgettable exchange he had with David Gilmour about those difficult last sessions with Syd Barrett. He described how the band tried—sometimes desperately—to support their original frontman, even as Barrett’s mental health visibly crumbled.
According to Corgan, Gilmour told him: “It was hell: how do you keep up with that impossible timing?”
The image is striking. Barrett had become unpredictable in the studio, suddenly stopping then darting off in a new direction, effortlessly changing tempos. The resulting chaos turned post-production into a true puzzle. “They would then rebuild the track around him, as best they could,” Corgan summed up, adding that it was a real “test of attachment” on the part of his fellow musicians, who still wanted to offer Barrett a sense of musical continuity despite everything.
The Last Sessions and Barrett’s Solo Works
After his departure from Pink Floyd, Barrett did go on to record two solo albums, with help from Gilmour and other members of the band. Yet, as Corgan describes it:
“They tried everything they could imagine. He just couldn’t play the same thing twice.”
Bill recounted that they sometimes had to assemble several takes before they could even add the other instruments—Barrett’s unpredictability left the sessions on edge. Gilmour, speaking frankly, allegedly confided to Corgan:
“He was slowly slipping into total madness.”
A Lasting Artistic Imprint
Despite these difficulties, Corgan maintains that those quirky, slightly off-the-beaten-path albums remain deeply moving and unique.
“If you listen to them, they really are beautiful.”
This, he insists, is proof—if any was needed—not only of Barrett’s artistic imprint but also of the enduring bonds with his former bandmates, bonds resilient enough to survive even chaos and heartbreak.
Pink Floyd: Still Here, Still Vital
The story doesn’t end with nostalgia. On December 12, Pink Floyd will release an anniversary edition of Wish You Were Here featuring demos, Atmos mixes, and live archive recordings. Meanwhile, at the grand age of 79, David Gilmour shows no signs of slowing down: he’s working on a brand-new solo album and has just released The Luck and Strange Concerts, captured live in Rome. Clearly, the band’s creative vitality isn’t going anywhere anytime soon—and neither is the powerful legacy of Syd Barrett.
