Metal Anarchy

The Damned have shared their cover of Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play.” You can check that out below. The track will appear on the band’s upcoming covers album, “Not Like Everybody Else,” which will be released on March 6.

Captain Sensible commented:

“A bit of a weird choice this one seeing as punk was seen as a reaction against the mega stadium rock acts of the mid 70s – but whatever Pink Floyd eventually morphed into by then there’s no denying that the early Syd Barrett years were wildly innovative, helping splash psychedelia across a music scene that was, until then full of drippy love songs. Alternatively Floyd’s first single ‘Arnold Layne’ talked about a crossdressing panty thief.. which was a bit of a leap from ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand!’

But it’s the band’s second single that we have covered here, partly because it was one of Brian’s early faves (a fact that surprised everyone when his wife Minna told us) and partly because it was the song that blew my mind (man!) so much that I went from merely appreciating music to becoming completely obsessed by it. In fact I can remember the moment that I first heard it, while traipsing to school up Holmesdale Rd past the home of Crystal Palace FC with my trusty Ferguson transistor radio glued to my ear en route to Stanley Tech.. listening to Tony Blackburn on pirate station Radio London – where on a warm summers morning just before 9am one particular teenager who was already going to be late for school thought ‘blimey, this is bloody good’ giving up the rush, and instead sitting on someone’s garden wall while concentrating on the sound of Syd Barrett’s glissando guitar and Rick Wright’s ‘Fry’s Turkish Delight’ tripped out organ meandering.

So unlikely as it seems the psychedelic pop of ‘See Emily Play’ had influenced not one but two Damned guitarists and thus was included on the list for Brian’s tribute album.. and for those wondering if it’s Dave or myself singing – it’s actually both of us singing lead.. with Monty on harmonies while giving it his best ‘Rick’ on the studio’s vintage double manual electric organ and Rat & Paul putting some much needed oomph into a song that some are undoubtedly going to say doesn’t belong on a Damned record.. and while Pink Floyd did end up becoming a bit.. is turgid too harsh? – let’s try ponderous.. anyway, they were far from that when they burst originally onto the scene during 67’s ‘summer of love’. No, Syd’s Floyd were radical pioneers of a wild new sound and you gotta love them for that.

It was of course suggested that we might ramp up the tempo to breakneck speed and festoon with gnarled and raucous guitars similar to our version of ‘Help’ but luckily, this time round we resisted that temptation. -Cap”