Lucifer Sam
| Lucifer Sam | |
|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | |
| publication | 5th August 1967 |
| length | 3:07 |
| Genre (s) | Avant-garde rock , psychedelic rock |
| Author (s) | Syd Barrett |
| Publisher (s) | Columbia Graphophone Company ( UK ) - Tower Records ( US ) |
| album | The Piper at the Gates of Dawn |
Lucifer Sam (Eng. Devil Sam ) is a psychedelic rock song by the British band Pink Floyd . The song was written by singer and guitarist Roger "Syd" Barrett . It is the second song on their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn . The song is sung by Syd Barrett.
composition
The song is built around a descending riff , with the dominant instrument being Syd Barrett's guitar, which is amplified by a reverb device , making the tone sound like a kind of "sinister" Duane-Eddy- Twang. This is reinforced by bowed electric bass tones and organ and percussion effects that are increasingly disturbed .
Although the text refers to Lucifer Sam as a cat, there is speculation that it might not actually be a slang word common in the 1960s ("a hip cat"), a man who was with Syd Barretts at the time Girlfriend Jenny Spiers (called "Jennifer Gentle" in the text) is related. However, Syd Barrett actually had a house cat named Sam. The song was originally called "Percy the Rat Catcher" during the 1967 recording sessions, but was renamed "Lucifer Sam" shortly before release.
Live and cover versions
"Lucifer Sam" was only played live by Pink Floyd in 1967, and it was mostly an encore.
- The Lightning Seeds covered the song as the B-side for their single "Sense" and it appeared on their "Best of Collection".
- Czar covered the song on their debut EP "Czar IV" and with singer Paul Samarin they founded the tribute band Which One's Pink?
- Billion Stars covered “Lucifer Sam” on the tribute album “A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd”.
- Neils Children released a version of "Lucifer Sam" as a tribute to the late Syd Barrett.
- The song was covered by Flaming Lips , True West , Jay Farrar , Love and Rockets , Voivod , Shockabilly , The Sadies and The Three O'Clock , La Muerte .
literature
- Julian Palacios: Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd: Dark Globe , London, Plexus, 2010 - 443 pages. ISBN 978-0-85965-431-9 .
Web links
- Lucifer Sam at Allmusic (English)