Pink Floyd's First Recording Session at Sound Techniques, 1965: The Demos That Almost Weren't

Before they were Pink Floyd, they were still finding their sound—and their name. In late 1965, a five-piece featuring Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, and bassist Bob Klose booked time at Sound Techniques, a small studio above a dairy in Chelsea. They cut a handful of demos, including Syd’s “Lucy Leave” and a cover of Slim Harpo’s “I’m a King Bee,” likely hoping to land a record deal or gigs.

The session cost about £15 and the tapes sat in a drawer for decades. Only a few acetates survived. One surfaced in the early 2000s and the tracks were officially released on the 2016 The Early Years box set. They sound raw and scrappy—bluesy, not yet psychedelic—with Klose’s guitar work pushing the band toward a harder R&B groove that Syd would soon abandon. It’s the sound of a band still figuring out whether they wanted to be the Rolling Stones or something stranger.