The Lost 'Seabirds': Pink Floyd's Unreleased Obscured by Clouds Instrumental

“Seabirds” was recorded during Pink Floyd’s sessions at the Château d’Hérouville in France in early 1972, the same period that produced the Obscured by Clouds soundtrack for the film La Vallée. The instrumental is a slow, atmospheric piece built around a hypnotic organ loop and sparse guitar figures — closer to the ambient textures of “Mudmen” than the more structured songs on the final album.

Despite being mixed down and even prepared for possible inclusion, “Seabirds” was left off the record. The band and producer felt it didn’t fit the film’s narrative tone or the album’s tighter running order — the soundtrack needed to hit specific emotional cues, and “Seabirds” was considered too drifting and unresolved. It remained unheard by the public for over