Why Pink Floyd's 'See Emily Play' Was Left Off 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'

The story starts in March 1967 with “Arnold Layne,” Pink Floyd’s first single. Written by Syd Barrett about a transvestite who stole women’s clothes from washing lines, it caused a BBC ban but hit No. 20 in the UK. The band quickly followed up in June with “See Emily Play” – an even bigger psychedelic masterpiece that peaked at No. 6. Both were recorded around the same time as the debut album, so why did only “Arnold” make it onto ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ (August 1967) in the UK?

The decision was driven by the band’s producer Norman Smith and EMI. They treated singles as standalone commercial products, separate from the album. In the UK at the time, it was common practice to keep hit singles off LPs so fans would have to buy both. “See Emily Play” was deemed too valuable to give away – if it appeared on the album, sales of the single might drop. In the US, Tower Records disagreed, and the American version of ‘Piper’ included both “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play” (plus “Flaming” from the album, replacing “Astronomy Domine”). The UK version eventually added “See Emily Play” in later reissues, but that pristine original eight-track sequence remains the “true” canon for many fans. The rarity of hearing Barrett’s string-laden masterpiece only on 7-inch for decades made it feel like a lost magical artifact.