Have a Cigar explained

Have a Cigar
Cover:HaveaCigar.jpg
Border:yes
Caption:Artwork for Belgian vinyl release[1]
Type:single
Artist:Pink Floyd featuring Roy Harper
Album:Wish You Were Here
B-Side:
Released: (US)
Recorded:10 March – 28 July 1975[5]
Studio:Abbey Road, London
Genre:
Length:
  • 3:30 (US promo edit)
  • 4:24 (Spain edit)
  • 4:50 (France edit)
  • 5:07 (album version)
Label:
Producer:Pink Floyd
Chronology:Pink Floyd
Prev Title:Time
Prev Year:1974
Next Title:Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)
Next Year:1979

"Have a Cigar" is the third track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here.[8] [9] It follows "Welcome to the Machine" and on the original LP opened side two. In some markets, the song was issued as a single.English folk-rock singer Roy Harper provided lead vocals on the song. It is one of only three Pink Floyd recordings with a guest singer on lead vocals, the others being "The Great Gig in the Sky" (1973) with Clare Torry and "Hey Hey Rise Up" (2022) with Andriy Khlyvnyuk.The song, written by Waters, is his critique of the rampant greed and cynicism so prevalent in the management of rock groups of that era.

Composition and recording

The song's music and lyrics were written by Roger Waters in critique of hypocrisy and greed within the music business. Waters has frequently implied it to be a follow-up to "Money" with the lyrics representing the demands of a record executive after the runaway success of The Dark Side of the Moon.

The song is more straightforwardly rock-oriented than the rest of the album, and is the only one on the album that starts abruptly (the other four either fade in or segue from the previous song). It begins with a churning riff played on electric guitar and bass and is filled out with additional guitar, electric piano and synthesizer parts to create a rock texture.

"Have a Cigar" concludes with a guitar solo, which is abruptly interrupted by a synthesizer filter-sweep sound effect as the music reduces in volume to tinny, AM radio-like levels. Finally, the song ends with the sound of a radio being dialled off-station; this effect is used as a transition to the title track, "Wish You Were Here".

Harper's involvement with the recording arose from the dissatisfaction that Waters and David Gilmour felt with their own attempts to sing the lead vocal line. After trying it both separately and as a duet, with Harper still technically on the track singing vocals on the bridge (available on the 2011 Experience and Immersion editions of Wish You Were Here), they turned to Harper to sing lead, who was recording his album HQ at Abbey Road at the same time as Pink Floyd. Harper agreed to sing the part as a way of repaying a favour to Gilmour, who had earlier provided him with some guitar licks ("...for a price").[10]

In his book Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd, author Mark Blake recounts that Gilmour had been unwilling to sing the lead vocal as he did not share Waters' opinions, as expressed in the lyrics, on the nature of the music industry.[11] Waters has since said he dislikes Harper's version, saying he would have liked it to emerge "more vulnerable and less cynical", adding that Harper's version was too parodic while Gilmour loved Harper's vocal delivery and called it the "perfect version".[12]

Reception

Cash Box said that it "sounds to us like a synopsis of some of the fingerpoppers who have probably tried to capitalize off the talents of the Pink Floyd group. We were wrong, no doubt, but the music is the thing here: a cerebral message."[13] Record World said that "These progressive pioneers mix ethereal keyboard sounds with crunchy guitar rhythms for a sound that many have attempted, but few have mastered."[14]

Live

Harper performed the song with the band on one occasion, the group's 1975 Knebworth Festival appearance, during the period Wish You Were Here was being recorded. The song was also performed on the band's 1975 North American tours sandwiched in between the multi-part "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", with Gilmour and Waters singing lead. It was last performed by the band on the 1977 In the Flesh tour, as part of the Wish You Were Here set with Waters on lead vocals, Gilmour on backing vocals and rhythm guitar and Snowy White playing the guitar solos.

Waters has also played the song on nearly every one of his solo tours, except for the 1999–2002 In the Flesh tour, the 2009–11 Wall tour, and the 2017 Us + Them Tour.[15]

Personnel

with:

Roy Harper Reaction

In a 2011 video interview with John Edginton, "Have a Cigar" singer Roy Harper said that he was unhappy he hadn't been credited by the band for singing the song "for the first 10 or 15 years" after it came out. He also said he wasn't paid the agreed payment; he wanted tickets for life to Lord's (cricket grounds) but received "a few hundred quid" instead. Harper had to go hire a lawyer to resolve his grievance, which he called "ironic" and said it made the song (which is about ripoffs in the music business) into a self-fulfilling prophecy by turning the collaboration among friends into "the dirty music business."[16]

Charts

Chart (1975)Peak
position
US Cash Box Looking Ahead[17] 119
US Record World Singles Chart 101–150126

Cover versions

Notes and References

  1. Have a Cigar / Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Part I) . Pink Floyd . EMI / Harvest . 4 C 006-97357 . Side labels say SABAM.
  2. "Have A Cigar". Pink Floyd. 1975. Columbia Records. Discogs. B-side single record label. 3-10248. US.
  3. "Have A Cigar". Pink Floyd. 1976. Harvest Records. Discogs. B-side single record label. 3C 006-97357. Italy.
  4. "Have A Cigar". Pink Floyd. 1976. Harvest Records. Discogs. B-side single record label. 2C 010-97.357. France.
  5. Book: Guesdon, Jean-MIchel . Pink Floyd All The Songs . Running Press . 2017 . 9780316439237 .
  6. Web site: Singh. Abhinav Jai. 11 June 2018. The Smashing Pumpkins, 070 Shake, Christina Aguilera — a playlist of the best new tracks from past week. 7 April 2021. Firstpost.
  7. Web site: Wawzenek. Bryan. 4 September 2018. All 167 Pink Floyd Songs Ranked Worst to Best. 7 April 2021. Ultimate Classic Rock.
  8. Book: Strong, Martin C. . The Great Rock Discography . . Edinburgh . 1-84195-551-5 . 1177 . 2004 . 7th.
  9. Book: Mabbett, Andy . The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd . . London . 0-7119-4301-X . 1995.
  10. Book: . 2012 .
  11. Book: . Mark Blake . 2007 .
  12. The Story of Wish You Were Here.
  13. News: CashBox Singles Reviews. 15 November 1975 . 22 . 2021-12-11 . Cash Box.
  14. Record World. November 15, 1975. 2023-03-09. Single Picks. 18.
  15. Web site: Roger Waters Setlist at Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford. setlist.fm. 24 May 2017.
  16. Web site: EDGINTON . JOHN . ROY HARPER ON WHY HIS VOICE WAS ON PINK FLOYD'S 'HAVE A CIGAR'. NOT ROGER WATERS OR DAVID GILMOUR . YouTube . JOHN EDGINTON DOCUMENTARIES . 1 March 2024 . en.
  17. Book: Whitburn, Joel . 2015 . The Comparison Book . Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin . Record Research Inc. . 393 . 978-0-89820-213-7.
  18. Web site: Discoballs: A Tribute to Pink Floyd - Rosebud Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic. AllMusic. 22 July 2017.
  19. Web site: Rosebud - Discoballs (A Tribute To Pink Floyd). Discogs. 1980 . en. 22 July 2017.
  20. Web site: Miscellaneous Debris - Primus Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic. AllMusic. 22 July 2017.
  21. Web site: Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly. Discogs. 1999 . en. 22 July 2017.
  22. Web site: Mission: Impossible 2 [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic]. AllMusic. 22 July 2017.
  23. Web site: Foo Fighters - Medium Rare. Discogs. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20110423190300/http://www.discogs.com/Foo-Fighters-Medium-Rare/master/328652. 2011-04-23. dead. 22 July 2017.
  24. Web site: Foo Fighters To Release Covers Album. 2011-03-14. ultimateguitar.com. 22 July 2017.
  25. Book: The Queen Chronology: The Recording & Release History of the Band . Lemieux . Patrick . Unger . Adam . . 2013 . 978-0-9919840-4-6 . 132.
  26. Web site: Onetwo - Instead. Discogs. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20120731033213/http://www.discogs.com/Onetwo-Instead/release/916463. 2012-07-31. dead. 22 July 2017.
  27. Web site: Connections: Have A Cigar: Interview - August 2011 . Metamatic.com . 3 March 2012.
  28. Web site: John Foxx & The Maths - Have A Cigar - News . Mojo4music.com . 25 August 2011 . 3 March 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120316213933/http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2011/08/free_download_john_foxx_the_ma.html . 16 March 2012 .
  29. Web site: Gov't Mule – Dark Side of the Mule . Steve . Leggett . AllMusic . 22 July 2017.
  30. Kaye. Ben. Gov't Mule to release Pink Floyd covers album Dark Side of the Mule. Consequence of Sound. 16 November 2014. 22 July 2017.
  31. Web site: Haas. Anna. 8 June 2018. FIDLAR Drop Roughed-Up, Modern Version of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar". 2 February 2019. Paste.

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