While both The Beatles and Pink Floyd are considered pioneers of psychedelic rock, their connection goes much deeper than this general association. The Fab Four significantly influenced Pink Floyd in their early days; David Gilmour was captivated by their songwriting and guitar work, while Roger Waters adopted their approach of addressing real-life issues in his lyrics. Additionally, Paul McCartney left a personal impression on the band when both groups worked together at London’s Abbey Road Studios.
The year 1967 marked a turning point for psychedelic rock. From The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album, ‘Are You Experienced’, to Cream’s ‘Disraeli Gears’, that year saw rock music becoming heavier, more experimental, and decidedly more interesting. Abbey Road Studios played a pivotal role in this transformation, as two of the genre’s most celebrated albums—The Beatles’ experimental masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, and Pink Floyd’s debut, ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’—were recorded there around the same time.
This meeting fostered a connection between the two groups that went well beyond mere influence and their shared pioneering of psychedelia. In April 1967, three members of The Beatles—Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—visited the neighboring studio at Abbey Road to see how Pink Floyd was progressing, without John Lennon. Although the two bands had vastly different levels of experience at the time, the members of Pink Floyd were thrilled to discover that three-quarters of the world’s biggest band had a genuine interest in their work.
This wasn’t their first meeting; Pink Floyd had already experienced The Beatles live just a few weeks earlier, when they brought “Lovely Rita” to life. The professionalism displayed by The Beatles left a lasting impression on them, opening their relatively inexperienced eyes to pure refinement, which would greatly influence their future work. According to former bassist Roger Waters, witnessing The Beatles’ unrestrained artistic freedom was also crucial for Pink Floyd. They didn’t confine themselves to specific genres, a lesson that his band would embrace wholeheartedly.
The trio of Beatles visited Pink Floyd, their friendship was cemented for good. The members of Pink Floyd were evidently nervous at being in the company of such greats. However, according to the influential author Barry Miles, who was there with The Beatles and has since written works on both groups, McCartney kindly eased their nerves. The writer felt like he was watching The Beatles “passing on the mantle” to the new group.
This perspective was not unfounded. In his private discussions with Miles, Paul McCartney made several insightful predictions about Pink Floyd and how their sound would evolve. Although their early lineup featured on *The Piper at the Gates of Dawn* would soon come to an end due to frontman Syd Barrett’s deteriorating mental health, the band embarked on an extended period of experimentation after his departure and the introduction of David Gilmour.
During this time, they perfected the use of cutting-edge innovations, treating the studio itself as an instrument. They incorporated electric keyboards and created a unique fusion of rock and technological advancements that underlies many of their most acclaimed works, including the iconic *The Dark Side of the Moon*, released in 1973.
Not only did McCartney think that Pink Floyd were the real deal live, calling them a “knockout”, but he also accurately predicted the character of their future sound that would make them world-beaters. Miles wrote: “In my discussions with him, McCartney had always been convinced that there would be a new synthesis of electronic music and studio techniques and rock ‘n’ roll. He didn’t see the Beatles as being quite the vehicle for that. But the Pink Floyd, he thought, were the very stuff we’d been talking about!”
