June 12: Pink Floyd Under New Management

In the mid-1960s, London was buzzing with new music and exciting bands. One of these bands was Pink Floyd. At that time, the band members were Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason. They were starting to get noticed for their unusual and creative music.

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Peter Jenner was a lecturer at the London School of Economics. He was very interested in music and often visited clubs to listen to new bands. One night, in 1966, Jenner went to the Marquee Club, a popular place for new music. That night, Pink Floyd was playing. Jenner was amazed by what he heard. The band’s music was full of strange sounds and cool light shows. He had never seen anything like it.

Jenner immediately saw that Pink Floyd had something special. He thought they could become very popular if they had the right help. After the show, Jenner introduced himself to the band. He told them how much he liked their music and how he believed they could be huge stars. The band was impressed by Jenner’s enthusiasm and knowledge about music.

Jenner and his friend Andrew King offered to become the band’s managers. At that time, Pink Floyd didn’t have a proper manager, so they agreed to give Jenner and King a chance. Jenner and King started working right away. They helped the band get more gigs and better equipment. They also helped them get a recording contract, which was very important for any band that wanted to make it big.

One of the first big things Jenner did was to get Pink Floyd signed to EMI, a major record company. This was a huge step for the band. With EMI, they recorded their first single, “Arnold Layne,” which became a hit. This success was partly because of Jenner’s hard work and belief in the band.

Jenner also helped Pink Floyd with their image and live shows. He encouraged them to use more lights and special effects during their performances. This made their shows even more exciting and drew bigger crowds. The combination of their unique music and spectacular live shows helped Pink Floyd become one of the most talked-about bands in London.

However, managing a band like Pink Floyd was not always easy. Syd Barrett, the band’s leader and main songwriter, started having serious problems with his mental health. This made it difficult for him to perform and work with the band. Despite these challenges, Jenner stood by the band and tried to help Barrett as much as he could.

Eventually, Syd Barrett had to leave the band, which was a very sad moment for everyone involved. Even after Barrett left, Jenner continued to support Pink Floyd. He helped them find a new guitarist, David Gilmour, who joined the band in 1968.

Peter Jenner’s belief in Pink Floyd and his hard work as their manager helped the band go from playing in small clubs to becoming one of the biggest and most influential bands in the world. His early support and guidance were crucial in helping Pink Floyd start their incredible journey in the music industry.

Other Notable Rock Events From June 12

1965 - The Beatles were included in the Queen’s birthday honours list and they received the MBE. 

1967 - Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits album hit number 10 on the US charts. 

1970 - David Bowie released his single titled “Memory Of A Free Festival”. 

1999 - Oasis allegedly paid Gary Glitter the equivalent of $340,000 in an out-of-court settlement after being accused of stealing a song lyric. 

2005 - Pink Floyd announced they would reunite with bassist Roger Waters. 

Rock Birthdays

1949 - John Wetton of Mogul Thrash (Bass/Vocals)

1960 - Brad Delp of Boston (Guitar/Vocals)

1960 - Pete Fardon of The Pretenders (Bass)

On This Day In History - June 12

June 12 shows how rock music has changed over time with important events and big hits. These moments helped shape the music we love today and still inspire new artists.