Selling Coloured Photographs to Magazines Back Home
A Collection of Great Publicity Photos
by Mike McInnis
Like it or not, Pink Floyd has always had to play the Industry game, at least a little. Part of that game includes promotional publicity photos. Whether these were included on album artwork, concert posters, or press kits, they had to be done. Here are some selected publicity photos from various stages of Pink Floyd's career.
The Floyds show off their ultra-hip Underground fashions. (1967) |
As their reputation grew, the promo shots became more 'arty'. (1967) |
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Some shots from late 1967 or early 1968, during the brief "five-man Floyd" period. |
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With Syd formally gone, a new publicity shoot was needed. (1968) |
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Another arty shot, from the late 60s or early 70s. |
As the band developed cult status in the early 70s, promo photos became less and less common. |
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With the success Dark Side of the Moon, the band had the freedom to call its own shots. Publicity photos from this era are exceedingly scarce. (1973) |
A press kit photo circa 1977. |
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Following Waters' acrimonious departure from the band and the ensuing legal battles, Gilmour and company found themselves needing to associate their faces with the name "Pink Floyd". Still, promo photos were relatively hard to come by. (1987) |
Another press kit photo, this one from the Division Bell era. (1994) |
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This photo, circa 1978, was probably taken to promote David Gilmour's self-titled solo album. |
Roger Waters, promoting The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, gave his public image a 1984 update. |
Nick Mason had this shot taken to promote his race car book, Into the Red. (1998) |