Today we also mark the 48th Anniversary of the release of The Madcap Laughs, Syd Barrett‘s first solo album.
Above is an alternate Mick Rock picture from the photo session that resulted in the much loved cover

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has been awarded a CBE for services to music in the New Year Honours list.

The skilled percussionist featured on every album produced by the progressive rock group since he co-founded the band in 1965. Together with his bandmates, including David Gilmour and Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Mason helped forge a new and commercially popular experimentalism in rock music.

Mason, 74, has been made a CBE in recognition of his services to music throughout decades in the industry.

He began drumming in bands alongside fellow Regent Street Polytechnic student Waters in the early 1960s, before they teamed up with keyboard player Richard Wright and frontman Syd Barret. From their debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Pink Floyd gathered an adoring audience and achieved major commercial success.

Mason was influenced by jazz music, which helped him provide the distinctive percussive elements to the band’s concept albums. He also had a hand in lyrics and co-wrote several songs, including Echoes. He still tours with his newly-formed band, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, and has indulged his passion for motor racing and Ferraris between touring commitments throughout his career.

On December 13, The Pretty Things played their farewell concert at London’s O2 arena. The British psychedelic-pop act was joined by David Gilmour and Van Morrison during their three-set career-spanning night that touched on all eras of their diverse catalog.

The former Pink Floyd guitarist first emerged during the second set of the evening to play on a string of songs from The Pretty Things’ 1968 concept album S.F. Sorrow.

Gilmour assisted on five songs that included takes on “She Says Good Morning,” “Baron Saturday” and “Cries From the Midnight Circus.”

Morrison was welcomed during the third set, as he fronted the band on a handful of blues classics. The Northern Irish singer-songwriter delivered takes on the oft-covered standard “Baby, Please Don’t Go” along with Bo Diddley’s “I Can Tell” and “You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover.”

Gilmour then returned for the final two songs of the set, sitting in on “L.S.D.” and “Old Man Going.”

Both legendary musicians helped close out the night taking the stage during the mid-point of the three-song encore. The augmented ensemble offered up a take on one more Bo Diddley number serving up “Road Runner,” a song The Pretty Things recorded for their 1965 self-titled debut with Morrison once again singing lead.

To honour Armistice Day this year, a number of prominent artists have created a song and video put together from the letters of fallen soldiers, which will raise money for the Cancer Awareness trust.

Cillian Murphy, Ronnie Wood, Brian Eno, Sinead O’Connor, Imelda May and Nick Mason all teamed up for “One More Yard” by the Evamore project, which sees Murphy, the acclaimed actor from films including Dunkirk, reading spoken word poetry over beautiful, haunting instrumentation by Eno.

The track then moves into the song itself, which features O’Connor on lead vocals, Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood on guitars, and Nick Mason on drums.

Lyrics on “One More Yard” were inspired by letters written by Lieutenant Michael Thomas Wall, of the Royal Irish Regiment, to his mother in Dublin. The term “one more yard” was used frequently by soldiers in their letters and diaries, in a reference to the trek across no man’s land.

Nick Mason describes it as a project that “allows people such as myself to pay tribute to the young men of 100 years ago who fought for our freedom but also to do something to help young people facing cancer today“.

Ronnie Wood tells The Independent: “As someone who has had to deal with cancer, I am delighted to be part of this new awareness initiative – it’s a great idea backed by some brilliant scientific people. I love the track ‘One More Yard’ – a sad true story set to a haunting melody. It was a pleasure playing on it. I hope everyone gets behind this charity, and there will be more to come.”

“This project is something I’m glad to be a part of,” Imeda May says. “I was called by producer John Reynolds and instantly knew it was something I had to be involved with. There is a strong connection for me, not just because I;m Irish like the soldier who wrote the letters that inspired the song, but also because of the importance of remembrance and tribute to those lost in WWI. Most importantly I feel using this opportunity to raise money for those affected by cancer through the Cancer Awareness trust. I’m immensely proud to say I contributed to this unique artistic and charitable endeavour.”

The Evamore project was founded by Professor Sir Chris Evans, while he was conducting research on creating a new cancer awareness charity. He was struck by the similarities between the emotional struggle of young people confronted with cancer, and the fighting spirit and written expressions of the young soldiers in the trenches of the First World War.

“It was incredibly moving to see how the words of soldiers 100 years ago were so similar to those of young people suffering from cancer today,” he says. “We can only now honour the sacrifice of those a century ago but there is so much to be done to help those who are locked into the greatest struggle of their lives as they confront cancer. We are very privileged that some of the greatest names in rock music and wonderful actors have chosen to get involved in our project.”

The Evamore EP is out now – proceeds for the project will go to a new Cancer Awareness Trust which will provide expert clinical advice and guidance to cancer sufferers around the world.

More info available : https://www.evamore.co.uk/