Astronomy Domine
| "Astronomy Domine" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Pink Floyd from the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn | |
| Published | Magdalene Music/Essex Music |
| Released | 5 August 1967 |
| Recorded | 11–13 April 1967 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:12 (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn version) 8:32 (Ummagumma live version) 4:20 (Pulse live version) |
| Label |
EMI Columbia (UK) Tower (US) |
| Writer(s) | Syd Barrett |
| Producer(s) | Norman Smith |
"Astronomy Domine" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd. The song, written and composed by original vocalist/guitarist Syd Barrett, was the first track featured on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). The lead vocal was sung by Barrett and keyboard player Richard Wright. Its working title was "Astronomy Domine (An Astral Chant)". "Domine" (the vocative of "Lord" in Latin) is a word frequently quoted in Gregorian chants.
It was seen as Pink Floyd's first foray into space rock (along with "Interstellar Overdrive"), although band members would later disparage this term. The song opens with the voice of their manager at the time Peter Jenner reading the names of planets through a megaphone, sounding like an astronaut over an intercom. Guitarist and vocalist Syd Barrett's Fender Esquire emerges and grows louder. At 0:19 a rapid beeping sound appears. At 0:26, Nick Mason's drum fills begin, and Barrett plays the enigmatic introductory figure. Keyboardist Richard Wright's Farfisa organ is mixed into the background. Barrett's incantatory lyrics about space support the theme in the song, mentioning planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune as well as Uranian moons Oberon, Miranda, and Titania, and Saturn's moon Titan. Barrett and Wright provide lead vocals. Bassist Roger Waters' aggressive bass line, Wright's Farfisa organ, and Barrett's kinetic slide guitar then dominate, with Jenner's megaphone recitation re-emerging from the mix for a time.
...
Wikipedia