Apples and Oranges (song)

"Apples and Oranges" (released 1967) is the third United Kingdom single by Pink Floyd and the final one written by Syd Barrett.^[2][3] The B-side was "Paint Box" written by Richard Wright. The song is about a girl whom the narrator meets at the supermarket. It is one of a handful of songs by Pink Floyd which deal directly with love.

The Pink Floyd, along with Barrett, mimed the song on their first US televised performance on American Bandstand. After Barrett was replaced by David Gilmour, the band recorded a promotional film in Belgium in a fruit market with Waters lip synching.

This was the group's first single that failed to break into the U.K. charts, and their U.S. label Tower Records issued a U.S.-only single instead: "Flaming" b/w "The Gnome" (Tower 378). Waters blamed the single's sales performance on Norman Smith: "'Apples and Oranges' was destroyed by the production. It's a fucking good song."^[4]

Both sides of the single were mixed in stereo, but the single was issued in mono. The stereo mix of "Paintbox" first appeared on the Relics compilation (1971), and both tracks appeared in stereo on the Masters of Rock compilation (1974). The other four early U.K. singles were issued in mono originally. "Arnold Layne", "See Emily Play", "It Would Be So Nice", and "Point Me at the Sky" only exist in mono or false stereo, while "Julia Dream" and possibly "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" were remixed for stereo at a later time, for inclusion on Relics. Mono and stereo mixes of "Apples and Oranges" and the mono mix of "Paint Box" are included in the 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition release of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.^[5]

Quotes

• "It's a happy song, and it's got a touch of Christmas. It's about a girl who I saw just walking round town, in Richmond." — Syd Barrett^[6]

Personnel

• Syd Barrett — Guitar and Vocals
• Richard Wright — Keyboard and Backing vocals
• Roger Waters — Bass and Backing vocals
• Nick Mason — Drums and Percussion

References