Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"See Emily Play" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd, released as their second single on 16 June 1967 on the Columbia label. Written by original frontman Syd Barrett, it was released as a non-album single, but appeared as the opening track of Pink Floyd, the US edition of the band's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).
The song was written by Barrett following the Games for May concert, and became a top 10 hit when released in the UK the following month. The group appeared three times on Top of the Pops, where Barrett started showing signs of erratic behaviour, which ultimately led to him leaving the group in early 1968. Although Pink Floyd seldom performed the song live, it has been covered by a number of diverse artists and regarded as a classic psychedelic pop single.
"See Emily Play" is also known as "Games for May", named after a free concert on 12 May 1967 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's South Bank, in which Pink Floyd performed. It was the first show where the group set up a quadraphonic PA system, which would be a regular feature of future gigs.
The song was reportedly about a girl named Emily, who Barrett claimed to have seen while sleeping in the woods after taking a psychedelic drug. According to A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey, by Nicholas Schaffner, Emily is the Honourable Emily Young, daughter of Wayland Young, 2nd Baron Kennet and nicknamed "the psychedelic schoolgirl" at the UFO Club. Barrett's then-girlfriend, Libby Gausden, disputes this theory – she said that she and Syd had discussed marriage, and that "Emily" was going to be the name of their first child. Bassist Roger Waters later said the woods mentioned in the song were based next to the Gog Magog Hills near Cambridge.
It has been suggested by some that the slide guitar effect was produced by Barrett using a Zippo lighter, but elsewhere that he used a plastic ruler.
Producer Norman Smith attempted to duplicate the sound of their first single, "Arnold Layne", which was produced by Joe Boyd, by returning to Sound Techniques studios in London on 18 May 1967 because he was not able to get the same sound at the more advanced Abbey Road Studios. The exact recording details are unclear because of a lack of paperwork in the EMI archive. Engineer Jeff Jarrett recalls that it was recorded in a much longer form, which was then edited down for the single release. The recording involved backward tapes and much use of echo and reverb; the first piano bridge between the first chorus and second verse was recorded at a slow pace then sped up for the final master. The four-track master tape was wiped or misplaced. It no longer exists and has never been mixed into true stereo.
Barrett, reputedly, was not happy with the final studio cut, and protested against its release, which Norman Smith speculated was based on his fear of commercialism. During sessions for the song David Gilmour visited the studio, on Barrett's invitation, and was shocked by the perceived changes in Barrett's personality when he did not appear to recognize him. For many years Gilmour would recall this, saying, "I'll go on record as saying, that was when he changed".
The UK single was released by Columbia Records on 16 June 1967, with "The Scarecrow" as the B-side. It reached number 6 in the charts. Melody Maker said they recognized the single as Pink Floyd's "by the horrible organ sound" but said it was "much better than Arnold Layne".
The US single was released by Tower Records on 24 July 1967, both as a standard issue and a white label promotional pressing. Cash Box said that it's "one of those hard to predict outings that could hit in a grand manner or fall flat." It reached number 134 in the charts. A further white label promo was issued on 22 July 1968 with a note asking if DJs would play it.
New DES stereo mix sourced from the original mono mix.
"See Emily Play" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd, released as their second single on 16 June 1967 on the Columbia label. Written by original frontman Syd Barrett, it was released as a non-album single, but appeared as the opening track of Pink Floyd, the US edition of the band's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).
The song was written by Barrett following the Games for May concert, and became a top 10 hit when released in the UK the following month. The group appeared three times on Top of the Pops, where Barrett started showing signs of erratic behaviour, which ultimately led to him leaving the group in early 1968. Although Pink Floyd seldom performed the song live, it has been covered by a number of diverse artists and regarded as a classic psychedelic pop single.
"See Emily Play" is also known as "Games for May", named after a free concert on 12 May 1967 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's South Bank, in which Pink Floyd performed. It was the first show where the group set up a quadraphonic PA system, which would be a regular feature of future gigs.
The song was reportedly about a girl named Emily, who Barrett claimed to have seen while sleeping in the woods after taking a psychedelic drug. According to A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey, by Nicholas Schaffner, Emily is the Honourable Emily Young, daughter of Wayland Young, 2nd Baron Kennet and nicknamed "the psychedelic schoolgirl" at the UFO Club. Barrett's then-girlfriend, Libby Gausden, disputes this theory – she said that she and Syd had discussed marriage, and that "Emily" was going to be the name of their first child. Bassist Roger Waters later said the woods mentioned in the song were based next to the Gog Magog Hills near Cambridge.
It has been suggested by some that the slide guitar effect was produced by Barrett using a Zippo lighter, but elsewhere that he used a plastic ruler.
Producer Norman Smith attempted to duplicate the sound of their first single, "Arnold Layne", which was produced by Joe Boyd, by returning to Sound Techniques studios in London on 18 May 1967 because he was not able to get the same sound at the more advanced Abbey Road Studios. The exact recording details are unclear because of a lack of paperwork in the EMI archive. Engineer Jeff Jarrett recalls that it was recorded in a much longer form, which was then edited down for the single release. The recording involved backward tapes and much use of echo and reverb; the first piano bridge between the first chorus and second verse was recorded at a slow pace then sped up for the final master. The four-track master tape was wiped or misplaced. It no longer exists and has never been mixed into true stereo.
Barrett, reputedly, was not happy with the final studio cut, and protested against its release, which Norman Smith speculated was based on his fear of commercialism. During sessions for the song David Gilmour visited the studio, on Barrett's invitation, and was shocked by the perceived changes in Barrett's personality when he did not appear to recognize him. For many years Gilmour would recall this, saying, "I'll go on record as saying, that was when he changed".
The UK single was released by Columbia Records on 16 June 1967, with "The Scarecrow" as the B-side. It reached number 6 in the charts. Melody Maker said they recognized the single as Pink Floyd's "by the horrible organ sound" but said it was "much better than Arnold Layne".
The US single was released by Tower Records on 24 July 1967, both as a standard issue and a white label promotional pressing. Cash Box said that it's "one of those hard to predict outings that could hit in a grand manner or fall flat." It reached number 134 in the charts. A further white label promo was issued on 22 July 1968 with a note asking if DJs would play it.
New DES stereo mix sourced from the original mono mix.
