Pink Floyd - Masters of Rock Vol 1 Germany 12" Vinyl LP Album

- A rare 1974 German compilation featuring early Pink Floyd tracks, including uncredited performances by Syd Barrett.

This compilation album of Pink Floyd contains the hard to find tracks: "Arnold Layne", "Candy and a Current Run", "Apples and Oranges", "Paint Box", "Julia Dream" and "See Emily Play". The producers of this album omitted to mention "Syd Barrett" as one of Pink Floyd's band members

Pink Floyd - Masters of Rock Vol 1 - Album Description:

Pink Floyd is one of the most influential bands in the history of rock music. Their music has had a significant impact on the genre, and they have inspired countless other musicians. One of their most iconic albums is "Masters of Rock Vol 1," a compilation album released in 1974.

Pink Floyd formed in London in 1965, originally composed of Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. The band's name was inspired by two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. They began playing in the underground music scene, performing at clubs like the UFO Club and the Marquee Club. Their early music was heavily influenced by blues and psychedelic rock, and they quickly gained a following.

In 1967, Pink Floyd released their debut album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn." The album showcased Barrett's songwriting and experimental sound, featuring tracks like "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Astronomy Domine." However, Barrett's erratic behavior and drug use led to tensions within the band, and he was eventually replaced by David Gilmour in 1968.

With Gilmour on board, Pink Floyd's sound evolved to include more progressive rock elements. They released a string of critically acclaimed albums in the 1970s, including "Meddle," "The Dark Side of the Moon," and "Wish You Were Here." These albums showcased the band's intricate instrumentals, concept-driven lyrics, and innovative use of sound effects.

"Masters of Rock Vol 1" was released in 1974, in the midst of this creative peak. The album is a compilation of tracks from Pink Floyd's first four albums, showcasing their evolution from a psychedelic rock band to a progressive rock powerhouse. It features classic tracks like "See Emily Play," "Interstellar Overdrive," and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun."

"Masters of Rock Vol 1" was an important milestone in Pink Floyd's career. It marked a transition from their early, experimental sound to the more polished, progressive rock sound that would define their later work. The album was also a commercial success, reaching number three on the UK charts and introducing Pink Floyd's music to a wider audience.

The compilation format of "Masters of Rock Vol 1" also allowed fans to experience Pink Floyd's evolution in a single album. The tracks from their early albums showcased their psychedelic roots, while the later tracks showcased their experimentation with complex song structures and themes.

 

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

Psych, Acid, Prog Rock

Collector Notes / Liner Notes
  • Liner Note: Album liner notes are in German and English language.
Label & Catalognr:

EMI Harvest 1C 054-04299 / LC 1305

Media Format:

12" LP Vinyl Gramophone Record

Year & Country:

Made in Germany

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Members, Musicians:
  • David Gilmour – guitar, vocals
  • David Gilmour – Guitar, vocals

    David Gilmour is the voice-and-fingers combo I hear whenever Pink Floyd turns from “spacey” into straight-up cinematic: he joined in 1967 and basically helped define what “guitar tone with emotions” even means.

    David Gilmour is, for me, the calm center of Pink Floyd’s storm: an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter whose playing can feel gentle and devastating in the same bar. His earliest band period worth name-dropping is Jokers Wild (1964–1967), before he stepped into Pink Floyd in 1967 as Syd Barrett’s situation unraveled. From there his main performing era is Pink Floyd (1967–1995), including the post-Roger Waters years where the band continued under his leadership and released "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" (1987) and "The Division Bell" (1994), with a later studio coda in "The Endless River" (2014). Outside Floyd, he’s had a long solo run (1978–present) with albums ranging from "David Gilmour" (1978) to "Luck and Strange" (2024), and he even did a sharp side-quest in 1985 with Pete Townshend’s short-lived supergroup Deep End. And for one historic night, the classic lineup reunited at Live 8 in Hyde Park, London on 2 July 2005—one of those “you had to be there (or at least press play)” moments.

  • Nick Mason – drums
  • Nick Mason – Drums, percussion

    Nick Mason is the steady heartbeat I always come back to in Pink Floyd: the only constant member since the band formed in 1965, quietly holding the whole weird universe together while the rest of the planet argues about everything else.

    Nick Mason is Pink Floyd’s drummer, co-founder, and the one guy who never clocked out: his main performing period with Pink Floyd runs from 1965 to the present, and he’s the only member to appear across every Pink Floyd album. Outside the mothership, he’s had a very “I’m not done yet” second act: in 2018 he formed Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets (2018–present) to bring the band’s early psychedelic years back to the stage. He’s also stepped out under his own name with projects like the solo album "Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports" (released 1981), which is basically him taking a left turn into jazz-rock just to prove he can. And yes, he was part of that blink-and-you-miss-it full-band moment at Live 8 in London in 2005, when the classic lineup briefly reunited and reminded everyone why this band still haunts people.

  • Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals
  • Richard Wright – Keyboards, vocals

    Richard Wright is the secret atmosphere machine in Pink Floyd: the guy who can make one chord feel like a whole weather system, and then casually add a vocal harmony that makes it hit even harder.

    Richard Wright (born Richard William Wright) is, for me, the understated genius of Pink Floyd: co-founder, keyboardist, and occasional lead vocalist whose textures are basically baked into the band’s DNA. His main performing period with Pink Floyd runs from 1965 to 1981 (including the early albums through the massive arena years), then he returned as a full member again from 1987 to 1994 for the later era tours and albums. In between those chapters, he didn’t just vanish into a fog machine: he released a solo album, "Wet Dream" (1978), and later "Broken China" (1996), and he also had a proper side-project moment with Zee (1983–1984), which produced the album "Identity" (1984). He passed away in 2008, but his playing still feels like the part of Pink Floyd that makes the air shimmer.

  • Roger Waters
  • Roger Waters – Bass, vocals, songwriter

    Roger Waters is the guy I blame (politely) when a Pink Floyd song stops being “spacey vibes” and starts staring straight through you with lyrics that feel like a courtroom cross-examination.

    Roger Waters is, to my ears, Pink Floyd’s razor-edged storyteller: bassist, singer, and the main lyric engine who pushed the band from psychedelic drift into big, human-scale themes. His key band period is Pink Floyd (1965–1985), where he became the dominant writer through the 1970s and early 1980s, before leaving and launching a long solo career (1984–present). After years of public tension, he briefly reunited with Pink Floyd for a one-off performance at Live 8 in London on 2 July 2005—basically the musical equivalent of spotting a comet: rare, bright, and gone again. Since the late 1990s he’s toured extensively under his own name, staging huge concept-driven shows that revisit Floyd classics like "The Dark Side of the Moon" (notably on the 2006–2008 tour) and "The Wall" (2010–2013), because apparently subtlety is not the point when you’ve got something to say.

  • Syd Barrett (not listed on cover)
  • Syd Barrett – Guitar, vocals, songwriter

    Syd Barrett is the original Pink Floyd spark plug I always think of when the music sounds like it was beamed in from a kinder, stranger universe—he co-founded the band in 1965 and shaped their early psychedelic identity before everything went sideways.

    Syd Barrett (born Roger Keith Barrett) is, to me, the “before” and “after” line in Pink Floyd history: the frontman, guitarist, and main songwriter in the band’s formative years, then the haunting absence everyone kept orbiting. His key band period is Pink Floyd (1965–1968), where his songs and playing defined the early sound and led to the debut album era, before his departure in 1968. After that, he had a short, intense solo period (1968–1974), highlighted by the albums "The Madcap Laughs" (released 1970) and "Barrett" (released 1970), after which he largely withdrew from the music world. It’s a brutally brief career arc for someone so influential, which is exactly why his shadow still feels weirdly present whenever early Floyd comes on.

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. Chapter 24
  2. Mathilda Mother
  3. Arnold Layne
  4. Candy AndA Current Run
  5. The Scarecrow
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Apples and Oranges
  2. It Would be So Nice
  3. Paint Box
  4. Julia Dream
  5. See Emily Play
Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of Pink Floyd's Masters of Rock Vol. 1 album showing large carved-style lettering of the band's name in gold against a brown textured background, with the album title at the bottom in red, white, and blue Union Jack-styled text.

This is the front cover of the compilation album "Masters of Rock Vol. 1" by Pink Floyd. The design features the band's name "PINK FLOYD" in large, stylized uppercase letters that appear to be carved from wood, with three-dimensional shading to create a raised effect. The letters are painted in gold and cast dark shadows on the textured brown background, giving the illusion of depth and substance.

At the top left corner, the label information is printed: “1 C 054 – 04 299” under the EMI Harvest logo, a stylized black-and-white symbol resembling a crop swirl or a cosmic spiral. In the upper right corner, a small red heart adds a subtle, playful contrast to the otherwise earthy tones of the design.

Near the bottom center of the cover, the album’s title is rendered in a bold and colorful font. The words "Masters of Rock" are styled with the British Union Jack flag design running through the block letters, emphasizing the band’s UK origin. Below that, in solid blue letters, is the label "Vol. 1", completing the full title. The artwork evokes a classic rock aesthetic of the early 1970s, blending psychedelic undertones with national symbolism and bold typography.

Side Two Close up of record’s label
Side One label of Pink Floyd's Masters of Rock Vol. 1 vinyl record, featuring a yellow and green EMI Harvest design with track list and German press markings.

This is a close-up photo of the Side One record label from "Pink Floyd – Masters of Rock Vol. 1". The vinyl label is a bright yellow color with a contrasting green logo and text. Dominating the right half is the classic EMI Harvest logo: a circular shape that resembles a stylized ear of wheat or a human form with raised arms, rendered in green and outlined in yellow.

The upper left includes key metadata such as the LC 1305 label code, STEREO marking, and the German “ST 33” symbol inside a double circle, indicating a stereo 33⅓ RPM long-play record. The phrase "EMI Records Ltd." is printed just below.

In bold capital letters at the center, the album title "MASTERS OF ROCK" is listed, followed by five track titles and their durations:

  • Chapter 24 – 3:36
  • Mathilda Mother – 3:03
  • Arnold Layne – 2:51
  • Candy And A Current Bun – 2:38
  • The Scarecrow – 2:07

Below the list is the band name Pink Floyd, and in parentheses the songwriter credit (Barrett) refers to Syd Barrett. The GEMA logo (German copyright authority) is printed in a rectangle on the left, and the matrix number 1 C 054–04 299 appears on the right, with Seite 1 (German for “Side 1”) underneath. The words "MADE IN GERMANY" are printed along the bottom edge of the label.

The outer ring of the label also includes a legal disclaimer in German: "ALLE URHEBER- UND LEISTUNGSSCHUTZRECHTE VORBEHALTEN. KEIN VERLEIH! KEINE UNERLAUBTE VERVIELFÄLTIGUNG, VERBREITUNG, AUFFÜHRUNG, SENDUNG." — warning against unauthorized reproduction or broadcasting.

Index of PINK FLOYD Masters of Rock Vinyl Album Discography and Album Cover Gallery
PINK FLOYD - Masters of Rock Vol 1 (Germany) 12" Vinyl LP
PINK FLOYD - Masters of Rock Vol 1 (Germany) album front cover

EMI Harvest 1C 054-04299 / LC 1305 , , Germany

This is the German release of Pink Floyd's "Masters of Rock Vol 1" is a 12" vinyl LP album featuring some of the band's most iconic tracks, including "Mathilda Mother", "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", This compilation is a must-have for any Pink Floyd fan and a timeless classic in rock music history.

Learn more
PINK FLOYD - Masters of Rock (Italy) 12" Vinyl LP
PINK FLOYD - Masters of Rock (Italy) album front cover

  EMI Harvest 3C 054 04299 , 1974 , Italy

This is the Italian release of Pink Floyd's "Masters of Rock" is a 12" vinyl LP album featuring some of the band's most iconic tracks, including "Mathilda Mother", "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", This compilation is a must-have for any Pink Floyd fan and a timeless classic in rock music history.

Learn more
PINK FLOYD Main Index