Pink Floyd - Meddle 12" Vinyl LP Album

- French release

Pink Floyd's "Meddle" French 12" vinyl release (HARVEST SHVL 795) is a sonic gem tailored for the 1971 French market by PATHE MARCONI EMI. Featuring a distinctive gatefold cover with band portraits and credit placement, this edition captures the essence of progressive rock's heyday. A testament to Pink Floyd's musical innovation, the French release stands as a collector's delight, offering a nuanced sonic experience.

 

Fullscreen Large front cover photo

"Meddle" Album Description:

In the world of progressive rock, few albums have left an indelible mark like Pink Floyd's "Meddle." Released in 1971, this iconic LP stands as a testament to the band's creative prowess and musical innovation. In this exploration, we delve into the French release of "Meddle" on a 12" vinyl LP, specifically tailored for the discerning French market.

A Sonic Journey: The Context of 'Meddle'

The early 1970s marked a pivotal era for progressive rock, and Pink Floyd was at the forefront of this musical revolution. "Meddle," the band's sixth studio album, showcased a departure from their earlier works, paving the way for the sonic experimentation that would define their subsequent masterpieces. Against the backdrop of an evolving musical landscape, "Meddle" emerged as a sonic odyssey, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in a rich tapestry of sound.

Production Notes: Unveiling the French Release

The French release of "Meddle" arrived with its distinct identity, bearing the label HARVEST SHVL 795. Crafted for the French audience, this version stands as a testament to the global appeal of Pink Floyd's transcendental music. The record proudly declares its origin – "Made in France by PATHE MARCONI EMI," adding a touch of authenticity to the listening experience.

Aesthetic Brilliance: Gatefold Cover Design

The album's packaging is a work of art in itself. The Gatefold/FOC (Fold Open Cover) Album Cover Design unfolds to reveal a portrait photo of the Pink Floyd band members, inviting fans to connect with the artists on a personal level. Interestingly, the credits find their place in the bottom right corner of the inside pages, a subtle departure from the conventional placement seen in other releases. It's these meticulous details that make each edition of "Meddle" a unique collector's item.

Line-Up Chronicles: Band Credits

As aficionados know, the credits of an album are a glimpse into the collaborative efforts behind the music. In this French release, the band's lineup is prominently mentioned in the credits, underlining the collective genius of Pink Floyd. Such attention to detail fosters a deeper appreciation for the musicians whose harmonies and rhythms resonate across generations.

Music Genre:

Acid Psychedelic Progressive Rock
Album Production: 

Recorded at Air Studios Emi Studios Abbey Road and at Morgan Studios London 1971.

Sound Engineers: Peter Bown, John Leckie, Rob Black, Roger Quested.

Photography Bob Dowling, Hipgnosis

  • Hipgnosis – British album cover art design group

    Hipgnosis is my favorite proof that a record sleeve can be a full-on mind game, not just a band photo with better lighting.

    Hipgnosis is the legendary London-based art design group that turned rock sleeves into visual myths. The core duo, Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey "Po" Powell, were childhood friends of the Pink Floyd inner circle in Cambridge—a connection that allowed them to bypass the stiff mandates of EMI’s in-house design department in 1968. Their debut, "A Saucerful of Secrets," was only the second time in EMI history (after The Beatles) that an outside firm was granted creative control. The very name "Hipgnosis" was a piece of found art; Syd Barrett, during one of his more enigmatic phases, scrawled the word in ballpoint pen on the door of the South Kensington flat he shared with the duo. Thorgerson loved the linguistic friction of it: the "Hip" for the new and groovy, and "Gnosis" for the ancient, hidden knowledge. While Peter Christopherson later joined as a third partner in 1974, that initial Barrett-endorsed moniker defined a decade of surrealist mastery for bands like Led Zeppelin, Genesis, and 10cc, before the group dissolved in 1983.

    Hipgnosis Gallery
    		•

    Record Label & Catalognr:

    HARVEST SHVL 795 SACEM (SDRM)

    Made in France by PATHE MARCONI EMI

    Album Packaging:

    Gatefold/FOC (Fold Open Cover) Album Cover Design with portrait photo of the Pink Floyd band-members on the inside pages.

    Credits are printed in the bottom right corner of the inside pages (other released have printed the credits in the upper right corner)

    The band's line-up is mentioned in the credits

    Media Format:

    12" Vinyl LP Gramophone

    Year and Country:

    Made in France
    Album Cover Photo Gallery of: Pink Floyd Meddle (France)
    Photo of Front Cover 
    High Resolution Photo Pink Floyd Meddle France  
    Photo of Album's Back Cover  
    High Resolution Photo Pink Floyd Meddle France  
    Photo of Album's Inner Cover  
    High Resolution Photo Pink Floyd Meddle France  
    Photo of Album's Inner Cover  
    High Resolution Photo Pink Floyd Meddle France  
    Close-up Photo of Record Label 
    High Resolution Photo Pink Floyd Meddle France  

     Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash. Images can be zoomed in/out ( eg pinch with your fingers on a tablet or smartphone ).

    Band Members and Musicians on: Pink Floyd Meddle (France)
      Pink Floyd is:
    • Roger Waters - bass, vocals
    • 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.

      Roger Waters Wiki
    • Nick Mason - percusssion
    • 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.

      Nick Mason Wiki
    • Dave 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.

      David Gilmour Wiki
    • Rick 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.

      Richard Wright Wiki
    Complete Track Listing of: Pink Floyd Meddle (France)
      Side One:
    1. One of these days
    2. A Pillow of Winds
    3. Fearless
    4. San Tropez
    5. Seamus
      Side Two:
    1. Echoes