Singled Out: Floyd Nation's Have A Cigar

Floyd Nation, the US-based Pink Floyd tribute band, just released their new single "Have a Cigar" as part of a collection of songs they recorded last year at Abbey Road Studios. We asked keyboardists and founding member Robert Harris to tell us about the song. Here is the story:

Entering 2025, we wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's album Wish You Were Here by recording all the songs from the album. Every one of us in the band are rabid fans of Pink Floyd and we felt the best way to show our respect and admiration was to do this recording at Abbey Road Studios... the same studio where Pink Floyd had recorded this masterpiece 50 years earlier.

The song "Have a Cigar" highlights the disconnect between a profit-focused music industry and the artists they exploit. In the song, an industry executive plays up being on great terms with the band. But, in reality, he knows nothing about them or their identity, nor does he care to as long as the money keeps pouring in. Our take on this song is a modern, but true-to-form, version that allows us to stretch out a bit while still capturing the gritty rawness of the original track. The entire experience felt bigger than just doing a cover. It felt like we were stepping into the history of it.

Recording at Abbey Road was, of course, amazing. The studio had several items of period-specific gear available including a Wurlitzer Electric Piano and an EMS VCS3 Synthesizer. This gear was of the same vintage as used on the original song and added an additional level of authenticity to its recording.

Rick Wright's approach to adding musical parts for Pink Floyd songs was always about adding just the right amount to create an emotional undercurrent that would complement and fill out the whole. His was always the sonic "glue" that knitted the band's disparate elements together. "Have a Cigar" doesn't disappoint. While the guitar drives this song forward, the multiple layers of keyboards round it out by providing a textural contrast to the straightforward, blues-rock guitar riff, acting as both harmonic glue and melodic counterpoint.

The keyboards, in fact, transform this bluesy funk tune into a rich, psychedelic experience. The Wurlitzer Electric Piano provides a rhythmic, almost funky foundation. The Minimoog synthesizer creates melodic fills that "answer" the guitar lines. The ARP Solina Strings adds a warm, slightly ethereal "padding" to deliver the classic Pink Floyd soundscape that fills the sonic space between the verses. The Hohner Clavinet adds a bassy counter-rhythm to give depth and a "gritty" texture to the verse that drives the groove forward. There's even the very subtle presence of an upright piano in certain sections ... the sound of which reminds me of a cigar-filled room full of fat-cat businessmen making backroom deals. The song ends with a sharp, distorted "filter-sweep" synthesizer sound effect using the EMS VCS3 which, along with the song's radio-like audio reduction, acts as a "bridge" into the title track, "Wish You Were Here". Putting all these elements together for this song was indeed a most satisfying endeavor.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself below or at Spotify here, learn more about the group here

Singled Out: Floyd Nation's Have A Cigar

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