"Atom Heart Mother" Album Description:
In the realm of classic rock and iconic album releases, Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" stands as a testament to the band's experimental prowess and artistic evolution during the early 1970s. Within the context of its contribution to the music scene of that era, this special edition 12" Vinyl LP, made in Great Britain and exclusively exported for distribution in Switzerland, offers a unique glimpse into the band's innovative approach to both music and album artwork.
Released in 1970, "Atom Heart Mother" marked a pivotal moment in Pink Floyd's discography. The album showcased the band's departure from its earlier psychedelic sound, embracing a more symphonic and experimental approach. The title track, spanning over 23 minutes, featured a collaboration with the EMI Pops Orchestra, breaking away from conventional rock structures and laying the groundwork for the progressive rock genre.
This particular edition of the album holds significance not only for its musical content but also for its distinctive packaging. The standard, non-gatefold album cover, with "Atom Heart Mother" and "Pink Floyd" prominently displayed, captures the essence of the era's graphic design. However, the true uniqueness lies in the album's back cover, setting it apart from other releases.
In contrast to the three cows adorning the back covers of other editions, this Swiss special edition boasts a singular bovine image. The deviation in artwork provides collectors and enthusiasts with a visual distinction, making the Swiss release a sought-after gem among Pink Floyd aficionados.
The "Special Edition" imprint on both the album back cover and record label further emphasizes the exclusivity of this release. It suggests a deliberate effort by the band or the label to create a distinctive version for the Swiss market, adding an extra layer of rarity and allure to this particular vinyl LP.
In the broader context of the time period, the 1970s witnessed a wave of musical experimentation and boundary-pushing within the rock genre. Pink Floyd, at the forefront of this movement, contributed significantly to the evolution of progressive and conceptual rock. The "Atom Heart Mother" album, with its unconventional structure and genre-defying sound, encapsulates this era's spirit of artistic exploration.
Pink Floyd's Collector Notes
This Pink Floyd Atom Heart Mother Album is a special edition Made in Gt Britain and exported for distribution in Switzerland *ONLY*
This album has a non-gatefold cover
Note that the album title "Atom Heart Mother" and the band's name "Pink Floyd" are printed on the front cover
The artwork on the back of the album cover is different then the other releases of this album. This Swiss edition has a single cow while the other issues of this album have three cows on the photo on the back cover
Album back cover and record label have "Special Edition" printed on it.
EMI-Harvest 777 001 (777001 / SHVL 781A), Special Edition
Stamper/Matrix codes: SHVL 781 A-3 / SHVL 781 B-3
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Music Genre: Acid, Psychedelic, Prog Rock |
Album Production Information:
Producer – Pink Floyd
Executive-Producer – Norman Smith
Norman Smith – Producer, Sound EngineerThe Beatles called him "Normal". Pink Floyd collectors call him the guy who made the chaos sound expensive. Read more... Norman Smith - the calm EMI wizard I still hear in the grooves whenever early Floyd turns the lights weird. He cut his teeth at Abbey Road, engineering The Beatles' EMI sessions from 1962 through autumn 1965 (yes, up to "Rubber Soul"), then stepped out from behind the glass as a producer. In 1967-1969 he steered Pink Floyd through "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", "A Saucerful of Secrets" and "Ummagumma", keeping Syd's sparkle and the chaos on tape. In 1968 he produced The Pretty Things' "S. F. Sorrow", and in the early 1970s he shaped Barclay James Harvest (including "Once Again"). Later he even popped up as Hurricane Smith, because rock history loves a plot twist.
Sound Engineer: Alan Parsons
Alan Parsons – Sound engineer, producer, musicianAlan Parsons is my go-to “how does this record sound THAT good?” answer: the studio brain behind classic-era clarity, from Pink Floyd sessions to The Alan Parsons Project’s glossy sci-fi pop-rock. Read more... Alan Parsons is the guy I picture behind the glass when a record sounds ridiculously clean, wide, and expensive (in the best way). His first big “period” is the Abbey Road years, working as a tape operator and engineer across the late 1960s into the mid-1970s, right in the era when studios were basically science labs with guitars. In 1973 he engineered Pink Floyd’s "The Dark Side of the Moon", and that alone would’ve earned him a lifetime pass to the control room. Then he moved from “genius in the booth” to “name on the cover” as co-founder of The Alan Parsons Project, active from 1975 to 1990, where he blended pristine production with big melodies and concept-album vibes. From the 1990s onward he’s kept the music alive on stage with touring lineups commonly billed as The Alan Parsons Live Project, proving he’s not just a behind-the-scenes wizard but a musician who can carry the material in the real world too.
Sound Engineer: Peter Bown
Recorded at EMI Studios - Abbey Road
Album Cover Design and Photography: Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis – British album cover art design groupHipgnosis is my favorite proof that a record sleeve can be a full-on mind game, not just a band photo with better lighting. Read more... 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.
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Record Label & Catalognr: EMI-Harvest 777 001 (777001 / SHVL 781A), Special Edition
Stamper/Matrix codes: SHVL 781 A-3 / SHVL 781 B-3 |
Media Format: 12" Vinyl LP Gramophone Record
Album weight: 220 gram |
Year & Country: 1970 Made in Gt Britain for export to Switzerland only |
