The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Columbia Records SCXO 6157
Released 30 October 1969

Why EMI Australia chose to release this album some two years after the UK release is anyone's guess, although there are some plausible explanations.

EMI Australia was obligated to release UK titles that reached a certain chart position, and given that Piper reportedly spent 14 weeks in the UK charts, reaching number 6, its release could be as simple as that, with the timing coinciding with the release of the contempory More being a belief by EMI Australia that having two relatively unknown Pink Floyd albums on the market would increase sales of each.

It's also quite possible that the catalyst for a formal local issue was consistent import sales—the album was certainly known locally and copies circulated well before its 1969 release. Indeed, when Ed Nimmervoll reviewed the album for Go-Set in November 1969 he stated that he had "been living with it for two years".

But that is all summation. In any event, its pending release first appeared in EMI Australia's Oct-Dec 1969 "New Records" pamphlet. Trade ads announcing its release followed at the end of October (click images on right).

For the Australian release, EMI Australia followed its usual practice at the time of importing UK metal mothers. EMI UK provided un-numbered stereo mothers with matrices YAX 3419-1 1/ YAX 3420-1. Stampers were created locally. There was no local release in mono.

Sleeve art followed that of the UK release, albeit with the customary STEREO logo applied to the front top right. As usual, due to local union requirements, the rear art, being predominantly text, was retypeset using one of the standard unimaginative layouts in use at the time.

Despite non-flipback sleeves making their first en-masse appearance on EMI releases some 18 months earlier in May 1968, initial copies of Piper, along with many of EMI's other late 1969 releases, were issued in flipback sleeves. EMI Australia relied on numerous third-party manufacturers and each manufacturer had their own methods and processes. However, it would only be a matter of months before flipback sleeves became a thing of the past in Australia; copies of Piper manufactured from around March/April 1970 did not have flipback sleeves.

Piper certainly did not spark much attention upon release, essentially being a dated album. However, like More, interest grew over the next few years as the band's popularity grew. It remained on catalogue until June 1974 when it, and A Saucerful Of Secrets, were replaced by A Nice Pair, which brought both titles together in one more contemporary looking package.

Piper was never released locally on cassette or 8 track.

Following are details and images of the known releases and variations, in order of appearance.

Essex Music of Australia gained the individual track publishing rights as the Australian agent for Magdalene Music. Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk did not have a UK publisher; royalties were collected through Mecolico/MCPS. Locally, royalties were collected by EMI Australia and paid to MCPS UK for distribution.