Pink Floyd have announced a special 50th anniversary reissue box set of their iconic album ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ alongside a book, new music videos and more.
READ MORE: Why new Ukraine benefit song ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’ could be Pink Floyd’s perfect final act
Over the last five decades the record has become one of the best-selling albums of all time and is widely regarded as one of the most influential albums in history.
The new box set will arrive days after the 50th anniversary of its UK release (which was on March 16, 1973) on March 24 and will celebrate the seminal record through a newly remastered version of the original release. The reissue will feature a CD and gatefold vinyl of the album, plus Blu-Ray and DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions.
In addition, it will also include another Blu-Ray disc of Atmos mix plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’. The live recording will also be released independently on CD and vinyl on the same day as the box set, marking the first time it will be available as a standalone album.
‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ box set cover CREDIT: Press
A book titled Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary will also arrive on March 24. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky and created in collaboration with the band, it will feature rare and previously unseen photos taken during the Dark Side Of The Moon tours between 1972 and 1975.
Elsewhere, Pink Floyd will celebrate the milestone anniversary by inviting a new generation of animators to create music videos for any of the songs on the album as part of a new competition.
Animators can enter up to 10 videos – one per song on the tracklist – and a winner will be selected from a panel of experts, including the band’s drummer Nick Mason, their creative director Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, and the British Film Institute (BFI). Submissions can be entered until November 30, 2023 – for more information, visit the band’s official website.
Fans will also be able to experience ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ at planetariums around the world as the band recall their successful stargazing events at the London Planetarium in 1973. Back then, only images of stars and constellations could be shown while soundtracked by the music but thanks to advancements in technology the 2023 events will feature visuals of the solar system and beyond.
The new show will split between the album’s 10 tracks, in chronological order, with each having a different theme – some of which will look to the future, while others will offer a retro acknowledgement of Pink Floyd’s visual history. Fans are advised to contact their local planetarium for screening details.
Last year Pink Floyd released a special benefit single called ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’ to raise money for humanitarian charities aiding those affected by the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war. In December the band revealed they had raised £500,000 for the cause through the song.
Of that figure, £450,000 reportedly came from single sales and streaming revenue, while the remaining £50,000 was contributed by frontman David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason.
The money will be distributed between five humanitarian charities: Hospitallers, The Kharkiv And Przemyśl Project, Vostok SOS, Kyiv Volunteer and Livyj Bereh.
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