VIA PRESS RELEASE | Mercury Studios, Universal Music Group’s innovative and multi-faceted content studio, today announced the theatrical release of Have You Got It Yet?, a compelling story of one of the UK music’s most influential figures, Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd fame.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Roddy Bogawa and the late, acclaimed album cover designer Storm Thorgerson (Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, and Black Sabbath), the feature length documentary lifts the lid on the relationship between Pink Floyd—the visionaries behind prog rock and British psychedelic music—and founding member Syd Barrett, who left the group before they met stardom.
It was Syd who gave the group their moniker by combining the names of two obscure blues players—Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Intimate interviews with band members David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Roger Waters uncover Barrett’s ongoing impact on the group. Narrated by actor Jason Isaacs, the film also features original band managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King, as well as The Who’s Pete Townshend and Blur’s Graham Coxon.
Director Roddy Bogawa, the filmmaker behind Taken by Storm: The Art of Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis, said, “Would anyone care about the story of Syd Barrett if Pink Floyd hadn’t become one of the biggest bands of all time? Would Pink Floyd have existed without Syd? I miss Storm probably in the same way as many of those in our film miss Syd, a friend who they dearly loved and shared fond memories and adventures—Syd just happened to become one of the most famous cult icons in music.”
Syd and Pink Floyd crystallized a cultural moment where anything seemed possible but where that freedom could come with a cost. Was Syd just another drug casualty? Did he suffer from an undiagnosed mental condition? Or did he dislike the attention and fame as the fun turned to work? While there are no clear answers which might be the case, there is the feeling by all those around Syd that something went terribly wrong. Have You Got it Yet? is a chronicle and a mosaic of Barrett’s creative and destructive impulses, his captivating presence and absence—a portrait of the complex puzzle that was his life”.
Photographer and A Cat Called Rover founding partner, Rupert Truman, says, “During Syd’s lifetime, Storm and the Floyd were fiercely protective of him. Storm would refuse all interviews about him and tell me nothing of Syd’s life. After Syd’s death, Storm in discussion with Roddy Bogawa and Dan Abbott felt that he should make the film, having known Syd since school days, with Roddy directing. Storm knew everyone in Syd’s personal and professional life well and the film would be a kaleidoscope of impressions, a more accurate picture of Syd made from the sum of its varied parts.”
Mercury Studios CEO and Have You Got It Yet? Executive Producer, Alice Webb, added, “Working on this project with Roddy has been a real honour. At Mercury we’re driven by our passion for, and purpose of, storytelling. And, when we get to share the moments, emotions and characters behind music that has soundtracked memories and milestones of fans all around the world, we know we have something special. That’s what this whole project has been to us, special.”
Producer Orian Williams (CONTROL, England is Mine) commented, “The music of Pink Floyd bears witness to Syd Barrett’s exceptional talent and inner turmoil. Their unconventional approach and ground-breaking sound expanded the horizons of music. Friends, family, bandmates and admirers shed light on all aspects of Syd’s enigmatic life in our film.”
Produced by Mercury Studios, Believe Media, and A Cat Called Rover, Have You Got It Yet? will premiere at Everyman King’s Cross in London on 27 April 2023.
