Syd Barrett - Vinyl Session EP

In recent years, two items have appeared on the illicit market which confirm the existence of worthy material languishing in the vaults. The "Vinyl Sessions" EP boasted an alternate version of "Dark Globe", which is much slower (and, therefore, longer!) than the issued take, plus "Birdy Hop", "Milky Way" and "The Word Song". The latter trio are probably outtakes from the "Barrett" album, or possibly even later; and all three have more recently appeared on another unofficial release, "El Syd", a boxed set of two 7" singles issued in a plain white sleeve in a numbered edition of 200. "Birdy Hop" appears here in its entirety, while a fourth cut replaces "Dark Globe". This is the haunting "Opel", recorded on Syd's second day's work with Malcolm Jones in April 1969, and it remains one of Barrett's unissued masterpieces