Exclusive Clips from Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd

There may not be a greater example of an iconoclast musician whose genius embodied—and was destroyed by—the dreamlike haze of ‘60s psychedelia than Syd Barrett. The erratic English singer-songwriter co-founded the preeminent psych-rock band Pink Floyd in 1965—with bandmates Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright—where he served as frontman and creative masthead, present for the recording of their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and various fragments of their sophomore LP A Saucerful of Secrets before going solo. By 1968, Barrett was kicked out of the band.

The new documentary Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd charts the tumultuous time Barrett spent with the band, as the group’s rapid success was offset by the mental deterioration of their lead vocalist and songwriter. It wasn’t long after the release of their debut album that Barrett’s bandmates began to not recognize their friend, as he slipped into a perpetually depressive state, punctuated by fits of hallucinations, mood swings and catatonia, which are often attributed to his heavy use of LSD and other related drugs. Paste has an exclusive look at two clips from the film, which focus on Barrett’s idiosyncratic songwriting style and eccentric behavior in the recording studio.

The first clip, “Bike,” features talking head interviews from the likes of Pink Floyd alumnus Roger Waters, as well as from Graham Coxon, member of Britpop staple Blur. They reflect on Barrett’s lyricism for the Pink Floyd song “Bike,” a track with unusual subject matter for bands like Floyd at the time as it is quite literally about a bicycle.

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Take a look:

Waters explains that “He makes connections that are so unexpected and strange that no one else in the world could have made those connections.”

The second clip hones in on Barrett’s peculiar working methods and conduct in the studio, as his creative brilliance is revealed to be difficult to work with:

Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd is directed by Roddy Bogawa (Taken By Storm: The Art of Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis), as well as the late Thorgerson himself, the iconic album art designer responsible for a plethora of classic releases, including Floyd’s own Dark Side of the Moon, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Fans of that record will surely want to seek out this documentary chronicling the turbulence of where it all started for the band.

Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd releases theatrically in New York on July 14th and in Los Angeles on July 21st, with additional cities to be announced.

Watch Two Exclusive Clips from Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd