The Dark Side of the Moon is Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album, released in 1973. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and engineered by Alan Parsons, it moves between continuous musical passages, studio sound effects, synthesisers and songs concerned with time, pressure, money and mortality.
The recording
Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason built the album from material developed through live performance and studio sessions. Tape loops, clocks, spoken voices and synthesised sounds are integral parts of the arrangements. The record was produced by Pink Floyd, with engineering by Alan Parsons.
Vinyl editions
Original UK Harvest issues carry the catalogue number SHVL 804, with distinctions between matrix variants, label designs and packaging. US Capitol/Harvest issues use different catalogue numbers, including SMAS-11163. The individual editions have their own distinctive features, including label variations, matrix numbers, sleeve details and original inserts.
Related reading
Wax Vinyl Records’ feature Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon: How the Studio Became Part of the Music explores recording techniques and musical construction. Related articles are linked through WordPress metadata.