Pink Floyd: Shine On

The Definitive Oral History

Mark Blake

The definitive oral history of Pink Floyd as told by friends, lovers, family members, and the band themselves through exclusive, never-before-published interviews.

In Pink Floyd: Shine On, acclaimed music writer and band confidant Mark Blake tells the definitive story of Pink Floyd for the first time in their own words.

Based on Mark’s own extensive archive—from talking to the band over a thirty-five year period and including extensive new interviews with band members and associates—the book will consist of much previously unpublished material and include contributions from all five members and their colleagues, friends, lovers, and contemporaries.

Featuring a front cover photograph licensed directly from the band’s long time designers, giving the book an official, authoritative air, this is a fresh, revealing look at this groundbreaking band that opened new directions in pop music.

Among Mark Blake's previous books are Magnifico!: The A to Z of Queen; the bestselling Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd; and Bring It On Home: Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin and Beyond, which was listed as a "Music Book of the Year" by The London Times, the Sunday Times, the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. Mark lives in England. 

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Endorsements & Reviews

“Blake has done his homework, conducting numerous new interviews and thoroughly researching his subject, bolstering these efforts with knowledge gleaned from 35 years of covering the band as a journalist. Shine On starts out at the very beginning, when times were good [and] subtly provides the reader with an understanding of how London’s underground culture came to be.” The Houston Press

"Expertly knitting together revealing quotes, Blake has produced the most comprehensive history yet of an iconic band; Floyd fans will love it, and rock aficionados will savor it." Library Journal (starred review)

“A history of the rock pioneers in the words of its members and those who knew them well. Blake incorporates interviews he has done over the past 35 years with the band’s members and associates. They provide fascinating insight into the band’s early days. Floating like an angel above the book is Barrett, whose legacy Blake honors beautifully. Pink Floyd fans will love this tribute, as should anyone with an interest in rock history.” Kirkus Reviews

“A righteous and exhaustive account of one of the biggest bands of all time. If oral histories are generally more about sculpting than writing, then Pink Floyd: Shine On is the Michelangelo's David of the genre.” Record Collector

“Mark Blake has done it again—another essential Pink Floyd book, full of new information.” Brain Damage, Pink Floyd News Resource

“Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here album has just had its 50th birthday, and if you want a candid insight into its creation—and everything else Floyd—then you can’t go wrong with Mark Blake’s new book, Pink Floyd: Shine On.” Buzz Magazine

“A brisk account of the career of the beat curious Cambridge eccentrics who added whimsy, experimentation and theatrical excess to rock 'n' roll.” Uncut

“I love this book. The narrative device that Mark Blake has employed works so well that it's like watching a great documentary in your head.” Lee Harris, guitarist, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets