SYD BARRETT'S BROTHER IN LAW INTERVIEW 27/10/1988

Interview by Nicky Campbell with Paul Breen, Syd's brother in law on BBC Radio One on the 27th of October 1988 shortly after the 'Opel' LP of studio out-takes was released.
Syd's current whereabouts and activities during that time are discussed, finishing off with Paul assuring us that Syd was happy, and that he would pass on our very best regards to him.

[@dr.buzzvonjellar8862]

I believe every word Paul said. Syd knew what he was doing and he knew how to take care of his mental health to the extent it was possible. Thank you for posting

[@VanishedPNW]

God bless the radio interviewer, "is Syd happy?" That actually kind of choked me up. What a thing to ask, and its a thing you ask when you truly love someone/want to know how theyre doing.

[@keriford54]

I find this reassuring, seems like he was relatively happy most of his life and his eyes were not "like black holes in the sky". His sister said similar things. But how dare he give up the glory of rock music! 😉 I wish there was a documentary on his rather ordinary later life with just interviews with family and people he knew in later life and no interviews with famous people who had no contact with him at the time.

[@MrNEILSUPERNAUT]

Make sure you watch the new 'Have you got it yet?' brilliant documentary that covers his whole life.

[@fak2397]

There is a reason why he doesn’t want to remember his glory days 😢

[@talrasha1985]

You may read 'a very irregular head' by Rob Chapman (and read some interviews of Nick Mason, he Is more honest than his bandmates).

[@keriford54]

@@talrasha1985 Does that deal well with his later life?

[@talrasha1985]

@@keriford54 yes, but there may not be as much thinds as you might want, but it's still very informative and valuable. This is the only objective book about Syd. Rob breaks down all the myths about him, does not make diagnoses based on photographs, but honestly describes his life, based on the PF tapes, the words of his family, childhood friends, bandmates from Stars and others.

[@mikewatts867]

Hearing this makes me happy. He had an amazingly positive spirit, and is so often portrayed as a shell of himself. Is Syd Happy? Best question ever asked of him. And the answer was yes.

[@Valientlink]

Yeah, it's not like he was ever suicidal despite all that happened.

[@michaelholtermann9129]

The healthy Syd Barett was very creative. Unfortunately, he had the wrong friends. His sister Rosemary once said: His bad times started with Pink Floyd!!! I think his bad times started in the shared flat where Syd lived!!! He hung out too much with junkies... A real tragedy for Syd and his family. Syd and Pink Floyd were a good match... The first record, The Piper...... is a good record... In 1968, Syd was kicked out... Unfortunately, he didn't learn anything from it!!! He continued to take drugs... Syd was on the verge of schizophrenia on his 2 solo records in 1970. His 2 solo records should have been recorded with Pink Floyd, they would have been better musically. That was it... Syd failed as a painter and musician. I'm interested in how Syd lived with his illness... The Barrett family doesn't say anything about it...

[@mikewatts867]

@@michaelholtermann9129 well this interview is with a family member and he speaks of exactly what you are suggesting they never said anything about. He didn't accomplish the things he should have had, musically or with his painting. I mean it didn't continue. But he ended up settling in to a contented life, it just wasn't the life we envisioned for him. Even before the drugs and mental illness took control of his life, from everything I've seen and read, he didn't want to be in the spotlight. I think we can appreciate that in his final years, he enjoyed his day to day routines. If it hadn't been the drugs and bad influences in the late 60s, superstardom in the 70s would have done him in and maybe he would have lost his life to worse drugs than the mind altering ones that contributed to his mental illness. He tended to his garden, enjoyed his neighborhood and whatever else he did. He basically become an old man at a young age but he stuck around for many years in his comfortable bubble.

[@arthurlockwood8735]

See Emily play remember it well lovely times in the 60s. Going to work in 1967 of to the. Cotten mill in Lancashire Nelson. Tony's hicks home town. Singin. See Emily play to make us happy loog day to work. Love that song thanks 😊🙏💯🇬🇧👌👍

[@roberthodibella2607]

THANKS DEAR NEIL!!!

[@kissed61]

I would have asked how communicative and lucid he is

[@jeremylatta9038]

After listening to Rosemary Breen talk about how they all interacted with Roger in the later years I'm going to hazard a guess that Paul Breen didn't pass on Nicky's well wishes

[@vernonsmith6965]

Great interview

[@silverdragon710]

I doubt he was truly happy. Content yes, he had peace, he didn't have to work, he was free with leisure time and he had his sister to help him. But it's probably a far cry from what he would have wanted. ❤

[@benhouse9358]

Happiness isn't something we achieve and then inhabit indefinitely. It comes and goes. I think Syd went a long time without feeling any sense of happiness, but eventually rediscovered it and was able to then pursue it in a way that worked for him. People seem to think that he was bitter about not being able to fulfill his musical ambitions. I think he regretted pursuing music over painting in the first place. In the end, he didn't have to work or worry about money, and he didn't want or need the company of others. All he wanted to do was paint, and that's what he did.

[@silverdragon710]

@@benhouse9358 I don't think you know what he wanted. As if painting and making art is some kind of nice relaxing pass time. It's hard being an artist especially when you have much to express but lack direction. And he also had a lot to express musically and by the reports of how it ended I don't think it must have been very satisfactory to just quit, not just music business but life in general. But you could be right. Maybe he was happier than most. I know I'd love to live his life. Money coming in while I do whatever I want without any responsibility meanwhile the whole world revers me.

[@baron0877]

@@silverdragon710 No one is qualified to speak on what Syd probably did or did not want unless they knew him personally. Anything else is speculation.

[@silverdragon710]

@@baron0877 It's not so much speculation when you hear what others who knew him say. So yeah based on that and general ideas of well being, I don't know, but I don't think it's a far fetching idea that he wasn't that happy.

[@rarerockphotography]

Nice undramatic interview

[@keyboardwarrior9406]

I love the internet. Thank you

[@michaelholtermann9129]

The healthy Syd Barrett was very creative. He was a talented, gifted young man. Unfortunately, he had the wrong friends. He started taking drugs very early on. The first record with Pink Floyd The Piper...... is a good record. Syd wrote 52 songs. Unfortunately, he took LSD several times a week... That's too much. No brain can handle that!!! He failed as a painter and musician!!! At 22, Syd was a sick person. ... He became lethargic... He was mentally absent... He didn't live in the here and now..... He could no longer play the right scale.... He was no longer productive... He had thinking and speaking disorders..... He wanted to climb walls.... He wanted to become a doctor and get married.... He wanted to start a cult.... He wanted to hit his sister Rosemary on the head with his guitar 🎸... Psychiatry wasn't ready at that time... Syd had dropped out!!!! 🎞️🎥 His whole life should be made into a movie.... I don't know if he ever found redemption or peace for his soul ??? He lived in an inner and outer prison....

[@xmunki1389]

I seriously doubt he was happy, considering his well documented violent outbursts in the eighties. Content and relatively stress-free, sure. But actually happy and satisfied with life? I'm not too sure about that one.

[@jmdavison62]

I agree. I got the impression that Rosemary Breen tried a bit too hard to de-glamourize her brother by putting forth the idea that Roger Barrett was "ordinary" and happy. He may have resigned himself to his condition by 1998, and he was lucky to have family who helped to support him and tolerate the occasional violent outburst, but that's a far cry from living a normal life.

[@p47-frdmfgter04]

what "well documented" outbursts?

[@janpierzchala2004]

I just read his neighbors testimony. Lots of broken windows - but only Syd's own. @@p47-frdmfgter04

[@MrNEILSUPERNAUT]

@@p47-frdmfgter04 ttexshexes.blogspot.com/2011/01/david-sore-syd-barrett-article-genius.html

[@CoreyW6292]

​@@MrNEILSUPERNAUTWow. Thank you!

[@pawnotdaw4559]

Is anyone really happy?