Pink Floyd has announced “Animals 50”, a 50th anniversary edition of the 1977 album “Animals”. The release is set for January 22, 2027 through Sony Music.
The new edition will be available in multiple formats, including a deluxe box, 1LP, 2LP, 2CD, Blu-Ray Audio, and digital. The deluxe box brings together the original 1977 album, the 2018 remix, and a collection of rarities that includes previously unreleased material.
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Among the oddities are early versions of “Dogs” and “Sheep”, a previously unheard Roger Waters track titled “Young Nicholas Jon”, and the recently released “Sheep (Original Radio Edit)” – a four-and-a-half-minute promotion made for radio in 1977 that has never before been commercially available.
The deluxe edition also includes a two-disc recording of Pink Floyd’s May 9, 1977 concert at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, captured by then-19-year-old bootlegger Reinhard Hohlwein.
A Blu-Ray contains the original stereo mix, the 2018 stereo remix, 5.1 and Dolby Atmos, the oddities and the Oakland concert.
The box is completed by a 64-page hardcover book with new cover texts by author Jonathan Lethem, an interview with Hohlwein, and an excerpt from Aubrey “Po” Powell’s memoir about the genesis of the album’s artwork. The book also includes previously unseen photographs documenting the recording sessions, the cover recording at Battersea Power Station, and the subsequent In The Flesh tour.
The story behind the “Animals” cover
“Animals” remains one of Pink Floyd’s most visually recognizable albums, thanks to the image of the inflatable pig hovering over Battersea Power Station. Roger Waters conceived the idea, which was developed with Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis.
“I drove past Battersea Power Station every day to and from my house in Clapham. I think I just loved the building. I liked its symbolism – that it’s a power station spewing smoke, so there’s something menacing about it.”
The original cover recording famously went wrong when the 40-foot inflatable pig Algie escaped from its moorings and drifted towards Heathrow. It caused flights to be disrupted before eventually landing in a field in Kent.
Looking back on the album, David Gilmour said that its stripped-down and more aggressive nature partly reflected the changing musical climate of 1977.
“The punk music hit everything, and I suspect that had some influence on the way we worked on the ‘Animals’ album. I mean, it’s a pretty aggressive, stripped-down album.”
Nick Mason also recalled that tensions began to emerge in the band during this period, although he described “Animals” as “a remarkably cohesive enterprise.”
“Animals 50” – oddities
- Dogs – early version, raw mix*
- Sheep – original radio edit*
- Sheep – early version, raw mix*
- Studiojam*
- Young Nicholas Jon*
*Previously unreleased.
“Animals 50” – live from Oakland Coliseum Arena, 1977
- Sheep
- Pigs On The Wing 1
- Dogs
- Pigs On The Wing 2
- Pigs (Three Different Ones)
- Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts. 1–5)
- Welcome To The Machine
- Have A Cigar
- Wish You Were Here
- Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts. 6–9)
- Money
- Us And Them
- Careful With That Axe, Eugene
“Animals 50” will be released on January 22, 2027 through Sony Music.
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