Wish You Were Here is the ninth
studio album by the English
progressive rock group
Pink Floyd, released in September 1975. Inspired by material the group composed while performing across Europe,
Wish You Were Here was recorded in numerous sessions at London's
Abbey Road Studios. Some of the songs critique the
music business, others express alienation, and "
Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a tribute to
Syd Barrett, whose mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier. It was lead writer
Roger Waters' idea to split "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" into two parts and use it to bookend the album around three new compositions, introducing a new concept as the group had done with their previous album,
The Dark Side of the Moon.