It’s unclear whether Roger Waters’ pending remake of Dark Side of the Moon will once again sync up with The Wizard of Oz. If Pink Floyd’s joking engineer Alan Parsons is to be believed, perhaps fans should try cueing up an old Disney favorite instead.
Following years of rumors and innuendo, viewers still play Pink Floyd’s classic LP alongside the muted 1939 film in a phenomenon that goes by a number of different names, including “Dark Side of Oz” and “Dark Side of the Rainbow.” They’ve found a number of canny instances in which the two appear to have been created with the other in mind.
Members of Pink Floyd have maintained for years that all of this weird synchronicity is merely a coincidence. When it was suggested that they did it on purpose, Roger Waters once memorably exclaimed: “Bullshit!” Even so, as clearly seen in the attached videos, the sound and images link perfectly.
As Dorothy sits precariously on a fence, it coincides with the line from “Breathe” where Pink Floyd talks about balancing on the biggest wave. Almira Gulch appears just as the alarm clocks sound to begin the song “Time.” The tornado sequence occurs in concert with “Great Gig in the Sky.”
There’s more: The cash-register opening of “Money” begins just as Dorothy enters into Oz. Scarecrow is introduced with the song “Brain Damage.” As Dorothy bangs on the Tin Man’s empty chest, a heartbeat echoes.
Parsons’ tenure as engineer on the multi-platinum original Dark Side of the Moon recording was a highlight in a career that’s also included studio work over the years with the Beatles and Paul McCartney, the Hollies, Al Stewart and with his own Alan Parsons projects.
He would have been in the room if Pink Floyd was trying to create a new soundtrack for Dorothy, her little dog Toto and the rest. Like the band members themselves, however, Parsons approaches all of this with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
“As for The Wizard of Oz … I have to keep correcting people. The band were actually watching Mary Poppins the whole time they were making the album,” Parsons later told Joe Bosso of Music Radar, with a laugh. “Or we can tell it differently and say they were watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!”
Waters’ remake of Dark Side of the Moon is due on Oct. 6, 2023. In the meantime, cue up Pink Floyd’s 1973 studio album and pause it at the beginning of the first track. Start The Wizard of Oz, and let it play past the lengthy intro credits until the actual film begins.
Here’s your cue: When the MGM lion roars a third and final time. Press play, and then mute the film. The opening credits should sync up with Pink Floyd’s opening crescendo for the album, and then producer Mervyn LeRoy’s name should fade just as the first note of “Speak to Me” begins. If not, start over to get it just right.
- Angell & Crane, “Himalayan Dial-Up” from ‘Angell & Crane’ (2024): Video Premiere - November 22, 2024
- Michael Attias, “Avrils” from ‘Quartet Music Vol. II- Kardamon Fall’ (2024): Streaming premiere - October 11, 2024
- Bryn Roberts, “Aloft” from ‘Aloft’ (2024): Video Premiere - September 20, 2024
Also, the Wizard of Oz isn’t as big in the UK as it was in the US. It’s not on TV nearly as often…
There is a real possibility that some of the brilliant lyrics from The Dark Side of the Moon were crafted from a single source by Roger Waters. If that is correct, the clues are there in plain sight.
I have often thought that bread crumbs have been left along the way. Perhaps in time, we will find out.