Legendary rock pioneers Pink Floyd have announced a special 50th anniversary reissue of their iconic 1975 album Wish You Were Here. As part of the celebration, the band has also unearthed a never-before-heard demo of the hauntingly mechanical track “Welcome to the Machine,” now available for fans to stream.
The reissue, slated for release this November, promises to be a collector’s dream, featuring remastered audio, rare session outtakes, and newly unearthed material from the band’s archives. Perhaps most exciting for die-hard Floyd fans is the inclusion of early demos that provide an intimate look at the band’s creative process during one of their most emotionally charged eras.
The newly released demo of “Welcome to the Machine” is raw, stripped-down, and surprisingly intimate compared to the final version that appeared on the original album. Where the studio version is drenched in cold synthesizers and oppressive atmosphere—symbolizing the soulless machinery of the music industry—the demo is more acoustic and skeletal, allowing Roger Waters’ cynical lyrics to take center stage.
“It’s always fascinating to hear where a song begins,” said Nick Mason, Pink Floyd’s drummer and sole continuous member, in a press statement. “This version of ‘Welcome to the Machine’ is much more vulnerable, and you can hear us feeling our way through the track’s emotional terrain.”
Released on September 12, 1975, Wish You Were Here served as a deeply personal follow-up to The Dark Side of the Moon. The album was largely shaped by the band’s disillusionment with the music business and their feelings of loss surrounding founding member Syd Barrett, whose mental health struggles had led to his departure years earlier. Tracks like “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Wish You Were Here” remain poignant tributes to Barrett’s legacy, while “Welcome to the Machine” took a harsher stance on the industry that, in the band’s view, had consumed him.
The 50th anniversary box set will include:
A newly remastered edition of the original album (on vinyl, CD, and high-res digital formats)
A disc of unreleased demos, including early takes of “Have a Cigar” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”
A 36-page hardcover book with unseen studio photographs and liner notes by longtime Pink Floyd collaborator Aubrey “Po” Powell
Replica tour memorabilia from the band’s 1975 tour
A Blu-ray disc featuring a restored 5.1 surround mix and a new Dolby Atmos mix
Fans can listen to the “Welcome to the Machine” demo now on all major streaming platforms.
As one of the most influential and emotionally resonant albums in progressive rock history, Wish You Were Here still resonates half a century later. Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering it for the first time, this reissue offers a powerful reminder of why Pink Floyd continues to echo through time.