Following the chart success of Atom Heart Mother, EMI's budget subsidiary Starline released a compilation of early singles, album tracks and otherwise unreleased music called Relics, A Bizarre Collection of Antiques and Curios.

The original U.K. cover design was a pen and ink sketch by Nick Mason. The U.S. album cover, an antique looking 4-eyed bottle opener, was designed by David Coleman. The remastered LP was delicately shaded in pink. The Australian cover consisted of rare coins. And the CD version has a model ship made by Model Solutions, of Nick Mason's original design.

EMI Australia briefly released Relics on CD. This occurred without the bands consent and was rapidly withdrawn.

The Japanese version of Relics contained a gatefold sleeve of Nick Mason's drawing.

A unique collectors item of the 4 eyed bottle openers found on the US version of the Relics album cover is highly prized by Floydians around the world.

Not counting A Nice Pair (which still does not exist as such), Relics was the last of the official Pink Floyd albums to make it to Compact Disc format.

The songs on Relics, spanned over Pink Floyd's first 3 albums and their earlier singles. Depending upon where in the world you had purchased your LP of Piper At The Gates Of Dawn you would get either See Emily Play or Bike on the album. With the release of Relics both of these songs would now be available, for the first time to fans, on one LP.

Arnold Layne

Arnold Layne was originally recorded at the Whitehead demo sessions in January 1967. A month later it was re-recorded at Sound Techniques with producer Joe Boyd. Arnold Layne (along with Candy and a Currant Bun) was broadcast from a live session at BBC Playhouse, London, April 1967. As the bands first single, Arnold Layne reached #28 on the UK charts.

Interstellar Overdrive

Interstellar Overdrive was recorded at Marida Vale Studios, and broadcast in December 1968. The early riff of Interstellar Overdrive eventually turned into a lengthy improvisational passage and this version turned up later on the soundtrack for Tonight Let's All Make Love in London. 9 minutes of the track was used throughout the movie. The Labyrinth Of Auximenes from The Man and a Journey was formed of the mid-section from Interstellar Overdrive .

See Emily Play

See Emily Play was recorded at the same time as the Piper At The Gates Of Dawn album. An early version of the song was called Games For May. See Emily Play was promoted with three appearances on Top Of The Pops. Later all three master tapes were erased by the BBC in the 1980's when the storage space was needed for other programs. A visitor to the recording sessions was Barrett's old friend from Cambridge, David Gilmour, who would later replace Barrett in the band.

Remember A Day

Paintbox

Paintbox debuted as a single on the B-side of the Apples and Oranges Single. Paintbox was an early commentary on the music business - a theme which Pink Floyd would soon come back to in Cymbaline and years later on the Wish You Were Here Album album.

Julia Dream

Julia Dream, Pink Floyd's fourth single, had a working title of Doreen's Dream. This song was the first Pink Floyd arrangement to be recorded with David Gilmour on guitar and the first to feature his vocals. Julia Dream was recorded at Piccadilly Studios, and first broadcast in August 1968.

Careful With That Axe, Eugene

Careful With That Axe, Eugene was first recorded for the June 1968 BBC Sessions. An early name for the song was Murderistic Woman, later it was called Keep Smiling People. It also made appearances under the name Beset By Creatures of the Deep, part of The Man and The Journey. Careful With That Axe, Eugene was first broadcast live with its present title from Paris Cinema, London, December 1968. It first appeared on vinyl as a B-side to Pink Floyd's fifth single Point Me At The Sky. Then it was recorded again in May of 1969 for the Ummagumma album. Dropped from the live set in October 1973, Axe was resurrected for an unexpected, concert encore in Oakland, California in May 1977.

Cirrus Minor

The Nile Song

The Nile Song penned by Roger Waters for the More soundtrack, was Pink Floyd's debut into the realm of heavy metal which featured David Gilmour shouted vocals. Its strength impressed sufficiently to warrant a release as a single in Europe (but not the UK) Japan and New Zealand.

Biding My Time

Biding My Time was an unreleased Waters composition, only ever played live as Rest in The Man-The Journey suite. Biding My Time also featured Roger Waters on the trumpet.Biding My Time was the original working title of the Roger Waters solo album Amused to Death

Bike

We had recently met John Robertson, sculptor and model maker, who had constructed the metal heads for 'Division Bell'. We pondered the feasibility of turning Nick's drawing into a model, an object, a 3D sculpture. The drawing was after all a thing-a weird and wonderful thing-but a thing nonetheless.

Being as faithful as possible to both the original intent and the actual shape and proportions, texture and fittings, we set about building a wooden model. This was conceived in the manner of those large, incredibly detailed, models of boats, yachts and steamers, which sit in the foyer of shipping companies and yacht clubs gathering dust.