Pink Floyd’s 1975 song ‘Have a Cigar’ was intended as Roger Waters’s critique of the music industry, but neither Waters nor David Gilmour ultimately supplied the lead vocal. The article highlights the unusual decision to use singer-songwriter Roy Harper instead, illustrating both the practical difficulties of the recording session and the band’s dissatisfaction with their own attempts.

The track appeared on *Wish You Were Here* and was written by Waters, whose voice had reportedly been strained during work on ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’. Gilmour declined to sing it, and Harper, who was recording nearby at Abbey Road, took the lead; Waters later suggested he might have delivered the vocal better. Harper’s performance made ‘Have a Cigar’ one of the relatively few Pink Floyd recordings led by a guest vocalist.