"Rev. Bleech_", "Jethro Q. Walrustitty", <knerr19> and some others wrote:

A nice story but in fact PF were not the first in Space.

I did some first in space - research some years ago and found this thingie.
Hereafter some copies of mails that already have appeared on the Echoes
NG...

Don't bother to read if you're not interested... 8-)))

31/5/2003 - mail to Echoes

By doing some research for a site of my own I stumbled on the website of the
(self-proclaimed) electronical music pioneer Didier Marouani who had a huge
hit Magic Fly with his band spAce around 1977. He is one of the composers of
the French electronic 'scene' of the Seventies together with Jean Michel
Jarre and Francis Lai (remember Bilitis?,  the soundtrack I mean, not the
movie).

Anyway, and I quote from the spAce website, "June 1987: Didier worked on a
new album "SPACE-OPERA", the first Opera composed for synthesizers and
choirs. He was able to obtain the participation of both the Red Army and the
Harvard University Choirs (USA) for his album "SPACE-OPERA". The album was
relayed to the Soviet space station "MIR", thus making the album the first
to be heard in space. "SPACE-OPERA" went on to achieve great success in
Europe.". Quotes taken from: http://www.space.tm.fr/.

The French (original) version of the website gives a slightly different
view, translated into English: "After 6 months of negotiations with the
Soviet Ministries of Culture and Defense, he obtains the participation of
the Choir of the Red Army, the Choir of the University of Harvard (USA) for
the album "Space-opera". This album is conveyed ('acheminer' in French) at
the Soviet space station "MIR", and it is the first time that a disc is sent
and diffused in space; this disc will be put into orbit in space
('satelliser' in French) by the Soviet cosmonauts as a sign of communication
and hope."

This means Didier Marouani beat Pink Floyd as their album only reached the
space station in 1988. Could someone lighten this up, please?

Felix

Because nobody could answer me I mailed Didier Marouani himself:

01/06/2003

According to most rock encyclopedias Pink Floyd were the first band to have
their music released in space (also on the MIR station), but apparently the
band spAce beat them by several months. Can someone shed a light on the
exact date and what exactly happened with the release of Space-Opera at Mir?
Was a cassette send to Mir, just as with Pink Floyd, or was the music
transferred by radio waves? What exactly is meant with the 'sattelitisation
in space as a sign of hope and communication' by the crew of Mir (cfr.
French biography).

Hereafter a text about Pink Floyd and, what is to believed, the first music
in space premiere: "On the 26th of November 1987 David Gilmour and Nick
Mason accompanied the president of France, Francois Mitterand to wittness
the launch of a Soyuz-7 missile from Bajkonur. The rocket was piloted by a
French-Russian crew who asked for a copy of  Floyd's Delicate Sound Of
Thunder to be taken to the space station MIR, which was granted. David
Gilmour commented: "To say that we are thrilled at the thought of being the
first rock band to be played in space is something of an understatement."

Best regards
Felix Atagong

And guess what, Didier Marouani answered (I only quote here the mail I send
to Echoes including Didier's reply to me):

02/06/2003

Hi All,

I've got this answer from Didier Marouani who apparently beat Pink Floyd in
outer space...
Regards
Felix

Start quote:

Dear Felix,

Thank you for your mail.

I will try to answer your question very precisely; I was composing my album
SPACE OPERA, the first space Opera, and I thought that the 2 countries who
develop the research in space was the USA and the USSR so I try to find an
idea to bring American and Russian together on my album which at that time
was very difficult (specially from the USSR).
After talking during 6 months with Soviet the ministry of Culture I got the
authorization to get the participation of the Red Army Choir together with
the Harvard University Glee Club choir. I recorded separately the 2 Choir
and following my concept I thought that it will be very nice to have this
fist Space Opera sent to the MIR Station and sent it outside into space; so
I asked for a meeting with the Russian Space Ministry (Glavkosmos) and I
told them that I would like to have my new album Space Opera sent into the
Mir Station and launched from MIR station into space. They asked me to wait
during that time they will study my request; in the mean time I wrote a
letter to Mr. Gorbatchev and Mr. Gorbatchev answer my letter very
positively.

2 months after the Ministry of Space gave me an appointment in Moscow to
give to the Russian cosmonauts the CD SPACE OPERA. July 2nd 1987 I've been
received by Russian cosmonauts to give them this CD together with a CD
Player and 2 small speakers.
I have a lot of articles in Moscow with the Russian cosmonauts giving the
the SPACE OPERA CD.

The Russian cosmonauts left Baîkonour in July 1987 and they sent the CD with
the CD Player and the 2 speakers outside into space in October 1987. So my
music has been really sattelite into space which is for me a very big
happiness.
So for sure PINK FLOYD is not the first music in space and specially this is
concerning the sattelisation of SPACE OPERA but during my first concerts
tour in USSR, I met a Russian cosmonaut in one of my concerts in Moscow
Boris Alessandrov (2 times space hero) and he told me at that time that he
worked in space with my music during 7 months and the Russian scientists was
studying the work of the Russian Cosmonauts in Space with my music; so in
1982 the Russian Scientist sent my music into space.

I am happy to get this honor before Pink Floyd, a band that I like very much
and specially when Roger Waters was in the Band, but on this special event I
was the first and a lot ahead.

I hope you will be happy with my answer;

Musically yours.

Didier MAROUANI
did...@marouani.com
www.spacetm.fr

End quote

-----------------

Happy landing!

Felix