The Ingredients

Audio: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd 1973, Capital Records and other Pink Floyd albums (see below)

Video:  The Wizard of Oz 1939, MGM Studios,  based on the book by Frank L. Baum

This is it, the grand-daddy of them all, the quintessential audio-visual synchronicity that's become an urban legend. For how to run this classic example of the art of synching, click read more.

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Have you ever wanted to be Roger Waters or David Gilmour?  You could make your own Dark Side of the Moon if you had your own fender guitars or wireless microphones.  If you'd like to make some music of your very own, then get your instruments today.




Is the Dark Side of the Rainbow a myth, a setup, or a cosmic joke? Think about the logistics of it.  Waters with his wireless microphones and Gilmour with his fender guitars, making the quintessential
rock music album of the century.  Did the music fit the movie on purpose?  Thats up to you.




The Setup
The Wizard of Oz has been a classic film, ever since it came out. And Dark Side of the Moon has been a must-have on any album collectors shelf since 1973. Now you can enjoy them together. This synchronicity seems to be a favorite on the Pink Floyd newsgroup; it certainly is discussed a lot there. 

There are a few different versions of the synchronicity. Following is detailed information on the different theories of how to achieve The Dark Side of the Rainbow:

STARTING POINT
There are a variety of different ways to start the synchronicity between Dark Side of the Moon and Wizard of Oz. Conventional knowledge seems to hold that the famed Third Roar Theory is the best of the bunch, but I leave it up to you to experiment and choose your own favorite.

Third Roar Theory
Perhaps the best known variation of the Dark Side of the Rainbow synchronicity is the Third Roar Theory.  It's certainly the first variation I myself discovered.  It works very well and is relatively easy to set up.  First put in cd, tape, or record of Dark Side of the Moon that you're going to use; generally this is easiest with cd, but if you're "slumming" it, it is possible to do it with other media (although considerably more difficult).

• Pause Dark Side of the Moon on track one.


• Put in The Wizard Of Oz and wait for the MGM lion logo to appear.

The MGM Lion

• When the MGM lion roars for THE THIRD TIME,
  unpause Dark Side of the Moon.

You'll know you've got it right when the credit for Mervyn LeRoy fades in along with a wonderful sudden transition in Dark Side of the Moon.  The album should end with Dorothy putting her ear to the Tin Man's chest, to the tune of the ending heartbeat on the album.  Since Dark Side of the Moon is not as long as The Wizard of Oz, there are a number of variations for what to do next; see below for more information on those.

Alternate Theories
The next starting point that was called to my attention for this synchronicity is the First Roar Theory, which holds that it is better to start the cd when the MGM lion roars for THE FIRST TIME. This supposedly corrects for some of the "off time" in the Third Roar Theory.  A not quite so extreme approach to the same problem is the Second Roar Theory.  As I'm sure you've guessed from the name, this theory holds that the best place to start Dark Side of the Moon is after the MGM lion roars for THE SECOND TIME.

Another theory, the Fade to Black Theory, holds that the Third Roar Theory is interpretted too literally, and that the cd should be started after the MGM lion logo fades to black, the true start of the film.  The advantage this one has is that the beginning of the cd and the film itself is really at the same point.  This theory tends to build on the Third Roar Theory, while the other roars theories tend to discount the Third Roar Theory.  Since the Third Roar Theory is the one that I heard first, and that has the world buzzing nowadays, I'd say that's probably the best bet, with the Fade to Black Theory a close second.


In addition to the album, in 1995 Pink Floyd released a live performance of Dark Side of the Moon, in its entirety, on Pulse. And of course some newer Floyd fans have used the Pulse version as the soundtrack of the synch, in place of the original recording. The general consensus has been that the Pulse version is not as good, although, as always, there are people who disagree. But, no matter your opinion, it remains another way of seeing the dark side of the rainbow...


The most out there theory that I have heard yet to date would have to be The Cowardly Lion Roar Theory, which holds that the best place to start Dark Side of the Moon is not at the beginning of the movie, but when the Cowardly Lion roars for the third time (when he first appears).  Again, it uses the third roar (three, it's the magic number!!), but with a decidedly different take on the whole synch.

WHAT COMES NEXT??
As you may have noticed, Dark Side of the Moon is not as long as The Wizard Of Oz.  This has given rise to a number of theories to what should be played after the album is finished. 

This is where the fun and experimentation is really just wide open; feel free to experiment with this part.  If you come up with anything good, share it with us here at the Arkive, either in the mailing list or on the forums.

The Repeat Theory One of the big favorites of the Dark Side of the Rainbow fans seems to be The Repeat Theory, which holds that the best thing to do when Dark Side of the Moon ends is simply to REPEAT THE ALBUM.  The advantage to this is, if you own a cd player with repeat, you don't have to get up during the film ( a hefty advantage for the chemically impaired).  The album will repeat approximately one and a half times after the first run.

Animals/Meddle Theory When I first heard about Dark Side of the Rainbow, the recommended instructions for viewing it were to put in Pink Floyd's Animals (1977) album when Dark Side of the Moon ends and let the album play all the way through.  When Animals ends, put in Meddle (1971) programmed for tracks two through five. The movie ends with the track "Seamus" which has a very "down home country" sound to it (which fits very well with Dorothy waking up back in Kansas).

Wish You Were Here Theory Another variation is to simply put in Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here (1975), which ironically was Floyd's follow-up to Dark Side of the Moon, as the next album in the synchronicity, and let the album run all the way through.  So far no one has come up with anything to follow Wish You Were Here.

Animals/The Wall (Disc One) Theory Yet another way to enjoy Dark Side of the Rainbow is to play Animals (same as the above theory) and when that album ends play the first disc of Floyd's classic rock opera, The Wall (1979).

Source
This synchronicity has been a favorite of the Pink Floyd newsgroup, alt.music.pink-floyd, at least for as long as I've been reading it. The name, Dark Side of the Rainbow, is even something I first saw on the newsgroup. As far as I've ever been able to trace back, it's been mentioned on the newsgroup since at least 1994. I heard about it in 1995, which is about the time I first put up my site. At the time there were two other sites already in existence.

Think you know how the buzz got started? Got a theory on how it all "originated?"  Share it with us here at the Arkive, either in the the comments for this synch or in the forums.


Evidence
For as long as I've known about this synch, there have been different opinions on how it arose. There are some who hold that Pink Floyd created the synch intentionally. Others think Roger Waters was responsible, keeping the rest of the band "out of the loop." There are even some people out there who don't think it matches at all.

So what are people really saying about the synch?? Let's find out...

The Intent Theory
Intent can be a very tricky thing to prove. But there are plenty of devote believers out there, you can bet. New theories and evidence are constantly appearing in the message board, right alongside new ideas and new variations of the synch. The most basic version of the intent theory holds that Pink Floyd meant for Dark Side of the Moon to synchronize with The Wizard of Oz. The theory asserts that the story was leaked by the band starting in the late 1980s and gradually made its way to the Internet. Evidence routinely cited includes the rainbow motif on the cover of Dark Side, images that can be made out in the cover of 1995's Pulse (including a girl with red shoes, an ax, and a bike, symbolizing in turn Dorothy, the Tin Man's Ax, and the bike that Mrs. Gulch rode in Kansas).

Part of the problem with this theory is that a lot of the evidence has much easier explanations in Floyd's own history. The images in the cover of Pulse in particular (the girl in red shoes symbolizes the title character in "See Emily Play", the ax symbolizes "Careful with that Axe, Eugene", and the bike symbolizes "Bike"). These songs are all material from early in Floyd's history, and so they are less well-known amongst newer fans.

Another version of the Intent theory holds that Roger Waters, who wrote most of the lyrics, was responsible for the synch, leaving the rest of the band in the dark. Unfortunately, this theory loses the Pulse connection, since Waters has not been part of Pink Floyd since the early 1980s. Another problem with this theory is that, at the time Dark Side was recorded, the album writing process was a collaborative effort by all the band's members. While Waters was certainly the driving force behind the band at that point, he was not solely responsible for creating the finished product.


Synchronicity??
So how did this stunning coincidence come about, if the Intent theory remains unproven?? Well, enter another theory. Perhaps the connection between Dark Side of the Moon and the Wizard of Oz simply evolved out of the creative aether. This theory tends to rely on non-local, non-linear connections between all things and places and times. This is the idea of synchronicity, from whence this site picked up its name.

Much has been written on how such unbelievable events can coincide, especially when greatly removed in time and space.  Carl Jung was one of the first to write about the collective unconscious, a major contributor to the idea of synchronicity.  Robert Anton Wilson, author of The Illuminatus! trilogy as well as a number of non-fiction books on ideas of this nature, would say that synchronicity transports us into the sublime.

"Jung, of course, prefers to regard it as synchronicity -- his own label for an alleged resonance in nature, or between nature and its various parts, including us -- a resonance which creates seeming 'coincidences' so startling that most of us, fundamentalists excluded, sense deeply that they require an explanation."

-- (The New Inquisition, by Robert Anton Wilson, pg. 96)

"Jung described synchronicity as an acausal connecting principle that manifests itself through meaningful coincidences. There are no rational explanations for these situations..."

-- (The Tao of Psychology, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, pg. 6)

This idea of synchronicity holds that connection, the resonance, between the two is beyond the linear concept of intent, and lies within the basic intelligent potential of the universe.

Unfortunately for the synchronicity theorists, this theory is pretty much impossible to prove. Therefore, it tends to be a bit more laidback, more fun (at least to my mind). It's an interesting way of thinking about the connection between the two. As Jean Shinoda Bolen says, it gives us a hint that universe is more magical and wonderful than it appears.


The "You Must Be Kidding" Theory
The biggest piece of evidence for this synch lies in the strength (or lack thereof, if you are unconvinced) of the matches between the music and the visuals. However, not everyone sees the same thing. And nowhere is this more evident than with synchronicities. Quite a few people have complained to me that they just don't get it, that they saw a few lyrical matches, but nothing to get excited over. And so we come to the "You Must Be Kidding" theory, which holds that this all a joke, that anyone who does see the match must be stoned or stupid or whatever.

Well, odds are, since you're here, you're at least willing to consider the possibility. And it is certainly true that some people do not see Dark Side of the Rainbow as a strong match. This may partly be because they expect the music to fit as well as the original soundtrack, which it doesn't. Or may be they've convinced themselves in advance that it's all a joke. Who knows.

But it is a very good lesson on the relativity of human perception. We all see the world differently, we all create our reality within our minds. And our individual reality does not always match the people around us.

So what do YOU say?
One thing that has been very educational for me, in running this site, is in seeing how many different interpretations, how many different theories, there are out there. It's convinced me, more than ever, that we do indeed all see the world differently. If there's anything that synchronicities have taught me, it is definitely that. While my own take is that this one doesn't have the same strength of intent that Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite has, it remains the strongest example of synchronicity, in the strictly Jungian sense (that of a resonance that occurs between two events vastly separate in time and space); in that sense alone, it's a fascinating experience.

With all of the attention it's been getting lately, Dark Side of the Rainbow is sure to be around for a good long time.  I hope you enjoy it. What do you think? Want to argue or discuss the Intent theory, or reinterpret the Synchronicity theory?? have something to say to all of the naysayers out there??