Pigs Did Fly

Anyone who saw a pink pig flying over the London skyline while on their way to work Sept. 26 needn’t have worried that it was the after-effect of a hectic weekend.

It was a giant inflatable pink pig from Pink Floyd’s famous Animals album sleeve, which EMI put up above Battersea Power Station to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the original cover image being taken.

The 1976 cover shoot was re-staged for the launch of “Why Pink Floyd?” a multi-platform collection of the band’s back catalogue, including remastered versions of classic hits.

The 30-foot-long inflatable is a replica of the original pig, which was nicknamed Algie. It was commissioned after the original Algie was found to be leaky.

“Sadly, two weeks prior to the event, the original neoprene glued pig was officially declared not airworthy and a brand new high-frequency welded PVC replica Pink Floyd pig has been made for the occasion,” explained a band representative.

The original pig also caused problems during the second day of the shoot. It broke free from its moorings and took flight before falling in a field in Kent, southeast of London.