Have you heard the urban legend that claims that Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" is perfectly synced to the movie "The Wizard of Oz"? Looks like subscribers of the Turner Classics Movie channel will be able to witness the legend first hand. Below is the official press release from Capital Records. 

On July 3 at 11 p.m. (ET), TCM and Capitol Records will give viewers the chance to investigate an urban legend when it simulcasts THE WIZARD OF OZ with Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.”  The legend holds that there are so many uncanny coincidences between the film and the music that it must have been done intentionally, a notion that Pink Floyd has repeatedly denied. 

The alternate soundtrack will be accessible on the SAP (Second Audio Program) channel, available to DIRECTV customers and viewers in markets with participating cable operators.  TCM’s SAP service is traditionally used for its ongoing descriptive video programming (DVS) for the visually impaired and has also been used for audio commentary tracks, but TCM will put it to a creative new use with this unique on-air event. Viewers without SAP can experience the fun by watching the film while listening to their own copy of “Dark Side of the Moon” at home. In his introduction to the movie, TCM host Robert Osborne will give viewers instructions on how to synchronize their music with the movie, while also pointing out some of the more interesting connections. 

The exact origins of this urban legend are a mystery, but for years fans have commented on the incredible number of coincidences (more than 80) between “Dark Side of the Moon” and THE WIZARD OF OZ when they are played in synchronization. TCM’s web site, turnerclassicmovies.com, will feature
a wide range of information on THE WIZARD OF OZ and “Dark Side of the Moon,” including notes on both, a link to Capitol Records’ hollywoodandvine.com and instructions on how to synchronize the CD  with the broadcast.  Examples range from the lyrics, “Smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry,” heard as the Cowardly Lion and Tin Woodman smile and the Scarecrow cries early in the film; to the words, “Home, home again,” heard after Dorothy has awakened in Kansas at the film’s end.

Viewers who prefer watching the film in its classic form without reference to “Dark Side of the Moon,” take heart - the film can be viewed as originally intended by not activating the SAP channel.  Realizing that “there’s no place like home,” TCM will also premiere THE WIZARD OF OZ at 8 p.m. (ET) the same evening with DVS for the visually impaired rather than the Pink Floyd soundtrack.  TCM’s exclusive commercial-free airing of THE WIZARD OF OZ will mark the beginning of an annual tradition on the network. 

When it originally opened in 1939, THE WIZARD OF OZ was one of the most expensive films ever produced, costing an estimated $2.6 million.  Although the film did not initially recover its production cost,
through several re-releases the movie not only recovered but exceeded the original cost, and it went on to become one of the most popular films of all time.  It has become a virtual American institution and it is estimated that, since its first television broadcast, THE WIZARD OF OZ has been seen by more than half a billion people. 

For viewers who enjoyed “Dark Side of the Moon”  and wish to explore additional Pink Floyd titles, Capitol Records has recently released “The Wall,” “Wish You Were Here,” “A Collection of Great Dance Songs” and “Animals” in the U.S.  All four albums are digitally remastered versions done with the band’s approval in 1998 and were released in a limited edition, embossed slip case.  This brings all of the top-selling titles in the Pink Floyd catalog into Capitol Records. 

The releases coincide with the 25th anniversary of “Wish You Were Here” and with the latest surge of interest in Pink Floyd, which includes a live album, syndicated radio concert specials and an extensive nationwide tour this summer by founding member Roger Waters. 

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