On Friday (October 19th), Pink Floyd: Storie e segreti was published in Italy. Five Italian fans, known as The Lunatics, together owners of one of the largest collections worldwide of Pink Floyd's rare records and memorabilia, have told – like nobody else before – a story about nearly 50 years of Pink Floyd life, going through the oddest stories and the strangest pictures, often never before heard or seen.

The book runs from the adventurous beginnings in London's underground scene to the Italian tours in front of few spectators, from the accidents that happened during their concerts to the lost Zabriskie Point songs, up to the esoteric aspects of the sleeves and even a gallery of the most unusual and rare covers in the world, including the fabulous red vinyls published in Japan that now get impressive prices at auctions worldwide.

The book, two years in the making, tells the story of some of the more thought-provoking covers (A Saucerful Of Secrets, Ummagumma, A Nice Pair, Wish You Were Here, The Division Bell), the oddities and the rarities (the psychedelic posters, impossible-to-find vinyls, censorship and differences between editions of different countries, some basic tour programs), crucial points in Pink Floyd's concert history (the UFO Club debut, The Man & The Journey suites, Eclipse and the Italian gigs in 1968 and 1971), to the implications behind the material recorded for the soundtracks of Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point and Pink Floyd The Wall by Alan Parker.

With exclusive interviews, rare pictures, and insights that haven't been given before, this book promises plenty to the Floyd fan. You can buy the book in Italian bookstores, or for fans either in Italy, or indeed worldwide, you can order it direct from Amazon Italy through this direct link. They'll ship the book wherever you live.

Madison Square Garden in New York have just launched two unique exhibits — "Garden 366" and "Defining Moments" — celebrating the legendary venue's greatest moments in their more than 130 year history. This is part of the three-year restoration of the venue.

"Over the last 133 years, The Garden has played host to some of the most memorable moments in sports, entertainment and politics, and it was important to us that we celebrate and honor this unparalleled history by capturing these incredible moments as part of the transformed Garden," said Hank Ratner, president and CEO, The Madison Square Garden Company. "Whether a fan wants to discover what happened on their birthday, recall events they attended over the years or learn about all of the magical Garden moments, we believe — with the 'Garden 366' and 'Defining Moments' exhibits — that we have successfully created what will become a special destination for all fans who visit The Garden. Over time, as more memorable moments continue to occur, these exhibits will be updated to include the next great moment that happens at The World's Most Famous Arena."

When fans return to The Garden in November, the Madison Concourse (6th Floor) will be completed with Garden 366, a visual retrospective that brings to life one moment in Garden history for every day of the year. The retrospective will wrap the entire circumference of the Arena, creating a visual calendar of The Garden's history spanning sports, music, entertainment and politics. In addition, this fall, the first 10 of 20 of The Garden's Defining Moments will be commemorated on the Madison Concourse through special exhibits that feature photos, memorabilia and additional artifacts, representing each of these moments in Garden history. The remaining 10 Defining Moments will be integrated into the Garden Concourse (8th Floor) for debut in fall 2013.

Amongst the entries in Garden 366 is one from Brain Damage's very own Elliot Tayman. His shot of Pink Floyd from their 1977 concerts at the MSG is included, as their July 3rd entry (despite the picture actually having been taken on July 1st). You can see a thumbnail of the shot here - but will have to visit the venue itself to see it in all its glory!

Our hearty congratulations to Jon Carin, who today celebrates his birthday (Sunday, October 21st).

The talented multi-instrumentalist has been a key part of the Pink Floyd operation since 1985, and more recently toured with David Gilmour (on his On An Island tour), and Roger Waters (on his Dark Side Of The Moon tour). He was recently a key member of Roger's band for the mammoth Wall tour, which saw the show thrill audiences in North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, with Jon playing keyboards and more during the show. Rumour has it that the tour will resume next year in Europe, so Jon might well be busy again playing this material.

For those who might have missed it, or want another chance to read it, check out our extensive and exclusive interview with Jon from August 2007. It's full of fascinating insights into his life and work with various top musicians, including (of course) David, Roger, and Pink Floyd!

Have a great day, Jon - and many happy returns!

Next Saturday (October 27th, 2012), BBC Radio 6 Music in the UK will be airing their regular "6 Music Classic Concert". Despite the terrible scheduling which means it broadcasts between 2-3am, the show features Pink Floyd performing Dark Side Of The Moon, recorded in concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, in November 1974.

The hour long BBC recording is different to that released last year as part of the Why Pink Floyd Experience and Immersion edition programme.

BBC Radio 6 can be heard within the UK, and in many parts of Europe, via DAB digital radio, digital cable/satellite TV, and online. You should also be able to listen to the show once aired via this link to the BBC's iPlayer service. Our thanks to David Haddock for the info on this broadcast.