Pink Floyd’s second album and the last record to feature their original frontman Syd Barrett, the only album on which all five members of Pink Floyd were involved. Due to his deteriorating mental health, he left the group while the album was still in production. Consequently, this follow-up to The Piper at the Gates of Dawn still contains three tracks featuring Barrett. David Gilmour now took his place on guitar.

The LP was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London between August and October 1967 and January to April 1968, under the direction of producer Norman Smith. Musically, it is regarded as a transitional album, as the quartet were searching for a new sound and, moving away from their late-60s psychedelic rock with its expansive and experimental tracks, began to show the first signs of what would later be termed progressive rock. A Saucerful of Secrets was released in England by Columbia at the end of June 1968 in both mono and stereo versions in a flip-back sleeve designed by Hipgnosis, labelled „File Under Popular“ in the top right of the back cover.

The stereo version on which the track titles and credits for tracks A4 and B3 are printed on two lines, is far rarer than the version with a single-line print for these tracks. Due to the huge demand exorbitant sums are now being paid for this rare English first pressing by one of the most famous rock bands in music history. The same applies to Pink Floyd’s second album Dark Side Of The Moon.