June 28: Pink Floyd Released A Saucerful Of Secrets

On this day in 1968, Pink Floyd released their second studio album, A Saucerful Of Secrets.  

Unlike their debut album, which was written almost entirely by Syd Barrett, this album included contributions from each artist.

It was also during the recording of this album that Barrett, left the band. 

Barrett was the guitarist, singer, songwriter, frontman, and co-founder of Pink Floyd.

During the recording of the band’s second album, Barrett’s mental health started deteriorating and he became unresponsive. There were even times that he simply wouldn’t play. This led to Pink Floyd having to cancel multiple performances on their first US tour, which they began partway through recording for A Saucerful Of Secrets. 

In December 1967, the band brought on David Gilmour. The plan was to have Gilmour “cover for [Barrett’s] eccentricities. They even had him mime Barrett’s playing on a promotional film for “Apples and Oranges.” 

Eventually, Syd stopped playing and the band had him focus on writing, in an attempt to keep him involved. At concerts, he would wander around the stage, occasionally playing along with the band. 

On January 26, 1968, the band was headed to Southampton University for a show. They decided not to pick up Barrett and later that year, he was out for good. 

The only song on the album to feature all 5 members is “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.” 

The album made it to #9 in the UK but didn’t make it to the charts in the US until 2019. 

Other Notable Rock Events From June 28

Include events by year, including deaths. Births will go in the next section. If there are multiple events in the same year, list the year out before each event in bold followed by a hyphen. 

1957 – Jerry Lee Lewis made his first appearance on The Steve Allen Show. Following the show, sales for his latest record soared. 

1968 – The Beatles recorded “Good Night” for The White Album. 

1968 – Wham! played their farewell show at London’s Wembley Stadium. 

1969 – Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and others appeared at The Bath Festival of Blues. Everything was going great until the stage collapsed from all of Nice’s bagpipers. 

1969 – Tommy reached #10. 

1974 – Elton John released Caribou. 

1975 – Eagles started a 5-week run at #1. 

1975 – Roger Waters spat on the audience. He was upset that they screamed during a Pink Floyd song. 

1975 – David Bowie released “Fame.”

1977 – Elton John became Chairman of Watford Football Club. The achievement was a lifelong ambition of his. 

1978 – Kansas becomes Ambassadors of Goodwill by UNICEF. 

1980 – Paul McCartney charted at #1 with “Coming Up.”

1991 – Paul McCartney started recording Liverpool Oratoria. 

1997 – Radiohead’s OK Computer hits #1 in the UK.

1997 – George Harrison has a cancerous growth removed from his neck.  

2010 – A woman paid $190,000 for Michael Jackson’s Swarovski studded glove from his 1984 Victory Tour. 

2010 – Bill Aucoin died at 66 from prostate cancer. He was the manager for KISS and Billy Idol. 

2010 – Jake Holmes sues Led Zeppelin for stealing “Dazed and Confused.” Eventually, the writing credit on the album changed to “Jimmy Page, inspired by Jake Holmes” and a settlement was reached. 

2012 – Randy Blythe, the frontman for Lamb Of God, was arrested for manslaughter. 

2015 – Yes’s bass player, Chris Squire, died following a battle with leukemia. 

2016 – Scotty Moore died. He was a longtime guitarist for Elvis Presley, having recorded on Elvis’ first single. 

2017 – Gary DeCarlo died of cancer He was the singer of “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.”

2019 – Ozzy Osbourne orders Trump to stop using his music for his political campaign. His wife, Sharon, recommends that the president reach out to his own supporters for music. 

Rock Birthdays

1952 – Alan Pasqua of Giant (Piano)

1963 – Charlie Clouser of Nine Inch Nails (Keyboards and Drums)

1977 – Mark Stoermer of The Killers (Bassist)

On This Day In History – June 28

June 28 is not the most exciting day in rock history but it still has its significance, marking an important milestone for Pink Floyd. 

A Saucerful Of Secrets represented a major transition for the band. Despite the challenges Pink Floyd faced, they persevered by enlisting David Gilmour to cover for Syd Barrett’s absence, ultimately shaping the band’s future sound and direction.