12 January 1968
Pink Floyd made their debut as a five-piece with Syd Barrett and David Gilmour
at the University of Aston in Birmingham. This line-up performed together on at least
three more occasions throughout the month.
26 January 1968
Pink Floyd played their first gig without Syd Barrett at Southampton University.
They were supported by Tyrannosaurus Rex, featuring Marc Bolan.
1 February 1968
The band spent the day at Abbey Road studios working on what would become their
second album, A Saucerful Of Secrets. Sessions had previously taken place
with Syd Barrett and continued with David Gilmour throughout the rest of the month.
17 February 1968
Pink Floyd began a five-date tour of the Netherlands and Belgium. The trip also
included a TV appearance for RTB in Brussels (performing new songs, Set The
Controls For The Heart Of The Sun and Corporal Clegg, among others)
and two performances for ORTV in Paris, including a mimed performance of the
single B-side Paintbox.
1 March 1968
Pink Floyd's partnership with management company Blackhill Enterprises was formally
dissolved. The band acquired a new manager, Steve O'Rourke, who was initially
employed by their booking agents, the Bryan Morrison Agency.
16 March 1968
Pink Floyd played London's hippest nightspot, Middle Earth in Covent Garden. Syd
Barrett was among the audience.
28 March 1968
Pink Floyd were filmed playing Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
for the BBC TV arts programme 'Omnibus'. The documentary, about pop music and
politics, was later released as a video/DVD entitled All My Loving.
4 April 1968
Pink Floyd began recording background music for the film noir The Committee,
featuring former Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones.
19 April 1968
Pink Floyd's debut single with David Gilmour, It Would Be So Nice (B-side:
Julia Dream) was released in the UK but failed to chart.
6 May 1968
Pink Floyd were among the attractions at the 'First European International Pop
Festival' in Rome, alongside Donovan, The Nice, and Captain Beefheart & His
Magic Band.
13 May 1968
Syd Barrett began work on his debut solo album, The Madcap Laughs, at
Abbey Road studios.
23 May 1968
Pink Floyd returned to the Netherlands for a further 12-date tour, including two
nights at Amsterdam's fabled hippie club The Paradiso. Their set list included
new songs such as Let There Be More Light and A Saucerful Of Secrets.
27 May 1968
Recording sessions at Abbey Road continued for A Saucerful Of Secrets album.
12 June 1968
Pink Floyd played the May Ball at King's College, Cambridge.
28 June 1968
Pink Floyd's second album, A Saucerful Of Secrets was released in the UK and
reaches No. 9 in the charts. The album sleeve was designed by Hipgnosis, a new
company formed by the band's friends Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey 'Po' Powell,
who were paid £110 for their efforts.
29 June 1968
Pink Floyd headlined over Tyrannosaurus Rex, Jethro Tull, and Roy Harper at
the 'Midsummer High Weekend' in London's Hyde Park.
8 July 1968
Pink Floyd began a 22-date US tour, starting at Chicago's Kinetic Playground and
ending on 24 August at The Bank in Los Angeles.
19 July 1968
The soundtrack to Peter Whitehead's film Tonite Let's All Make Love In London,
featuring Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett playing Interstellar Overdrive,
was released in the UK.
26 September 1968
The Committee, featuring Pink Floyd's music, premiered in London.
4 October 1968
Pink Floyd performed 10 dates in the UK and France, commencing at Mothers in
Birmingham and ending at London's Middle Earth on 26 October.
16 November 1968
Pink Floyd played their debut gig in Switzerland at Restaurant Olten-Hammer in Olten.
The band played a further two shows in the country.
23 November 1968
Pink Floyd played London's Regent Street Polytechnic, the alma mata of Roger
Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason.
6 December 1968
Pink Floyd released a new single, Point Me At The Sky (B-side: Careful
With That Axe, Eugene), in the UK. It failed to chart. The single was accompanied
by a promo film of the band flying in a Tiger Moth aeroplane at Biggin Hill
Aerodrome.
28 December 1968
Pink Floyd replaced advertised headliners The Jimi Hendrix Experience at the
'Flight To Lowlands Paradise II' festival in Utrecht, Netherlands.
