Why Pink Floyd split recording of 'A Saucerful of Secrets' between De Lane Lea and Abbey Road — and how 'Let There Be More Light' gave Rick Wright a rare lead vocal

After Syd Barrett’s departure in early 1968, Pink Floyd needed to quickly finish their second album while adjusting to life without their main songwriter. Money was tight and studio time was scarce, so they booked sessions at both De Lane Lea Studios in Wembley (cheaper, more available) and Abbey Road (prestigious but expensive). The band would bounce between the two – recording basic tracks and experimenting at De Lane Lea, then moving to Abbey Road for final overdubs and mixing. It gave them a kind of split sonic geography: the raw, spacey jams happened in one room, the polish in another.

One of the album’s standout tracks, “Let There Be More Light,” was built from those sessions and features an unusual moment: Rick Wright singing the lead vocal on the verses. Wright rarely took the frontman role – he preferred harmonies and background parts – but here his soft, slightly detached delivery perfectly matched the song