The original UK LP was released on 5 August 1967 in both monaural and stereophonic mixes. It reached number six on the UK charts.[21][74][75] The original US album appeared on the Tower division of Capitol on 21 October 1967. This version was officially titled simply Pink Floyd,[76] though the original album title did appear on the back cover as on the UK issue, and Dick Clark referred to the record by its original title when the group appeared on his American Bandstand television program on 18 November.[77][78] The US album featured an abbreviated track listing,[79] and reached number 131 on the Billboard charts. The UK single, "See Emily Play", was substituted for "Astronomy Dominé", "Flaming" and "Bike".[79] Released in time for the band's US tour, "Flaming" was released as a single, backed with "The Gnome".[80] The Tower issue of the album also faded out "Interstellar Overdrive" and broke up the segue into "The Gnome" to fit the re-sequencing of the songs. Later US issues on compact disc had the same title and track list as the UK version. The album was certified Gold in the US as a part of A Nice Pair with A Saucerful of Secrets on 11 March 1994.[74]
The album's title, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, refers to the god Pan, as depicted in the 1908 book The Wind in the Willows.
About being handled on Tower Records, Jenner commented that: "In terms of the U.K. and Europe it was always fine. America was always difficult. Capitol couldn't see it. You know, 'What is this latest bit of rubbish from England? Oh Christ, it'll give us more grief, so we'll put it out on Tower Records', which was a subsidiary of Capitol Records [...] It was a very cheapskate operation and it was the beginning of endless problems The Floyd had with Capitol. It started off bad and went on being bad."[81]