The song was composed and recorded by Nyro for her album Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, released in March 1968.

[4] According to Marilyn McCoo, it was producer Bones Howe who suggested that it would be a good song for the 5th Dimension to cover.

[5] The group would go on to record several more hits with Nyro songs, including "Sweet Blindness", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Blowin' Away", and "Save the Country".

An instrumental version was recorded by jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers and became the title track to his 1968 album.

"Stoned Soul Picnic" has been covered by: It has also been sampled by: Chicano Batman has a song with the same title on their 2014 album Cycles Of Existential Rhyme.