Release
(Untitled) was released on September 14, 1970 in the United States (catalogue item G 30127) and November 13, 1970 in the United Kingdom (catalogue item S 64095). Despite being a double album release, (Untitled) retailed at a price similar to that of a single album, in an attempt to provide value for money and increase sales. Although the album was released exclusively in stereo commercially, there is some evidence to suggest that mono copies of the album (possibly radio station promos) were distributed in the U.S. In addition, there are advance promo copies of (Untitled) known to exist which list both "Kathleen's Song" and "Hold It" as being on the album: the former under the simplified title of "Kathleen" and the latter as "Tag". While "Hold It" does indeed appear on the official album release, at the end of the live recording of "Eight Miles High", it was not listed as a separate track on commercially released copies of the album. "Kathleen's Song", however, was not included in the album's final running order.
The album peaked at #40 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, during a chart stay of twenty-one weeks, and reached #11 in the United Kingdom, spending a total of four weeks on the UK charts. The "Chestnut Mare" single was released some weeks after the album on October 23, 1970 and bubbled under at #121 on the Billboard singles chart. The single fared better when it was released in the UK on January 1, 1971, reaching #19 on the UK Singles Chart, during a chart stay of eight weeks. (Untitled) is the only double album to be released by The Byrds (excluding later compilations) and is therefore the band's longest album by far. In fact, the studio LP alone, which has a running time of roughly 38 minutes, is longer than any other Byrds album—despite containing fewer tracks than any of the band's other albums.
The album cover artwork was designed by Eve Babitz and featured photographs taken by Nancy Chester of The Byrds upon the steps of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, with the view of L.A. that originally made up the background being replaced by a desert scene. When the double album gatefold sleeve was opened up, the front and back cover photographs were mirrored symmetrically in a style reminiscent of the work of graphic artist M. C. Escher. The inside gatefold sleeve featured four individual black & white photographic portraits of the band members, along with liner notes written by Jim Bickhart and Derek Taylor.
Read more about this topic: Untitled (The Byrds album)
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