The album was released on March 5, 1969 to generally positive reviews, but in America became the lowest-charting album of the Byrds' career, peaking at number 153 on the Billboard album charts. However the album fared much better in the UK, where it attracted glowing reviews and reached number 15. A number of tracks on Dr Byrds & Mr. Hyde, including the instrumental "Nashville West" and the traditional song "Old Blue", featured the sound of the Parsons and White designed StringBender (also known as the B-Bender), an invention that allowed White to duplicate the sound of a pedal steel guitar on his Fender Telecaster. The distinctive sound of the StringBender became characteristic of the Byrds' music during White's tenure.
Following the release of Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde the band issued a version of Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" as a single in May 1969, which failed to reverse the group's commercial fortunes in the U.S., reaching number 132. The Byrds' producer Bob Johnston took it upon himself to overdub a female choir onto the record and the group became aware of this only after the single was issued leaving them incensed by what they saw as an embarrassing and incongruous addition. As a result, the band dispensed with Johnston and re-enlisted Terry Melcher, who had produced the band's first two albums, to produce their next LP. Although he was happy to accept the band's invitation, Melcher insisted that he also manage the group to avoid a repeat of the conflict he had experienced in 1965 with Jim Dickson.
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