In July 1968, eight months after Love's third album Forever Changes, frontman Arthur Lee disbanded the original line-up, before regrouping with a completely new troupe of musicians.

[6] Intended to be released on Buffalo Records, a small indie label founded by Hair producer Michael Butler, the company went bankrupt before Black Beauty could be distributed.

[8] In 2009, Sundazed Music released Love Lost, an album with two songs that later were featured on Black Beauty, including "Midnight Sun" and "Can't Find It".

[13] In a review for Record Collector, Jason Draper felt that Black Beauty "picked up on Hendrix's late-period R&B" and praised the 1974 interview for being "perhaps the fullest picture we'll ever have of this once-lost chapter in Lee's red book".

[8] Michael Fiander of PopMatters felt that, while the album "may have a totally different sonic palate than Forever Changes or Da Capo", it still highlighted "Lee's emotionally revealing lyrics and careful pop sensibilities".

[15] Writing for Uncut, Luke Thorn recounted the album's troubled beginning before stating, "Black Beauty was intended to be a culmination, the crowning achievement of Lee's new direction".