A third single from the album, "Time of the Season", became a surprise hit in the United States in early 1969 after CBS staff producer Al Kooper recommended it be released on Date Records.

[12] In late July, when EMI was unavailable, the Zombies temporarily shifted base to Olympic Studios where they recorded "Beechwood Park", "Maybe After He's Gone" and "I Want Her, She Wants Me".

Colin Blunstone and Paul Atkinson felt disillusioned and tempers flared during the recording of "Time of the Season".

[17] The misspelling of "odyssey" in the title was the result of a mistake by the designer of the LP cover, Terry Quirk (a friend of White's).

At the urging of Kooper the US division of CBS was eventually persuaded to release the album on the little known Date Records subsidiary label in June.

Date released "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" as a single in the US, feeling that the song's anti-war theme would resonate with record-buyers due to the Vietnam War.

[15] The next single, "Time of the Season," slowly gained popularity before finally hitting big on the US charts in March 1969.

Alternate mixes of "A Rose for Emily", featuring discarded overdubs of cello and Mellotron, appear on Zombie Heaven and the 30th anniversary release of the album.

However, due to the surprise success of "Time of the Season", several "fake" versions of the Zombies were created by unscrupulous promoters in 1969 to cash in on public demand to see and hear the band.

In March 2008, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album's release, the four surviving members performed Odessey and Oracle in its entirety for three shows at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.

[citation needed] One of the shows was recorded, filmed, and released on CD and DVD as Odessey and Oracle (Revisited).

The reunion was so successful that they decided to reprise the show on a short four-date British tour in April 2009, playing in Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester, and ending on 25 April at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, which Argent stated would be the very last time the album would be performed on stage, at least until the songs are reverted to public domain.

But by those who know it's held in such regard that the remaining living members of the band are to perform it in its entirety this year, on the fortieth anniversary of its release.

"[29] The first song on the album, "Care of Cell 44", has been covered by a number of artists including Elliott Smith and Of Montreal.

"This Will Be Our Year" has also been covered by multiple artists including OK Go, the Mynabirds, Dear Nora, Foo Fighters, and the Avett Brothers.