The lo-fi recording also picked up various ambient background noise such as birdsong, distant voices and car horns, and even the sound of the wind rumbling through the microphone.

The Universal's lyrics involved complex wordplay, and the vocal was delivered by Marriott in an uncharacteristically offhand but still tuneful singing style.

[2] Unusually for a Small Faces song of the period, keyboardist Ian McLagan was absent from the recording, having briefly fallen out with Marriott before the session.

[3] Following the success of the Small Faces' previous chart-topping single "Lazy Sunday", a song Marriott himself was dismissive of, he was especially disappointed that The Universal only reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart, Marriott was quoted at the time as saying that he thought "The Universal" was the best song he had ever written.

Almost a year later, their record label Immediate would release a version of "Afterglow of Your Love" as the unauthorised final single by the group.