Society. Rogan hypothesises that the album was supposed to be titled The Village Green Preservation Society but suspects it was changed during the production process. He contends that the simpler title would align with the title track and adds that Ray has typically used the shorter name in his interviews and writings. Release and commercial performance United Kingdom and Europe In the United Kingdom, Pye planned to release Village Green on . Ray began press interviews in mid-August to promote its release, the band performed some of its songs for BBC Radio in July and Pye placed advertisements in several British pop magazines. Following Ray's last-minute request that its release be postponed, only test-pressings of the twelve-track edition were made in the UK. Because Pye had already made and sent production masters to several other countries, release of the twelve-track LP went ahead in Sweden and Norway on 9 October, with subsequent releases of that edition following in France, Italy and New Zealand. Ray's last-minute delay of the LP resulted in confusion for both the music press and recording-buying public. Pye instead issued the rearranged and expanded edition of the album in the UK on 22 November 1968. The album had no associated lead single in the UK, but "Starstruck" was released in parts of continental Europe, backed with "Picture Book". To promote the European single, the Kinks filmed a black-and-white promotional film in . It depicts the band walking around Waterlow Park in Highgate on a cold day and is similar in style to the photographs taken for Village Green album cover. To promote the UK album release, Pye again placed advertisements in several British music magazines, the band performed songs for BBC Radio in November and lip synced for television performances on ITV and BBC Television in December1968 and January1969. Timed to correspond with the Christmas rush, the album was coincidentally released the same day as the Beatles' eponymous album (commonly known as the "White Album"), and the Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet followed a week-and-a-half later. Though the album was moderately advertised and reviewed, its sales were quickly eclipsed by the other albums – the "White Album" sold two million copies worldwide in its first week, while Village Green failed to chart in the UK or anywhere in Europe. Exact figures for LP sales in the UK in the late 1960s are generally unavailable; in 1995, Ray suggested