The 12" single was issued in a limited edition (10,000) gatefold sleeve featuring a large band photo inside. The April issue of "Select" gave away a free cassette which included a piano version of "The Living Dead", recorded at Butler's flat on a 4-track. The single was released on Columbia Records ten weeks later in the US as a six-song EP 26 April 1994. The EP included the b-sides "Dolly" and "High Rising", released as part of previous UK single "So Young". The single charted at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. This was the band's highest charting single at the time, which was later matched by 1996 single "Trash". Although Anderson is very keen to downplay the success of the single, and considers the song as a rare moment in the band's career where "hype dictated its success." The single did not chart in the US, although it is considered to be the closest the band came to having a hit-single there.