1974

1974 was the first official year of The Residents career, being the first year to feature The Residents emergence as a whole group.

Timeline

The Residents produce a flexi disc previewing songs from their forthcoming album Meet The Residents, to be given out with copies of File magazine in Canada, which ran an advert for the album at the price of $1.99.

1st: Meet The Residents is released in an edition of 950 copies, and only 40 of these are sold in the first year.
The Residents compile a tape of assorted recordings called X is for Xtra, possibly intended for use as the Vileness Fats soundtrack.
"Bossy" and a demo of "Tourniquet of Roses" are likely recorded during the Xtra sessions
For reasons best left unspoken, The Residents begin work on their second album, based on the Xtra demos titled Not Available. It is intended to be produced in secrecy and put away until the group had forgotten about it.
"Never Known Questions" is confirmed as having been recorded during this month.
The group met Graeme Whifler, a young filmmaker, who photographed the group during this time.

8th: Richard Nixon resigns from the presidency, an event which likely inspired the recording of "Saint Nix", a song that would remain unfinished until its inclusion on the 1983 Residue album.
Bill Reinhardt returns to Sycamore Street on vacation and listens to their work.

The Residents likely complete Not Available in this month.
3rd: Harry Partch dies. It is rumored that the song "Death in Barstow", recorded this year, was written in tribute to him.

By this point The Residents owned an ARP Odyssey and were renting an ARP String Ensemble. This month they record "March de la Winni" and begin work on "Six Things to a Cycle". They also begin work on their upcoming third album The Third Reich 'n' Roll; recordings from these sessions are edited into "Swastikas on Parade", the first half of the album.

Meet The Residents (LP, Ralph Records, RR0274, 1,000-1,050 copies pressed. Initial pressings sold out by 1979, second printing dated 1977) ^{^[1]}
"Meet The Residents Sampler" (7" Flexi-disc, 33 RPM, Ralph Records, 4,000 copies copies manufactured. Out of print by 1977. Included for free in the 1974 issue of File Magazine)^[2]