The Northern Irish hard psychedelic rock band was formed in Belfast in 1968 by guitarist, keyboardist and singer David Lewis – originally under the name The Method. Initially active mainly as a cover band, the group later moved to London, where they signed a record deal with the major label CBS. They subsequently renamed themselves Andwellas Dream and recorded their debut album, Love and Poetry, in three London studios (including Recorded Sound Studios) under the guidance of three producers. All the tracks on the album had been written by Dave Lewis before 18th birthday. At the time of recording, the band consisted of Lewis, Nigel Smith on bass and vocals, and drummer Gordon Barton, with support from Bob Downes (fl, perc).

Released a few months later in 1969, the album combines psychedelic hard rock, characterised by brilliant guitar work, with contemporary pop motifs, with all tracks generously enriched with exotic percussion effects, flute sounds and acoustic guitars. However, the album sold poorly. Today, nevertheless, Andwellas’ first and only LP is regarded as a masterpiece of British psychedelic rock and is widely recognized as a cult classic and one of the best albums (also in terms of the cover design, which was spectacular for its time) of this genre from that era.