Catapilla were a London-based band formed in late 1969 by guitarist Graham Wilson and saxophonist Robert Calvert (no Hawkwind!). The other band members were Thierry Reinhardt (fl, cl), Hugh Eaglestone (sax), Dave Taylor (b) and Malcolm Frith (dr). After a series of regular gigs in London clubs and colleges, they auditioned for Black Sabbath manager Patrick Meehan of Worldwide Artist Management, who secured them a contract with the legendary Vertigo label. Singer Jo Meek left the group and was replaced by her sister Anna Meek. After two weeks of rehearsing the tracks for the album, they headed to London’s De Lane Lea Studios to record, with Patrick Meehan as producer.

They played a wind-instrument-dominated style of progressive jazz-rock featuring long, largely improvised pieces, which came across as ambitious and innovative. Unfortunately, Anna Meek’s wild, idiosyncratic vocals undermined the band’s self-titled debut album, released in June 1971. The beautiful cover of this first and extremely rare British Vertigo release was designed by Rick Breach, who created numerous rock album covers in the 1970s. Disputes with Meehan Management over allegations of fraud soon led to the band’s first break-up. However, as they had to fulfil the terms of their record contract, which was for two albums, they recorded a second album the following year with a new line-up.