The legendary progressive rock group Message, which was active for over twelve years, came from Düsseldorf and was founded by bassist Horst Stachelhaus in 1968. In the early 1970s, British guitarist Allan Murdoch and Scottish singer and saxophonist Tommy McGuigan joined the band. Together with Gerhard Schaber (percussion, vocals) and Billy Tabbert (guitar, spinet, vocals), the quintet recorded their first LP The Dawn Anew Is Comin’ in 1972 after signing a contract with Bellaphon. The recordings took place at Dierks Studios in Stommeln with Dieter Dierks as sound engineer.

The result, produced by Peter Hauke, head of the Bacillus label, was progressive hard rock, often driven by two heavy, driving lead guitars, sometimes supplemented by psychedelic elements from saxophone and organ. Guest musician James Allan Freeman from the band Nektar also contributed occasional Mellotron interludes. The debut album was released in the summer of 1972 on the Bellaphon sub-label Bacillus Records, featuring an imaginative cover by the artist Klaus Holitzka. Although this release enjoyed only modest success, they recorded their follow-up album From Books And Dreams just a few months later. Both albums are now highly coveted collector’s items as German first pressings.