Following the demise of the Forensics, vocalist and guitarist
Roddy Frame formed
Aztec Camera in 1980 with bassist Alan Welsh and drummer Dave Mulholland. By the end of the year, Welsh was replaced by Campbell Owens. The band supported
the Rezillos at the Bungalow Bar in
Paisley, Renfrewshire, in December 1980; they were witnessed by Alan Horne of
Postcard Records, who signed them days afterwards. Preceded by press attention in
Sounds, "Just Like Gold" was released as a single, reaching number 10 in the
UK Independent Singles Chart. "Mattress of Wine" followed as the next single, reaching number eight on the same chart. A planned album for Postcard, titled
Green Jacket Grey, was scrapped, and around this time, Mulholland left the band. The band relocated to London and temporarily drafted in Blair Cunningham of
Haircut One Hundred, before the role was permanently taken by Dave Ruffy of
the Ruts. Keyboardist Bernie Clarke joined soon afterwards. Aztec Camera recorded their debut studio album at the International Christian Communication studio in
Eastbourne in three weeks. Frame said they were "rush[ed], but that was good because sometimes you can hear a bit of pressure in the album." He mentioned that they
doubled-tracked his Masano-branded acoustic guitar, which he acquired two months before the recording sessions. He used the "slightly percussive thing where you can hear the plectrum scraping each string", which became more percussive when they doubled-tracked it, "because the two guitars end up slightly out of time." ==Composition==