[1][2] The band was formed (originally as Fagin's Epitaph) in the late 1969 in Dortmund, by Yorkshire singer and guitarist Cliff Jackson, Scottish drummer James McGillivray, and German bassist Bernd Kolbe.
After numerous gigs throughout Germany including a 1972 live appearance in the TV show Beat Club, the band recorded (in Audio Tonstudio, Berlin)[3] the sophomore, Stop, Look and Listen, again for Polydor.
"[1][4] In 1972, McGillivray left and was replaced by Achim Wielert whose style of playing accounted for the band taking a stronger rock direction,[4] showcased by the two 1973 singles, "Autumn '71" and "We Love You Alice".
[1] Almost instantly Epitaph travelled to the USA and signed there to the newly formed independent Billingsgate record label whose boss Gary Pollack went on to produce the third (and their strongest, according to Allmusic)[5] album, Outside the Law.
[2][3] In 1976 they re-surfaced in Germany (with the line-up of Cliff Jackson, Bernd Kolbe, Klaus Walz and Jim McGillivray) and recorded a gig in Cologne for the musical TV show Rockpalast.
[3] In 1982 Epitaph appeared at the Pfingst Festival in Würzburg and Munich, on the bill that featured ZZ Top, Saxon, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Extrabreit, Saga and Spliff.
Featuring Cliff Jackson, Heinz Glass, Bernd Kolbe and Achim Wielert in the line-up, it was documented on DVD as Live at the Brewery and later released on CD as Resurrection, by Hurricane Records.