Fat Mattress was formed in late 1968 by Noel Redding with vocalist Neil Landon, bass guitarist Jim Leverton and drummer Eric Dillon.

Redding (from Folkestone) and Leverton (from Dover) had been involved in the flourishing early 1960s group scene in South East Kent which also included Landon (who hailed originally from Kirdford, Sussex).

[2] Martin Barre was briefly a member of the band, but soon left to replace Mick Abrahams in Jethro Tull.

[3] In August 1969, the band made an appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival in front of a crowd of an estimated 120,000 people.

On 22 February 1970, Fat Mattress headlined over David Bowie's new band Hype at the Roundhouse, a gig later described by the BBC as "arguably ... mark[ing] the birth of glam rock.