The original foundation of Gilgamesh was the collaboration between keyboardist Alan Gowen and drummer Mike Travis, who worked together on a band project with guitarist Rick Morcombe.
The initial Gilgamesh line-up comprised Gowen, Travis, Morcombe, Jeff Clyne on bass, and Alan Wakeman on saxophone.
[1] The band's line-up took some time to stabilise, with musicians such as Richard Sinclair deputising for Clyne during their debut performance in January 1973.
Throughout 1973, the group performed regularly, including two notable co-headlining gigs with Hatfield and the North, which featured a "double-quartet" set based on a 40-minute composition by Gowen.
In late 1973, Murray was replaced by Steve Cook, but performances became increasingly infrequent despite the band recording several radio sessions for the BBC's jazz programmes.
The album includes the 1973 demo and two radio sessions from 1974–75, featuring various line-ups with Gowen, Lee, Mike Travis, Murray, Steve Cook, Jeff Clyne, and Peter Lemer.