It was his first single released after signing a contract with Island Records, with the encouragement of his new producer, Paul Samwell-Smith, fostering a folk rock direction.

[1] Just at the completion of his second album with Hurst, Stevens contracted tuberculosis and a collapsed lung,[2] requiring hospitalisation and rest for a year.

During this time, he spent his empty hours writing more than 40 songs, and upon a clean bill of health successfully negotiated out of his Deram contract, and settled on Island Records' Paul Samwell-Smith as his new producer, who encouraged Stevens' inclinations towards an emerging folk rock genre.

As Stevens was nearing the end of his period of recuperation, he attended a party that boasted a gathering of musicians in London including Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton and others.

The two guitarists worked with John Ryan's syncopated basslines and drummer Harvey Burns' latin rhythms were used to emphasize the beat of the song on the body of the guitar.

The song had enough commercial appeal to reach No.8 on the British pop music chart, and became the first Stevens' track to get noticeable airplay in the United States.

[8] "Lady D'Arbanville" was issued in June 1970 and became his third top ten hit in the UK, with the album Mona Bone Jakon, beginning a modest climb up the charts as well.

[9] Song Elton John also performed a version of "Lady D'Arbanville" for a covers record, at a time in his career when he was still in relative obscurity.