Singer Tunde Baiyewu and songwriter Paul Tucker formed the act in 1993 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, after meeting while studying at university and both working at the same bar.

Their 1995 debut album Ocean Drive sold more than 1.8 million copies in the UK alone and established them as a popular easy listening duo throughout Europe.

[2] Among these, a demo of "Ocean Drive" attracted the attention of Polydor Records A&R director Colin Barlow, who, in 1993, signed the band to a six-month development deal.

[3] In the wake of an economic recession in the United Kingdom, British record labels were, at the time, primarily signing artists with the goal of short-term profit.

Producer Mike Peden's hiring was described as a "big spend", and music videos were filmed overseas in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.