In 1987, Devonian folk musicians Steve Knightley and Phil Beer formed the duo Show of Hands.

[2] Later on in 1990, Beer left The Albion Band,[3] letting Show of Hands become a full musical partnership,[1] recording the third and final cassette album, Out for the Count in The Old Court in 1991.

They decided to record one of their live performances, and enlisted record producer and engineer Mark Trim to a produce a live album of the duo's local performance at The Bull Hotel in Bridport, Dorset on 8 June 1992.

[8] The performance took place on 8 June 1992 at The Bull Hotel in Bridport, a town in Dorset, just 40 miles from the Duo's native Exeter, Devon.

In addition to singing the lead vocals, Steve Knightley played the acoustic guitar and cello-mandolin,[8] whilst Phil Beer performed backing vocals, cuatro, fiddle, acoustic guitar and mandolin.

[11] "Six O'Clock Waltz" was recorded for their second album Tall Ships (1990) which was already out of print by the time of the release of Show of Hands Live.

[10] The album was soon out of print, but was re-released in 1999 by the duo's own record label Hands on Music, which was established in 1995.

[13] The album was released to a positive reception, with the duo's website describing the reviews as "excellent".

It features on the second disc, subtitled Longdogs, whose songs were chosen by the users of the duo's former internet forum Longdogs being asked to vote for their favourite song from each of the duo's albums, with the winners of each poll forming the disc's track listing.

[10] "Yankee Clipper", meanwhile, had featured on the various artist compilation album A Feast of Folk (2001), containing "16 Evergreen Favourites".