Thomas was also a member of Moonrider for their lone album in 1975, and recorded as a session musician for Al Stewart in the early to mid-1970.

Pete Thomas, who was born the same month as Costello, had recorded one album as a member of Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers.

According to Pitchfork's Tyler Wilcox, the band replaced the "middle-of-the-road elements" of Clover to create a "minimal, hard-edged sound befitting the burgeoning punk scene in England at the time".

[10][11] A few live tracks were appended to the B-side of Costello's single "Watching the Detectives", issued in October 1977, which Nieve performed on.

[6][7] In December 1977, the Attractions appeared with Costello on Saturday Night Live as a last-minute replacement for the Sex Pistols.

The impromptu stunt angered producer Lorne Michaels and resulted in Costello's banning from Saturday Night Live until 1989.

[9][12][13] The Attractions' first album with Costello was This Year's Model (1978),[6] but the band did not officially receive co-billing credit until 1979's Armed Forces.

[14] Costello later stated that he and the Attractions reached a level of musical agreement during the recording of Armed Forces that would never be matched again.

Guitarist Martin Belmont was briefly added to Attractions live line-up in 1981, but never recorded as an official member of the band.