In 1988, The Daily Telegraph described the Cockroaches, who played over 300 gigs a year, as the "Hardest Working Rock'n'Roll Band" in the country.

Although devastated, the group continued with a lower profile, and Anthony left to resume his university studies yet returned periodically to record their later studio albums.

Australian musicologist Glenn A. Baker described their sound as "rangy, loose-limbed, good-natured, energetic, self-effacing, intuitive, harmonic, melodic, enduring, soused and fiercely frantic".

[5] Other founders of the Cockroaches were Tony Henry on drums and Joseph Hallion on saxophone; they were joined by Bruce Hatfield on bass guitar by mid-1980.

[6] After Paul introduced his brothers to the Rolling Stones, the band took their name from an obscure alias used by Keith Richards during the 1960s[7][8] because, according to Anthony Field, "it sounded kind of punkish and that scene was blossoming in Sydney at the time".

[4] Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane called the band's name "a fitting choice, due mostly to the good-time R&B material that The Cockroaches played during their formative years".

[7] One of their first gigs was at their school; Paul convinced the Marist Brothers, who ran St. Joseph's, to allow a charge for the performance.

The song was written by Paul, was produced by Greg Owens and the band, and was recorded at their school and at Studio B in Bondi.

[6] According to Australian musicologist, Glenn A. Baker, the track provided "the aura of a rockabilly band ... [but] they have always been much closer in style to the original cocky, bluesy, strident Stones".

[10] According to Anthony, Fatt had been a member of "a seminal Sydney rockabilly band called the Roadmasters",[4] and had joined "to fight boredom".

– Cockroaches saxophonist Daniel Fallon[8] According to Anthony, Paul was "a picture of professional efficiency",[11] whereas John, one of the top Under-19 New South Wales cricketers,[7] was the showman of the group.

[5] John's performances on-stage built the Cockroaches' reputation for being a party-band, even though alcohol and drug use was not part of their personal lifestyles.

[5] Paul, who returned to St Andrews as a teacher, noted about the band's early days, "We had a good following around the unis, pubs and colleges.

He described Paul as "very serious, straight up and down and a really solid rock singer"[8] who was known for his jumps and acrobatics on stage, and John as carefree, charismatic, a talented pop music writer, and a natural leader of both the band and their audience.

9 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart,[7][14] and in 1988, was awarded a platinum certification by their record label for sales of 70,000 copies.

Phillip McIntyre of Texas and the Big Beat Radio website described Mackie's time with the Cockroaches as "[h]is most successful period as a player".

[1] Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane described the Cockroaches as "an in-demand pub band [that built] a sweaty, frenzied atmosphere with good old-fashioned showmanship and unpretentious, energetic rock'n'pop".

[27] In September that year, while the band were touring for the album, Paul Field's eight-month-old daughter, Bernadette, died of SIDS.

Their version of the Brenda Lee song was featured in the 1990 film, The Crossing, starring Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer.

Its rangy, loose-limbed, good-natured, energetic, self-effacing, intuitive, harmonic, melodic, enduring, soused and fiercely frantic".

[1] The performers for the album were: the three Field brothers; Fatt on Hammond organ, keyboards and cow noises; Henry on drums and cabasa; Mackie on bass guitar and backing vocals; with additional backing vocals by Jane Bezzina, Greg Truman and Steve Pomfrett.

[29] In early 1991, Anthony Field founded The Wiggles, a children's music group, with fellow university students Murray Cook and Greg Page (who was the Cockroaches' roadie), Phillip Wilcher (from Macquarie University's music department) and the Cockroaches' bandmate, Jeff Fatt.

[45] As a session musician Henry has worked for Ross Wilson, Slim Dusty, Crowded House and Mental As Anything.

[20] On 29 January 2005, the Cockroaches reunited for a one-time performance at the Hills for Hope concert as a benefit for the Boxing Day Tsunami survivors.

[48] The album included duets with other country music artists: Troy Cassar-Daley, Shane Nicholson, Amber Lawrence, and Dianna Corcoran.

To mark the occasion, the original line-up of the band reunited for two shows in June 2014 at RSL clubs in Sydney.