Members of the Rumour came from the veteran UK pub rock bands Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe and Bontemps Roulez.

1979 saw the band showcase their mastery of the new wave sound with Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts, a commentary on European society.

In 1977, Bodnar and Goulding also played bass and drums respectively, on Elvis Costello's first UK chart hit, "Watching the Detectives".

Feeling that their work was overlooked due to their image as Graham Parker's backing band, an album was planned for release as the Duplicates.

The remaining quartet continued on, recording their own album Purity of Essence (1980) and serving as the backing band on Graham Parker's The Up Escalator (1980) before breaking up by 1981.

When The Up Escalator was recorded, Bob was no longer in the band, and that late, lovely man, Nicky Hopkins, was playing keyboards for us.

Schwarz, Bodnar and Goulding all worked with Parker at various times since the Rumour's break-up, and Belmont has appeared on recordings by Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe.

Music journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that the release was "the rare reunion that simultaneously looks back while living in the present.