[1] They started as a beat group and focused on playing covers of bands like The Beatles, The Searchers and The Hollies but began writing their own material from 1967, with Ken Baker as the songwriter.
After recording a number of their songs in 1967 they got a month-long residency at the Carousel Club in Copenhagen[1] and then nine months touring as Billy J. Kramer's backing band.
There were then a couple of disappointing tours of Italy and Sweden, although the band had more success in The Netherlands, including on a television show opening for The Flying Burrito Brothers.
At the end of that evening one of the guests, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, jumped up on stage and began jamming with them on Neil Young's "Heart of Gold".
In August 1973 two of the band's members, Pat Martin and Pete Perryer, played on Kate Bush's first recording session at David Gilmour's studio.
[12] Unicorn were the support act for a number of well-known bands during this period, including John Entwistle on his 1975 tour,[13] and Hawkwind,[14] Nils Lofgren and Steeleye Span in 1976.
[15] It was half-produced by David Gilmour and, after he had to go on tour with Pink Floyd, the remaining tracks were produced by Muff Winwood,[5] who was brought on in an attempt to make the album more commercial.
The album's single, "Slow Dancing", was Record of the Week on Johnnie Walker's BBC show, as "Ooh Mother" and "Disco Dancer" had been previously.
[18] In recent years previously unreleased material has been made available,[19] including the original 1973–1974 demos produced by David Gilmour (Laughing Up Your Sleeve, 2018) and from their early days as The Late (Songs from the Family Tree, 2008).