Disc jockey John Peel had signed this Australian studio group to his Dandelion record label, but they were having problems with the vocals so they drafted in Rod Stewart to sing a guide vocal. They were so pleased they kept his vocals on the final version. Although it flopped upon its initial 1970 release, it was re-released two years later after the success of "Maggie May" and became a worldwide hit.
Rod Stewart was paid in an unusual manner for his demo. He recalled to Uncut: "When I did it, I hadn't broken through with 'Maggie May.' I did it for a set of carpets for me car. It was my mate who convinced me to do it. He ran a car showroom, and he said, 'I've got this group come from Australia, but the singer's not very good. Can you do a demo for me?' I said, 'What do I get?' He said, 'Well, I don't have any money. I'll give you a set of carpets.' That was 1969."
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