More

Background

More formed in 1979 in London when guitarist Kenny Cox joined singer–bassist John Pettri and drummer Frank Darch in the blues-rock trio Dfender. Darch acquired a Rogers drum kit at sixteen and first played live with a school band. The trio took the name More from a cigarette brand. Cox recruited guitarist Paul Todd, a former member of the London metal band Iron Maiden.

Record companies questioned the vocals on early demos, so More sought a separate lead singer. Darch contacted singer Paul Mario Day, the original Iron Maiden frontman, through a recommendation from another vocalist. Day rewrote the vocal lines across twelve songs at the first rehearsal. Pettri withdrew over the heavier music and increased time demands; Day recruited bassist Brian Day, a former bandmate.

More played several dates around Hamburg and recorded a two-song demo through a German contact of Pettri. Bronze Records staff rejected the tape and criticized the vocals. The band played the Ruskin Arms and the Bridge House in London and shared bills with Angel Witch and Samson.

Band associate Jimmy Morcock passed a demo to broadcaster Tommy Vance, who invited More to record a BBC session. Vance broadcast the four-song session on May 23, 1980, on The Friday Rock Show. Day notified the labels that rejected the demos of the scheduled broadcast. Atlantic and Polydor contacted Day the next Monday; Bronze also called the singer.

More replaced Todd in 1980 with guitarist Laurie Mansworth through an audition in north London. Mansworth first played in the punk band Plastic with a brother of Riff Raff guitarist Billy Bragg, who sold Mansworth his first guitar, a Columbus 335 copy. Atlantic executive Phil Carson heard the BBC session and attended a More concert. He signed the group to Atlantic, which assigned producers Al Nalli and Henry Weck to the debut album, Warhead.