The band grew out of a line-up of friends in mid-1972 consisting of Phil Miller (guitar, from Matching Mole), Phil's brother Steve Miller (keyboards, from Caravan), Pip Pyle (drums, from Gong) and Richard Sinclair (bass and vocals, from Caravan) [REF].
The band played a few live shows between July and September that year, and gained their first record contract with Virgin Records with the 'Sinclair cousins'..as Steve Miller was replaced by Dave Sinclair (from Matching Mole and Caravan), the band soon changed their name to Hatfield and the North.