ɹˈɑːb dˈiːkən ænd ɹˈɑːbɪn ɡˈɪbsən θˈɔːt ˌʌp ðə kˈɑːnsɛpt əvə sˌiːdˈiː ænd kˌɑːmplɪmˈɛntɚɹi bˈʊk ɪnðɪ ˈɜːli nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti z, bˌʌt fˈaʊnd ðæt pˈʌblɪʃɚz wɜː ɹᵻlˈʌktənt tʊ ɪnvˈɛst ɪn ɪt bɪkˈʌz ðə ʃˈɑːps wɜː fˈʊl ʌv dˈɪskaʊnt hˈɪt kˌɑːmpɪlˈeɪʃənz, ænd pɹˈɛst ðˌɛm tə ɹᵻθˈɪŋk ðɛɹ aɪdˈiə ænd lˈoʊɚ ðə kwˈɔlᵻɾi ʌvðə bˈʊk.
Rob Deacon and Robin Gibson thought up the concept of a CD and complementary book in the early 1990s, but found that publishers were reluctant to invest in it because the shops were full of discount hit compilations, and pressed them to rethink their idea and lower the quality of the book.