Rick Wakeman double album in 1979, was Wakeman's final studio album for A&M Records. It features Bruce Lynch on bass, Frank Gibson, Jr. on drums, and Tony Visconti on acoustic guitar. In March 1980, after several writing sessions for a new Yes album in Paris failed, Wakeman and Jon Anderson left the group. In 1980, Wakeman reformed the English Rock Ensemble and completed a European tour. He came close to forming a band with drummer Carl Palmer, bassist John Wetton, and guitarist Trevor Rabin, but opted out "on a matter of principle" as the record company was prepared to sign them without
My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows edition CD was released in 2004, which included the mono mix of the album, one single track and three alternate studio takes. A new mono mix was created for a deluxe edition, released in January 2015, which also included home demos for the album recorded by Visconti and exploratory studio sessions with Boyd. The album reportedly received negative reviews upon its release. In his retrospective review, Dave Thompson, writing for AllMusic, called it "an irresistible affair, if absolutely a child of its psychedelically-inclined time". My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear