Micky Moody T.V series "Supersonic". Extensive touring followed before the band broke up. At this time Moody undertook occasional work as a session player most notably for Graham Bonnet. He also contributed to one track on Gerry Rafferty's "City to City". He performed with the former Status Quo drummer John Coghlan's Diesel Band, then recorded an album with the band's tour manager and lyricist Bob Young which became Young & Moody. He then toured with Frankie Miller and stood in as a guest with Hinkley's Heroes before joining his friend David Coverdale. Moody knew Coverdale – who had fronted Deep Purple and
Ian Gillan and Barnacle were quickly replaced by Bernie Tormé and by former Episode Six bandmate Mick Underwood, after Gillan saw Torme playing with his punk trio. This band had a more high-powered hard rock sound, and the release of "Mr. Universe" in October 1979 saw Ian Gillan back in the UK charts, although the independent record company the album came out on – Acrobat Records – folded soon after the album was released, prompting a contract with Richard Branson's Virgin Records. In Christmas 1979, Gillan was visited by Blackmore, who offered him the position of lead vocalist in Rainbow. Gillan declined