Having recorded and released the last 'O' Level single "We Love Malcolm" (1978) by himself, Edward Ball dropped the name in favour of the Teenage Filmstars, spring 1979. Opting to record as a band again, he invited old school friends Daniel Treacy and Joseph Foster to guest on the first single, "(There's a) Cloud Over Liverpool" (1979). Already championed by Radio 1 DJ John Peel, the record also received attention more than a year later when American record shops and college radio stations mistook it for a tribute to the recent death of John Lennon.