When the time arrived to record, he decided to record with various guest American musicians and travelled to Los Angeles. He arranged for singers Randy Crawford, Richie Havens, and Steve Walsh to sing on the album, plus bassist Tom Fowler, drummers Phil Ehart and Chester Thompson, with Van der Graaf Generator violinist Graham Smith. He believed America produced "by far the best vocalists" due to their more "street corner heritage". After recording the album, Hackett felt a great amount of pressure off his shoulders. The album's cover was completed by Kim Poor, Hackett's girlfriend of three years and his future wife. It depicts a Victorian couple being attacked by automata in a toy shop.