Following the chart success of "Party Fears Two" and "Club Country", the band released the double A-sided single "18 Carat Love Affair"/"Love Hangover" in July 1982, which reached number 21 in the UK charts. "18 Carat Love Affair" was a version of "Sulk"'s closing instrumental track "nothinginsomethingparticular" with added vocals, while "Love Hangover" was a cover of Diana Ross's 1975 hit single. Problems started to surface within the group the following month when they began rehearsals with a nine-piece band for an upcoming tour of the USA and Canada to promote the forthcoming release of "Sulk" in North America. The demands placed on Mackenzie's voice caused him to develop pharyngitis, resulting in the cancellation of a string of August concert dates across the UK, including three planned headline shows at the Edinburgh Festival. In September Mackenzie pulled out of the tour the night before the band were due to travel, claiming that he did not feel the musicians were up to the standards required. This was the final straw for Rankine, who felt Mackenzie had thrown away the group's best chance to become famous in the US, and he quit the band.