Before Hackett recorded his fourth album "Defector", he organised a series of gigs in November 1979, including one in London at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, to test out new material. Hackett found the experience of recording "Defector" as equal to "Spectral Mornings" and noted the similarity in music between the two albums, though he considered the material on the latter as some of the strongest of his career. Upon its release "Defector" peaked the UK chart at No. 9, which remains his highest charting album in the country. In the US, the album went to No. 144. The album's tour saw Hackett perform his first solo dates in the US. The tour left Hackett exhausted, and recuperated in Brazil where he spent three months working on new songs.