 The Sports had formed in Melbourne in 1976 and included Stephen Cummings on vocals, Ed Bates on guitar, Robert Glover on bass guitar, Paul Hitchins on drums and Jim Niven on piano.Andrew Pendlebury joined on guitar in August 1977, and in August the following year Bates was replaced by Armiger.According to music journalist Ian McFarlane, Cummings had ousted Bates in favour of Armiger who had a "more commercial outlook".