Brothers Robin & Barry Dransfield, born in Yorkshire, England, joined together to form the British folk band the Dransfields in 1969. While Robin, the older of the two by three years, provided solid rhythmic accompaniment on guitar, Barry summoned an amazing array of melodies with his fiddle and guitar. As a duo, Robin & Barry Dransfield built their early following at the Harrogate Folk Club, where they shared the stage with such influential folk artists as Martin Carthy, Ewan MacColl, and the Watersons. Their previous experiences with a semi-professional New Lost City Ramblers-like bluegrass/old-timey band had taught them to sing harmony in a style that they dubbed "country and northeastern." Continuing to evolve as a band, the Dransfields moved to an acoustic/electric sound with the addition of vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Charlie Smith and drummer Brian Harrison. Two years of nonstop work peaked with the release of two duo/band albums, Rout of the Blues and Lord of All I Behold. The Dransfields toured with British singer/songwriter Ralph McTell and were invited to tour with Steeleye Span. They signed a recording contract with Warner Bros.