Audience was formed in London in 1969 by Howard Werth (guitarist and vocalist), Trevor Williams (bass, vocalist, accordion), Keith Gemmell (saxophone, flute, clarinet), and Tony Connor (drums, piano). The group emerged from a semi‑professional soul band, quickly securing a management deal, a publishing contract, a residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, and a Polydor recording contract. Their debut single "Belladonna Moonshine" preceded the 1970 album Audience, an acoustic guitar‑driven record featuring Gemmell’s saxophone and string arrangements by Andrew Pryce Jackman. In 1971 the group released Friend's Friend's Friend, followed by The House on the Hill (1971) and Lunch (1972), the latter produced by Gus Dudgeon with arrangements by Robert Kirby and cover art by Hipgnosis; Lunch featured contributions from the Rolling Stones brass section. The single "Indian Summer" reached number seventy‑four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971, marking the band’s only U.S. chart entry. A U.S. tour with Rod Stewart, The Faces and Cactus in 1972 heightened their profile but also precipitated Gemmell’s departure, and between 2004 and 2013, continued to perform, releasing a live album Alive & Kickin' & Screamin' & Shoutin' (2005) and performing until their final gig at London’s 100 Club in 2013.
