The album was recorded live in Gothenburg, Sweden on 7 September 1956 during a tour that did not involve any UK dates due to the ongoing AFM/MU dispute; it was released to capitalise on the extensive string of UK tour dates during the spring of 1957. It also helped the Basie Band to catch up in Britain, preparing the ground for the forthcoming 'Atomic' recordings.
The Basie Was Here EP (SEB10083) featuring part of the same cover shot was released for the same purpose, as had been the Basie's Back in Town EP (SEB10070). The latter's sleeve note name checks the April 1957 British dates despite none of these tunes being from the tour.
The cover shot was taken outside the Lambeth Walk Public House, an Ind Coope pub in Lambeth Road, South London. The photograph itself was taken after a matinee concert at the Royal Festival Hall while the band were waiting for their evening gig at the Ritz Hotel in the evening, on April 13, 1957.
The couple arm in arm with Basie on the LP sleeve, according to Al Ryan of BBC Radio 3 Jazz Now, were David and Janet Woodhead. Janet was a pub pianist and played in the Lambeth Walk pub (on the piano featured on the back of the LP).
The Lambeth Walk ceased trading as a pub in 2010, though the building is still there at 17 Lambeth Road.
