The wispy pop outfit the Lightning Seeds were essentially the solo project of noted producer Ian Broudie. Born August 4, 1958 in Liverpool, England, Broudie first emerged as a member of Big in Japan, a product of the same Liverpudlian post-punk scene which gave rise to Echo & the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes and Icicle Works. After Big in Japan split in 1979, Broudie followed a brief tenure in the Original Mirrors by producing the first two Bunnymen LPs, Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here, as well as work by the Fall, Wah! and Frazier Chorus.

Seeking to return to performing, in 1982 Broudie teamed with Wild Swans vocalist Paul Simpson; under the name Care; the duo released a series of shimmering singles which pointed in the direction Broudie followed in the Lightning Seeds, a one-man band backed by pop luminaries and session players. After scoring an international hit with the lush single Pure, the Lightning Seeds issued their debut LP Cloudcuckooland in 1989. Still, despite the records success, Broudie again returned to production, helming albums for groups like the Primitives, Sleeper, Alison Moyet and the Frank & Walters.

In 1992, Broudie revived the Lightning Seeds guise for Sense, on which he made synth programmer Simon Rogers (formerly of the Fall) a full musical partner; for 1994s Jollification, he formed a touring band (comprised of keyboardist Ali Kane, former Rain bassist Martyn Campbell and ex-Icicle Works drummer Chris Sharrock) to play his first live shows since serving in the Original Mirrors over a decade ago. The British chart hits Ready or Not and Three Lions on a Shirt followed in 1996.