In July 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion

In July 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion style of his band Ian Gillan Band and dissolved it, retaining only keyboard player Colin Towns , and formed this new band entitled Gillan. He added Steve Byrd on guitar, Liam Genockey on drums and John McCoy on bass, and initially pursued a progressive rock direction, releasing their eponymous debut in September 1978, although they could get a record deal only in Japan , Australia and New Zealand . This recording has subsequently become more widely available as The Japanese Album as a CD re-issue by RPM Records in 1994. However, the RPM CD issue replaces the original opening instrumental “Second Sight” with another instrumental, “Street Theatre”. Genocky was unable to commit to the band beyond the recording of the album and the band’s live debut at the Reading Festival in 1978. He was replaced for the subsequent tour by Pete Barnacle .