Little River Band first came together in London in 1974. Glenn Shorrock had been in London with Axiom. Axiom broke up and Shorrock was asked to join internationally cast avant-guard group Esperanto. He played with them for two albums becoming their manager and ideas man by their third and final album. Glenn Wheatley had been the bassist for the Master's Apprentices and was growing increasingly interested in the business side of the international music industries. Beeb Birtles, Graham Goble and Derrick Pellicci made up the remnants of Mississippi, after much of the rest of the group had returned to Australia. They formed, firstly as Mississippi, in Melbourne in early 1975 performing their debut, under that name, on 1 March. After a name change to Little River Band, the addition of Ric Formosa and Roger McLachlan and a successful commencement to their live performance reputation, they were able to sign a recording contract with EMI Australia that gave EMI an option on releasing the album in international markets.
      Within a year of their formation they had achieved a US top 30 single chart placing for "Its a Long Way There" and a hit self-titled album. Their American record label Harvest, a subsidiary of EMI's American unit Capitol, overlooked their second Australian release, After Hours. By the end of 1976 Ric Formosa and Roger McLachlan had left the band. In 1977, their Diamantina Cocktail album was the first Australian album to go Gold in USA. The version of Diamantina Cocktail that appeared in the USA was dissimilar to the Australian album of the same name. The Australian album was a nine-track collection of new songs. The United States version contained four tracks from the Australian Diamantina Cocktail and five from the earlier release After Hours.

     The next year Sleeper Catcher went platinum on release date and the band achieved a top-three chart placing for the single Reminiscing. The lineup of the band that appeared on this and the Diamantina album had the additions David Briggs and George McArdle. With the close of touring after the release of Sleeper Catcher, McArdle left the band to retire to a religious study course. He would be temporarily be replaced by Barry Sullivan. Malcolm Logan was added to the touring lineup in 1979.
     During the 1978 US tour the Little River Band's drummer Derek Pellicci was replaced by temporary drummer, Geoff Cox. Derek Pellicci was left in hospital recovering from burns injuries suffered during an accident involving a gas cylinder. He was able to rejoin the band mid-tour but was unable to play again until early into 1979.
      The 1979 recording sessions for the album, First Under the Wire, included session bassist Mike Clarke and Clive Harrison. Once again this LP achieved platinum status and spawned a number of top-twenty hit singles. A full time bassist, American Wayne Nelson, was recruited in early 1980. During that year the band released two live albums in Australia. Those two live albums, Backstage Pass and Live in America were packaged together as Backstage Pass in international markets.
      Later that year, the band went back into the studio. This time they recorded at the famous Air Studios in Montserrat, The West Indies under the experienced guidance of Beatles producer George Martin. The album Time Exposure was released in the middle of 1981. By the completion of that album David Briggs had left the band. David Briggs went on to found a record company, Rough Diamond Records. He was replaced exceptional Sydney-based guitarist Stephen Housden. The band toured the album for most of the rest of the year. They received even more gold and platinum discs for this album.