the recording was completed secretly, and was explicitly intended by the group as a way of breaking their five-year contract with producer shel talmy, with whom they had fallen out (the single's original b-side, "waltz for a pig", was reputedly about talmy). also in 1966 stigwood became the manager of a new band comprising three of the best musicians from two groups that he had under contract—guitarist eric clapton from john mayall's bluesbreakers, bassist jack bruce and drummer ginger baker from the graham bond organization.