rosen and hultgreen met when hultgreen - who had grown up in canada - was playing songs in a bayswater restaurant. they decided to form a group, and recruited lucas, who had previously recorded in australia, and in britain as an accompanist to a. l. lloyd, after seeing him perform at the 1967 cambridge folk festival. lucas in turn recommended kerrilee male, who had previously worked as a singer with dave guard, formerly of the kingston trio, on his australian tv show "dave's place". the four rehearsed together and acquired the name eclection - a back-formation to describe their "eclectic" style and origins - at the suggestion of joni mitchell, who was playing folk clubs in england at the time and who was a friend of rosen's girlfriend. on a visit to new york city, the group approached elektra records owner jac holzman, who then heard them rehearse in london, and offered them a record deal. the quartet made their first public appearance at the royal festival hall in late 1967, supporting tom paxton.