In May 1973 Genesis completed their live tour to promote the album "Foxtrot". Their record company Charisma wanted a quick new release soon and released a live album titled "Genesis Live". The band was against the release of this live album. Charisma gave the band 2 to 3 months to come up with a new album which was considered as "The Kiss of Death" by Mike Rutherford. The band worried that Phil Collins would leave the band and Steve Hackett's relation with his first wife went downhill. At first the band had troubles coming up with new material. Steve Hackets's guitar contribution were the best so far.

Peter Gabriel live on stage with Genesis in 1973

The title
The title of the album was a slogan of the Labour Party which is about increasing commercialization and the sense that something was being lost in England. In other words the discussion about a Brexit was already there at that time in 1973. But the purpose of the band was to let the British press know that the band was not "selling out" to America. 

Genesis in 1973

The songs
Peter Gabriel came up with "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight" and  "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" came out of a jam session by the group around one of Hackett's guitar riffs. Banks wrote "Firth Of Fifth" for "Foxtrot" but was then rejected and he reworked it and finally became accepted to include on their new album. Phil Collins for the second time did lead vocals on a song titled "More Fool Me" written by Collins and Rutherford. "The Battle of Epping Forest" was inspired by a news story Gabriel read a few years ago. About territorial battles by 2 rival gangs in the East of London that would fight in Epping Forest. He couldn't find more info about this and came up with fictional characters in this song. "After The Ordeal"  is an instrumental written by Hacket supported by Rutherford. "The Cinema Show" was a long split into two parts segue into "Aisle Of Plenty" which is a reprise of "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight".

Also a song titled "Déja Vu" was written by Gabriel and Hacket but didn't make it to the album and was never released by the band.

"To The Farms" by Betty Swanwick (1936)

The album cover
The album cover is a painting by Betty Swanwick titled "The Dream". The lawnmower was not on the original painting but was added later by Betty requested by the band as an allusion to "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe). Swanwick designed posters for public transport between the 1930s and 1950s.

"I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" single cover

The charts
The album reached #3 in the UK and #70 in the US. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" was released as a single backed by "Twilight Alehouse" and was the first single that came into the charts in the UK at #21.

Original album cover
Selling England By The Pound (1973)
Dancing with the moonlit knight / I know what I like (in your wardrobe) / Firth of Fifth / More fool me /
The battle of Epping Forest / After the ordeal / The cinema show / Aisle of plenty

The Videos

Dancing With The Moonlit Knight - live 1973

I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)

Firth Of Fifth

The Cinema Show