The Maisonettes were an English one-hit band formed by Lol Mason (formerly of City Boy) and Mark Tibenham. Their debut single, "Heartache Avenue", reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart in early 1983, and later peaked at number 12 on the Canadian chart and number 97 in Australia. The song was discovered by David Virr in a pile of demo tapes in his office, and had been recorded in Birmingham by singer Lol Mason, guitarist Mark Tibenham, and session drummer Nick Parry. Virr decided to put it out on his own label, which he named Ready Steady Go!

To fill out the band, two teenage models, Denise Ward and Elaine Williams, were recruited as backing vocalists (although "Heartache Avenue" had been recorded with different female singers). As it turned out, however, Ward and Williams could not harmonize well enough to sing with the band live or in the studio, though by the time this was decided, they had already appeared often with the group in media photos and miming on television.