Help Yourself originated in 1970 around London as the supporting unit for Malcolm Morley, a solo artist placed under Famepushers management alongside label-mates Brinsley Schwarz and Ernie Graham, all of whom signed with the British arm of United Artists/Liberty Records. The initial roster featured Richard Treece on guitars, vocals and harmonica, Dave Charles handling drums, percussion and vocals, Ken Whaley on bass, and Morley contributing guitars, keyboards and vocals. Their first album, issued in early 1971 and simply titled Help Yourself, contained only material composed by Morley. Whaley departed after that release, making way for Ernie Graham, whose own Liberty solo album had just appeared; Graham switched to guitar. Facing shared money troubles with several other British groups, the musicians pooled resources with members of Brinsley Schwarz and settled into a rented house called the Grange in Headley during 1971-1972, the same property where Led Zeppelin had cut Led Zeppelin IV.
At the Grange the band tracked their second LP, Strange Affair, issued in early 1972 after Jonathan “JoJo” Glemser joined alongside Graham. Both newcomers exited midway through those sessions, so Paul Burton stepped in to finish the record. The same four-piece—Burton, Morley, Treece and Charles—then cut Beware the Shadow, which appeared at the close of 1972. None of the first three albums achieved strong sales. Fans dubbed the group the Helps; they drew a hippie following and enjoyed modest American interest, particularly among Deadheads and admirers of Quicksilver. While glam dominated British airwaves, the band’s rural character limited radio exposure at home, leaving them without meaningful promotion.
Ken Whaley rejoined in 1973 for the aptly named The Return of Ken Whaley. Its first pressing paired the studio album with a bonus live disc, Happy Days, captured on tour alongside the Flying Aces. Shortly after that double release Help Yourself disbanded. Morley subsequently entered the Welsh band Man, later followed by Whaley. The remaining players aligned with Deke Leonard’s Iceberg and made a pair of albums, while Treece eventually played with George and Martin Ace in the Flying Aces. The original lineup reconvened in 2002 to remix material originally slated for a long-unreleased fifth album; combining 1973 recordings with three new tracks featuring drummer Kevin Spacey, the collection 5 appeared on Hux Records in 2004.
