After David Bowie's third album flopped and his band left in August 1970, he had no backing musicians, a stalled contract and a manager who had limited his work. He began writing songs on piano in his Beckenham flat instead of guitar, composing more than three dozen, and recorded demos at Radio Luxembourg's London studios. His single "Holy Holy" had flopped, but the demo of "Oh! You Pretty Things" caught the eye of a Chrysalis partner, who passed it to Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, whose cover reached number 12 in the UK in 1971. That success reminded listeners of Bowie and gave him leverage to escape his Mercury contract. Hunky Dory, with its songs about American icons like Andy Warhol and Lou Reed, followed.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.