Tamam shud were formed after the break up of beat/r&b band the sunsets. The band was ostensibly a vehicle for singer and songwriter lindsay bjerre (whose burgeoning interest in the acid rock experience had precipitated the sunset's demise). Bjerre christened the new band tamam shud (means "the very end") which was taken from the closing words of the rubaiyat of omar khayyam. The band's first release was the 1968 soundtrack to paul witzig's groundbreaking surf film 'evolution' and brought them to the attention of warner brothers who offered them a deal. The band, with a key lineup change in teenage guitar prodigy tim gaze (just 15 when he joined!), recorded their masterpiece, the concept album 'goolutionites and the real people' in 1970. Ian mcfarlane calls it "one of the truly great aussie progressive rock albums" and it also distinguished them as one of the first local bands to tackle environmental issues in their songs. It is now extremely rare and one of the most collectible albums of the period.