The independently produced self-titled album, MOXY, also known as the Black Album,photo was recorded over two weeks in early 1975. Mark Smith of Bachman--Turner Overdrive fame acted as co-producer for the album. While in Van Nuys, California at Sound City Studio recording this album, session guitarist Tommy Bolin was in the studio next door. Bolin was so impressed with the no-nonsense, to-the-bones sound of Moxy that when asked by the band's manager Roland Paquin to fill in, he said yes. Earl Johnson was actually supposed to have done all the guitar parts, but got into a disagreement with the producer and was consequently tossed out of the studio. Roland Paquin knew Bolin from when he was a road manager for The James Gang. After the Moxy sessions, Bolin continued to work on his first solo album Teaser, and later that year got the call from David Coverdale to join Deep Purple. Having heard the impact of the twin guitars, Moxy then headed back to Toronto in search of a rhythm guitarist who would free up Earl Johnson to play the material on tour that had been added to the songs in the studio by Tommy Bolin. Buddy Caine, a friend of Earl Johnson's, became the needed second guitarist, allowing the group to then hit the road with a Canadian tour that included Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, where the group mostly played small venues.
The first album found its way to hard rock stations in the southern USA.[9] The winter of 1975 \"Can' t You See I'm A Star\" and \"Moon Rider\" were receiving heavy radio support from KMAC/KISS in San Antonio, Texas. Tommy Bolin's contribution would get some much needed attention for the album in the U.S media, even though Bolin always downplayed his involvement. Moxy renegotiated a new contract with Polydor of Canada for distribution in affiliation with Mercury Records. Both labels were owned by PolyGram Records at the time, who reissued the self-titled debut album in North America and worldwide in 1976. The spring of 1976 \"Fantasy\" and \"Sail On Sail Away\" hit the top 20 charts on KISS-FM radio in San Antonio, Texas. KISS-FM disc jockey Joe Anthony had the freedom to play the album in its entirety on many occasions through the late 1970s.
\"We did an interview with a DJ in Texas, I asked him what songs of ours they were playing. He said, 'First we play the first side, then we play the second side.' I just about fell off my chair.\" Earl Johnson.
