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Elvans Road Ltd. was originally known as The Matadors, a band from Southeast DC, USA, primarily formed by students from Anacostia High School and Ballou High School. They performed popular music at various venues, including churches, military bases, and non-commissioned officer clubs, and later played at the Wilson Line, The Panorama Room, and the Washington Coliseum alongside groups such as The Young Senators, EU, Distance, Trouble Funk, and Leadhead. The Matadors showcased a diverse range of genres, covering songs by Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and James Brown. Due to the existence of a funk band from St. Louis, IL with the same name, they changed their name to Elvans Road Ltd., named after the location of their band house. In 1976, the group—comprised of Michael Zakee Jones, Tyrone Thomas, Roosevelt Smith, Mike Dean, Paul Wilkerson, and Vernon Cooper—recorded two tracks at American Star Recording Studios in Merrifield, VA: the instrumental “Summer-Free-Fo-All” and “Can I,” written by keyboardist Smith and featuring vocals by Thomas. The record was produced by future go-go icon Maxx Kidd on his Cherry Blossom Records Inc. and arranged by Al Johnson.

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