A flux-responsive magnetic head having a transducer gap also has first and second back gaps across which, respectively, are first and second thin film magnetoresistive elements. The elements have similarly oriented magnetization vectors and, as such, the magnetoresistive elements are differentially responsive to flux entering said transducer gap. Spurious fields, however, have no differential effect on the resistances of the magnetoresistive elements. In a preferred form of the invention, an additional, similar working, pair of magnetoresistive elements is employed across the back gaps, such additional elements not only providing increased signal response, but also serving as keepers for the first pair of magnetoresistive elements.