PART ONE: Having scored a UK #1 hit with their first single for CBS in February 1968, the Love Affair were attacked by critics (and banned by some TV stations) for admitting to not play on the record, although they did play on the B-side. Their next singles followed a similar pattern, and they all reached the top 20 charts. With Amen Corner, Marmelade and the Tremoloes, they were undoubtedly the giants of the 1968-1969 pop scene. This biography chronicles ten different line-ups of the band, from 1966 to present! Quick links:
Steve Ellis - vocals
Maurice Bacon - drums
Morgan Fisher - keyboards
Ian Miller - guitar
Warwick Rose - bass
The Love Affair started out as the Soul Survivors in 1966. Maurice's father, Sid Bacon, who'd placed ads in Melody Maker to form the band so his son could have someone to play with, was their manager. The band cut some demos, but nothing was ever released.
the Love Affair Mk.1 (August 1966 - March 1967)
from left:
Georgie Michael - guitar
Steve Ellis - vocals
Maurice Bacon - drums
Mick Jackson - bass
Morgan Fisher - keyboards
The band changed their name to the Love Affair as there was already another group called the Soul Survivors (a US outfit with a hit called "Expressway To Your Heart"). They named themselves "the Love Affair" after a popular TV-series. By the time they signed to Decca Records in November 1966, Ian Miller and Warwick Rose had both left the group.
Their first recording for Decca was "Woman Woman", cut at Abbey Road with Kenny Lynch producing (he also wrote it - it was never released, though). For their next session they roped in Mike Vernon as producer and recorded "She Smiled Sweetly", a Jagger/Richards composition from the Rolling Stones' "Between The Buttons" LP. It was issued as a single in February 1967 backed with "Satisfaction Guaranteed" - an Ellis/Fisher original.
the Love Affair Mk.2 (March 1967 - August 1967)
from left:
Rex Brayley - guitar
Maurice Bacon - drums
Steve Ellis - vocals
Mick Jackson - bass
Morgan Fisher - keyboards
Rex Brayley replaced Georgie Michael who'd left the band after the Decca single flopped. The band toured extensively, and attracted quite a following especially in the Midlands. They also
secured a month long recidency at the famous Marquee Club in London. In May this line-up recorded some demos at the R.G.Jones OAK studios in Morden, South London, including
a Fisher/Ellis composition called "Do You Dream" that was never released. Soon after, Morgan Fisher left the band to do A-levels (he was still only 17).
the Love Affair Mk.3 (August 1967 - September 1967)
Rex Brayley - guitar
Maurice Bacon - drums
Steve Ellis - vocals
Mick Jackson - bass
Pete Bardens - keyboards
Morgan was initially replaced by Pete Bardens, ex Peter B's Looners, the Cheynes and Steampacket. He didn't stay long, and would eventually form Camel. With Lynton Guest, the band found a permanent replacement.
Love Affair Mk.4 (September 1967 - August 1968)
from left:
Lynton Guest - keyboards
Maurice Bacon - drums
Rex Brayley - guitar
Mick Jackson - bass
Steve Ellis - vocals
Island A&R Muff Winwood (ex Spencer Davis Group) took a liking in the band and booked studio time at Island. Two cover versions were recorded (with Muff producing): the Spencer Davies Group's "Back Into My Life Again" and "Everlasting Love" (already a US hit for Robert Knight). Despite their commercial potential, both tracks were abandoned. The band hooked up with CBS in-house producers Mike Smith and Keith Mansfield instead, who liked "Everlasting Love", but suggested they add orchestra. The track was redone with a 40 piece orchestra and released as a single in December. It made #1 in the UK charts the following month. The follow-up single, "Rainbow Valley" reached #5 in May 1968. The band also cut Italian language versions of both singles for the Italian market. Adverse press reaction followed the band's admission that they didn't play on their records, but this didn't hurt record sales.
Morgan Fisher rejoined the group in the summer much to Lynton Guest's displeasure. Bitchy press stories followed and Guest eventually formed his own abortive outfit, English Rose - who released one single on Polydor in 1970 and appeared in the 'Groupie Girl' movie alongside Ray Majors (who played with Opal Butterfly at the time).
the Love Affair Mk.5 (August 1968 - December 1969)
from left:
Rex Brayley - guitar
Maurice Bacon - drums
Steve Ellis - vocals
Mick Jackson - bass
Morgan Fisher - keyboards
With Morgan back in the fold, the band released "A Day Without Love" in September. The single reached #6, no doubt helped by the bands frantic touring and many TV
appearances (including Top Of The Pops and the German Beat Club). They toured with Scott Walker, Gun, Paper Dolls (who auditioned the Silence [pre-Mott] for their backing group!),
Casuals, Ronnie Scott, Terry Reid and Bluesology (with a young Elton John). Their debut album, entitled "Everlasting Love Affair", was released in December to cash in on their latest hit, but it didn't chart.
Maurice Bacon: "We didn't play on any of the singles. We'd only have three hours so the easiest, most efficient way was for Keith Mansfield to score the whole thing, bring in session guys like Clem Cattini on drums and Herbie Flowers on bass and do it in two takes. Mansfield was only involved with the singles, when we used orchestras. Otherwise, it was John Goodison. We were allowed to play on the B-sides and the album and write some tracks for the LP".
UPDATE 18 July 2004: Please note and correct if possible the misinformation that it was Herbie Flowers who played on The Love Affairs - Everlasting Love, it wasn't it was my late father Russ Stableford. (Glyn Stableford, by email)
Morgan co-wrote three songs for the album: "Could I Be Dreaming", "Tale Of Two Bitters" and "The Tree". Interestingly, the single B-sides were all left off the album. Other left over tracks included covers of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and "Gimme Some Loving", plus "Sad Song". In November, the Love Affair made a 30 minute film which included their three hit singles and appeared on Holland TV.
Opting for a more mature sound, they cut a fourth CBS single, "One Road", a powerful ballad that sported a stringy backing instead of the familiar brass section. It reached #16 in March 1969, showing public reaction to their new sound was not favourable - although the press was quite supportive for a change. "One Road" was written by Philip Goodhand-Tait, who'd written their previous single ("A Day Without Love") as well as a few album tracks (and single B-sides). Steve Ellis: "Phil started shooting songs at us and after a few tapes we thought, this is good! Phil was a good singer and keyboard player as well, kinda like a sixth member - though he didn't tour."
Goodhand-Tait wrote the next three singles as well, and "Bringing On Back The Good Times" gave the band their final Top 10 hit (#10 in July 1969). "Baby I Know" followed in October, but it didn't chart. The band went on another UK tour supporting Herman's Hermits and ended topping the bill when the Hermits were thrown off the tour!
Morgan Fisher, Maurice Bacon and Mick Jackson also found time to produce an album for Deram artists Igginbottom in 1969. Alan Holdsworth, now a legendary fusion guitarist, was one of two guitarists in Igginbottom.
In December, Steve Ellis split in pursuit of a solo career (he would later release a few solo singles and form a band called Ellis with Zoot Money, before teaming up with Luther Grosvenor in Widowmaker in 1975), but the band soldiered on with a new vocalist.
Morgan co-wrote three songs for the album: "Could I Be Dreaming", "Tale Of Two Bitters" and "The Tree". Interestingly, the single B-sides were all left off the album. Other left over tracks included covers of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and "Gimme Some Loving", plus "Sad Song". In November, the Love Affair made a 30 minute film which included their three hit singles and appeared on Holland TV.