Monocled Alchemist

“Rainbow Valley” / “Someone Like Me” (CBS 3366) April 1968

How the ’60s music press reacted to “Rainbow Valley”, including vintage articles and interviews published during April / May 1968, when the single was zooming up the Charts.

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968 | “Rainbow Valley” (CBS) – Ah ha. Let the accusing finger be dropped. This is no one-hit group. No indeed. And to prove it the follow the divine “Everlasting Love” with a song that is really equally strong.

Of course there’s a lot of their first hit’s influence – especially during the opening with the bongos. But from there on it’s all very, very good pop music.

The song is about a heaven on earth and there is the odd inclusion of a girl’s voice on the chorus that only adds to the charm of the thing. And what about that chorus? Call that nothing? I don’t, I call it super. (Disc & Music Echo, 06/04/68)

The Keith Mansfield Orchestra is labelled here, to avoid any possible confusion. But what are the hit chances? Good, obviously, following on a number one – and the young Mr. Ellis sings even better on this slightly confused beater.

Not directly so commercial, but it proves a few points about the boys’ ability. But it could need a few plays to register – and it’ll probably get ’em.

Flip: Self-penned, bluesy, powerful, but a showcase essentially for S. Ellis. (Record Mirror, 06/04/68)

Someone Isn’t Requiting The Affair’s Love!

LOVE AFFAIR, the group who normally seem to thrive on scandal, are seething this week at a vicious smear campaign which they say is sabotaging their bookings for ballrooms and TV

The boys have been told to their faces on arrival at shows: “We hear you’re a load of slobs and thugs who think nothing of thumping promoters.” Mick Jackson complains bitterly: “It reached its height a couple of weeks ago. A promoter told us he had been told to expect trouble because we were a load of slobs who went around swearing and employed a couple of tough road managers who waded in with their boots at promoters and suchlike.

“There was no trouble that night, and afterwards he said he was very surprised because he had been warned about us. He’d also heard we were a terrible act on stage and got booed off in most ballrooms. “Consequently, he had done no advance advertising and employed only half his staff because he expected to make a loss on our booking.”

Love Affair co-manager John Cokell says they were first aware of a smear campaign when “Ever-lasting Love” began its climb to the top of the chart. “We were booked for a TV show and the producer phoned up our agency to ask if it was true that Love Affair caused constant trouble, made outrageous demands and threatened walk-outs if they didn’t get their way.

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

“We did the show, everything was perfect and the producer apologised.”

The boys are concerned because they have found the smear is spreading to ballroom managers around the country.

“Someone’s got it in for us,” says Mick. “We’ll just have to go round the ballrooms proving to promoters—and the public — that these rumours are a pack of lies.

“Meanwhile, though, we’re experiencing a real coldness from a lot of groups. What have they got against us? Maybe it’s because we’re so young and they’re just jealous of our quick success. Whatever the reason, it’s getting us down.”

Smear campaign

Even Jonathan King has come up against this smear campaign. He tells me: “I’ve received messages asking why I waste time mentioning Love Affair on TV and in Disc. And the messages came from inside the business, I can assure you.”

Where, indeed, have all the flowers gone in pop?

I Don’t Like The Love Affair’s Record

ROBERT KNIGHT, the original hit recorder of the Love Affair smash “Everlasting Love” arrived in London last week totally unaware of the storm his song had caused in this country.

“I just thought I’d been beaten to the chart by a `cover’ version,” he said. “I’d no idea there was all this bother about the Love Affair not playing on their record. How about that!” And he added: “I can’t say I really like the way the number was sung—but the sound and production was fantastic. We’d have loved to get that on my record.”

Knight is here for radio and TV on his new single “The Power Of Love”—”Nobody’s ‘covered’ that yet, have they?”—and two London concerts with soul star Aretha Franklin (May 11 and 12).

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

“Everlasting Love” was a huge hit for him in America and this, he says, was the reason he wasn’t able to be in Britain to promote it.

“I guess it’s the luck of the game. People obviously bought the version they liked best. I’m not that upset I didn’t get a hit. Although, maybe I am now I know the story behind the Love Affair!”

Robert was equally amazed to discover that the Love Affair’s latest single—in the chart at 17 this week—was “Rainbow Valley,” a song he’s recorded on his first album.

“They sure follow me around, don’t they?” was his comment. “I suppose I should be flattered that they like my voice and style enough to copy my songs. Let’s just hope I get a chance with my new one before someone ‘covers’ that!” (11/05/68)

Love Affair . . . . Saints Or Sinners?

ARRESTED for scaling the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus . . . owning up to not playing on “Everlasting Love” . . . barred from “Time For Blackburn” . . . alleging a smear campaign is being conducted against them . . . that’s the Love Affair, whose tale of trouble makes the Move and Stones as innocuous as “Music While You Work” quintets.

But are the Love Affair law-abiding saints or publicity-mad sinners, whose constant craving for attention has turned sour on them? Do they deserve sympathy for the plain-as-daylight campaign designed to damage their chances of repeating chart fame—or are they five silly boys who got too big for their boots and needed a sound spanking?

The Love Affair’s troubles started by admitting to their non-appearance on “Everlasting Love.” The Eros affair, they freely admit, was a publicity stunt, and what pop group doesn’t try to drum up attention with a well-rehearsed antic?

Reputation

But why own up about the record and risk such irreparable harm to their reputation?

“Emphatically, it was no stunt,” says Mick Jackson. “We cannot explain in print the real reason for owning up, but let’s say it was made pretty plain to us that if we didn’t say it, then someone else would.

“This was proved to be true when we did that Jonathan King show and he told us he knew we hadn’t played and would challenge us on the show. We decided it would be better to own up then, rather than wait and see some Sunday paper do it for us.

“Even before the show went out, members of the production team were ringing up the papers to prepare them for it. So it made great publicity for Jonathan—but the pop industry smeared us as unethical for owning up. Yet it was the pop industry who forced us to admit it.”

Lynton Guest picked up the story. “We hoped people would at least admire us for being honest—but it had the opposite effect, as far as the pop business was concerned. Then Mike Mansfield decided to play safe and jump on the band-wagon.

Follow-up

“We’d like to thank Peter Whitmore, producer of ‘Whistle Stop’ for being the only TV producer who has had us back to promote our follow-up single. Can anybody understand a No. 1 group not being used on their follow-up single? It can never have happened before. The mere fact that we were invited back on ‘Whistle Stop’ surely shows we’re not a lot of monsters.”

For the Love Affair have also alleged that a smear campaign is being conducted against them by another group in the business in which TV producers and ballroom promoters are warned against booking them because of bad manners, trouble-making and poor performances. If they know the identity of the alleged group, why don’t they sue?

Steve Ellis continued: “When no one is prepared to come forward and make a sworn statement, what action can we take? The troubles date back to the early days of ‘Everlasting Love’ when we received an offer which we turned down. Because we did, we made to suffer.”

The campaign has been pretty convincing. “We go up to shake hands with a group and find they walk right through us,” added Steve. Obviously people really believe we’re big-time, precocious little brats, but it’s not true.

“We’re impetuous and full of life, but we’ve never given direct offence to anyone, apart from that one incident. When you jump from obscurity you’re bound to change a bit, but, honestly, we don’t think we’re big-time.”

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

At least Love Affair have not been let down by their fans. They play to packed ballrooms and the proportion of letter from Disc readers complaining about the unfair treatment of Love Affair would startle the Mike Mansfield’s of the business.

One aspect of their affair remains unanswered. Why has not the powerful Harold Davison Organisation, the boys’ agents, not tried to use their influence in earning TV bookings?

Colin Hogg, who books for the boys, told me: “You can’t dictate to producers who they have on their show; you can’t sue anybody unless someone comes forward to name names.”

Victimised

It’s tragic, too, that the pop business, which has always known well that session men are used on records, have victimised Love Affair, without wanting to know any reasons behind the admission on “Everlasting Love.”

If the Love Affair are just “silly little boys,” isn’t it time the pop business grew up as well? (11/05/68)

The MU Ban

TOP British record producers this week lashed out at a decision by the 35,000 – strong Musicians’ Union to ban session musicians from standing in for pop groups.

Mickie Most, who produces records by Lulu and Donovan: “I can’t believe why the Union are putting their own members out of work.

Tony Macauley, Pye record producer of records by Foundations and Long John Baldry: “As a result of this American products will beat British cover versions into the charts.

Mike Smith, the man who made “Everlasting Love” with the Love Affair: “This is going to lose a lot of useful and lucrative work for a section of their members.”

Union criticism three weeks ago of the Love Affair’s admission that apart from singer Steve Ellis, sessionmen were used on “Everlasting Love” came to a head this week.

After a four-day meeting of the 19-strong MU Executive Committee, General Secretary Hardie Ratcliffe Issued the following statement:

“The Union National Executive have today adopted a Code of Fair Practice to be presented to the gramophone recording industry for agreement.

“Pending discussions with the industry we think it would be improper to give details of the Code except to say that some parts of it are designed to bring an end to what has been described as ghosting — the practice of using highly-skilled freelance session musicians to stand in for those members of pop groups who are unable to do the work themselves.

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

“A separate Code of Fair Practice will be presented to the ITV companies and to the BBC with a view to regulating the manner in which special records are used by pop groups and certain artists in radio and TV productions.”

First to hit back was Mickie Most, record producer, who first clashed over the “ghost” question with Hardie Ratcliffe on TV. Said Most this week: “I think the whole thing is childish—when half the world’s at war and the other half is starving to death, why worry about who’s playing a drum on a record? The Union must have nothing better to do. I can’t believe why it is putting its own members out of work.”

Adds Tony Macauley: “The first people to suffer from this will be the sessionmen. But sessionmen have been used in the past, not because the groups can’t play, but because it’s an economy measure—to save time.

What will happen is that American producers will beat British cover versions into the charts. For the last couple of years we have been able to keep the American versions at bay. Now I can see the British version being too late.

Cover versions

“Cover versions are an important part of the business, although I don’t like them too much myself.”

Says Mike Smith: “This is going to lose a lot of useful and lucrative work for a section of the MU members and it looks as though we might have to go back to the glorious system of working on the Continent again.

“I don’t want to interfere in matters of MU policy, but this is an unwarranted intrusion into our business. We employ MU members; we aren’t here for their benefit.”

Says record producer John Burgess: ” At the moment, the MU statement is a black and white thing and as it stands I can foresee difficulties.

“The thing needs more clarification. For example, if I go into the studio with a voice and rhythm track and want to add brass, will the musicians refuse to do it?”

On the other hand, Tony Secunda, manager of the Move and Procol Harum, says: “The ban is a very good idea. It had to come.”

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

“In the past ten years, pop music has matured, grown up. The standard of the average pop musician today is high enough not to have someone else playing for him.

“If pop musicians can’t play, they shouldn’t record—otherwise they’re cheating the public.

“This ban will help strengthen the case for pure talent and make for a better scene.”

Says Beatles press officer Tony Barrow: “We are not worried about the ban. It does not affect the Beatles or any of the artists we handle.

“Session musicians used on Beatles recordings are used to augment the Beatles’ own instrumental line-up. Often the Beatles themselves ‘augment’ by providing their own double or treble-tracking effects.

“For instance, on their new single, ‘Lady Madonna,’ Paul not only plays bass guitar, he is also
heard playing piano.

Sessionmen

“The session was also augmented by four sax players. There never would be any question of sessionmen actually playing for the Beatles, or replacing them.”

Says a spokesman for EMI Records: “This ban will not affect any EMI artists. The sound heard on records by any of our groups, including the Beatles, Hollies and Shadows, is their own sound.

“We employ session musicians, naturally, to back our solo artists, but all our recording groups are quite competent to cut their own records.”

Says the BBC: “Ever since the MU banned miming in July, 1966, we have had an agreement with the MU not to permit the miming of commercial records on our programmes.

“Groups appearing live on Top Of The Pops play with the studio accompanying orchestra and simulate the sound of their hit record as closely as possible. But they may record the number earlier for showing on the programme. This is permissible.

“We have not yet heard from the Union on this latest ruling, but if they tell us it will be only a matter of formality, as the no-miming agreement is already in force.”

No Comment

Says ITV: “Until we receive the letter from the MU and consider it, we can make no comment.”

Session trumpeter Leon Calvert says: “The ban would hardly affect brassmen—it would apply more to guitarists, drummers, or bass players.

“I think it would have been a good idea to pay royalties or more money to sessionmen who do stand in for members of groups because I don’t think people should take credit for someone else’s playing, but I don’t like the idea of anything being banned.

“I would like to see negotiations that might bring sessionmen who stand in more money for solo work.”

Bill Eyden, drummer who actually played on Procol Harum‘s world hit, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale,” says: “I’m in favour of the ban. But I don’t think it will worry sessionmen, as a lot of them can earn from between £100 to £200 a week anyway.”

Footnote on the whole uproar is provided by the group that triggered it off. Love Affair co-manager Sidney Bacon told MM this week:

“I think the ban will be a good thing. Perhaps the groups will now get the £9 10s session fee! I suppose we are responsible for this in a way because we brought it out into the open — although the union had known it has been going on for years. But they were caught with their pants down and felt they had to do something.

“We didn’t plan to do certain musicians out of work by this. We didn’t think that it would go this far, but we have to play it the way it’s gone.” (MM 09/03/68)

LOVE AFFAIR: April release

THE Love Affair’s follow-up single to Everlasting Love” is titled “Rainbow Valley” and will be released on April 5. The B side is “Someone Like Me” written and produced by the group and the record label also credits the Keith Mansfield orchestra.

The group’s proposed May tour with the Small Faces has been cancelled. Instead, they will undertake a month long tour of Top Rank ballrooms starting at Reading on May 1. The rest of the towns on the tour are: Birmingham (3); Bristol (6); Brighton (8); Sunderland (10); Cardiff (13); Watford (15); Preston (17); Southampton (20); Croydon (22); Leicester (24); Henley (27); Sheffield (29); Plymouth (31); Swansea (June 5) and Doncaster (7).

Singer Steve Ellis was taken ill before an appearance at Tottenham’s Royal ballroom last Friday with stomach pains. He was taken to hospital but doctors could find nothing wrong. He later returned to the ballroom and went on stage. (MM 23/03/68)

Love Affair Midas touch in reverse

THEY say all publicity is good publicity. And the case of the Love Affair seems to prove the point. Few groups have been subjected to such an impassioned stream of invective, abuse, condemnation and criticism as the Love Affair when it was revealed that four members of the group did not in fact play on their first hit ” Everlasting Love.”

Storm

But they’ve weathered the storm—their second release, recorded in front of an invited press audience, entered the MM Pop 30 last week. “Rainbow Valley” has put the Love Affair back into the limelight.

Love Affair’s Mick Jackson, a pleasant, articulate Bradfordian, said this week: “At first we didn’t worry too much when the story about us not playing came out. We announced it ourselves because there were rumours about it in the business and we heard a Sunday newspaper was going to blow the story.

“Then the thing escalated and people all over the place started slagging us. We got to regard it as a terrible nuisance. Every time we opened a paper, there was someone having a go at the Love Affair.

“I think one of the worst things about it was that people didn’t regard us as a group—they weren’t prepared to find out what talent we had—or whether we had any. I remember when we were banned from the Tony Blackburn TV show, people said it was a publicity stunt—as if any group WANTS to be banned from television. That’s the only plug medium there is.”

Relief

But the Love Affair affair had its repercussions. Usually when a group has a number one, they are booked for most of the TV shows when their follow-up is issued. “The only TV show we had for ‘Rainbow Valley’ was Whistle Stop,” said Mick, “We are relieved that it has started to move without any promotion, although I think we are going to do a Top of the Pops soon. We don’t regard it as a hit yet, but it’s a relief for us to see it in the charts.”

Strangely, the fans stuck with the group. They had no problems on gigs. Pop fans aren’t as fickle as some people imagine, it seems.

“I think the thing we feel most about all the bad publicity we had was that it was unfair for people to think we had it made from the start. We didn’t. We did all the things that a new group does—we starved and played all the low-price gigs. We didn’t have success on a plate as a lot of people are saying. The bad publicity did at least get our name really known, al-though we last a lot of prestige because of it.”

Delay

Mick said the long delay between singles was not because they wanted to let the “Everlasting Love” row die down.

“Not all all. We didn’t want to saturate the market. I think you have to be careful not to release records too quickly or people get fed up with you.

“I think we learned a lot from the experience. It was un-canny. We seemed to have a sort of Midas touch in reverse, if the Hollies will excuse the pun. Everything we did crumbled to bad publicity. (MM 18/05/68)

Love Affair Feel Jilted

THE former £3 17s. a week apprentice electrician sat in his dressing-room thinking unprintable thoughts about sonic young gentlemen who had just given the Love Affair the worst reception of their career.

He felt dejected, unloved, scorned, and most of all, insulted. The reason he felt so bad was that he was Steve Ellis, the group’s lead singer.

“I’m choked,” he said in a fed up sort of whisper. “This is the first time it’s happened to us.”

For a group that has had to put up with so much adverse publicity in so short a time, the Love Affair are a pretty happy group. But when an audience start having a go at them, they show their feelings.

Jeering

The unhappy booing incident took place at Worthing where a large crowd of fans had gathered to listen to and enjoy the group. There was just a small bunch of people who thought it was clever to stand in front of the stage and jeer.

“What did you think of us?” asked guitarist Mick Jackson on the way back to London. “What are people saying about us in the business?”

This is the type of question that members of the group ask now and then. They seem to be searching for confirmation, of their own view that they are not a “fake” group with no merit. They need to hear people say nice things about them.

To me they seemed a pleasant lot who CAN play their instruments and who, given time, will become more confident and realise that the rude mannered few are but a drop in the ocean compared to the real fans.

Ambition

“Actually, all that bad publicity wasn’t adverse because it got us a lot of sympathy,” said Mick earlier. “It could have been any group that said they didn’t play on their record, it just happened to be us.

“We’re not playing tonight, we’re miming to a tape recorder,” he joked earlier, then, in more serious mood, added: “We’re playing on our next record which is better than the last one, anyway.”

If the Love Affair’s next single is a hit, then Steve will be on the way to achieving his ambition—a succession of hits.

“I want us to get a hit record, then another,” he commented when I asked him what he would like to happen to the group eventually.

“Naturally I want to be as big as possible and don’t want to have just a couple of hits then nothing and go back to an eight to six job.”

Slumped

He took a disinterested look at the screaming mass of girls who were doing their best to come through the dressing-room window, then slumped down in his chair and stared at the floor.

“I want to be my own boss. Get security. Not have to take orders,” he explained. “I only had a job for a week before I joined the group. I was an apprentice electrician, a sort of tea boy.”

Nowadays, of course, the Love Affair are in the upper income bracket, but Steve for one doesn’t find that money has brought him unlimited happiness.

“When I go out now, I go out with the group, not with the blokes I used to knock about with. I can’t go with the others because It gets embarrassing with people coming up and asking who I am,” he pointed out.

“Having a hit means I get recognised in the street and people come up and ask for my autograph. I always wanted to be famous. All of a sudden I’ve got a lot of friends, but they’re not real friends most of them.”

Weekly wage

Rising so quickly from a tiny wage to a large one, what, I wondered, did Steve do with all his money.

“Not much,” he replied. “Most of it is banked for us. If we got a percentage of our weekly wage, we’d blow it all in a day!”

Leaving Steve to his misery, I went to the car with Mick. Gangs of girls started yelling and pushing at first sight of us (though I suspect that it was not me they were after) and it took ages to walk a few yards.

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

Safe and snug in the car at last, we set off for London. Until Mick and Lynton Guest decided that a walk round Brighton would be a good idea. Nobody quite knows why it happened but Mick’s comment was: It’ll do you good.

“You must come and see us again on a good night,” he suggested. (NME, 02/03/68)

THE champagne, the food, the decor in the smart London restaurant, and the girls—both waitresses and salesladies—were fine. No complaints.

However, we were there for a purpose and this was made painfully obvious. A firm that makes seductive smells and body-paints under the brand-name of Yardleys was footing the bill and so we had to listen to an extremely comprehensive survey of the splendour’s of the latest Yardley lines from some evidently big-time Yardley pusher. Well, that was O.K. since we were indebted to the company for all the champagne, etc.

But the reason for Record Mirror’s presence at this function was not to acquire nice smells and paints but to hear The Love Affair; the group’s services have been purchased for some weeks by the aforementioned firm.

The idea is that The Love Affair pulls in the crowds and the crowds are then subjected to propaganda plugging cosmetics. So at this launching-party function The Love Affair were scheduled to play.

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

This took some time because after the salesman’s harangue ace promoter Tony Hall got to the microphone and explained how unfair all these attacks on The Love Affair had been. (In case you’re so careless as to have forgotten, the particular “controversy” had concerned the apparently shocking fact that the members of the group had not actually played on the recording session for their hit “Everlasting Love”—there’d been some weird explanation about the boys not having enough time to learn their band parts and so fast-reading session musicians had done the job for them.)

Tony then introduced his very good friend David Symonds, who gave us his somewhat lengthy opinions about the competence and charm of The Love Affair, and about a series of pop-exposing articles that had been printed in a Sunday sheet called The People.

Playing their instruments

Finally, In the end, and at last, we did get a couple of numbers from The Love Affair—aided by three session saxophonists and two sexy lady vocalists. As a result, I can positively reveal, folks, that The Love Affair musicians can ACTUALLY PLAY THEIR ALLOTTED INSTRUMENTS.

Loudly, fervently, and with a certain amount of accuracy. After their impressive demonstration I talked to two of them, Maurice Bacon and Rex Brayley. Were they, I wondered. getting just a little tired of the same old “controversial” subject?

“No, it’s quite good fun.” answered Rex. with agreement from M. “It helps the day go round.”

“Gives us something to talk about.” added Mo. “We’d miss it.”

I observed that their second record. “Rainbow Valley”, wasn’t selling so rapidly EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD, PERSONALLY. PLAYED ON IT. Did this have anything to do with adverse publicity?

“Mostly, it’s been the lack of radio and TV plugs,” answered Rex ‘Everlasting Love’ really made it when we got so many plugs, particularly on Top Of The Pops.”

Savoured Success

“I think there was an anti feeling in the business.” said Mo. “Our record came out at the same time as new ones by The Small Faces and The Herd, and they’ve been on TV five or six times while we’ve only done one.”

Still, it was clear that these problems, looming so large in the minds of T. Hall, D. Symonds and others, were not causing any great loss of sleep among The Love Affair. Until February, they’d been broke. They’d spent six months travelling around Britain, spending their small earnings on clothes and equipment. Since February, they’ve been in the money and have savoured success.

“But it has made little difference to us,” insisted Mo. “I still live on about £6 a week. Our earnings are banked for when we want them and we live off a small allowance. In any case, we don’t have much time for spending. Clothes are our only extravagance and they are part of the job.”

The Love Affair | Rainbow Valley | (CBS) 1968

Said Rex: “Many people think our life must be all girls, booze and money. I used to be a salesman and I’m working much harder than I ever did. We don’t drink, we’ve never taken drugs and we never Intend to.

Mass hysteria can be very exciting, makes us wonder what we’ve got that gets girls fainting and screaming and ripping our clothes. But—and I don’t want this to sound like a hard luck story—it can get very depressing when we’re travelling in the pouring rain.”

“Yes, we often have to go without sleep,” said Mo. “Don’t suppose I shall be in bed tonight until 3 o’clock. Fortunately, we’re all very Young—Rex is the oldest and he’s 19—and this is probably our greatest advantage. We’ve still got the energy to work long and hard.” (David Griffiths, RM 18/05/68)