Sometimes a song
achieves greatness by perfectly defining the era in which it was
produced. And sometimes the band producing that song is eclipsed by
its brilliance and fails to register a longevity that ever matches
the song's appeal. The Kingsmen's Louie Louie is one such example,
and Wayne Fontana and the Mind Benders' The Game of Love is another.
As the great American rock critic Lester Bangs said: ''Wayne Fontana
and the Mind Benders may have been a one-shot group, but what a
shot.'' ( The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll)
The Game of Love had a further kinship with Louie Louie, combining
its chording with Fontana's wailing, velvety vocals. It became an
instant classic. It also stood head and shoulders above anything
else the band produced.
Wayne Fontana was christened the more mundane Glyn Geoffrey Ellis,
and changed his name in homage to Elvis Presley's drummer DJ
Fontana, while his backing band took their moniker from a horror
film of the same name starring Dirk Bogarde.
They got their first big break at the Oasis, where Fontana Records
producer Jack Baverstock saw enough potential to sign them, despite
a disastrous performance. Their first minor hit was Hello Josephine
in 1963. Like many beat bands of the era, they specialised in
serving up revamped R'n'B covers, achieving a breakthrough with soul
singer Major Lance's Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um. This, their fifth
release, charted at number five. But it was their next release The
Game Of Love, which earned the band a prominent place in the Sixties
pop pantheon.
The song narrowly failed to reach Number One, but proved a
slow-burner, gathering momentum after its release. Spearheading the
Manchester contingent in the British Invasion of the States, the
band gained instant success with The Game of Love netting the Number
One spot.
The peerless The Game of Love, predictably, proved a tough act to
follow. And a succession of minor hits followed such as Just A
Little Bit Late and She Needs Love.
In 1965, Wayne left the group and embarked on a solo career which
similarly, bar hits Come On Home and Pamela, Pamela, failed to
deliver consistent success. After retiring from music in the early
70s, Wayne makes occasional appearances on the revivalist circuit.
The Mindbenders - minus Wayne - gained another Stateside hit with
Groovy Kind Of Love, and a British hit Ashes to Ashes, before a
string of flops led to them calling it a day in 1968.
The song The Game of Love has been used in countless Hollywood
movies, most memorably Good Morning Vietnam, and looks set to be,
sadly, better known than the band that recorded it.
Wayne Fontana - born
Glyn Geoffrey Ellis (vocals)
Eric Stewart (guitar)
Bob Lang (bass)
Ric Rothwell (drums)
With thanks to :: Manchester
On Line
|
