Song:The Game Of Love
Album:The Best Of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
The Game Of Love was a number one hit for the British Invasion group Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders in 1965. The lead singer was Glyn Ellis (born Oct. 28, 1945 in Manchester, England). He named himself after Elvis Presley's drummer DJ Fontana. In 1962 he led a group called The Jets. After a failed audition at the Oasis club, Fontana and bassist Bob Lang got together with guitarist Eric Stewart and drummer Ric Rothwell. Stewart was playing with another band but switched when The Mindbenders were offered a contract by Fontana Records. They named themselves The Mindbenders after a 1963 film starring Dirk Bogarde. They didn't seem to have much success at first but finally hit paydirt with the 1965 hit The Game Of Love. It was their first release in the US and topped the charts. The song was written by Clint Ballard Jr. who also wrote She's Not There for The Zombies. So a lot of fans think Ballard must have been related to The Zombies' Russ Ballard. But he was a veteran songwriter from Texas and also wrote You're No Good for Dee Dee Warwick. It's strange that British groups provided his biggest hits. Wayne Fontana left The Mindbenders for a solo career in Oct. 1965 and Stewart took over as lead singer. Fontana didn't have much success but The Mindbenders reached #2 on the singles charts with Groovy Kind Of Love in 1967. This comp has all their hits. Fontana continued to record but never had much success. He still performs today. The Mindbenders split in 1968 and Eric Stewart became partners with Graham Gouldman and they started 10cc, one of the best bands of the 70s. Here's Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders performing The Game Of Love at the NME Awards 1965.
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