Song:A Groovy Kind Of Love
Album:The Very Best of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders
Most music fans should be familiar with the 1965 chart topper The Game Of Love by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders. They scored a second hit after Fontana left to go solo. They were then called The Mindbenders. Wayne Fontana founded The Mindbenders in 1963 with Bob Lang, Ric Rothwell and Eric Stewart. Graham Foote joined soon after. They went on tour after The Game Of Love topped the charts. Fontana left during the tour to go solo. He recorded a couple of albums but did not score any hits. Fontana faded into obscurity and he still tours the oldies circuit in England. Meanwhile, Stewart took over as lead singer of The Mindbenders. As a trio, The Mindbenders recorded the 1966 album The Mindbenders. When A Groovy Kind Of Love reached #2 on the British singles chart, Fontana Records released the album in the US as A Groovy Kind Of Love. The single reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by veteran songwriters Toni Wine and Carole Bayer when both were teens. Toni says they wrote it in 20 minutes. She says Carole came up with the "Groovy kinda" hook and it wrote itself. It was not a hit when Diane & Annita recorded it in 1965. Screen Gems Music London manager Jack McGraw pitched the song to Stewart and the rest is history. That was the final big hit for The Mindbenders. They recorded two albums as a trio. Stewart used this to develop his songwriting skills. Just before The Mindbenders split up in 1968, Lang was replaced by Graham Gouldman. Stewart and Gouldman would go on to form 10cc with Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. You can get all of The Mindbenders hit with and without Wayne Fontana on this budget comp. Here's The Mindbenders performing Groovy Kind Of Love 1966.
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