Like
many bubblegum superstars, Steve Ellis was only a teenage boy when he
was already singing on hit records in the late 1960s. Also like many
other bubblegum artists, on the a-sides the Love Affair was
practically Ellis backed by session musicians. Also, the band had
only one chart-topping hit, Everlasting Love - a song that
definitely deserved the spot! But the Love Affair wasn't a one hit wonder as it had other top 10
hits as well.
However,
the Love Affair wasn't really a bubblegum band. The hit songs were
arranged to appeal to the masses, pretty much like Edison Lighthouse
and others, but on the b-sides the Love Affair was showing a heavier
r&b style. The music is all good, and the distinction between the
a-side and b-side style is quite interesting, as if there were two whole
different bands. There was obviously a difference of opinion
concerning the band's desired image and direction, so Ellis and his
bandmates broke up after only a few years. It seems
that the music business won this round.
In any case, Steve Ellis is a fantastic white soul vocalist. He sound
equally good singing heavenly pop songs like Bringing on Back the
Good Times, Rainbow Valley, and A Day Without Love, as he sounds
singing more bluesy songs like Let Me Know, 60 Minutes (Of Your
Love), and I'm Happy – there is also a great version of Hush.
I
must say, I rarely buy music with such high quality for about £3,50.
There are so many songs that sound like hits that it is almost
exhausting. The blues rock works nicely as a balancing agent.
Check out some cool songs (YouTube):
