The British Beat Boom


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Wayne Fontana - vocals (born Glyn Ellis, September 28th 1945, Manchester)

Eric Stewart - guitar (born January 20th 1945, Manchester)

Bib Lang - bass guitar (born January 10th 1946, Manchester)

Ric Rothwell - drums (born March 11th 1944, Manchester)

 

They began as The Jets in 1963 playing R&B covers in Manchester pubs where they were spotted by a Fontana Records talent scout. He signed them and the bands' name was duly changed.

After making a few competent, if not particularly exceptional records, their cover of Major Lance's "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" was their first big hit in the autumn of '64. They followed this with another top ten record "Game Of Love" (65), but from that point they began to suffer from the same problem as many otf their contemporaries - their original material wasn't strong enough.

The partnership broke up in the closing months of 1965, and The Mindbenders immediately struck gold with the beautiful beat ballad "A Groovy Kind Of Love". They reached the top twenty again with "Ashes To Ashes" (66) and made an appearance in the film before disappearing from view, eventually splitting up in 1968.

Fontana too, put out solo records but none of them set the world on fire, his highest placing was No. 11 with "Pamela, Pamela" at the end of '66. This would also be his final chart entry.

 

Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders

Singles

Jun '63

Hello Josephine/Roadrunner

Fontana TF 404

UK#46

Oct '63

For You, For You/Love Potion No. 9

Fontana TF 418

-

Feb '64

Little Darlin'/Come Dance With Me

Fontana TF 436

-

May '64

Stop, Look And Listen/Duke Of Earl

Fontana TF 451

UK#37

Sep '64

Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um/First Taste Of Love

Fontana TF 497

UK#5

Jan '65

The Game Of Love/Since You've Been Gone

Fontana TF 535

UK#2

 Jun '65

Just A Little Bit Too Late/Long Time Comin'

Fontana TF 579

UK#20

Sep '65

She Needs Love/Like I Did

Fontana TF 611

UK#32

 

 

E.P.s

1964

Roadrunner - Young Blood/Roadrunner/Duke Of Earl/Talkin' 'Bout You

Fontana TE 17421

1964

Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um - Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um/First Taste Of Love/Stop, Look And Listen/Too Much Monkey Business

Fontana TE 17435

1965

The Game Of Love - Since You've Been Gone/Game Of Love/She's Got The Power/One More Time

Fontana TE 17449

Jan '66

Walking On Air - Remind My Baby Of Me/Walking On Air/She Needs Love/I'm Qualified

Fontana TE 17453

 

L.P.s

1964

Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders - She's Got The Power/You Don't Know Me/Certain Girl/One More Time/Where Have You Been?/Keep Your Hands Off My Baby/Too Many Tears/Girl I Can't Help It/Cops And Robbers/I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday

Fontana TL 5230

Oct '65

Eric, Rick, Wayne and Bob: It's Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders - Some Other Guy/She's A Rebel/Like I Did/Memphis, Tennessee/It's Just A Little Bit Too Late/The Shadows Know/I Remember Love/Skinny Minnie/Honey And Wine/Hoochie Coochie Man/Please Stay/Long Time Comin'

Fontana TL 5257

 

Wayne Fontana

Singles

Nov '65

It Was Easier To Hurt Her/You Made Me What I Am Today

Fontana TF 642

UK#36

Apr '66

Come On Home/My Eyes Break Out In Tears

Fontana TF 684

UK#16

Aug '66

Goodbye Bluebird/The Sun's So Hot Today

Fontana TF 737

UK#49

Nov '66

Pamela, Pamela/Something Keeps Calling Me Back

Fontana TF 770

UK#11

 

 

L.P.

Sep '66

Wayne One - Fascinating Rhythm/Please Stop The Wedding/My Friend And I/Star Of Eastern Street/My Eyes Break Out In Tears/Come On Home/Always Something There To Remind Me/Entertainer/Perfidia/It Was Easier To Hurt Her/You Made Me What I Am Today/Internal Circle

Fontana TL 5351

 

The Mindbenders

Singles

Dec '65

A Groovy Kind Of Love/Love Is Good

Fontana TF 644

UK#2

Apr '66

Can't Live With You, Can't Live Without You/One Fine Day

Fontana TF 697

UK#28

Jul '66

Ashes To Ashes/You Don't Know About Love

Fontana TF 731

UK#14

Dec '66

I Want Her, She Wants Me/The Morning After

Fontana TF 780

-

 

 

L.P.

Jul '66

The Mindbenders - The Way You Do The Things You Do/Just A Little Bit/Seventh Son/One Fine Day/Tricky Dicky/A Groovy Kind Of Love/Little Nightingale/Don't Cry No More/You Don't Know About Love/Love Is Good/Rockin' Jaybee/All Night Worker

Fontana TL 5324

 

 

Re-issues

1994

The Best Of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders - Game of Love/Stop, Look And Listen/Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um/Since You've Been Gone/Where Have You Been?/ It's Just a Little Bit Too Late/Remind My Baby Of Me/She Needs Love/A Groovy Kind Of Love/Can't Live with You, Can't Live Without You/Ashes To Ashes/Pamela, Pamela/I Want Her, She Wants Me/Off And Running/It's Getting Harder All Of The Time/We'll Talk About It Tomorrow/Far Across Town/My New Day And Age/Schoolgirl/Uncle Joe The Ice Cream Man

Fontana 522666