THE LOVE AFFAIR – "Everlasting Love"

For me this record sums up the hedonistic late 60s beautifully. The urgent bass & lovely brass stabs borrowed from Motown similar to McCartneys Got To Get You Into My Life. I don’t agree with the boy band analogy though. They all played instruments and gigged as a band. The fact that they were very young (average age 17) probably meant the record company would have insisted on experienced musicians in the studio probably to reduce recording time and ensure quality. This was pretty standard practice in the sixties for a lot of ‘pop’ bands.

I used to know Steve Ellis’s niece and nephew! What a claim to fame!

‘It hit number one and the band were hearththrobs for a year, then vanished. Perfect.’

Bet they didn’t feel the same way about it…

It seems to me that a lot of British “boy-bands” (to use that anachronism) appeared around this time (Love Affair, the Herd, Amen Corner, etc.) and did moderately well for a brief spell in the UK but never made any impression in the US. Perhaps this had something to do with the transition among the more notable recording artists from an emphasis on singles to LPs. Most of the bands who focused on Top 40 singles throughout the late 60s and early 70s were quite ephemeral in the long run, the Jackson 5 being the possible exception (for better or worse).

I’ve heard the song hundreds of times (by, it would seem, as many artists), but I’m left wondering whether I’ve actually ever heard the Love Affair version. Possibly not. Still, the song itself is great pop stuff and, in its way, an “everlasting” song.

About an hour ago I heard “Everlasting Love” (version by godknowswho) on television. It was being used to sell potato chips.

I HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS SONG. Wait, I just went to Youtube, so now I’m hearing it. Sounds too gruffly StaxVolt for boyband. Kinda makes me think of pseudofreak pop bands like Friend And Lover (“I think it’s so groovy now that people are finally getting together”) deciding to go soul. And also as soon as he goes into the “Open up my eyes” bit I realize I’ve heard this song before but it must have been a cover version, or some group like the Supremes lifting that melodic bit on an otherwise different song, or something. Also, this is pretty good.

But anyway, I’m posting to object to the idea that whether or not you play your own instruments is a particularly important issue in whether or not you’re a boyband. (Like, the teenybopper audience knows when the first hear it that you’re not playing your own instruments, and that’s why they get all swoony over you). Has more to do with whether you sound like a boyband, surely.)

Isn’t the biggest factor whether you look like a boyband, though?

Trouble is boyband is a derogatory term which effectively means you are a muppet of the pop industry – you were put together by someone else, you don’t write your own songs or play instruments on your own records. Strictly it should only be used about the more recent trend of putting boy singers/dancers together in a ‘fake band’ but The Monkees are quite commonly thrown in as the first band to be ‘created’. I don’t agree with this as they were created with a TV audience in mind not records. Boybands weren’t really an entity until the 90s. So LA definitely do not qualify.

Isn’t the biggest factor whether you look like a boyband, though?

Would be embarrassing if you turned out to be girls, for instance. But anyway, fans of *NSync and Backstreet Boys in the years 1997 through 2001 probably didn’t use “boyband” as a derogatory term, either. That’s just my guess, mind you.

I think young Trevor Horn must have listened long and hard to that drum break near the end…

According to Clem Cattini it was session player, Russ Stableford, playing a fender bas, who did the memorable bass lines on Everlasting Love

Hey, my father-in-law played with Love Affair as the bassist at some point in the band’s history. I don’t know all the details and I would really like to find out some for my husband. Does anyone have any info on Robin Boyle?

This is Russell Stablefords wife and grandson. Well spotted Bramble, Russell Stableford was the bassist on ‘Everlasting Love’. Nice to see somebdy know’s their stuff, since other sites credit the bassline to Herbie Flowers. If my Grandmother’s memory serves her correctly, all the session musicians arrived, and all they had to work with was the song, no music. As it was a long time ago she’s not 100% sure of the details of this, but if she is correct i think it goes to show the amazing talent of all the musicians who worked on this song to make it one of those legendary songs time wont forget.

Hi. This is Herbie Flowers. I’ve just found this great site regarding ‘Everlasting Love’ by The Love Affair. Can I make it clear that dear Russ Stableford played the memorable bass line on this recording. How my name was attached to it I’ve no idea. Russ was mainly responsible for helping me get ‘on the circuit’ by getting me to occasionally dep for him on gigs with Ray McVay & the like. That was after the work he did for Love Affair. I am eternally grateful to him for that. Probably Russ played on many many more hits than he is credited for. His sound is so distinctive, as was his gentle manner. He certainly played on many Serge Gainsburg records too to no acclaim. How I wish that record companies who claim not to have kept a history of who played on what would come clean, dig in their files and help truth be known. There is now a scheme called PAMRA that holds a little money for those musicians who actually played on loads of classic recordings. Seems such a shame others are getting it. God blesses you forever, Russ.

Interesting single to say the least,especially because of the number of cover. didn’t robert knight do the original (& rainbow valley)
A Kind of british version of Motown, together with a singer that sounds identical to Felix Cavaliere (the young rascals)

hi can some1 please tell me how i can get a copy of this record and has it got everlasting love on it thanks my email address is

simikate2004@yahoo.co.uk thanks xxxx

This was the original “pub singer” song, surely?

It always comes back to me as fat bloke with a pint and a mic going “Heart gooes astrayyyyy, giving hurrrrrr when they goinnnnnnnn….”

What, and they were all hits in January? Blimey, that’s one heck of a christmas pub stayback!

Glad to say, I think I’ve heard it once, but that’s all.

The love affair and Steve Ellis were my hearthrobs for 37 years.Imet them at Top Rank in Leicester,all them years ago,and ill never forget…..xxxxx