Time for Action from band who led mod revival
A band which led the mod revival is bringing its nostalgic sound to Ayr.
Secret Affair will be performing on Saturday, February 18, at Ayr Town Hall.
Secret Affair, comprising Ian Page, Dave Cairns, Dennis Smith and Seb Shelton, formed in 1978 from their previous incarnation as the ‘ power pop’ band New Hearts.
In just over two years, they posted five releases in the UK Singles Chart, and released three albums.
The debut single, Time For Action, sold over 200,000 copies and reached number 13 in the UK chart, putting them at the forefront of the mod revival movement. More chart success followed with Let Your Heart Dance, My World and Sound Of Confusion.
In 1979 Page and Cairns enlisted the services of bassist Dennis Smith, drummer Seb Shelton and saxophone player Dave Winthrop. From their very first gig, opening for The Jam at Reading University in February 1979
Secret Affair were soon signed to Arista Records & formed their own label, I- Spy Records. After Time For Action charted it was soon followed by Let Your Heart Dance, My World and Sound Of Confusion.
Their first two albums, Glory Boys ( December 1979) and Behind Closed Doors ( September 1980), with its more complex orchestrated arrangements, proved successful and in their first year Secret Affair regularly appeared on Top Of The Pops, and were cover stars of many UK music magazines, including New Musical Express, Sounds and Smash Hits.
The mod movement that had swept Secret Affair into the pop charts had all but evaporated by mid 1980, and after the release of the band’s second album, drummer Shelton quit to join the “Come On Eileen” era Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
Secret Affair regrouped, recruiting ex- Advertising drummer Paul Bultitude and embarked on a lengthy tour of the United States, before returning in late 1981 with their final chart hit, Do You Know? One more single followed, Lost In The Night, before the release of Business As Usual, an album that saw the band return to the rock- soul fusion of their earlier work.
A night of musical nostalgia awaits, with support on the night from the Seaside Sons and the 6Ts Scenes.
Tickets are £ 18, available from www. ruthlessartistes. co. uk.