Customer Reviews

The Best of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A generously-stocked and well-put-together anthology of an underrated 1960s UK band. The two mega-hits are here (Game of Love & Groovy Kind of Love), along with the lesser UK and US singles and "It's Getting Harder All the Time", the number the Mindbenders performed as the dance band in the film "To Sir With Love". Definitely worth seeking out.

This CD is definitely worth having in your collection if you enjoy the British 60s sound. "The Game of Love" is considered by many to date to be a classic. I'm also partial to "It's Getting Harder All the Time" as well as several other songs in this collection.

Sadly I had this CD stolen along with a lots of other. I then discovered this one had been deleted so had to go out and get it as used. Of course there are other Wayne F/Mindbender compilations out there, but this is the ultimate collection. Stunning 60's riffs, two timeless classics. I'm pleased to say I have now got this back in my collection, resisting temptation to go out and replace it with one of the more recent compilations which pale in comparison.

Unusual that all the selections are so good--I usually have to fast forward a few songs here and there on these kinds of compilations. Not so with Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders. Definitely a staple in my collection.

A little bit disappointing when you consider they did that wonderful song, "It's Getting Harder All of the Time" from To Sir with Love (Not included on this collection, or my rating would be higher).

Wayne Fontana has a great, versatile voice that can adapt itself to any style the group covers, and they seem capable enough to contend with the likes of the Zombies, the Beatles, etc. The problem here is that the songs, more often than not seem over the top, and the desperate calculation to get a hit single is often behind them. Okay, so when it works, it works beautifully, but discomfort is painfully obvious on a lot of these recordings. Hate to rain on your parades, because I do think they merit undeniable worth.

Best of the bunch: "The Game of Love:" Come on now, that's just infectious oldies fun.

"Pamela, Pamela:" Nice, moody, folk rock nostalgia piece.

"It Was Easier to Hurt Her:" Fontana sings the heck out of this in an Elvis type fashion and, though it's an intentionally big record, it works beautifully.

"Something Keeps Calling Me Back:" Such great blue-eyed soul, well, it indeed does keep calling me back.

"The Words of Bartholomew:" Folk rock meets psychedelia alternately, like observing a high tension tennis game. Excellent!

"She Needs Love:" Great commercial beat song that's always fun to hear.

"Long Time Comin':" What is this, 1964? All that's missing is a high-pitched "Woooooo!" LOL

"Like I Did:" Like this very much for the hook and low-key acoustics. It is handled just right.

"Uncle Joe the Ice Cream Man:" Easily my favorite song on the collection. Fun because it makes the humdrum seem psychedelically hip, and yet it could easily appeal to a small child at the same time.

Worst of the bunch: "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um:" Come on, how do you request this song live in a crowded room?

"A Groovy Kind of Love:" I hate any song where "groovy" isn't used sarcastically, and never even liked it anyway.

"Storybook Children:" It has nothing to do with the Mindbenders personally. This is just plainly a horrible song.

"Schoolgirl:" Tries too hard to be cosmically hip and fails miserably.

Most unforgivable track? Know my reviews and know who I love? Their forced-at-gunpoint-sounding, washing-machine-fritzed thumping version of the elegant and charming Zombies song "I Want Her She Wants Me." Rod Argent, who penned the tune, also hates it, so there! How could you treat such a charming song in such a sloppy and lax fashion?

Anyway, this is somewhat good, somewhat not so good, but I won't say I wasted my money either. After all, Herman's Hermits didn't do a thing to merit credibility. The Mindbenders aren't the best of 60s Brit rock, but they are definitely worth a listen.

Mention a U.K. source for the best of the British Invasion groups and chances are, most will respond Liverpool. But other cities were just as well represented, such as Manchester which produced, among others, The Mindbenders.

The organizer was one Glynn Ellis, born there on October 28, 1945. Like a lot of British R&R stars he began doing skiffle with a group called The Velfins and in the early 1960s progressed to pop/R&R with The Jets. While playing at the Oasis Club in Manchester Ellis was approached by a scout for Philips/Fontana Records and asked to appear for an audition before a live audience.

That day, however, just he and his bass player, Bob Lang, turned up so Ellis drafted the services of two friends in the audience, guitarist Eric Stewart and drummer Ric Rothwell. After cobbling together a few tunes they all knew they were offered a contract - but under what name? One of the band members had just seen the Dirk Bogarde film The Mind Benders, so that became the group's name, while Ellis, adopting the record label's name for his own, became Wayne Fontana.

Their debut single was a cover of Bo Diddley's Roadrunner [not here] which did fairly well in the U.K., but their big break came with another cover, this time of the Major Lance North American hit, Um, Um,Um, Um, Um, Um [track 3] which hit the # 2 slot in the U.K. In 1964 their first crack at The Game Of Love did not do well, but a re-release early in 1965 brought them forcefully to the attention of North American audiences when it shot to # 1 Billboard Hot 100 b/w One More Time.

Several months later It's Just A Little Bit Too Late missed the Billboard Pop Hot 100 Top 40 by a hair, settling in at # 45 with Long Time Comin' as the flipside. Both hits were billed to Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders. Fontana then left the group that October to pursue a solo career and had several hits in the U.K., the best being Pamela, Pamela in 1966 [# 11].

So, when A Groovy Kind Of Love went all the way to # 2 Hot 100 in June 1966 [b/w Love Is Good] they were billed simply as The Mindbenders. The only things keeping it from the # 1 spot were a pair of tunes called Paint It, Black and Paperback Writer by two other British groups known as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

The last NA charter for the group then came in September 1966 when Ashes To Ashes levelled off at # 55 Hot 100 b/w You Don't Know About Love. Following an appearance in the 1967 film To Sir With Love, the group disbanded. Stewart later formed the group Hotlegs with which he had several U.K. hits, but only one [Neanderthal Man - # 22 Hot 100 in 1970] in the U.S. Later, however, as 10cc, they would chalk up another nine North American Hot 100 hits, three of which also made the Adult Contemporary charts.

This is currently one of the better offerings for the hits of this underrated British group, although by leaving off all four flipsides of their North American hits Polygram lost one star with this reviewer.

This would have been even better IF ONLY they had included The first great single .. 'Roadrunner' (Bo Diddley cover) and 'Hello Josephine' (Fats Domino cover)hence we lose a star .Wayne was /is a great performer , I saw them when it was Wayne Fontana and the Jets. I would often run into him at the "Toggery" in Stockport where we would all be buying our pink tab collar shirts ,and a new pair of winklepickers, to go with our new leather Vest (waistcoat)

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