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Formed in Manchester in 1963, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders had several hits together and separately. Their first two hits together (Hello Josephine, Stop look and listen) made only a limited impact but they followed them with a cover of Um um um um um (Major Lance), which made the UK top five. Next came Game of love, which made number two in the UK and also became a major international hit. The follow-up (Just a little too late) only just made the UK top twenty while the one after that (She needs love) was only a minor hit. After that, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders went their separate ways.

Wayne Fontana had four UK hits of his own (It was easier to hurt her, Come on home, Goodbye bluebird, Pamela Pamela) but none of them made the UK top ten although Pamela Pamela (written by Graham Gouldman, who eventually helped form 10cc) only just missed while Come on home also made the top twenty. You may recognize It was easier to hurt her - Dusty Springfield recorded it as It was easier to hurt him.

The Mindbenders (who included Eric Stewart, another founder member of 10cc) also had four hits of their own, but one of them was a major international hit. That hit (A groovy kind of love) was originally offered to Lesley Gore (famous for It's my party) but although Lesley was keen to record the song, her management blocked the plan, saying it didn't quite fit her image. So the Mindbenders were allowed to record the song, which made number two in the UK. Their three other UK hits included a cover of The letter (Box tops) as well as Ashes to ashes (a top twenty hit) and Can't live with you can't live without you.

This excellent compilation includes all the aforementioned hits plus six other great songs. If you enjoy British pop music of the mid-sixties, you might find this collection worth listening to.

Manchester, England is the home of, most notably, The Hollies, but also of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders. Here is another good collection of singles from the original band and recordings made separately after Fontana split from the group. "The Game of Love" is one of the great beat classics, with its terrific drum & bass intro. "A Groovy Kind of Love" is still a knockout of a ballad, even though it typecast the band (to their dismay) in that direction. Fontana solo came up with interesting material on occasion, such as Graham Gouldman's "Pamela Pamela" (included here) and "The Impossible Years" (unfortunately left off this package, as well as others). However, a single CD "best of" is still inadequate, as the band's high-energy debut LP needs to be represented in its entirety on CD. Their 2nd (and last) LP together was mostly a listless affair, so that one is no great loss. But until we get a more thorough compilation (with some of the good B-sides as well, such as Fontana's "The Sun's So Hot Today"), this latest release will have to do.

A well-stocked anthology of this 1960s UK band including their two mega-hit, "Groovy Kind of Love" & "Game of Love", along with some lesser UK and US singles. Curiously omitted, though, is the punchy "It's Getting Harder All the Time", the number the Mindbenders performed as the dance band in the film "To Sir with Love".

Living in the Netherlands was no problem for a quick delivery.