SECRET AFFAIR

The Introduction Page....

 

Discography

Gig List

The Glory Boys

Read What The Press Said

Promotional & Press Photographs

Tour Memorabilia

   Time for action

   Let your heart dance

          My World

    Sound Of Confusion
        Do You Know
     Lost In The Night

         Glory Boys           

  Behind Closed Doors

     Business As Usual

 

 

Looking Back 

The idea for this project was sparked by the Ian Page interview in the Scootering magazine promoting Mods Mayday 99. It rekindled teenage memories of hanging out with the Ormskirk Mods.

Happy memories of the youth club discos. Mod night’s at the Mayflower Pub in Liverpool. Southport, and Morecombe scooter rallies.

 To me Secret Affair were the definitive Mod band, they had the attitude, the clothes, the music, the Suss. They were the only band to rival The Jam and while no one could touch Weller’s Mod credentials, Bruce and Rick never quite cut it with me. Of Course The Jam were the darlings of the music press and Secret Affair got nothing but begrudging acknowledgement at best and more usually disdain. I wanted to put the record straight, to acknowledge what a great band Secret Affair were and are. Ian Page interviewed by Chris Bohn in Melody Maker said of mod “I’m not saying whether it’s important or not, I’m not giving it worth – that comes from the dedication of the people following it”. That Secret Affair are still held in great esteem by their dedicated followers 28 years later answers all the bile of the then so called music critics and media.

 In telling their story I also touch on other key bands and events, in particular Squire and Mods Mayday. Both are integral parts of the story with Squire being signed to I Spy Records and The Bridge House being Secret Affairs residency venue. I make no apologies for these digressions.

 This project started as a personal ambition to add to my scrap book, but turned into an obsession to find out all I could about my favourite band. It was never meant for publication so I did not bother about plagiarism my only sources were books, magazines, press cuttings etc. I’m too shy to personally interview the band and modest enough to know my limited literary skills are not enough to cut it as an author. As the project has grown and become comprehensive in nature I’ve begun to believe in it as something unique which others would appreciate and enjoy. Therefore my ambition has become to be able to share the project with a wider audience than family and friends. I trust my various sources will appreciate the spirit of this project and realise that those who read it will then want to check out the original material and the context of the quotes. I’ve tried to identify all sources but regretfully many scrap book cuttings did not identify the author or publication, if I’ve missed anyone out please accept my apology and contact me so the omission can be rectified.

 The project was started in 1999 but has gone through many redrafts following the collection of new information.  The first draft was based upon a collage of edited quotations from various interviews and was completed prior to Chris Hunts excellent sleeve notes for the Captain Mods compact discs. I thrust a photocopy of this initial draft into the hands of a bemused Ian Page when I saw The Affair play Accrington Town Hall 04.08.2000. The Captain Mod sleeve notes where then incorporated into the project correcting and elaborating on its content.

 Some interviews date from the period described, others are recollections.  In an attempt to maximise information and tell the story in the band members own words many quotations from different sources have been edited together to give a conversational style.  Any grammatical errors are therefore the editors.  Whilst every effort has been made to maintain accuracy, the source material has been on the whole secondary.  Any historical inaccuracy therefore also lies with the project editor. As the editor I have made every effort to keep to the spirit of the ideas expressed and the context accurate, free of any distortion. Hopefully I’ve maintained objectivity throughout but if anyone feels miss quoted or misrepresented please accept my apologies, and again please contact me to rectify the inaccuracy.

 A special thanks to Chris Bull from Chesterfield without whose help this project would not have been accomplished.  Chris generously shared his many music magazines and paper cuttings, supplementing the editors own scrap book collection. I would also like to give my deepest thanks to Dizzy from Detour Records who has agreed to the project being placed on The Bored Teenagers Website.

 Phil Culshaw

Phil Culshaw & Dave Cairns

 

Source Material

 

Sounds 26th April 1980

Sounds 4th October 1980

Zani May 2009 Ian Page Interview

Chris Hunt's CD sleeve notes New Hearts; A Secret Affair

Record Mirror, James Parade, Secret Affair Live at the Music Machine Review

Sounds, 09.06.1979, ‘Mods Without Parks: Secret Affair’, unknown author

Sounds, ‘Mod the Story So Far’, unknown author

Sounds, Gary Bushell, Mods Mayday 79 review

NME 21.07.1979, P Archer, ‘What Else Could The Affair be but a Secret?’

NME 21.07.1979, ‘Secret Affair Live at the Marquee’

NME 04.08.1979, Adrian Thrills, ‘Punk Is Dead Shock Claim by Rising Mod Stars’

Melody Maker 25.08.1979, Chris Bohn, ’The Glory Boys & the New Narcissism: Ready Steady Goes Live’

NME 25.08.1979, ‘It’s a Mans Life in the Glory Boys’

Smash Hits 20.09.1979-03.10.1979

NME 29.09.1979, ‘Stripey Blazers are back’

Maximum Speed Fanzine No. 9 November 1979 Dave Cairns Interview, Glory Boys LP review

NME 17.11.1979, ‘Fly Away 70’s Fly Away Punk, Come Back 80’s Come Back Mod’

Melody Maker 08.03.1980, Chris Bohn, ‘Big Mouth Talk Sense’

The Face 1980, Mike Stand, ‘Where Are The Glory Boys Now?’

Melody Maker 27.09.1980, Carol Clerk, ‘Opening Closed Doors’

Sunday Telegraph Magazine Supplement feature ‘Mods’, Author unknown

Melody Maker, Carol Clerk, Business As Usual LP review

NME 13.02.1982, Gavin Martin, ‘Clandestine Removals of the past’

Sounds 1982, John Opposition, ‘Time for Reaction, Secret Affair live at The Venue

Secret Affair Out in the Open 1982, Unknown author/publication

In The Crowd Fanzine No.8 Squire Interview Part 1

In The Crowd Fanzine No.9 Squire Interview Part 2

In The Crowd Fanzine ‘Anthony Meynell Gives Us the Low Down On HiLo’

Chris Hunt ‘The Real Beat Concerto’ Sleeve Notes Squire Singles LP HiLo records

Alex Ogg, Secret Affair Live at the Bridge Sleeve Notes 1997 Receiver Records

John Reed, On Target, 20 Direct Hits from the mod revival, Sleeve notes 1997

Scootering Feb/March 1999 ‘New Page New Chapter’

 Mods Mayday 99 Official Programme

Scootering June 1999 Mods Mayday Review

Mod A Very British Phenomenon, Terry Rawlings, Omnibus Press 2000, Eddie Piller Interview

www.theaffair.f2s.com Ian Page Interview 2000

www.mod-ernworld.com

http://PunkModPop

www.punksinparkas.com

www.modawayoflife.co.uk

MARCHOFTHEMODS@groups.msm.com

Chris Hunt, Secret Affair Glory Boys Sleeve notes, Captain Mod Records 2001

Chris Hunt, Secret Affair, Behind Closed Doors Sleeve notes, Captain Mod Records 2001

Chris Hunt, Secret Affair Business As Usual Sleeve notes, Captain Mod Records 2001

www.mohairsweets.mb.ca/interviewspages/dave-cairns

www.Sohostrut.co.uk/sa.dcinterview2002

Paul Robinson, Dave Porter, Tony Clark

The Influential Factor, Graham Lentz, Gel Publishing 2002

                Brian Betteridge interviewed 02.08.01

                Goffa Gladding interviewed 26.07.01

                Anthony Meynell interviewed 17.11.01

                Vic Vespa interviewed 20.03.02

                Eddie Piller interviewed 03.05.02

Chris Hunt, Mods Mayday 79 Sleeve notes, Sanctuary Records 2003

Chris Hunt, Time For Action Anthology Sleeve notes, Sanctuary Records 2003

‘Going Mobile’ Ted Kessler, in Q The Who Special Edition March 2004

This Is A Modern Life, Enamel Verguern, Helter Skelter 2004, Jim Watson Interview

Revolution What Revolution New Hearts 7” Sleeve notes

www.SecretAffair.info

 

 

 

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