The Mindbenders – A Groovy Kind of Love

I can’t listen to this every day but once in a while, it’s alright. It’s very mid-sixties plus it has the word groovy in it. Winner winner …

They were a beat group from  Manchester, England. They were known as Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders but Mr. Fontana decided to quit in the middle of a concert in 1965…  Eric Stewart (later in 10cc) became the lead singer.

The song peaked at #2 in the Billboard 100 in 1966.

Phil Collins covered the song in the 1980s and it peaked at #1 in 1988.

From Songfacts.

This was written by New York songwriters Carole Bayer Sager and Toni Wine; Sager was 22 when they wrote it, and Wine was 17. They wrote the song for Screen Gems publishing, and Jack McGraw, who worked at Screen Gems’ London office, thought the song would be perfect for the British group The Mindbenders. The song became a huge hit in England, and was released in America a year later, where it was also very successful.

Sager was still teaching high school when she wrote this, and Wine was still in high school. Both went on to very successful careers in the music industry, with Sager writing popular songs for stage productions and movies (including “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”), and Wine writing the hit “Candida” and singing on many famous songs, including Willie Nelson’s version of “Always On My Mind” and “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies. They wrote this in Sager’s apartment.

In our interview with Toni Wine, she explained: “We were talking about ‘Groovy’ being the new word. The only song we knew of was 59th Street Bridge Song, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. You know, ‘Feelin’ groovy.’ And we knew we wanted to write a song with that word in it. Because we knew it was the happening word, and we wanted to jump on that. Carole came up with ‘Groovy kinda… groovy kinda… groovy…’ and we’re all just saying, ‘Kinda groovy, kinda groovy, kinda…’ I don’t exactly know who came up with ‘Love,’ but it was ‘Groovy kind of love.’ And we did it. We wrote it in 20 minutes. It was amazing. Just flew out of our mouths, and at the piano, it was a real quick and easy song to write. Those are incredible things when those songs can get written. Like some you can just be hung on for so long, and then others just happen very quickly. And that was one of them. And it’s been so good to us.”

In 1966, this was also recorded by Patti LaBelle And The Bluebelles, but the version recorded by The Mindbenders, who released it as their first single without lead singer Wayne Fontana, became the hit.

Wayne Fontana left the Mindbenders after numerous singles failed to chart after their hit “Game of Love.” To quote an angry Eric Stewart after Wayne just walked off the stage while they were playing: “All we lost was our tambourine player. Wayne had been threatening to leave the band for some time and drummer Ric Rothwell had reached the end of patience with his groaning an moaning. Ric was urging him to take his ego trip and p–s off.” 

This was a #1 UK and US hit for Phil Collins in 1988. His version was used in the movie Buster, where Collins plays the title role of Buster Edwards. Collins put together the soundtrack using various ’60s songs because that’s when the movie was set (he enlisted Motown hitmaker Lamont Dozier to co-write “Two Hearts,” another US #1 hit used in the film). According to Toni Wine, “Separate Lives” composer Stephen Bishop wanted to record a cover and brought a demo to his pal Collins, hoping he would produce it. Instead, Collins convinced Bishop to let him record it for the movie. 

A child actor, Collins was wary about taking a movie role after becoming famous as a musician, and he made sure the song didn’t appear until the end of the film so musical perceptions wouldn’t taint his performance. The film was a box office flop, but Collins stood by it, saying it was an excellent film.

The music is based on the Rondo from “Sonatina in G Major” by Muzio Clementi.

Collins’ version was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1989 Grammy Awards, but lost to Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy.”

Sonny & Cher recorded this for their 1967 album, In Case You’re In Love.

A Groovy Kind Of Love

When I’m feelin’ blue, all I have to do is take a look at you,
Then I’m not so blue.
When you’re close to me I can feel you heart beat 
I can hear you breathing in my ear.

Wouldn’t you agree, baby, you and me got a groovy kind of love.
We got a groovy kind of love.

Any time you want to you can turn me on to anything you want to. 
Any time at all.
When I taste your lips 
Oh, I start to shiver can’t control the quivering inside.

Wouldn’t you agree, baby, you and me got a groovy kind of love.
We got a groovy kind of love.

When I’m in your arms nothing seems to matter 
If the world would shatter I don’t care. 
Wouldn’t you agree, baby, you and me got a groovy kind of love.
We got a groovy kind of love.
We got a groovy kind of love.
We got a groovy kind of love

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

8 thoughts on “The Mindbenders – A Groovy Kind of Love”

  2. Unfortunately Buster Edwards, whom Collins played, took his own life six years after the film. In the 60s, there were a number of movies by something called The Children’s Film Foundation which were played on Saturday morning clubs in cinemas here. I think Jodie Foster was in a number. You can guess the plots, gang of kids foil a fiendish villain. Phil Collins was supposed to have a big role in one, but agg’d off the director and his scenes were cut.

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    1. I’ve read a few things about the Train Robbery…Thanks for the info on Buster Edwards…I didn’t know he killed himself… I just looked up The Children’s Film Foundation…they made quite a few movies until the mid-eighties.

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