Secret Affair: Time For A New Dance!

A short Biography

The band formed from the remnants of The New Hearts, Secret Affair stormed onto the scene in late 1978, they quickly rose to prominence as one of the leading bands in the mod revival movement of the late ’70s. Consisting of Ian Page on vocals, trumpet, piano, and organ, David Cairns on guitar and backing vocals, Dennis Smith on bass and backing vocals, and Seb Shelton on drums, the band drew inspiration from Jazz and Motown  and became known for their energetic and stylish performances.

The band have supported the likes of  the Jam, The Pretenders and The Cure but they had already established  themselves as one of the front runners of the mod revival scene, there performances further solidified their reputation. They followed this up with several mod package tours alongside bands like the Purple Hearts, further establishing their presence in the movement.

In 1979, Secret Affair released their first single, “Time for Action,” which quickly became a youth anthem of the time and remains one of the most memorable and successful songs of the mod revival. The track perfectly captured the spirit and energy of the movement, resonating with young audiences across the country. They were one of only a handful of mod revival bands to appear on Top Of The Pops.

Later that year, the band released their debut album, Glory Boys, on their own label, I-Spy. The album, distributed by Arista in the U.K. and Sire in the U.S., received positive reviews and achieved chart success. Secret Affair continued to release singles that also charted well, one of the most popular singles was everybody’s favourite ‘My World’. This further solidifying their position as a prominent act in the mod revival scene and this continues to be the present  day.

However, as the 1980s dawned, the mod revival movement began to fade, Secret Affair found themselves too deeply entrenched in the genre, staying  true to their sound and influences, refusing to adapt their sound to the changing musical trends. Their second album, Behind Closed Doors, released in 1980, failed to capture the same level of success as their debut. However it is still the view of many, along with ‘Business as usual ‘ to be vinyl masterpieces which in captivated the musical tightness and musical accomplishment of page and cairns song writing abilities and lyrical genius.

Despite drummer Seb Shelton’s departure in 1980 to Dexy’s  Midnight Runners , they released Business as Usual in 1982.

In retrospect, Secret Affair’s contribution to the mod revival movement cannot be understated. Their infectious energy, stylish image, and memorable songs, particularly “Time for Action,” made a lasting impact on the genre. While their success was ultimately short-lived, their influence on subsequent generations of mod-influenced bands is undeniable. They still continue to gig to this day attracting a new generation of fans, recently releasing their fourth studio album ‘Soho Dreams’ along with a limited edition single of Frankie Wilson’s Northern soul classic.

Secret Affair – Do I love you, Indeed I Do.

Image Credit https://www.secretaffair.info,

Contributions by Alan May, who runs a weekly radio Show named after the bands  1st album Glory Boys. The show airs every Sunday 6-9pm on 6 Towns Radio.