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Reviews STEVE ELLIS
His has been an illustrious career - from the LOVE AFFAIR pop in the '60s to the WIDOWMAKER hard rock in the '70s - but when punk swept the UK, he felt like a fish out of water. More so, his first solo album, 1977's "The Last Angry Man", recorded with the aid of friends such as Rogers Daltrey and Chapman, got entangled in the producers' disagreement and shelved. As a result, Steve Ellis quit music for the docker's job that almost cost him both legs, but now the singer's been standing his own ground for some time, and the time came to dust off the tapes... and be amazed. Not releasing these songs was a crime. An arc to a new cut of "Everlasting Love", elegantly rocking "Life User" is a blistering tone-setter, its weary optimism lighting Steve's vocal swagger, offset with Roger Chapman's vibrato, and Albert Lee's guitar lines. The album's line-up features such talents as Brian Robertson, then in THIN LIZZY, Henry McCullough, Henry Spinetti, Tim Hinkley and Brian Oadgers - exactly what this voice needs to shine through with flying colors be it on folksy, acoustic reel that is"Wind And A Lady" or soul-shattering, wisely orchestrated ballad "Rag And Bone". Most of the songs like the Lennonesque "Hang On Joey" and honky-tonk ballsy "Blackmail" are joyfully anthemic and brimful with life-affirming nervousness, so it's a highlight through and through. The mood of "The Last Angry Man" is carried on with Ellis' own basement tapes, or the results of 1983's "Basement Days" with the reformed LOVE AFFAIR guitarist Mel Taylor, which weren't meant to produce an album but to have fun... if only dramatic "El Doomo" in all its heartbreak was funny. But while the "War Train" heavy reggae chugs on even more seriously, "I Lost My Feelings" comes rockin' an' reelin' and "Warm Love", if released, would have followed the hit way of its everlasting predecessor. With a live bonus DVD, it's an essential collection to have a love affair with. *****
In 1966, 16 year old Steve Ellis took the first step towards stardom and joined The Soul Survivors. Rechristened Love Affair, between 1968 and '69, the band slammed five singles into the British Top Twenty. Ellis launched his solo career in the next decade, formed Ellis in 1972, and a few years later joined hardrock heroes Widowmaker, before returning to his solo career in 1977. And it's here that the two disc set The Love Affair Is Over picks up, as Ellis, backed by a group of top-notch musicians and singer Roger Chapman, began work on his solo album The Last Angry Man. Unfortunately the set sat on the shelves due to a dispute between its producers Dave Courtney and Tony Meehan. A pity because this was an adventurous album, one that took Ellis from his Motown roots down the path to hardrock, a kind of stylistic autobiography. The set's highlights include an exuberant take on Love Affair's chart topping "Everlasting Love", the hard rocking "Blackmail", and the fabulously Stax flavored cover of "Soothe Me". Of equal interest is "Why Do the Good Guy's Die", an emotive down-tempo number with a soft-pop edge, but washed in a gentle Pink Floyd-ish spacy mist. "Rag and Bone" is a fine arena ballad, the lilting "Wind and a Lady" boasts superb fiddle solos and strong acoustic guitars, while "Hear Your Woman" struts straight into bluesy rock'n'roll. The original album is appended by a bumper crop of demos that Ellis recorded in 1983 for a solo project that never quite got off the ground. The exhilarating slide guitar riven "Shark Shoes", the rumbling "War Train", and the fiery "Warm Love" are the stand-outs amongst a strong group of songs. Fast forwarding a decade, the singer returned with Steve Ellis' Love Affair to fans delight. The accompanying DVD captures the group live in Bradford in 2003, running through a stellar set of old hits and well-chosen covers. Still going strong after all these years, Ellis sounds as great as ever. STEVE ELLIS ‘The Love Affair Is Over’ Angel Air Yet another superlative release by the dedicated team at Angel Air offers plenty of gems for fans of Steve Ellis. The CD consists of 10 tracks plus a further seven bonus tracks. There’s plenty to enjoy here and what’s more apparent is that Ellis is perhaps one of the most experienced singers this country has produced. Born in London, he has been in bands since he was 13 years old and has continued to sing for 40 years. The sleeve notes put his whole career into context and offer some illuminating thoughts on his music. The first 10 tracks were recorded in ’77 while the bonus tracks were recorded six years later. His voice swings from wonderful Paul Rodgers style blues to softer pop and soul harmonies. The accompanying DVD was recorded in Bradford in 2002 and comes complete with an interview with Mr. Ellis. The 10 handpicked songs on the DVD offers deep insight into his illustrious recording career. He is most certainly genuine talent and this thoughtful collection is proof of that… **** STEVE ELLIS'S LOVE AFFAIR
**** STEVE ELLIS
The soundtrack brought together two well-known names from the world of late-60's Pop; Keith Mansfield and Steve Ellis. Mansfield had spent the majority of the 60's producing and arranging tracks with artists such as Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, Marmalade, The Tremeloes, Georgie Fame and Steve Ellis' very own Love Affair. Towards the end of the 60's Mansfield became heavily involved with the KPM sound library, providing many a groovy instrumental that would be later used on films, TV shows or adverts. As for Ellis, he cut his teeth as lead-singer for The Love Affair, famous for their 1968 #1 hit 'Everlasting Love' (incidentally, produced by Keith Mansfield!). However, having just left Love Affair to start a solo career, Ellis was still grappling with a musical direction just as the offer to sing on the 'Loot' soundtrack was made to him. With the help of Dave Clark Five's Mike Smith, Caleb Quaye, Clem Cattini, Herbie Flowers, Sue & Sunny, Madeline Bell, Doris Troy and Big Jim Sullivan, Mansfield and Ellis served up just over 30 minutes of brilliant brassy and up-beat Pop, something I'm sure Orton himself would have loved. Opening track 'More, More, More' sets the tone - tight playing, swirling brass, Ellis' soulful-yet-greedy delivery, strong backing vocals and a fantastic arrangement add up to make a compelling track made up of various different parts (check out the smart use of film dialogue within the track). Loot's 'The Root' is a total belter, defiantly one that wouldn't sound out of place played in a club. Built around a killer bass-line, powerful horns and Mansfield's groovy Hammond playing, Ellis weaves in-and-out of the vocal line and belts the tune out superbly well. A fantastic tune to dance to, I reckon, and probably the outstanding tune amongst in this set. As 'Loot' was meant as a satirical piece based on society's greed, the soundtrack provides many humorous moments in keeping with this theme. The lyrics to "Hey, Hey, Hey' are particulary biting ('Money is the root of all evil, you must have heard them say. The people who have said it are normally the people who've got it, anyway' - top stuff!), 'Where It's At' is an excellent 'the story so far' tune incase you've lost your way, 'Oh Fay!' isn't a million miles away from The Who's 'Cobwebs & Strange', whilst 'We Were Nearly Lovers' and 'Mothers Waltz' see's Ellis singing in different (yet no less compelling) vocal styles to his usual passionate and soulful delivery. The last two tracks on the album are reprises of the opening two tracks, 'And More, More, More' and 'Loot's The Root', and are a perfect way to round things up; Ellis sounds as if he's on his knees in delivering the words: 'More, more, I want more!', whilst Mansfield wraps everything up with a huge blast of brass, drum and Hammond organ. Fantastic stuff. For fans of Steve Ellis/Love Affair, Keith Mansfield, late-60's Pop, Hammond, Joe Orton or just film soundtracks in general, this is an essential purchase. As usual with RPM, the packaging is spot-on and liner-notes are on hand to inform you more about the film and the soundtrack itself. If Loot really is the root of all evil, put it to some good and shell out for this little beauty. Reviewed by David Steel, modculture.com (review posted on 14th September 2002) LOVE AFFAIR
Ellis was gifted with a voice just as powerful and soulful as the likes of Steve Marriott, Steve Winwood, Eric Burdon, Chris Farlowe and other white UK blue-eyed Soul singers of that time. The power and rawness of his voice is no more evident than on Love Affair's earliest records - "Back In Your Life Again", "Woman Woman", the superb Mod-Pop of "Sweetness And Tenderness" and The Rolling Stones cover "She Smiled Sweetly" all show Love Affair (or The Soul Survivors as they were known in those days) to be a tight group with an exceptionally young and talented singer. Many Modculture readers will recognise the quirky 1967 single "Satisfaction Guaranteed" from "Empire Made: The In Crowd Volume 2", but that tunes appeal is stifled by the huge number 1 from the same year, "Everlasting Love", that follows it. Of course, little needs to be said about this song due to it's huge popularity, but spin it and be reminded of what an incredible tune it is - it's classic late-60's Pop; a huge intro, horns, big backing vocals, a clever yet simple arrangement and of course Ellis putting in a superbly passionate and gutsy vocal performance. The singles that followed "Everlasting Love" were similar in feel and formula (to get a second number 1, no doubt), yet great songs nonetheless. "Rainbow Valley" is probably technically better than "Everlasting Love" (check out the Italian version of this track at the end of the CD, too!), and "A Day Without Love", "One Road" and "Bringing On Back The Good Times" aren't too far behind either. However, it's the b-sides to these tunes that are of most interest here. "Gone Are The Songs Of Yesterday", the flip-side to "Everlasting Love", is a tender and reflective piece of music, whilst "Someone Like Me" isn't a million miles away from The Small Faces emotional take on Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts". "Let Me Know" and "Accept Me For What I Am", two b-sides from 1969, are both fantastic slabs of soulful late-60's Rock, with some ballsy guitar solos, driving drumming and Ellis letting rip with some great vocal performances. Following Love Affair's last single "Baby I Know" (which firmly broke the "Everlasting Love" formula, and unfortunately suffered chart-wise as a consequence) and having grown tired of pop stardom, Ellis quit the band to pursue a solo career. He quickly hooked up with Keith Mansfield and released a single, the beautifully arranged "Evie". As well as working on the soundtrack to "Loot" with Mansfield (see 'Film Soundtracks' section for that review), Ellis also hooked up with the likes of Zoot Money, Jimmy McCulloch, Johnny Steele and Caleb Quaye to record two more singles - "Take Your Love" and "Have You Seen My Baby", which are included here with their b-sides ("Jingle Jangle Jasmine" is a particular favourite of this reviewer - Ellis very nearly takes the paint off the walls when the chorus kicks in), before forming The Steve Ellis Band with Zoot Money in 1972. Steve himself provides the excellent liner-notes to this set, and it's interesting to read his memories of being a Mod, buying clothes/records and playing gigs with The Soul Survivors at venues such as The Marquee, The Flamingo and various Northern Soul clubs in the mid-60's. If you can't get enough of The Small Faces, Spencer Davies Group, Amen Corner, The Herd, Marmalade, or late-60's soulful Pop in general then this is definitely for you. It'd be nice to see Steve Ellis and Love Affair get a little more attention and recognition beyond "Everlasting Love", such was their ability and the songs they recorded aside from their number 1 single. Reviewed by David Steel - modculture.com (review posted on 8th December 2002) ELLIS
ELLIS
STEVE ELLIS
Shindig! Magazine: October 2002 THE LOVE AFFAIR / ELLIS Although somewhat younger than Marriott and with
a much shorter fringe, Steve Ellis was truly one of the finest
British voices to emerge from the late '60s. In short, the story
follows the rags to riches story of a bunch of teenage mods
who honed their skills, played the clubs, impressed people in
high places, recorded an acetate (included as the first four
tracks) that Tony Blackburn played it on Radio 1, an okay version
of the Stones 'She Smile's Sweetly' was released and next the
band were re-shaped (meaning Ellis sang with Keith Mansfield's
Orchestra backing him) and 'Everlasting Love' stormed the charts!
Love Affair were now a sensation! The teeny-bopper classification
insulted the band, but on album tracks and b-sides they wrote
and played their own stripped down material, which was an indication
of how they sounded live. 'I'm Happy' is a fab freakbeat stomper,
not unlike Wimple Winch or even The Creation, whilst the tremendous
'Let Me Know' is so much like high-octane late '60s US garage
rock that it was included on a volume of the Boulders series,
Ellis' final 45 b-side 'Accept Me For What I Am' rocks big time;
strewn with searing guitars, Hammond and a powered Ellis vocal
it runs the LOUD competition into the ground! The a' sides shouldn't
be knocked though as they represent the zenith of blue eyed
soul bubblegum. How can one not appreciate Ellis' vocals on
'Everlasting Love' or melt from the good time movie-theme-like
'Bringing On Back The Good Times'? After Ellis quit the band
in '69 he recorded an impressive version of Jimmy Webb's 'Evie'
backed once again by Keith Mansfield. The result is a hybrid
soul/loungecore/country-tinged slice of groovy balladry soaked
in Euro pop strings and fuzzy guitar. The remaining 45s Ellis
recorded until the formation of the Ellis Band are like a more
honed version of The Faces with pop rather than rock aspirations.
The a-sides, such as 'Take Your Love' were commercial fare,
whilst b-sides like 'Fat Crow' and 'Jingle Jangle Jasmine' were
rootsy, bluesy rock. 'Goody Goody Dancing Shoes', (Ellis' final
self-written b-side of his solo career) is a tumultuous portion
of power pop/rock that has an edge not unlike his pal Roger's
Who! Shindig! Magazine: June 2006 ELLIS Steve Ellis had more than five minutes of fame with the extremely
popular post-mod blue-eyed soul/rock band The Love Affair, but
as the '60s ended and he dabbled with new bands and a solo career
the hits dried up. Of course a lack of later success doesn't
mean his talent had faded; quite the contrary, Ellis's voice
had a new depth and his own compositions, 'El Doomo' and 'Tune
For Brownie' in particular, aired a far deeper sensibility than
the marketed pop that had made him. Backing the singer under
the Ellis name was old mod era mate Zoot Money (bearded and
beered up) and a selection of other musical city boys moved
out to the country. The two Ellis albumsRiding On The Crest
Of A Slump (1972) andWhy Not? (1973) both explore a mixture
of Band-esque rural rock, post-psych acoustic pieces, bluesy
singer songwriter styles and a hefty dose of funky, soulful
rock. The overall effect was not dissimilar to The Faces or
Humble Pie; and what with Roger Daltrey's production work and
some impressive songs the neglected Who associate Billy Nicholls
also springs to mind. Shindig! Magazine: June 2004 VARIOUS ARTISTS It’s such a shame that the cover shot of five London
Mod club regulars posed leaning on a vintage car in vintage
gear (with one guy holding a cocked rifle!) gives the glossy
Le Beat Bespoke packaging the cheesy appearance of Austin Powers-doing-Get
Carter! Is this the most appropriate way to sell such a splendid
compilation of real dance music?! I think not. Yes, the music
stems from the 1960s! Yes, the club goers who dance to these
45s are obsessed by the decade … but… something
a little less obvious would have been a far better option. Nevertheless,
aesthetic grumbles aside, this is an absolutely superb album
--far, far, better than the iconography suggests. Maverick Magazine August 2006
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Previously
unheard emotions from the man who brought us "Everlasting
Love", which is here as well.
Intelligent,
and thus irreverent, version of Joe South's "Hush"
speaks volumes of the singer whose emotions, written all over
his face, are hidden so deep that Steve Ellis' take on "Handbags
And Gladrags" emerges as one of the coolest covers of this
great ballad. Much better fare another Chris Farlowe's hit,
"Out Of Time", the Northern soul gem "If I Could
Only Be Sure", and the original LOVE AFFAIR smashes "Everlasting
Love" and "Bringing On Back the Good Times",
carried out by the catchy melody and the less nonchalant delivery
yet still with the deadpan looks. This contrast makes Steve
somewhat special, as he's a very convincing performer, especially
when his jacket comes off, the smile lights up his face and
"Gimme Some Lovin'" is unleashed on the dancing audience.
As
an ardent fan of 60's/70's film soundtracks, 'Loot' must rank
as one of my all-time favourites. In 1970, 'Hancock's Half Hour'
writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson adapted Joe Orton's witty
and satirical stage play for the big screen, roping in the likes
of Hywel Bennett, Roy Holder, Richard Attenborough, Lee Remick
and Dick Emery to play the parts of the main characters.
Often
cruelly dismissed as another late-60's manufactured band for
teeny-boppers, this 25-track collection of all of Love Affair's
singles from 1966 to 1969 (and Steve Ellis's early solo outings,
too) will serve as a timely reminder to those cynics and doubters
what an excellent group Love Affair actually were, what a fantastic
voice Steve Ellis had/has and hopefully introduce a new generation
of music listeners to them.
Steve Ellis, who was the front man in Love Affair, formed Ellis
in the early seventies when Love Affair called it a day. Still
young (he was only eighteen years old when Love Affair scored
a hit with "Everlasting Love" in '68), but with a
really mature voice, he still wanted to go on singing and formed
Ellis to get a proper vehicle to do that.
Just
a year after the debut, Ellis hit the streets with another album.
It's called "Why Not ?" and the band's line-up is
almost the same which recorded the debut. But bass-player Jim
Leverton was out of the band here and Nick South took his place.
Sitting in the producer's chair this time was none other than
Mike Vernon, famous for his great blues productions. And the
sound here are better than the debut-album. The bass and drums
are more upfront in the mix and the overall sound is better.
After
nearly two years with Widowmaker, it was time for Steve Ellis
to go solo. Ariola picked him up and gave him a deal. This was
in '77 and the recording of "The Last Angry Man" started.
But things didn't work out that smoothly. Two singles from the
album were released in '78, but a dispute between producers
Tony Meehan and Dave Courtney led to the fact that the album
never released at the time. Not completely true, in fact a few
copies of it hit the streets in the music-cassette format. And
I was lucky enough to pick one up on one of my first trips to
London. So I've been living with this great album for awhile
now.
