The Love Affair Mk 3.1
(Summer 1972)
Pebbles from left:
Brian Johnson (vocals)
Roy Morgan (drums)
Martin Kemp (bass)
Joe Ryan (guitar)
Back in England, the Barry Collings Agency had Love Affair dates to fulfill, so they had another band from the agency called Pebbles going out under the Love Affair name in the summer of 1972.
Pebbles were formed in 1966 by Brian Johnson, but didn't begin touring extensively throughout the UK until 1969. They soon became recognized as one of Britain's top vocal harmony groups. They released three singles in 1970-71, "Stand Up And Be Counted", "Goodnight" and "Time Loving". In the summer of 1972 the band consisted of Brian Johnson (vocals), Roy Morgan (drums), Martin Kemp (bass) and Joe Ryan (guitar). Martin and Joe had joined the band in December 1971. Having completed the Love Affair dates, it was business as usual for Pebbles until they broke up in September 1973. They would reform in March 1974 as Angel, with Steve Rickard replacing Roy Morgan on drums. Angel released two singles written and produced by Andy Scott (of Elastic Band and Sweet fame) in 1974, "Good Time Fanny" and "Little Boy Blue". The latter featured Bob Banasiak on guitar who eventually would join the Love Affair in 1976.
Pebbles/Angel discography:
PEBBLES - Stand Up And Be Counted / May In The Morning (1970 UK | Deram DM305)
PEBBLES - Goodnight Ma / Sadness Of A Summer's Afternoon (1971 UK | Parlophone R5900)
PEBBLES - First Time Loving / Party (1971 UK | Parlophone R5921)
ANGEL - Good Time Fanny / Who D'ya Think You're Fooling (1974 UK | Cube Records BUG 41)
ANGEL - Little Boy Blue / Tragedy Queen (1974 UK | Cube Records BUG 51)
When Angel broke up by the end of 1974 Brian moved to Belgium where he fronted top Benelux group Octopus. After four years, during which time they scored five hit singles and an album, Brian returned to the UK as lead vocalist with Vanity Fair. He later went on to front White Plains.
The Love Affair Mk 4.1 | 4.2
(August 1972 - November 1972)
from left:
Dick Scarfe (guitar)
Bob England (vocals)
Bob Alan Broad (keyboards) - right seated
Bill Gibbard (bass) - right middle
Dave Stallard (drums) - right top
- replaced by Dave Potts
Sid Bacon eventually put together a brand new line-up fronted by Bob England who started touring in August 1972.
Explains Bob Broad (by e-mail): "The line up I was in 1972 was Bob England, Dave Stallard (drums), Bill Gibbard (bass) Dick Scarfe (guitar) and me on keyboard. I decided to be called 'Alan' in the band because there was already a Bob in the band when I joined - Bob England - and it became confusing with two Bobs! In any case my middle name is Alan."
Bob Broad (by e-mail): "Though I had played in college bands before the Love Affair was my first professional band and I recall Sid Bacon coming along to hear us in London and at one stage in 1972 we did audition for a new drummer. We advertised for 'young image' drummer and one of those who auditioned had been a drummer for Georgie Fame some years previously (so not really 'young image' - image was all the thing then!) - but he was the worst for alcohol at the audition and fell off the drum stool and did not get the gig! Dave Stallard got the gig first and later Dave Potts got the gig whilst I was still with the band."
The Love Affair Mk 4.1 scrapbook reprinted with permission from Bob Broad:
Explains Bob Broad (by e-mail): "Here is another interesting Love Affair photo and a venue brochure. You will see that the Love Affair personnel on that brochure are Mark 2.6 line-up although our band - the Mark 4.1 played there. It was not unusual for one or two venues to have the promotional photos of the previous incarnation of the band! On one occasion as Llandudno Winter Gardens the poster photo we brought to put in the ballroom window was a fifth of the size of the window space and the previous band photo! The line-up in the band photo is (back from left): Dave Stallard (drummer), Bob England (vocals), young woman (an admirer of the band), Dick Scarfe (lead/rhythm guitar), Bill Gibbard (bass), with me pictured on my knees with 'loud' silver jacket. We were managed by the Barry Collings Agency. We recorded a single ('Let Me Dance') which came out on PYE in 1973."
"Before and since the Love Affair I have regularly played in bands, I studied music at college, and currently play in two bands, one a jazz sextet and the other a soul band, in London. At one stage I was in touch with the Love Affair drummer Dave Stallard but then lost touch after he married. Since leaving the Love Affair I have played with different musicians/bands including in 1973 a progressive rock band with John Goodsall (Brand X), and Nick Graeme (Atomic Rooster), then in the late 1970s the Bill Stickers Band with Terry Ollis (Hawkwind), in the 1980s OU Pretty Things with Graeme Douglas (Eddie and the Hot Rods/Kurrsal Flyers). Formed The Broadway Band - Latin, Jazz and Soul in 2000, joined Funk Patrol and the Midnight Horns soul band in 2008, and since 2011 I have been in Soul Intent - an 8-piece Tamla Motown Classics soul/funk band. Most recently joined a cellist in a cello-piano duo - playing classical and jazz music. Also now enjoy singing in choirs and community groups. In the mid 1970s I worked with the homeless in London, then retrained as a social worker and social researcher and currently work as a senior academic at a London University."
Dave Potts (by e-mail): "I was in Love Affair but that was the reformation. Although I knew Steve Ellis and all the original guys and the drummer Maurice Bacon. They were managed by his dad Sid Bacon. But then they formed like a moody version of the band with no original members. We were doing Cabaret and things like that. I probably joined in July 72. I had just got married and had been working in a Boutique in London for about 6 weeks. I hated it so I looked in Melody Maker for bands wanting a drummer and Love Affair were the first one I saw. I went to an audition and made a connection with Bob England straight off. We did the Cabaret circuit for a year and I didn't really like it. We had 10 dates in Ireland to do and I had got my driving test through for the same time. The band told me to cancel it and get another one but I decided I had had enough and left. I didn't fancy Ireland with all the bombs at the time either."
Prior to joining Love Affair, Dave Potts had played with the Crying Shames, Skip Bifferty and Yes (for about a week only). He worked with Ten Years After and Barbie Benton in the late 70s and joined Praying Mantis in 1980. He stayed with them for two years and recorded the albums "Time Tells No Lies" (1981) and "Turn The Tables" (1982), but eventually he went into management looking after the affairs of Wishbone Ash among others.
The Love Affair Mk 4.3
(December 1972 - April 1973)
from left:
John Cook (keyboards)
Bill Gibbard (bass)
Dave Potts (drums)
Dick Scarfe (guitar)
Bob England (vocals)
John Cook (by email): "I did play with Bob England in the band you are referring to the Mk 4.3 line up of Love Affair. I am in touch with two other members of that line up. They are Bill Gibbard and Dick Scarfe. Having spoken with Bill we think he joined August / September 1972 and I joined approximately 2 months later Oct / Nov 1972. I believe Dave Potts was already in the band at that time, as the other four members of that line-up remained the same while I was in the band. I was offered a job with Mungo Jerry in the spring 1973, Bill and I left coincidentally on the same day around that time."
The Mk 4.1 line-up had recorded a single for PYE records in the autumn of 1972 called "Let Me Dance" which was penned by Phillip Goodhand-Tait. The B-side was "Love's Looking Out At You", written by the producer John Schroeder. The single was released on 23 Feb 1973 but when the single didn't chart, the band got dropped by PYE. Interestingly the Spanish edition was housed in a picture sleeve depicting the Mk 4.3 line-up! The Mk 4.3 line-up fell apart when John Cook and Bill Gibbard left the band in the spring 1973.
Bill Gibbard has since played with Albert Lee, Paul Millns, D'aja Vu and Hard Lines among others. Bill first picked up his dad's guitar at the age of 6. He switched to bass in his late teens, playing with various pop groups, but jazz was obviously in his genes. Throughout his career, he has worked with such people as trumpet legend Kenny Baker, guitarist Martin Taylor, drummer Martin Drew and Ronnie Scott. Bill spent many years playing in various bands in the West End and has also made many television and radio appearances in both the U.K. and abroad.
WANTED! I need the "Live at The Grey Lady" CD by D'aja Vu. Anyone?
Bob England died in January 2003 following a brave battle against cancer. Bob had a lifetime in the entertainment industry, at different times being responsible for guiding the careers of artists as diverse as Average White Band, Nils Lofgren and Darts, also recording Shirley Bassey, Cilla Black, Sacha Distel and Justin Hayward amongst others in the 1980's. He successfully managed Chas and Dave from 1978, sharing his life long love of Tottenham Hotspur with them. By the time of his death, Bob was Managing Director of Surefire Entertainments, a successful business concentrating on producing and touring live theatre and concerts (client list includes Joe Brown, Marty Wilde, Bobby Davro, Jimmy Jones and of course Chas 'n' Dave). From the late 70's into the 80's, Bob England was married to singer Natasha. Her official website has a biography which also reference her collaborations with Bob England.
