Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - S
    Artists - S Music - 1970s 3 Mins Read

    Secret Affair

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Secret Affair formed in East London in 1978 and were one of the stars of the late 70’s Mod Revival movement,  receiving early exposure by supporting The Jam in England.

    Their first single, Time For Action, was the perfect youth anthem for the time and certainly one the most memorable and successful of the movement.

    Ian Page was both a charismatic frontman and a superb singer – and together with guitarist David Cairns, he was also a talented songwriter.

    Fresh from their days in The New Hearts, the pair recruited drummer Seb Shelton (ex-Young Bucks) and bassist Dennis Smith (ex-Advertising), together with occasional saxophonist Dave Winthrop (ex-The Mooch and Supertramp).

    At the height of Secret Affair’s mod popularity, Ian Page was often lauded as the spokesman for his generation. In an interview with the NME at the time he said;

    “The size of the movement is now in its thousands, and it’s growing all the time. We’ve just sold 33,000 copies of Let Your Heart Dance and it’s number 29 in your chart. We have the ability to change things. That’s what the ‘action’ is in Time For Action. You have the power to do something simply by being yourself.”

    “I started off calling this mod thing ‘Glory Boys’ which took away all the idea of it being a revival, but we lost that battle.”

    “Flower Power? It won’t come back. I don’t think we’re in for a sequence of revivals, just as I don’t think mod is a revival. But I have no doubt that someone will try to do it. It would be better than punk because it was all anti-violence. But I still hate it because it’s apathetic”

    secretaffair_021

    Secret Affair headlined the ‘March Of The Mods’ Tour in the summer of 1979, teaming up with the Purple Hearts and Back To Zero to tour around the UK.

    They interrupted the tour to perform Time For Action on Top Of The Pops with Ian Page and bassist Dennis Smith flying down from Doncaster to London by helicopter to make the filming.

    The band released its first album, Glory Boys, late in 1979 on their own label, I-Spy, distributed by Arista in the UK and Sire in the USA.

    Both the album and their subsequent singles charted but by the time 1980s Behind Closed Doors was released, the mod revival was dissolving and they were too firmly rooted in the movement to change their arrogant stance.

    secretaffair_933

    The band began to break up when drummer Seb Shelton left in 1980. He reappeared later in Dexys Midnight Runners, while Dennis Smith joined Nik Kershaw’s band.

    Secret Affair were probably the mod revival’s most talented offering, but somehow they lost their way.

    They held on until 1982, releasing one more album, Business As Usual, to an uninterested public. The members went their separate ways shortly after its release.

    Ian Page put together a new band in the late ’90s, simply called The Affair.

    Ian Page
    Vocals, trumpet, piano, organ
    David Cairns
    Guitar
    Dennis Smith
    Bass
    Seb Shelton
    Drums
    Dave Winthrop
    Sax

    Video


    Related Posts

    • Nutz (Rage)
      Nutz (Rage)
      Formed in Liverpool, England, in 1973 by singer Dave Lloyd, guitar wizard Mick Devonport, bassist Keith Mulholland, and drummer John…
    • Purple Hearts, The
      Purple Hearts, The
      Dropping their shady punk past as The Sockets (not 'Jack Plug & The Sockets', contrary to popular belief), this Romford…
    • Jolt, The
      Jolt, The
      Hailing from Wishaw and Shotts, two industrial towns on the edge of greater Glasgow, The Jolt's first step on the…
    • Lambrettas, The
      Lambrettas, The
      In the spring of 1979, the Mod revival was gathering momentum. In Brighton, Quadrophenia was being filmed, and in the East End of London,…
    • Jetset, The
      Jetset, The
      Formed in 1979 by teenage friends Paul Bevoir and Melvyn J Taub, The Jetset developed their style under the guidance…
    • Long Tall Shorty
      Long Tall Shorty
      A London band originally known as The Indicators, Long Tall Shorty were immensely popular on the mod revival club circuit. Fronted by…
    • Gents, The
      Gents, The
      These Doncaster mod revivalists first came to prominence when they won the EMI Supergroup competition in Leeds. The first prize…
    • Direct Hits, The
      Direct Hits, The
      Colin Swan and Geno Buckmaster had started out in a new wave band called The Exits. Influenced by Elvis Costello,…

    Mod revival
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleSearchers, The
    Next Article Section 25

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Dr Katz, Professional Therapist
      1 9 9 5 – 2 0 0 2 (USA) 81 x 30 minute episodes Dr Katz […]
    • Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
      1 9 7 2 – 1 9 7 4 (USA) 48 x 30 minute episodes This […]
    • Electric Horseman, The (1979)
      Robert Redford and Jane Fonda were well cast in Sydney […]
    • 1993
      January 01 – Czechoslovakia is peacefully divided into the […]
    • Pennies From Heaven (1981)
      Dennis Potter’s TV serial is given the Hollywood treatment […]
    • Ohio Players, The
      The Ohio Players started life in the 1960s as The Ohio […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    3 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    1 day ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    RIP Fred White, drummer with Earth, Wind and Fire, who has died aged 67. 😢

    RIP Fred White, drummer with Earth, Wind and Fire, who has died aged 67. 😢 ... See MoreSee Less

    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Great band

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.