The EverlastingLove Affair is the debut studio album by the English pop band, the Love Affair. It was released in 1968, and included the group's three hit singles including their number one UK hit, "Everlasting Love". The band had become one of the most popular groups in the United Kingdom, second in sales only to The Beatles. The album did not reflect their previous success as it failed to impact the UK Albums Chart.
Background
The Love Affair achieved critical acclaim in the United Kingdom when their single "Everlasting Love" was released in December 1967. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on February 3, 1968, after securing extensive radio play, and advertising. Suddenly, the band was receiving more notable gig offers, television appearances, and interviews. One of which was on Jonathan King's show, Good Evening. On the show, King says to the band, "You didn't play on the record", to which the band replies "No we didn't". Steve Ellis still contributed lead vocals to the single, but instrumentals were conducted by studio musicians. Such a practice was common in studio recording, and was continued on the band's later ones, but the statement caused ridicule stemming from music critics. Still, the issue did not seem to affect the band's popularity as their next two singles reached the UK top ten. Recording commenced in November 1968 at the CBS Recording Studios. The band lacked the confidence to compose their own tracks so all the tracks were either cover versions or written by Philip Goodhand-Talt. Goodhand-Talt first wrote the B-side for Everlasting Love, and when the tapes were complete, more compositions followed for the album. Many of the songs followed the pop formula that brought the band to success, which was somewhat frustrating for the group. Morgan Fisher, the original keyboardist of the band, also returned in time for involvement in recording, having completed the college exams that forced his departure. Taking into account the band's escalating popularity, the process was brief. In the midst of all the Love Affair's commitments, the band had one day to complete the album. The band was involved in the orchestras, but, again, studio musicians were incorporated as it was deemed the most effective way to utilized their limited time. The album was released in December 1968 to the UK, but it failed to chart nationally. In 2006, the album was rereleased by Repertoire Records, and included eight bonus-tracks and a 16-page booklet containing an illustrated history of the band.
