Steve Ellis (Love Affair)

STEVE`S brand new album A SORT OF INNOCENCE is released May, 2004, on REDROCK RECORDS. His soaring, soulful voice is once again in top form! The CD also features contributions from good friends Paul Weller & Roger Daltrey, whom, along with many in the music industry, have long admired Steve`s vocal & songwriting talents.

Always a Mod, Steve first recorded, ( aged just 16, with The Soul Survivors, one single for Decca ) learning his trade plying the now legendary soul and mod clubs up & down the country including The Flamingo; Speakeasy; Marquee; etc.

The first big break came in 1968, when as lead vocalist with Love Affair, his classic rendition of Everlasting Love was a smash hit, reaching No 1, selling millions of copies, & making his distinctive voice heard worldwide.

Several major hits quickly followed, including Rainbow Valley, A Day Without Love, One Road, Bringing On Back The Good Times, Baby I Know, etc.

By late `69, after months of constant promotion, gruelling touring, and teenage adulation, Steve felt both exhausted and in need of a change in musical direction.

Upon leaving Love Affair, his next project was singing on the film soundtrack Loot, based on a Joe Orton play, from which an album and single emerged. The film proved to both a commercial and critical success, and indeed the original soundtrack has recently been re-released by Cherry Red Records due to public demand.

Following further solo singles on CBS, Steve formed his own band, Ellis, with Zoot Money.

The two albums by the group in the early 70`s did not meet with the commercial sales expected despite playing packed houses throughout Europe.

After turning down offers from both Mott The Hoople &  T- Rex, Steve then joined hard rockers Widowmaker for two albums and three singles.

Once again heavy touring followed including America with some of the great bands of the time, ELO, The Who, Little Feat; etc.

Meanwhile the music scene was changing, new wave and punk was emerging, making rock bands obsolete virtually overnight no matter how talented. Great voices had, if only temporarily, gone out of fashion!

The next blow for Steve came in 1981, when a serious accident almost cost his life, leaving him with severe foot injuries which took many painful years to overcome. Though this was one of the darkest periods of his life, Steve continued songwriting and recording, and in the nineties reformed Steve Ellis` Love Affair for touring, “ I needed the tonic of live work again – I had forgotten how much I still loved it!”

With this new line up concerts & TV appearances followed all over Europe. In 2000, with Paul Weller recorded a charity single especially for The NSPCC; 2001, Sony issued Love Affairs original back catalogue plus extra tracks written and performed by Steve; 2001 Angel Air released Steve Ellis- The Last Angry Man; 2003 live DVD also released by Angel Air.

Now in 2004, the new album, possibly his best ever; great songs coupled with that unique voice! True talent honed over 30 years will always shine through!

AVAILABLE ON REDROCK ( REDR001 )

BARCODE   8 3581000222 3