SECRET AFFAIR

The idea for this project was sparked by the Ian Page interview in the Scootering magazine promoting Mods Mayday 99. It rekindled teenage memories of hanging out with the Ormskirk Mods.

Happy memories of the youth club discos. Mod night’s at the Mayflower Pub in Liverpool. Southport, and Morecombe scooter rallies.

 To me Secret Affair were the definitive Mod band, they had the attitude, the clothes, the music, the Suss. They were the only band to rival The Jam and while no one could touch Weller’s Mod credentials, Bruce and Rick never quite cut it with me. Of Course The Jam were the darlings of the music press and Secret Affair got nothing but begrudging acknowledgement at best and more usually disdain. I wanted to put the record straight, to acknowledge what a great band Secret Affair were and are. Ian Page interviewed by Chris Bohn in Melody Maker said of mod “I’m not saying whether it’s important or not, I’m not giving it worth – that comes from the dedication of the people following it”. That Secret Affair are still held in great esteem by their dedicated followers 28 years later answers all the bile of the then so called music critics and media.

 In telling their story I also touch on other key bands and events, in particular Squire and Mods Mayday. Both are integral parts of the story with Squire being signed to I Spy Records and The Bridge House being Secret Affairs residency venue. I make no apologies for these digressions.

 This project started as a personal ambition to add to my scrap book, but turned into an obsession to find out all I could about my favourite band. It was never meant for publication so I did not bother about plagiarism my only sources were books, magazines, press cuttings etc. I’m too shy to personally interview the band and modest enough to know my limited literary skills are not enough to cut it as an author. As the project has grown and become comprehensive in nature I’ve begun to believe in it as something unique which others would appreciate and enjoy. Therefore my ambition has become to be able to share the project with a wider audience than family and friends. I trust my various sources will appreciate the spirit of this project and realise that those who read it will then want to check out the original material and the context of the quotes. I’ve tried to identify all sources but regretfully many scrap book cuttings did not identify the author or publication, if I’ve missed anyone out please accept my apology and contact me so the omission can be rectified.

 The project was started in 1999 but has gone through many redrafts following the collection of new information.  The first draft was based upon a collage of edited quotations from various interviews and was completed prior to Chris Hunts excellent sleeve notes for the Captain Mods compact discs. I thrust a photocopy of this initial draft into the hands of a bemused Ian Page when I saw The Affair play Accrington Town Hall 04.08.2000. The Captain Mod sleeve notes where then incorporated into the project correcting and elaborating on its content.

 Some interviews date from the period described, others are recollections.  In an attempt to maximise information and tell the story in the band members own words many quotations from different sources have been edited together to give a conversational style.  Any grammatical errors are therefore the editors.  Whilst every effort has been made to maintain accuracy, the source material has been on the whole secondary.  Any historical inaccuracy therefore also lies with the project editor. As the editor I have made every effort to keep to the spirit of the ideas expressed and the context accurate, free of any distortion. Hopefully I’ve maintained objectivity throughout but if anyone feels miss quoted or misrepresented please accept my apologies, and again please contact me to rectify the inaccuracy.

 A special thanks to Chris Bull from Chesterfield without whose help this project would not have been accomplished.  Chris generously shared his many music magazines and paper cuttings, supplementing the editors own scrap book collection. I would also like to give my deepest thanks to Dizzy from Detour Records who has agreed to the project being placed on The Bored Teenagers Website.

 Phil Culshaw