Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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A Groovy Kind of Love

First recorded by Diane & Annita (1965).
Hit versions by The Mindbenders (US# 2/UK #2 1966), Phil Collins (US #1/UK #1 1988).

From the wiki: “‘A Groovy Kind of Love’ is a pop song written by then-teenage songwriters Toni Wine (‘Candida‘) and Carole Bayer Sager (‘I Can Hear Music‘, ‘That’s What Friends Are For‘). The song title was an early use of the then-new slang word ‘groovy’.

“Wine, who was 17 years old when she wrote the song, said, ‘Carole came up with ‘Groovy kinda… groovy kinda… groovy…’ and we’re all just saying, ‘Kinda groovy, kinda groovy, kinda…’ and I don’t exactly know who came up with ‘Love’, but it was ‘Groovy kind of love’. And we did it. We wrote it in 20 minutes.’ The song was heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major by Muzio Clementi. It was picked up for publishing by Screen Gems Music.

“The first recording of the song was done in early 1965 by Diane & Annita, and was only issued in France on an obscure EP by them. ‘Diane & Annita’ were Diane Hall and Annita Ray. Both got their start as a part of Ray Anthony’s Bookends Revue around 1961, along with another familiar name: Vickie Carr. Diane and Annita left Anthony to pursue a career ‘without the distractions of horns and mutes.’ Annita would record a solo LP for the Ava label in 1963, Slow Glow, before reteaming with Diane Hall.

“Jack McGraw, who ran the London Screen Gems offices, thought the Wine-Bayer Sager song was a perfect match for the new group The Mindbenders, who recorded their version of ‘A Groovy Kind of Love’ for UK release in December 1965. It soon reached #2 in the UK, and did the same in the United States when it was released there early in 1966.

“Phil Collins recorded a new version of ‘A Groovy Kind of Love’ in 1988. He had originally suggested the song as a good one for collaborator Stephen Bishop to record, with Collins producing, but decided to record it himself when he took a starring role in the film Buster, based on the story of Buster Edwards, one of the gang responsible for Britain’s audacious Great Train Robbery.”

Clementi, “Rondo movement of Sonatina Op. 25 No. 5 in G major”:

The Mindbenders, “A Groovy Kind of Love” (1965):

Phil Collins, “A Groovy Kind of Love” (1988):

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