The Mindbenders

They were known as Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders until Wayne Fontana left the band in 1965. (Active 1965-68) The Mindbenders decided to carry on as a trio after Fontana's departure — Eric Stewart was the primary lead singer and guitarist, Robert Lang played bass, and Ric Rothwell was the drummer. Both Lang and Rothwell sang backing vocals, and took the occasional lead vocal on album tracks. Their first single without Fontana was the hit "A Groovy Kind of Love" (written by Carole Bayer Sager/Toni Wine). The song reached No. 2 in the US (No. 1 on the Cashbox singles chart) and No. 2 in the UK in 1966. It sold one million copies globally. The 1966 album of the same name managed to reach No. 28 in the UK. The Mindbenders toured America, even playing at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, but, just as a year earlier, the group was unable to sustain its popularity. Their second album, "With Woman in Mind," did not sell well and was not even released in the United States. The Mindbenders appeared in the 1967 Sidney Poitier movie, "To Sir, with Love" and were also featured on the soundtrack. Shortly thereafter, Rothwell quit the band and was replaced by Paul Hancox. In March 1968, Lang also quit and was replaced by Graham Gouldman. On 20 November 1968, The Mindbenders broke up at the final concert of a UK tour Following the break-up, Eric Stewart went on to form the bands Hotlegs and 10cc.