Top 10 Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders Songs

Feature Photo: Fontana Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders songs article presents a list of songs recorded by a band first formed in 1963 in Manchester, England. The band’s debut single, “Hello Josephine,” would become a big hit, sparking heavy interest in the band as the group would take a welcome ride on the musical train known as the British Invasion.

Fontana’s Run

Born Glyn Geoffrey Ellis on October 28, 1945, the artist, better known to fans as Wayne Fontana, teamed up with the Mindbenders in 1963. Together, they signed a recording contract that would lead to the recording and release of three studio albums. First, it was 1964’s “Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders,” which met with tremendous commercial success.

In 1965, two additional albums were released, Eric, Rick, Wayne and Bob – It’s Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders (also referred to as Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um – It’s Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders), and The Game of Love. However, neither was able to keep the group on top while the musical British Invasion that swept so many nations enjoyed its mid to late-60s run. This frustration led Fontana to quit the band in 1966 in pursuit of a solo career. The story had it that he opted out during a concert performance but remained with the same recording label, releasing two additional studio albums as a solo artist. The first was 1966’s Wayne One, and the second was 1967’s Wayne Fontana.

After Wayne Fontana left The Mindbenders, his solo career featured a band called the Opposition. Sometimes, when they performed, they were referred to as The Mindbenders, and sometimes as the Wayne Fontana Band. At first, he was able to chart a few hit singles with his new band, but it didn’t quite reach the same level of success he had with the original Mindbenders. 1970 marked the year Fontana would take a break from recording as a recording artist.

He’d wait three years before making a comeback, but none of the singles he recorded and released put Fontana’s name back on the music charts. In 1976, he opted out of the music business again. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that he began performing again, but the man released no new recordings aside from the two compilation albums in 1991 and 1994. The first was Hit Single Anthology and the second was The Best of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders.

When Wayne Fontana shared his early music career experience in interviews, he admitted he had a drinking problem that led to what he recalled as a self-induced early retirement. While still with The Mindbenders, Fontana dealt with exhaustion that left Stewart as lead singer until he returned to the lineup. From 2005 until 2011, Fontana faced a series of financial and legal issues that led to law enforcement action against him. Going into the tail end of his career, he became part of the 1960s music revival circuit until he died of cancer in Stockport, England, on August 6, 2020.

Mindbender’s Run

June 1963 marked the beginning of Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders as he recruited Bob Lang, Ric Rothwell, and Eric Stewart. The band’s name was inspired by the 1963 British movie The Mind Benders, starring Dirk Bogarde. At first, the group showed promise, releasing four hit singles that would earn them a loyal fan base that extended beyond their home nation. After “The Game of Love” became their biggest hit to date, Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders were unable to capitalize on their rise to fame as they had hoped. Two additional hit singles were released in 1965, but it was apparent that the struggle to stay on top during the height of the British Invasion was taking its toll on the band, especially Fontana. In mid-concert, Fontana decided he had had enough and left The Mindbenders to carry on without him.

Now as a trio, The Mindbenders moved Eric Stewart as the new frontman of a group that would release the biggest hit of their career. In 1966, “A Groovy Kind of Love” became a number two hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. It also peaked at number four in Canada and number nine in Ireland. The single went on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide. However, just as it was with Wayne Fontana, The Mindbenders were not able to follow up with another big hit that would match the success level “A Groovy Kind of Love” achieved. This was the same song Phil Collins covered in 1988 that would turn his version, as well as the original, into cult classics around the world.

After the departure of Wayne Montana, The Mindbenders recorded and released three studio albums before deciding it was time to go their separate ways. The first two, The Mindbenders and A Groovy Kind of Love, were released in 1966. The third, With Woman in Mind, was a 1967 release that was considered a flop. This led Bob Lang to leave The Mindbenders in 1968. Graham Gouldman promptly replaced him as their new bass guitarist. Before the year was over, he, Ric Rothwell, and Eric Stewart put their run as The Mindbenders to an end and moved on. After finishing their 1968 concert tour, the band officially broke up. However, Gouldman and Stewart continued to perform together as the short-lived group known as Hotlegs. After this, they formed a new band called 10cc. It was with this group that Gouldman and Niche found long-term success as performers and recording artists.

Top 10 Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders Songs

#10 – Love Potion No. 9

“Love Potion No. 9” was initially performed by the Clovers in 1959, and it became a number-twenty-three hit for them on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In 1964, The Searchers turned it into a beloved classic with their performance that peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1963, Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders recorded this cult classic along with “For You, For You” while they were still signed to Fontana Records. While it may not have become a hit for them, it does hold a special place among British fans who had already become familiar with this beat band before the rest of the world would learn about them.

#9 – Road Runner

Originally recorded and released in 1960 by Bo Diddley, “Road Runner” earned its fame for the notable “beep-beep” in the chorus. It clearly referenced the iconic Looney Tunes series, Roadrunner. A long list of artists, including Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders, have recorded the popularity of this song. This song was released alongside “Hello Josephine” as the group made their debut in 1963. While it may not stand out as a signature Fontana classic, this song has a special charm that’s so fun to listen to.

#8 – Too Many Tears

“Too Many Tears” was a catchy song performed by Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders that expressed a man’s heartache as he picked up the pieces after a painful breakup. This song came from the group’s self-titled 1965 album but was not released as a single. As a dance party classic, “Too Many Tears” won fans over as a fun tune that became one of their personal favorites.

#7 – One More Time

“One More Time” featured Wayne Fontana and Eric Stewart sharing songwriting duties. This original had Fontana at his best as a vocalist, turning this song into an inspirational favorite that won over the hearts of fans and critics when it was first heard in 1964. “One More Time” never became a hit. Still, it was a favorite that kept the interest and loyalty of a fan base that appreciated and followed Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders’ musical material. When the British Beat Band debuted with its first studio album, it had no trouble winning over music critics and fans as a group with so much promise.

#6 – Hello Josephine

Released as a non-album single in 1963, “Hello Josephine” marked the debut of Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders. On the Official UK Singles Chart, it peaked as high as number forty-six. Although this wasn’t regarded as a big hit at the time, it paved the way for Fontana and his bandmates to enjoy a recording career during the era of the infamous “British Invasion.” Fans of Fats Domino may recognize “Hello Josephine” as a British beat version of “My Girl Josephine.”

#5 – Stop Look and Listen

In 1964, Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders covered Ben E. King’s “Stop Look and Listen.” For them, it became a number thirty-seven hit on the Official UK Singles Chart. It wasn’t long after this that the group kept pushing forward, which would earn them international stardom as a world-class rock band. While the four men performed together, they recorded many songs by legendary R&B artists. During an era when the British music scene favored turning R&B favorites into pop-style versions, Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders capitalized on it when they formed in 1963. After Fontana reduced the four-man band to a trio in 1965 upon his departure, The Mindbenders continued to stick with rock-oriented material until they officially disbanded in 1968.

#4 – A Groovy Kind Of Love

Released in August 1965 as a single, “A Groovy Kind of Love” was written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager and produced by Bob Crewe, with Wayne Fontana on lead vocals backed by The Mindbenders, and it was issued in the United Kingdom on the Fontana label with “Change My Mood” as the B side; the song reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1965 and number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1965, also peaking at number 1 in Canada, number 3 in Australia, number 2 in Ireland, and number 6 in New Zealand; it was included on the album The Mindbenders released later in 1965, and the recording became the group’s only U.S. number one hit before Wayne Fontana left the band later that year; the song was later recorded by other artists, including Mindbenders drummer Eric Stewart with 10cc during rehearsals and Phil Collins in 1988, whose version also reached number 1 in the United States and United Kingdom, extending the song’s chart history across multiple decades.

#3 – It’s Just a Little Bit Too Late

Released in 1965 as a follow-up single behind the highly successful “The Game of Love,” “It’s Just a Little Bit Too Late” peaked as high as number nine on the Canadian Singles Chart. It was the only nation that recognized it as a top-ten hit. On the Official UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number twenty, and it was a modest hit at number forty-five on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Australia, “It’s Just a Little Bit Too Late” peaked at number fifty-five. This successful release may not have been as popular as the group’s biggest hit but it was enough to keep them on top as fan favorites worldwide as an English beat band. Their version was regarded as a bright, fast, and funky number that had no trouble earning a thumbs-up from music critics and fans.

Written by Clint Ballard Jr., “It’s Just a Little Bit Too Late” was initially recorded in 1963 by Clyde McPhatter. The Druids released their version in 1964, just before Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders in 1965. Both bands were Brit Beat group favorites at the time. This wasn’t the first time Fontana and his bandmates worked with Clint Ballard Jr., as the songwriter was also responsible for their biggest hit, “The Game of Love” in 1964. The group’s interest in “It’s Just a Little Bit Too Late” was suggested to come about after touring with the Hollies, as they also benefited from Clint Ballard Jr.’s songwriting talent. Their big hit at the time was “I’m Alive.”

#2 – Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um

“Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um” was the first major hit Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders earned after it was released as a single in 1964. On the Official UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number five. It was enough to earn them a spot to join Brenda Lee on tour. Curtis Mayfield wrote the song and it was first recorded as a single in 1963 by Major Lance.

For him, “Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um” was his biggest hit in the United States, as it peaked as high as number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. On the Official UK Singles Chart, it reached number 40. However, it was impressive enough to inspire Fontana and his bandmates to cover their version of a song, which became wildly popular in their home nation.

#1 – The Game of Love

As a follow-up single behind “Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um,” Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders released “The Game of Love” in 1965. This was the hit single that would earn the group international fame, as it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two on the Official UK Singles Chart, and number three on the Canadian Singles Chart.

It also peaked at number ten in Ireland and number thirty-eight in Australia. In Germany and South Africa, “The Game of Love” charted as high as number nineteen. The performance Fontana poured into “The Game of Love” was regarded as a biblical experience, as he powerfully sang the tale of Adam and Eve from the Bible. This was a song that defined what a relationship between two people of opposite sexes was all about and remains a favorite among fans who love 1960s-style British beat music.

Going into 1987, Tex Pistol covered this song in an attempt to produce commercially appealing material in his quest to gain chart recognition as a rock musician. This attempt worked, thanks to the unorthodox drum sound that made “The Game of Love” a standout favorite. In his home nation of New Zealand, it became a cult classic after topping the official music chart.

Updated December 28, 2025

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