“A Groovy Kind of Love” is a song written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager based on a melody by the classical composer Muzio Clementi. Carole Bayer Sager wrote numerous songs recorded by many pop artists and recorded successful albums herself. She was married for a time (10 years) to pianist and composer Burt Bacharach with whom she shared the limelight throughout the 1980s.
The song’s title was an early use of the slang word “groovy”, and both women (Wine & Bayer Sager) were interested in using the word because they recognized it as new and “happening”. Wine said, “Carole came up with ‘Groovy kinda… groovy kinda… groovy…’ and we’re all just saying, ‘Kinda groovy, kinda groovy, kinda…’
The original rendition was recorded by American singing duo Diane & Annita and released as “Groovey Kind of Love” on the French EP One by One, in 1965. It has since been recorded by numerous artists, with the Mindbenders and Phil Collins releasing successful versions.
The Mindbenders were an English beat group from Manchester, England. Originally the backing group for Wayne Fontana, they were one of several acts that were successful in the mid-60s British Invasion of the US charts, achieving major chart hits with “The Game of Love” (a #1 single with Fontana in 1965) and “A Groovy Kind of Love” (#2 in the US, #1 on the Cashbox singles chart, and #2 in the UK in 1966 without Wayne Fontana).
I did this with unadorned acoustic guitars, one bit of barely audible keyboard sounds and sang it twice, most of it sitting in my bedroom, playing directly in front of the mic. ❤️🎶❤️