'Everlasting Love' by Love Affair: The making of the romantic chart-topper

13 July 2026, 10:16

By Mayer Nissim

A closer look at one of the biggest love songs of the 1960s.

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In the 1960s we were spoiled for love songs of all sorts.

We got ballads, dance floor romps and quirkier outliers, like the driving protoprog soul pop of Love Affair's 'Everlasting Love'.

But do you know who wrote the song, and which artist was the first to score a chart hit with it?

Do you know which members of Love Affair appear on the song (and crucially, which don't).

Below we round up all the fast facts about one of the most enduring love songs of the era.

Who wrote 'Everlasting Love' and who was the first artist to record it?

Everlasting Love

'Everlasting Love' was written by singer-turned-songwriter Buzz Cason and ex-Nashville session man Mac Gayden (you can hear his slide guitar, uncredited, on Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde).

It was first recorded by soul singer Robert Knight.

"Buzz was into country but Mac was R&B... so we made it more of an R&B song like the rhythm and melody Mac had," Knight later said.

"I practiced and practiced on with Mac, as he had written the song for my voice and made it mine."

Knight's version was a decent-sized hit. As well as being a proper local smash, it went all the way to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and even charted in the UK at a respectable number 40.

How did Love Affair end up recording 'Everlasting Love'?

Love Affair - Everlasting Love (Official Video)

Back in the 1960s, it wasn't unusual for artists to rush-release covers, even if the original had recently charted.

So when Love Affair heard the song soon after its release, they jumped at the chance to put their own take on it.

"We had two managers, David Wedgebury and John Cokell, who both worked at Decca [and] had access to all the imports on the Monument label," said singer Steve Ellis.

"We rehearsed in a factory in Walthamstow and one night they turned up with 'Everlasting Love' by Robert Knight. I loved it and so we set about putting it down on tape."

But it wasn't as straightforward as that.

This original version, recorded at Island Studios and produced by Muff Winwood was rejected by Island Records.,

CBS's producer Mike Smith, who had tried and failed to get Marmalade to record the song, decided to record a new version of the song, but there was a bit of a twist.

This second version featured lead singer Steve Ellis – still just 16 at the time – and a backing group of session musicians rather than his actual Love Affair bandmates.

Love Affair - Everlasting love

"There just wasn't time for the group to learn the arrangement, so we used session musicians", said producer Mike Smith – as the band were rush recording it to try to pre-empt the UK usual release of the Robert Knight original.

So there was Alan Parker on guitar, Russ Stableford on bass, Clem Cattini on drums and Peter Ahern on triangle. Serving up backing vocals were Madeline Bell, Kiki Dee and Lesley Duncan.

The use of session players was hardly unheard of in the 1960s, though Love Affair did take some criticism in the press.

They were ambushed with a question on Good Evening I'm Jonathan King and immediately came clean.

"We announced it ourselves because there were rumours about it in the business and we heard a Sunday newspaper was going to blow the story," said bassist Mick Jackson.

What are the lyrics of 'Everlasting Love' about?

The lyrics to 'Everlasting Love' are sharp, snappy, and straight to the point.

It kicks off with a break-up instigated by our narrator ("Hearts gone astray... I went away"), who swiftly realises the error of his ways and pleads for a reunion ("I'll come back beggin'").

And he promises that this time it'll be forever ("Need you by my side, girl, to be my bride / You'll never be denied, everlasting love").

Simple!

When did Love Affair release 'Everlasting Love' and where did it get in the charts?

Love Affair - Everlasting Love (Official Audio)

Love Affair released their version of 'Everlasting Love' in December 1967, with 'Gone Are the Songs of Yesterday' on the flip.

It entered the Uk charts at the turn of the year and ascended to the summit on January 31 and stayed there for two weeks.

While the song was a major hit across Europe, it didn't make a splash of any sort in the US, where Robert Knight's version was still flying high.

The success of the single (plus follow-ups 'Rainbow Valley and 'A Day Without Love') made the Love Affair one of the biggest selling bands of the year.

But the success quickly dried up and Ellis left soon after. The band limped on without him till 1971 before calling it a day.

Who covered 'Everlasting Love' after Love Affair?

Gloria Estefan - Everlasting Love (Extended)

Love Affair were one of the first artists to cover 'Everlasting Love' but given its immediacy and catchiness it's probably little surprise that they were far from the last.

Hit versions over the years have included those by Carl Carlton (a number 6 US hit in 1974), Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet in 1981 (top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic) and Gloria Estefan in 1995 (top 30 everywhere).

Jamie Cullum - Everlasting Love

Other notable covers include those by Town Criers , U2 (as the B-side of 'All I Want Is You'), Worlds Apart, Jamie Cullum for the soundtrack of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, David Essex, Robson Green, Michael Ball and Vanessa Mai.

There was also a cover by snooker player Joe Johnson to celebrate his World Snooker Championship win in 1986, and a charity version by the cast of Casualty for Children in Need in 1998.