Dave Cairns

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Dave Cairns
Background information
Origin Flag of England London, England
Genre(s) Mod revival
rock music
Years active 1979-1982
Label(s) I-Spy
Associated
acts		 Secret Affair
New Hearts
The Flag
Walk On Fire
Website Official Secret Affair site
Notable instrument(s)
Fender Telecaster

Dave Cairns is an English rock guitarist and songwriter (born 15 November, 1958 in Walthamstow, London), best known for his role in the 1970s/1980s band Secret Affair. The writer of the band's biggest hits, he was famous for his intense guitar style and finely-crafted pop/rock tunes.

The son of an Epping Forest GP, Cairns was first inspired to take up the guitar after an enounter at a local club with radio DJ John Peel, who recommended the teenager listen to a Lynard Skynard album. He was also inspired by a live performance by The Who at Charlton Athletic football ground in 1976 and while at sixth form teamed up with singer Ian Page, forming power pop/punk band New Hearts. The band signed to CBS Records in 1977, releasing two singles and touring with The Jam before the demise of the New Hearts in 1978.

Continuing to work with Page and forming Secret Affair, the two songwriters spent the second half of 1978 writing songs that would form the basis of the first two Secret Affair albums. In a period of a little over two years, the band posted five releases in the UK Singles Chart, and released three albums. The debut single "Time For Action" sold 198,000 copies[1] and reached number 13 in the UK pop chart in 1979, putting them at the forefront of the mod revival movement. More chart success followed with "Let Your Heart Dance", "My World" and "Sound Of Confusion". Although Cairns and Page would often write together, three of the band's biggest chart hits ("Time For Action", "My World" and "Sound Of Confusion") were written by Cairns alone.

After the split of Secret Affair in 1982, Dave Cairns formed The Flag with singer Archie Brown, signing to Scotti Brothers Records/CBS in the USA. Relocating to Los Angeles for a year, the band toured supporting A Flock of Seagulls and released the US-only album Flag.

Cairns subsequently teamed up with Scottish singer Alan King in Walk On Fire, writing the majority of the band's material and playing keyboards on their live tours. Signing to MCA in the USA, they released the album Blind Faith in 1990 and toured supporting Nils Lofgren and the Dan Reed Network.

In 1992 he moved away from playing and joined Gibson Guitars as Special Projects Manager, promoting Gibson shows around the world and developing new custom guitar models for artists such as Jimmy Page and Noel Gallagher.

In 2002 he once again teamed up with Ian Page to reform Secret Affair, initially for three gigs in the UK, including a performance at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire. They returned in June the following year, playing at The Scala in London to promote the release of Time For Action: The Anthology (Sanctuary), a major CD retrospective of hits, rarities and previously unreleased tracks. The concert was filmed and released on DVD.

In 2005 Page and Cairns attempted to mend their sometimes fractious relationship and started work on a fourth Secret Affair album, recording five new songs. The album remains unfinished and unreleased as of February 2007. In the meantime Dave Cairns has started to make occasional solo appearances, playing at the 2006 Small Faces Convention.

In the past Cairns has written and produced music for TV commercials, including Lee Cooper jeans and Raymond Weil watches.

  1. ^ Time For Action: The Anthology (Sanctuary) sleeve note by Chris Hunt

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