Family Affair Biography

The Family affair started in 1965 with the Sri Lankan Fernando brothers Hermon (keyboard) and Herb (Drums) and Noel Cream (Guitar/Vocals).

The Group, joined by Sri Lankan Ralph Reid (Guitar/Vocals) and American Steve Whitman (Bass Guitar), known then as “The International Five” recorded 3 songs at EMI Manchester Square Studios London in August 1967 with recording engineers Ron Randall and Ron Hill - two original composition:

Hanging Around
World of Sunshine
Just as Much as Ever (Cover version of a Nat King Cole song)

The band line up changed with Noel’s sister Linda joining as a vocalist and Annie Keefer as Bass Guitarist. The group name changed at this point to “Family Affair”

Hermon was replaced in 1969 by Milroy, another Fernando brother.
Milroy, Ralph and Herb were joined by Sri Lankan Valentine Manikkavasseger (Bass Guitar / Double Bass) and American Dan Armstrong (Guitar) concentrating on Jazz and Latin Music. The group recorded Sri Lankan Music and “Baila” Music at EMI Manchester Square studios in 1976 again with Ron Hill as the Recording Engineer.

“True Peace and Goodwill” was sung by the choir of the Five Precious Wounds Church in Stonebridge Park at the Christmas Midnight Mass in 1983.
The London borough of Brent gave a Millennium Award to Herb to produce one thousand copies of the track in 2001, which were distributed among schools in the borough.

Sri Lanka won the Cricket World Cup and Herb produced “Sri Lanka Champions of 1996”. The song was played on Sky Sports’ Charles Colville program “The Pavillion End”, on BBC‘s Gower‘s Cricket Monthly, and BBC Grandstand.