John Lennon’s song ‘Grow Old With Me’ was released on the album Milk and Honey in January 1984. The first known professional cover version was issued later that same year as a 45-inch single by the duo Foreign Affair. It was released on the German label CBS Schallplatten GmbH as catalog number CBS A 4330.

This single was Foreign Affair’s only release. The concept of Foreign Affair was conceived by the record company, which also selected the song.

The duo shown on the cover of the single are Kelvyn Hallifax and a woman whose name might be lost to the sands of time. She was, Hallifax says, a professional dancer who the studio was hoping to turn into a singer. (This proved unsuccessful.) Hallifax was contacted and asked if he could coach her in the studio.

“Although I liked the song, this was not my finest moment,” Hallifax said of the single to GrowOldWithMe.org. “I recorded the song as a favor to the record company.”

Hallifax is currently an active composer, singer, and record producer. He was born in 1952 in Croydon, Surrey, England. He started in the music industry when he was 15. Hallifax once described himself as follows:

Born in the fifties, I was as a hippie teenager in London's swinging sixties, a rock n rolling singer in some 70's bands touring around England, a post punk new romantic in the 80's New York, a confused suit wearing yuppie writing jingles for large corporations in Hamburg in the late 80's, a rebellious grunge wearing creative consultant and composer in 90's Amsterdam, a studio owner and wanna be graphic designer in Berlin at the beginning of the 00's, became a mentor for kids in underprivileged areas of the world, teaching film music together with a bunch of like-minded filmmakers late 2000 until now…

In the 1970s, Hallifax played in the band Joanne from Dorking, England. The band subsequently changed its name to Wilder and later Kay Russia. Hallifax was also a member of the London band Window. In 1981, he sang and played guitar on the Electra Five album Picture.

Hallifax released the single ‘True Love Adventures’ in 1983 under Polydor’s label in Germany. It was backed with the song ‘Interiors.’ In 1986, Hallifax released the album Days of Europa under the Teledec label. This included the single ‘White Boy in Europe.’ (It’s a must-listen/watch for ‘80s music fans.) In the 1980s, Hallifax also started composing music for commercials with Lothar Brandes.

In the ensuing years, Hallifax has continued his work as a singer, composer, and producer. He has sung backing vocals on various records, has been part of bands, and has also produced music for short films and advertisements. Most recently, in 2025, Hallifax released the album Palace of Leaves with Annette Stangenberg under the name Fishpoodle. Hallifax currently lives in Amsterdam.

Foreign Affair’s cover of ‘Grow Old With Me’ has a classic mid-80s styling. It sounds very much of its time.

“We recorded the single at Brunwey Studio in Hamburg with Manfred Brunwey producing,” Hallifax said. “We also did a promotion video.”

Brunwey is an active producer in Germany who also produced Hallifax’s 1986 Days of Europa album. Antenna, listed on the single, is a German music company.

The song is listed as ‘Arranged by ‘C. Evans.’ This was Christopher Evans-Ironside. Evans also played keyboards and wrote one song on Hallifax’s Days of Europa album. The B side of the ‘Grow Old With Me’ single contains the song ‘Ships Passing In the Night,’ an original song written by Hallifax.

Listen to Foreign Affair’s cover of ‘Grow Old With Me’ and B side ‘Ships Passing In the Night.’ Note that I had both professionally transferred from 45” record to digital. As a result, they have notable crackles and pops. These songs are linked here for educational purposes only.

Follow Kelvyn Hallifax’s recently started Instagram account.

The first cover version of John Lennon’s ‘Grow Old With Me’

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