The debut single "Time For Action" sold 198,000 copies[1] and reached number 13 in the UK chart in 1979, putting them at the forefront of the mod revival movement.

Cairns subsequently teamed up with Scottish singer Alan King in Walk on Fire,[2] writing the majority of the band's material and playing keyboards on their live tours.

Signing to MCA in the US, and managed by Bill Curbishley of The Who and Plant/Page fame, they released the album Blind Faith in 1990 and toured supporting Foreigner, Nils Lofgren, and the Dan Reed Network.

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.

In July 2011, Dave Cairns and Secret Affair were invited to re-record 'Time For Action' for Save the Children and the new recording (produced by Ian Page) spearheaded the charity's campaign for health workers in poor countries resulting in 42,000 petition signatures and presented to David Cameron at 10 Downing Street, Sept 2011.

Secret Affair released their fourth studio album, Soho Dreams, after a 30-year absence, on their I-SPY Records label on 10 September 2012 and continued to tour throughout 2014.