The Action - WikiHQ

The Action were an English rock band of the 1960s, formed as the Boys (not the later punk rock band of the same name) in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North West London. They are also known as Azoth. Part of the mod subculture, they played soul music-influenced pop music.

History

1963–1964: The Boys

The band was formed as the Boys in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North West London. The original members were Reg King (lead vocals), Alan "Bam" King (rhythm guitar, vocals), Mike "Ace" Evans (bass guitar) and Roger Powell (drums).

The Boys originated as a backing band for Sandra Barry, (sometimes referred to as Sandra Barry and the Boyfriends), and played on her single "Really Gonna Shake", written by Reg King and released in March 1964 on Decca. After the stint with Barry, Pete Watson was recruited as lead guitarist, and the Boys had a brief period as a bar band in Brunswick, Germany.

1965–1968: The Action

The Action first auditioned for Decca on 31 May 1965, with an assortment of demos such as "In My Lonely Room", "You'll Want Me Back", "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)", and "Fine Looking Girl". However, the band were unsuccessful in securing a recording contract.

In 1965, they signed to Parlophone with producer George Martin, head of Associated Independent Recording (AIR). Released in October 1965, "Land of a Thousand Dances" b/w "In My Lonely Room" was well received by critics, but sold poorly.

In 1966, the band released two more singles "I'll Keep Holding On" and "Baby, You've Got It". "I'll Keep Holding On" was not only the most highly regarded Action 45, but was also considered by music writer Richie Unterberger to be one of the few Motown covers markedly superior to the original. and even as high as No.39, but soon faltered. On 3 June 1966 the band made an appearance on the Dick Clark show Where the Action Is, performing their single "I'll Keep Holding On", while being filmed outside the Royal Albert Hall, in South Kensington, London.

On 31 July 1966 the Action performed at the 6th National Jazz & Blues Festival, a three-day event held at the Royal Windsor Racecourse. They headlined with Georgie Fame and early Cream.

In mid-1966, there were plans for a 1966 Action LP, but it was eventually dismissed. In August 1966, the band recorded an obscure composition by American writing team, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, "Wasn't It You" – a highlight in their studio career. It would have stood a chance of becoming a hit, but for unknown reasons, the song was shelved. Eventually, it was released in 1969 with "Harlem Shuffle" b/w "Wasn't It You" as a German B-side on Hansa, in the years following post-Action. Powell: "I loved 'Wasn't It You'. It was a shame it never came out at the time, as I thought that it was the best song we did for a hit." Relying solely on a few singles for material, the Action were known to perform The Ronettes songs "Do I Love You?" and "You Baby" in their live sets; as George Martin was preoccupied with the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band recording sessions. and "Shadows and Reflections" with the B-side, "Something Has Hit Me", co-written by Reg King with Melody Maker journalist and flatmate Nick Jones.<blockquote></blockquote>For the second half of 1967, the Action assumed control of their own affairs. Keyboardist Ian Whiteman briefly joined, in an effort to expand their sound and to help secure the band with a new recording contract by November 1967. However, Whiteman had since left the band, and was driven out by Reg King's increasingly unpredictable behaviour. Guitarist Martin Stone was soon recruited to fill his place.

The Action were now set about gathering original material for a new projected LP. The beginning of Rolled Gold was initially recorded with George Martin in mind as head producer, but no one at Parlophone was interested in the demo recordings at the time. The Action's Reg King was the singer for whom the term "blue-eyed soul" could have been invented—and he made the term a capability rather than a limitation. The term blue-eyed soul was originally coined for The Righteous Brothers by black DJs, and it became a general term for all white singers who sang what was then considered "black music". According to King himself, the Action never played any songs by white artists. In 1998, the original line-up of the Action reformed for a concert in the Isle of Wight. They headlined and played two shows at the Ryde Theatre for the New Untouchables August Bank Holiday Mod Rally. They also played at the Tufnell Park Dome and Boston Arms in London, 1998 (Uptight and Outasight).

They are one of the favourite bands of Phil Collins, who performed with the reunited band at the 100 Club in June 2000. "For me it was like playing with the Beatles", he later commented on the experience in 2002. Collins financed the documentary film In The Lap Of The Mods (2000), which contained footage from both reunion gigs, 100 Club and Tufnell Park Dome, as well as some archive material.

Since their reunion in 1998, the Action played semi-regularly over the next six years. They made their final appearance at Modstock 2004, a three-day event organized by the New Untouchables to commemorate 40 years of Mod Subculture, on May 30, 2004.

During an interview in September 1986, Steve Marriott regarded the Action as a "legitimate band" and compared them to the likes of the Small Faces, in terms of street origins and authenticity in the 1960s Mod scene. Marriott: "We all tried our hand at getting that [Motown] sound you know ... all the bands in the mid '60s. The best ones at it were the Action ... They were an amazing band."

Action Speaks Louder Than (EP)

: (Tracks recorded circa. 1968, released by Castle Music in 1985):

Uptight and Outasight

: (Radio and TV recordings, 2004 CD bonus: 1998 live recording, released by Circle Records):

CD1 – The Parlophone MastersCD2 – At Abbey RoadCD3 – Rolled Gold Plus: The 1967–68 Recordings

CD4 – Action Extras

References

External links

Official site for The Action and Mighty Baby
Biography by Perfect Sound Forever