The Action
Encyclopedia
The Action were an English
band of the 1960s. They were part of the mod subculture
, and played soul music
-influenced pop music
.
, North West London
. After Peter Watson joined them as an additional guitarist in 1965, they changed their name to The Action. The original members were Reg King
(lead vocals
) (born Reginald King, 5 February 1945, Paddington
, West London
, died, 8 October 2010, Belvedere, Kent
), Alan 'Bam' King (lead guitar
, vocals) (born Alan King, 18 September 1945, Muswell Hill
, North London
), Mike "Ace" Evans (bass guitar
, vocals) (born Michael Evans, 10 July 1944, Henley
, Berkshire
, died 15 January 2010, London) and Roger Powell (drums
) (born 4 July 1945, Camden Town
, North West London
).
Shortly after their formation, they signed to Parlophone
. "Land of a Thousand Dances
" b/w "In My Lonely Room" was well received by critics, but sold poorly. None of the Action's singles achieved success in the UK Singles Chart
.
After disastrous experiences with the Rikki Farr management, Peter Watson (born in 1945, Kings Cross
, London) left the band in 1966. They continued as quartet
, but were dropped from Parlophone in 1967. In the late 1960s keyboardist
Ian Whiteman (born 18 May 1945, Saffron Walden
, Essex
) and guitarist Martin Stone
(born 11 December 1946, Wokingham
, Surrey
) joined the band and the Action moved toward a mid-tempo psychedelic ballad
style, and then into folk rock
. Reg King left the band in 1967, and Alan King took over as main lead vocalist. In 1969, when signing to John Curd's Head Records, the band was renamed Mighty Baby
.
Alan King later went on to form Ace
.
Notably, they are one of the favourite bands of Phil Collins
, who performed with the reunited band in 2000. "For me it was like playing with the Beatles", he later commented on the experience.
as The Boys
as The Action
Action Speaks Louder Than (EP): (tracks recorded circa. 1968, released by Castle Music in 1985):
Uptight and Outasight: (radio and TV recordings, CD bonus: 1998 live recording) (Circle Records):
In addition to this in 1980, Edsel released a compilation of all The Action's original UK singles called The Ultimate Action (Edsel ED101) and after that four singles using the same material:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band of the 1960s. They were part of the mod subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
, and played soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
-influenced pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
Career
The band were formed as The Boys in August 1963, in Kentish TownKentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
, North West London
North West London
North West London may refer to:*NW postcode area*Western part of North London...
. After Peter Watson joined them as an additional guitarist in 1965, they changed their name to The Action. The original members were Reg King
Reg King
Reg King was an English singer and songwriter, most famous for being the solo and lead singer with The Boys and The Action. He died of cancer, aged 65, in October 2010.-Albums:...
(lead vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) (born Reginald King, 5 February 1945, Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, West London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, died, 8 October 2010, Belvedere, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
), Alan 'Bam' King (lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals) (born Alan King, 18 September 1945, Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
), Mike "Ace" Evans (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals) (born Michael Evans, 10 July 1944, Henley
Henley
- Places :UK:*Henley-on-Thames, a town in South Oxfordshire, England**Henley Rural District, a former rural district in Oxfordshire*Henley-in-Arden, a village in Warwickshire, England*Henley, Suffolk, a village in Suffolk, England...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, died 15 January 2010, London) and Roger Powell (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) (born 4 July 1945, Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, North West London
North West London
North West London may refer to:*NW postcode area*Western part of North London...
).
Shortly after their formation, they signed to Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
. "Land of a Thousand Dances
Land of a Thousand Dances
"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their version of the song in 1965, whose version peaked at number thirty...
" b/w "In My Lonely Room" was well received by critics, but sold poorly. None of the Action's singles achieved success in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
After disastrous experiences with the Rikki Farr management, Peter Watson (born in 1945, Kings Cross
Kings Cross, London
King's Cross is an area of London partly in the London Borough of Camden and partly in the London Borough of Islington. It is an inner-city district located 2.5 miles north of Charing Cross. The area formerly had a reputation for being a red light district and run-down. However, rapid regeneration...
, London) left the band in 1966. They continued as quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
, but were dropped from Parlophone in 1967. In the late 1960s keyboardist
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Ian Whiteman (born 18 May 1945, Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
) and guitarist Martin Stone
Martin Stone (guitarist)
Martin Stone is an English guitarist and book antiquarian. A longtime resident of Fingest in Buckinghamshire, he currently lives in Paris.-Musical career:...
(born 11 December 1946, Wokingham
Wokingham
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
) joined the band and the Action moved toward a mid-tempo psychedelic ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
style, and then into folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
. Reg King left the band in 1967, and Alan King took over as main lead vocalist. In 1969, when signing to John Curd's Head Records, the band was renamed Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby were formed in 1968 from the ashes of The Action. They released two albums, Mighty Baby and A Jug Of Love . Their debut, a collection of psychedelic rock, appeared on the tiny Head record label in the UK, and on Chess in the United States...
.
Alan King later went on to form Ace
Ace (band)
Ace were a British rock music band, who enjoyed moderate success in the 1970s. They are notable for their part in the early career of Paul Carrack, who later became famous as a solo artist, and as a member of several other groups...
.
Notably, they are one of the favourite bands of Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, who performed with the reunited band in 2000. "For me it was like playing with the Beatles", he later commented on the experience.
Discography
as Sandra Barry and The Boys- You Really Gonna Shake / When I Get Married (R. King) (March 1964, DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
)
as The Boys
- It Ain't Fair (R. King/Evans) / I Want You (R. King/Evans) (November 1964, PyePye RecordsPye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
)
as The Action
- "Land Of One Thousand DancesLand of a Thousand Dances"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their version of the song in 1965, whose version peaked at number thirty...
" b/w "In My Lonely RoomIn My Lonely Room"In My Lonely Room" is a 1964 single by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. In this song, which registered at #6 R&B and #44 Pop, the narrator solemnly discusses how her lover's flirting with other girls leave her so depressed that all she can do was sit by " lonely room and cry"...
" (Holland-Dozier-HollandHolland-Dozier-HollandHolland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
) (October 1965, ParlophoneParlophoneParlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
) - "I'll Keep Holding OnI'll Keep Holding On"I'll Keep Holding On" is a song composed by Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter and recorded by Motown singing group The Marvelettes, who released the single on the Tamla imprint in 1965. Peaking at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100, the single returned the group to the top forty after a year recording...
" / "Hey Sha-Lo-Ney" (February 1966, Parlophone) - "Baby, You've Got It" (McAllister, Vail) / "Since I Lost My BabySince I Lost My Baby"Since I Lost My Baby" is a 1965 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown Records' Gordy label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore and produced by Robinson, the song was a top 20 pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, on which it peaked at...
" (Robinson/Moore) (July 1966, Parlophone) - "Never Ever" (King/King/Evans/Powell) / "Twenty Fourth Hour" (King/King/Evans/Powell) (February 1967, Parlophone)
- "Shadows and Reflections" (Marks/Almer) / "Something Has Hit Me" (King/Jones) (June 1967, Parlophone)
- "The Harlem ShuffleHarlem Shuffle (song)"Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. The tune has been covered by; Booker T and the MG's, The Boogie Kings on their self-titled album on the Montel Michelle label , The Fabulous Flippers, a regional band out of Kansas , The Traits, Roy...
" / "Wasn't It You" (GoffinGerry GoffinGerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
/KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
) (1968, HansaHansa RecordsHansa Records was a record label founded in the 1960s based in Berlin, Germany....
, Germany only) - FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
: "Shadows and Reflections" / "Something Has Hit Me" / "Never Ever" / "Twenty Fourth Hour" (OdeonOdeon RecordsOdeon Records was a record label founded in 1903 by Max Straus and Heinrich Zuntz of the International Talking Machine Company in Berlin, Germany. It was named after a famous theatre in Paris, whose classical dome appears on the Odeon record label....
(MOE 149), 1967)
Compilation albums
Brain/Rolled Gold: (Tracks recorded in late 1967 and 1968, but released only in 1995):- "Come Around"
- "Something to Say"
- "Love is All"
- "Icarus"
- "Strange Roads"
- "Things You Cannot See"
- "Brain"
- "Look at the View"
- "Climbing Up the Wall"
- "Really Doesn't Matter"
- "I'm a Stranger"
- "Little Boy"
- "Follow Me"
- "In My Dream"
- "In My Dream" (Demo)
Action Speaks Louder Than (EP): (tracks recorded circa. 1968, released by Castle Music in 1985):
- "Only Dreaming"
- "Dustbin Full of Rubbish"
- "An Understanding Love"
- "My Favourite Day"
- "A Saying for Today" (all tracks written by Whiteman)
Uptight and Outasight: (radio and TV recordings, CD bonus: 1998 live recording) (Circle Records):
- CD1 - The Action on Television and BBC Radio 1966-1967
- "I'll Keep Holding On"
- "Land of 1000 Dances"/"Uptight"
- "Mine Exclusively" (BBC Radio's Saturday ClubSaturday ClubPrime Television's Saturday Club is a morning children's program, filmed in their Australian Capital Territory studios.Hosted by Prime Possum and Madelaine Collignon, The program is packaged around popular Disney Cartoons airing at 9am on Saturday Mornings...
1966) - Reg King Interview (BBC Radio's Saturday Club 1966)
- "Baby You've Got It "(BBC Radio's Saturday Club 1966)
- "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A While)" (BBC Radio's Saturday Club 1966)
- "Going To A Go GoGoing to a Go-Go (song)"Going to a Go-Go" is a 1965 single recorded by The Miracles for Motown's Tamla label. Issued in December 1965, "Going to a Go-Go" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States the following spring...
" (BBC Radio's Pop North 1966) - "Never Ever" (BBC Radio's Pop North 1966)
- "Love Is All" (BBC Radio's Saturday Club 1967)
- "I See You" (BBC Radio's Saturday Club 1967)
- "India" (BBC Radio's Saturday Club 1967)
- "Shadows and Reflections" (BBC Radio's Saturday Club 1967)
- CD2 - The Boston Arms, London 1998
- "Meeting Over Yonder"
- "The Monkey Time"
- "Baby Don't You Do It"
- 'In My Lonely Room"
- "I Love You (Yeah!)"
- "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)"
- "Ooo Baby Baby"
- "Crazy About You Baby"
- "Heatwave"
- "People Get ReadyPeople Get ReadyPeople Get Ready may refer to:* "People Get Ready" , a song by The Impressions, covered by many artists* People Get Ready * People Get Ready * People Get Ready...
" - "The Memphis Train"
- "Since I Lost My Baby"
- "Harlem Shuffle"
- "Baby You've Got It"
- "I'll Keep Holding On"
- "Land of 1000 Dances"
In addition to this in 1980, Edsel released a compilation of all The Action's original UK singles called The Ultimate Action (Edsel ED101) and after that four singles using the same material:
- "I'll Keep on Holding On/Wasn't It You?" - E5001 1981
- "Since I Lost My Baby/Never Ever/Wasn't It You?" - E5002 1981
- "Shadows and Reflections/Something Has Hit Me" - E5003 1982
- "Hey Sha-Lo-Ney/Come On, Come With Me" - E5008 1984