The action
| The action | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| founding | 1963 |
| Website | http://www.actionmightybaby.co.uk/ |
| Current occupation | |
singing |
Reggie King |
Rhythm guitar |
Alan King |
bass |
Mike Evans |
Drums |
Roger Powell |
Lead guitar |
Pete Watson |
The Action was a British musical group from Kentish Town , North London , in the 1960s .
Band history
The band initially appeared as an accompanying group under the name The Boyfriends for Sandra Barry . It later became Sandra Barry and the Boys . The line-up's only single, "Really Gonna Shake / When We Get Married" - was not commercially successful.
After “Sandra” started a solo career, “The Boys” worked briefly with producer Kenny Lynch (who later produced “Small Faces”). Both sides of their debut single were produced by him, but again it wasn't a huge hit.
In 1965, The Boys changed their name to The Action . It was the time when Pete Watson joined the band as the second guitarist. The group lived from the excellent interpretations of Motown material and a balanced mix of R&B and soul. Reggie King supported this with his fine white soul voice.
The band enjoyed a strong Mod following. "The Action" eventually caught the attention of George Martin , the Beatles' producer . He signed the band for his newly founded AIR Studios. The band debuted two soul standards on Parlophone Records: "Land of 1,000 Dances" with the B-side "In My Lonely Room" - a "Martha and the Vandellas" song. The next single was again a cover version of a Motown song: "I'll Keep On Holding On" by "The Marvelettes". These two singles showed the strong potential of the band. Reggie King's voice combined with the band's strong harmonies were extraordinary. The third single "Baby You've Got It" had the B-side "Since I Lost My Baby". "The Action" was one of the hottest groups in town at the time and was dropped as opening act for The Who because they were already too good for it.
The fourth single consisted of two original compositions for the first time. They were pure pop songs that relied heavily on the harmonic qualities of the band. At the same time, they were an expression of a change in style: away from soul, towards the American West Coast Sound. This change may justify the non-appearance of the planned debut album , which was more based on the old material with which the band no longer wanted to identify.
The fifth and last “The Action” single was “Shadows and Reflections” which again showed the harmony possibilities of the band at their best. Demos for an album called "Brain" were recorded but never released. Today the recordings are available in the “Rolled Gold” sampler.
Pete Watson left the group in 1966. He was replaced by Ian Whiteman, who in turn was replaced the following year by Martin Stone. Martin Stone stayed with the band for a few months, then Ian Whiteman returned. The group now called themselves Azoth , unsuccessfully, reformed again as "The Action" and finally Mighty Baby .
Reggie King recorded an album for United Artists and Alan King joined Ace , who had a number one hit in the US with "How Long".
Recently the band reformed and played a number of concerts. Liam Gallagher and Robbie Williams asked for autographs. One of their fans, Phil Collins , flew in from Geneva to play at the 100 Club with the band .
Discography
As Sandra Barry and The Boys
- 1964: You Really Gonna Shake / When I Get Married
As The Boys
- 1964: It Ain't Fair / I Want You
As The Action
- 1965: Land of a Thousand Dances / In My Lonely Room
- 1966: I'll Keep Holding On / Hey Sha-Lo-Ney
- 1966: Baby, You've Got It / Since I Lost My Baby
- 1967: Never Ever / Twentyfourth Hour
- 1967: Shadows and Reflections / Something Has Hit Me
- 1968: The Harlem Shuffle / Wasn't It You