The Action

Members

Reggie King - vocals
Peter Watson - lead guitar
Alan 'Bam' King - rhythm guitar
Mike Evans - bass guitar (Died: 10th Jan 2010)
Roger Powell - drums

Ian Whiteman - flute, saxophone, keyboards, vocals
Martin Stone - lead guitar

Formed in Kentish Town, London, in late 1963.
They were originally a four-piece known as The Boyfriends as they backed Sandra Barry, but when they were signed to Decca they shortened their name to The Boys. Barry and The Boys then went their separate ways and after releasing a single on Pye they changed their name to The Action in 1965. It was around this time that Peter Watson joined the band as lead guitarist.
After gigging around the London clubs, particularly the Marquee, The Action built up quite a reputation and were signed by George Martin to his own AIR Studios. He recorded them himself and leased the recordings to Parlophone for release.

In 1966, Peter Watson left and was replaced by Martin Stone, who drifted in and out of the band for the next few months. Martin Stone had previously led Stone's Masonry.

In 1967, the band briefly changed its name to Azoth before reverting back to The Action. Ian Whiteman joined in mid-1967. He had previously been in Boz and the Boz People and also Ben Carruthers and the Deep. Whiteman left by the end of 1967, but returned in 1968.

In 1968, Reggie King left and it was clear that group couldn't continue to play the music it had been touting aroung the clubs of swinging London. So by October 1968 they had changed their name to Mighty Baby and changed their musical style to a more mature form of rock. It appears that they completed some of their bookings as The Action up until the end of 1968.

In 1971 Reggie King released a solo album, which featured most of the mebers of his former group, The Action.

In the mid 1970s Alan King formed Ace with Peter Carrick and had a top 20 UK hit with the song 'How Long'.

UK Singles

1965 Land of 1000 Dances/In My Lonely Room                                 Parlophone R 5354
1966 I'll Keep Holding On/Hey Sah-Lo-Ney                                       Parlophone R 5410
1966 Baby You've Got It/Since I Lost My Baby                                 Parlophone R 5474
1967 Never Ever/Twenty Fourth Hour                                                Parlophone R 5572
1967 Shadows and Reflections/Something Has Hit Me                      Parlophone R 5610

French EPs

1967 Shadows and Reflections                                                           Odeon MEO 149

German Singles

1968 Harlem Shuffle/Wasn't It You                                                    Hansa 14321 AT

Known Gigs

15 Jul 1965 Southsea, Kimbells Ballroom
19 Aug 1965 Southsea, Kimbells Ballroom
26 Aug 1965 Portsmouth, Birdcage Club. With Steam Packet, Long John Baldry and The Brian Auger Trinity
27 Aug 1965 London, Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherds Bush. With The Birds.
16 Sep 1965 Portsmouth, Birdcage Club. Supporting Goldie and the Gingerbreads.
15 Oct 1965 Portsmouth, Birdcage Club.
20 Oct 1965 Bournemouth, Le Disque A Go-Go
21 Oct 1965 Portsmouth, Birdcage Club. With Jimmy James and the Vagabonds and Johnny B Great and the Quotations.
23 Oct 1965 Cromer, Royal Links Pavilion. Supported by The Cheaters.
20 Nov 1965 Portsmouth, Birdcage Club.
17 Dec 1965 Portsmouth, Birdcage Club.
31 Dec 1965 Portsmouth, Birdcage Club.
23 Jan 1966 Guildford, Ricky-Tick Club, Plaza.
8 Feb 1966 London, The Marquee Club, Soho. With Roscoe Brown Combo.
13 Feb 1966 Nottingham, Dungeon Club.
15 Feb 1966 London, The Marquee Club, Soho. With Bo Street Runners.
27 Feb 1966 Nottingham, Dungeon Club.
5 Mar 1966 Windsor, Ricky-Tick Club, Thames Hotel

6 Mar 1966 London, The Black Prince Hotel, Bexley.
29 Mar 1966 London, The Marquee Club, Soho. With Loose Ends.
5 Apr 1966 London, The Marquee Club, Soho. Supporting Arthur Alexander with the Jimmy Brown Sound.
17 Apr 1966 Nottingham, Dungeon Club.
18 Apr 1966 Bath, Pavilion. With The Cryin' Shames, The Knack, Something Better, and The Shadraks.
22 Apr 1966 London, The Marquee Club, Soho. With Sands.
6 May 1966 London, Bluesville Club, Manor House.
17 May 1966 Bristol, Corn Exchange
18 Jun 1966 London, Uxbridge Blues Festival, Hillingdon Borough Showground. With Manfred Mann, Steam Packet, and The Alan Walker Group.
6 Jul 1966 Isle of Wight, Royal York Hotel, Ryde
14 Jul 1966 Worthing, Assembly Hall.
17 Jul 1966 Nottingham, Dungeon Club.
23 Jul 1966 Boston, Starlight Room, Gliderdome
25 Jul 1966 Ipswich, Manor Ballroom.
27 Aug 1966 Stevenage, Bowes Lyon House
29 Aug 1966 Ipswich, Manor Ballroom.

31 Aug 1966 Stevenage, Locarno Ballroom.
3 Sep 1966 Dunstable, California Ballroom.
10 Sep 1966 Nottingham, Dungeon Club.
15 Sep 1966 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Mayfair Ballroom. Supported by The Fenmen.
17 Sep 1966 Margate, Dreamland Ballroom.
23 Sep 1966 London, The Marquee Club, Soho. With The Syn.

3 Feb 1967 London, The Marquee Club, Soho. With Marmalade.
23 Feb 1967 Salisbury, City Hall. With Systems Go.
1 Apr 1967 Bishops Stortford, Rhodes Centre.
8 Jul 1967 Prestatyn, Wales, Royal Lido Ballroom. With The Raynes.
29 Oct 1967 London, Saville Theatre. With Cream, and The Bonzo Do Doo-Dah Band.
2 Feb 1968 London, Middle Earth. With Mabel Greer's Toyshop, and Odyssey.
9 Feb 1968 London, Hammersmith College. With Chicken Shack.
9 Mar 1968 Hastings, The Pier Ballroom. With The Next In Line.
20 Apr 1968 Prestatyn, Wales, Royal Lido Ballroom. With The Konda Group.
22 Jun 1968 Hastings, The Pier Ballroom.
23 Jun 1967 London, The Upper Cut, Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate, E7.

9 Aug 1968 London, The Roundhouse. With Family, The Deviants, Eclection, and John Peel.
4 Sep 1968 London, Eel Pie Island.
28 Sep 1968 London, Hyde Park. With The Move, Pete Brown's Battered Ornaments, Roy Harper, Clouds, and The Strawbs.
13 Dec 1968 London, Fishmonger's Arms. With The Sundae Times.
24 Dec 1968 Birmingham, Mothers. With Family, and John Peel.