The Action

The term "lost classic" is applied liberally and often erroneously to unreleased recordings that resurface years later in a maelstrom of hype. However, for the forgotten mod rock also-rans the Action, the term is not only justified, it is painfully bittersweet. On par with such classics of the era as The Who Sell Out or Ogden's Nut Gone Flake but more focused than either, the Action's Rolled Gold goes beyond "lost classic" – it is the influential masterpiece no one was ever allowed to hear. Despite being signed to Beatles producer George Martin's AIR label and benefiting from a strong club following, the Action never scored a chart hit. By the time they recorded these demo tracks in 1967, the band had grown weary of the musically limited mod scene, which was on its last legs. Guitarist Pete Watson had been replaced by Martin Stone, and the band had developed a more mature sound, one only hinted at on such previous cuts as "Twenty-Fourth Hour".

The Action are one of the great "lost" bands of mid-'60s England. Though they filled mod clubs with happy patrons and managed to score George Martin as a benefactor, they only released a handful of unsuccessful singles during their brief existence. Most of their music remained in the vaults for years, only to be discovered later and celebrated. After years of reissues that only told part of the band's story, Grapefruit's 2018 Shadows and Reflections: The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 collects everything: their five officially released singles, BBC sessions, their legendary demos from 1967, backing tracks, alternate takes, different mixes, and songs they recorded just before the band broke up in 1968…

Continuing the blazing trail set by 2015's acclaimed Modern Blues and 2017's top ten-reaching double album Out Of All This Blue, on May 24th The Waterboys will release their new album Where The Action Is, via Cooking Vinyl.

The Action are one of the great "lost" bands of mid-'60s England. Though they filled mod clubs with happy patrons and managed to score George Martin as a benefactor, they only released a handful of unsuccessful singles during their brief existence. Most of their music remained in the vaults for years, only to be discovered later and celebrated. After years of reissues that only told part of the band's story, Grapefruit's 2018 Shadows and Reflections: The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 collects everything: their five officially released singles, BBC sessions, their legendary demos from 1967, backing tracks, alternate takes, different mixes, and songs they recorded just before the band broke up in 1968. It's an impressive haul made even better by the excellent liner notes, session information, and crisp sound…

Following the acclaim of 2017’s Out Of All This Blue (awarded four-stars in Q Magazine and The Independent), The Waterboys with their new album, Where The Action Is. Its title inspired by Robert Parker’s 1960s mod / northern soul classic, Where The Action Is is a 10-song, genre-defying album, testament to the enduring talents of the band’s founder and front man Mike Scott. One of the finest British songwriters of the past four decades, his songs have been covered and recorded by artists including Prince, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Steve Earle, and Ellie Goulding (who had a number three hit with a How Long Will I Love You).

First reissue of Bobby Hutton's 1973 LP "Piece of the Action". This special release includes bonus tracks on the CD, featuring everything Hutton recorded between 1969 and 1974, all meticulously remastered from the original master tapes. Additionally, two 7” reissues are also available, providing further gems from his catalogue.

Piece of the Action: The Best of Meat Loaf collects 30 songs from the larger than life rocker. At two discs, this U.K. collection would seem the perfect vehicle to showcase Marvin Lee Aday's three decades worth of material, but Piece of the Action narrows its focus on the his years with BMG and Sony, which means that anyone looking for recent hits like "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" is out of luck. That said, Meat Loaf's '70s and early '80s output provided him with the majority of his hits, making this early career anthology a worthy addition to the myriad reissues of his 1977 classic Bat out of Hell.