Roger Powell drummer with The
Action interview
The Action were formed in north London in 1963.
Reg King - vocals, Alan King - rhythm guitar, Mike Evans - bass,
Roger Powell - drums and Pete Watson - lead guitar. Allied to the
mod movement in the same way that The Small Faces and The Who were,
The Action didn't follow the R 'n B and Rock and Roll route. They
stuck with their first love which was the Tamla and burgeoning soul
sound. Undoubtedly the most expert British exponents of white soul
by far, they were good enough to attract The Beatles' producer
George Martin and together they created some marvellous material.
Popular on the club circuit, they nevertheless didn't manage to
achieve chart success with any of their five singles releases and
emerged from the sixties as another cult band.
With influential supporters such as Phil Collins and Paul Weller
these days remarking that The Action are their favourite band of all
time, it is evident that, once again, the cruel musical lottery has
dealt another blow for talent. I recommend that you get yourself a
copy of their material if you haven't already and see what most of
us missed the first time around. Their music is breathtaking and
stands up incredibly well today.
Still performing today with the original line-up and also hosting a
web site and writing a book on their experiences, The Action are
very much still a force to be reckoned with.
Roger Powell, the drummer with The Action, has kindly agreed to talk
to us and this is that interview that he gave for Digger.
Roger Powell
Digger: The band formed in 1963. Please tell us how you met the
others and what the scene was like at that time.
Roger: Well, I was at
school with Reg King. Also, Mike and Alan were at the same school a
year above us. Alan lived 5 minutes from my house and Reg lived in
the same street. Mike lived in Euston. I suppose around that
time1963 bands in pubs were just starting, 'The Shads' ( Shadows )
were kicking in, and electric guitars were all the thing. Alan and
Mike were playing in a band in the pub up the road from me - the
Malden Arms. Reg and myself used to get up and play a few songs and
grooved a bit more than the other drummer and singer so we replaced
them. That's how The Action began.
Digger: Who were your main musical inspirations?
Roger: Stax and Tamla all of them!

The Action
Digger: Why did The Action develop such a unique soulful style when
the other bands were doing beat and r 'n b?
Roger: We were one of the first bands to play this music in London
and I think we just adapted and developed a sound that we were happy
with.
Digger: Reg King's vocals seem to be a huge asset to the band. How
would you describe Reg's voice? And how would you describe the
members of the band as individuals and musicians? And what about
you?
Roger: Well, I think Reg was one of the great white soul singers.
All the band seem to compliment each other on and off stage. They
were all great musicians and I am really proud to have played with
them all. And me? Well, as Reg would say, I just bang things. Oh
well.
Digger: Your music sounds as fresh today. Are you surprised and
delighted it has sustained, that the band is a cult and that you
have attracted so many influential admirers ( Phil Collins, Paul
Weller ) over the years?
Roger: Oh yes. Very delighted. It has inspired us to try to find and
get out any more Action recordings. Pity the silly buggers at the
BBC wiped all the tapes from the eighties onwards. Think what might
be lurking there!
Digger: Did you mix much with The Small Faces, The Who and so on? I
know that Eddie Phillips said you were on the same circuit as The
Creation - did you ever see them play?
Roger: Yes we knew The Faces - used to go round their flat in
Pimlico and play Herbie Mann. They were all really great guys. Saw a
bit of The Who but when they had a hit record with Can't Explain
they left our circuit and went on the bigger stage. We played with
The Creation, Jimmy James, Riot Squad, Jess Roden. So many great
bands we all mostly met up in the Blue Boar on the M1 or The
Speakeasy.

Digger: What are you favourite Action recordings?
Roger: In My Lonely Room and 1,000 Dances.
Digger: You were produced by Sir George Martin. How did this
relationship come about? Can you give us examples of his input into
your work? What was his, and your reaction, when your great
recordings didn't manage to make an impact on the charts? Have you
kept in touch?
Roger: Well, I think we were all a bit disappointed that we did not
get a hit record. George as well, but that's history and part of the
story of The Action. George did become one of the group in a way and
suggested many ideas and musical directions to explore. I did see
George a few months ago and he is really well. There is a new CD
out. Fifty years of George Martin - all the things he has worked on.
We are really pleased that The Action is on that CD and take it as a
great compliment to be included.
Digger: Who chose the
material that wasn't written by the band?
Roger: We all did. If we all liked it, we played it.
Digger: How were you received in Europe? You were great exponents of
American material but did you ever go to America?
Roger: No only England really. America was out unless you had a hit
record. The mod movement did not really get big in Europe in the
early days although we did have a few good gigs in The Locomotive in
Paris.
Digger: What have been the biggest thrills and biggest regrets of
your career so far?
Roger: Doing a few reunion gigs last year. It was great to play
again after 25 years or so. Regrets - no I have no regrets.
Digger: The band continues to flourish - how have you changed as
people and performers since the sixties?
Roger: Pass.
Digger: Can you tell us who your favourite British bands,
songwriters and heroes were in the sixties?
Roger: Graham Bond, Ginger Baker, The Who. Buddy Rich.
Digger: Did you bump into The Beatles by virtue of sharing the same
producer?
Roger: Yes a few times at Abbey Road and The Marquee. Good blokes.
Always said hello.
Digger: What do you think of today's music scene?
Roger: Yeah, like it. What goes round comes round.
Digger: What do you think of the Internet?
Roger: Great. It's like having a giant brain in your living room.
Want to know something, there's the brain. It also helps us to
develop The Action's web site.
Digger: How do you think you would have coped with the sort of fame
The Beatles had?
Roger: Not sure - could have gone either way.
Digger: What are your happiest memories of the sixties?
Roger: Seeing the Stax tour at the Speakeasy.
Digger: What were your favourite sixties haunts and what were some
of the funniest or most outrageous things that the band got up to or
witnessed?
Roger: Well, most of this will be in a book that we are writing now
about The Action and the times and anything else we got up to. I did
put a pair of false teeth in a curry and lifted them off the plate
and showed them to Rod Stewart who we were giving a lift home from a
gig. I said "Hey Rod, look at this", his face went white
and he ran out of the curry house. lol.
Digger: What caused the creative buzz in Britain in the sixties?
Roger: The music and change in thought patterns to a more expansive
view of life.
Digger: What are the band's current projects?
Roger: The website. Finding more material. The book.
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Many thanks to Roger for his help and kindness.
Roger Powell interview 2001.
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