The Action I’m posting today isn’t the UK group of the same name but a New Zealand group from Auckland. Seems like they didn’t mind being confused with their more famous namesake, as they recorded the UK Action’s “Never Ever” for their second 45. Not an unusual practice at the time, there’s also an Australian group calling itself the Birds who covered two of the UK Bird’s 45s, “No Good Without You” and “Say Those Magic Words”.
This Action cover the Vagrants “I Can’t Make a Friend” on the flip side of their first 45, “Romeo and Juliet”, doing an excellent job of it too. This was recorded in April of 1967. Though you wouldn’t think it from this song, they were actually known as more of a soul and r&b band than pop or garage.
Evan Silva wrote to me about “I Can’t Make a Friend”:
That was the first song I recorded with the Action at Stebbings studio in Eldred Stebbing’s basement. I sing on all but Romeo & Juliet. The A sides were Stebbing’s suggestion for the pop market and we selected the B sides. We never played the A sides live as we did not like them, except for Try A Little Tenderness we played that regular especially in Oz! Brett [Neilsen] our drummer was the La De Da’s drummer prior to us and did not want to go back to Oz, then joined the Action and off we went to Oz!
Brian Harris then took Brett’s place in the La De Da’s!
Eldred Stebbing was the owner of the Zodiac label. Many of the great New Zealand bands recorded at his studio, and the Action, the Pleazers and the La De Da’s all played residencies at his nightclub, the Galaxie.
A detailed history of the band is available here
Evan Silva has just been playing the Gold Coast promoting his new Soul R&B album “Out Of The Shadows” and his live album “Gotta Get Up” !
Awesome night it was.
Out Of The Shadows is the first new album to be released on the resurrected Zodiac label by Stebbings.
Check it out,its damn good!
24 of Aklds finest session players and singers working with him.
We actually played hard out soul-Otis Redding Joe Tex Wilson Picket and all them,also Motown-Four Tops etc.
I Cant Make A Friend is coming out soon on a Kiwi Album,all the other singles have been released again on
compilation albums.
Evan Silva.
Go to youtube type in evan silva and view live clips off Out Of The Shadows.
Portugal wanting to put Action to album —- wow
Stebbings/Zodiac are going to release Action songs before Christmas I hear,
Ive got my book Altar Boy ready to publish also which is a good one from birth to music in NZ and Oz and up to present.
Just played Gold Coast with my 5 pce from NZ also it went well and became a 9 pce.
Im just about finished my book to be published and printed for a launch plus put up on Kindle Ebook …. Chapters on Nobodys Children — The Action at the Top 20 and Galaxie – The Action in Sydney at The Whiskey A Go Go and Hawaiin Eye —- its hilarious historical and cultured.
Regards
Evan Silva