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The Action — Rolled Gold: The Complete 1967-68 Recordings
(Think Like a Key TLAK1241, 1968/2026, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-08-15

Rolled Gold: The Complete 1967-68 Recordings Cover art

The Action was one of the great "what if?" stories of the British 60s. Produced by George Martin, celebrated as a live act, revered on the London mod circuit, and responsible for a remarkable string of singles, they somehow never managed to place a record on the charts. Their devotion to Motown and American R&B may have worked against them; they were arguably too authentic and soulful for mainstream pop audiences, while many mods simply preferred the original American releases. By 1967, however, The Action were already looking beyond blue-eyed soul. Inspired by artists as diverse as John Coltrane, The Byrds, The Association, The Beach Boys, folk music, and Indian influences, they began forging a new identity. The recordings collected on Rolled Gold capture that fascinating transitional moment — a band shedding its mod roots while discovering a more adventurous psychedelic and progressive voice. In hindsight, Rolled Gold documents the birth of Mighty Baby. Following The Action's collapse in 1968, Alan "Bam" King, Roger Powell, and Mike Evans joined forces with keyboardist and woodwind player Ian Whiteman and guitarist Martin Stone, evolving into one of Britain's most respected underground psychedelic groups. The musical DNA is already present here: Byrds-inspired folk rock, West Coast harmonies, exploratory songwriting, and occasional flashes of Syd Barrett-style eccentricity. Long regarded as a cult classic, Rolled Gold inspired Sidewalk Society's excellent 2017 Fruits de Mer release Strange Roads, which reimagined these demos with full arrangements and modern studio polish while remaining remarkably faithful to the spirit of the originals. That project underscored just how strong this material really was. Think Like a Key's expanded edition presents the fourteen core Rolled Gold tracks alongside five selections from summer 1968 sessions and three additional acetate recordings from 1967-68, all beautifully restored by Prof. Stoned. More than a collection of demos, these recordings provide a crucial missing link between The Action and Mighty Baby, documenting one of the most intriguing evolutions in British psychedelia. Another exemplary archival resurrection from TLAK, shining a well-deserved spotlight on music that has remained overlooked for far too long.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases, 1968 recordings

Related artist(s): The Action

 

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