They were part of t… Read Full Bio ↴1. The Action were an English band of the 1960s.
They were part of the mod subculture, and played soul music-influenced pop music. The band were formed as The Boys in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North London. After Peter Watson joined them as an additional guitarist in 1965, they changed their name to The Action. The original members were Reg King (lead Vocals) (born Reginald King, 5 February 1945, in Paddington, West London), Alan 'Bam' King (lead guitar, Vocals) (born Alan King, 18 September 1945, in Muswell Hill, North London), Mike "Ace" Evans (bass guitar, Vocals) (born Michael Evans, 10 July 1945, in Henley, Berkshire) and Roger Powell (drums) (born 4 July 1945, in Camden Town, North West London).
Shortly after their formation, they signed to Beatles producer George Martin's Parlophone Records. "Land of a Thousand Dances" b/w "In My Lonely Room" was well received by critics, but sold poorly. None of the Action's singles achieved success in the UK singles chart; their highest charting single was "I'll Keep on Holding On", which reached number 47 in 1965.
After disastrous experiences with the Rikki Farr management, Peter Watson (born in 1945, in Kentish Town, North West London) left the band in 1966. They continued as quartet, but were dropped from Parlophone in 1967. In the late 1960s keyboardist Ian Whiteman (born 18 May 1945, in Saffron Walden, Essex) and guitarist Martin Stone (born in Wokingham, Surrey, England, 11 December 1946 - 9 November 2016, Versailles, France) joined the band and the Action moved toward a mid-tempo psychedelic ballad style, and then into folk rock. Reg King left the band in 1967, and Alan King took over as main lead vocalist. In 1969, when signing to John Curd's Head Records, the band was renamed by Curd Mighty Baby.
Alan King later went on to form Ace (see pub rock (UK)).
Notably, they are one of the favourite bands of Phil Collins, who performed with the reunited band in 2000. "For me it was like playing with the Beatles," he later commented on the experience.
2. The Action! was formed in the fall of 1998, in Syracuse, NY. Their music is a hard-to-classify blend of rock, ska, punk, and jazz.
The Action!, formerly known as Skatos, has recorded two full-length albums; Skatalogical (1999), and Waiting For Tuesday (2001). They have appeared on the internationally released ska compilation Still Standing (Jump/Megalith), as well as the ska/punk compilation How I Punked Out Of Skallege (Red Dragon). The band also recorded and independently released an e.p. of demos called the 16 Hour E.P. The Action! also wrote and recorded a song used in local Syracuse commercials for the popular television show The Simpsons.
The Action! has served as the opening act for such bands as Reel Big Fish, The Toasters, The Pietasters, Jimmies Chicken Shack, Gym Class Heroes, The Planet Smashers, and Sheila Devine. On stage, the band delivers a tight, adrenaline fueled performance that has remained unmatched by their musical peers.
In 2003 the members of The Action! took a break from the band as school, jobs, and other projects made it increasingly harder to perform or rehearse regularly. However, in April of 2006 it was announced that they would reunite and organize a benefit show for their friend and bandmate Brandon Hall who was diagnosed with leukemia. The show was a great success, leading the band to start writing more and playing out again. Come and see for yourself the new and improved, latest installment of ... The Action!
3.AOR Band from United States of America released Louder Than World 1987-2006 Album
4. The Action was a power pop power trio from Ohio. They were active from about 1979 to 1982. They had a very retro sound based on british invasion style melodic songwriting (very much like the UK band of the same name above). The members were Mike Purkhiser (guitar/vocals), Brent Warren (bass), and Cliff Bryant (drums). They released three singles: "Get Back to Me", "Radio Music", and "She's Got My Heart". Warren and Purkhiser later worked with indie pop musician Scott McCarl.
5. late 60's garage band from New Zealand
Land Of 1000 Dances
The Action Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One, two, three!
You gotta know how to pony like Bony Maronie
Mashed Potato, do the Alligator
Put your hands on your hips, let your back-bone slip
Do the Watusi, like my little Lucy
Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na, na na na na.
Need somebody to help me say it one time
You know I feel alright.
Feel pretty good y'all.
Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na, na na na na.
Need somebody to help me say it one time
Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na, na na na na.
Dance with me honey, like Long Tall Sally
Twistin' with Lucy, doin the Watusi
Gotta hold of your back, I like it like that
Do the Jerk, watch me work
Ah, do it!
The Action's song "Land of 1000 Dances" is a classic party anthem that urges people to get up and dance. The lyrics are primarily a series of dances that the singer encourages the listener to do. They start with "pony like Bony Maronie," a reference to the song of the same name by Larry Williams, and then move on to other popular dances of the time like the Mashed Potato and the Alligator. The song also mentions the Watusi, a dance of African origin that was popular in the 1960s, and the Jerk, a dance that originated in California in the early 1960s.
The song has a very upbeat and energetic feel to it, with the repeated refrain of "na na na na na" creating a sense of joy and celebration. There is a sense of community and togetherness in the song, with the singer calling for someone to join in with him and dance together. The lyrics are very simple and straightforward, but they manage to capture the spirit of the time and the joy of dancing.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three!
The song starts with the count of one, two, three to indicate the beginning of dancing.
You gotta know how to pony like Bony Maronie
To dance like Bony Maronie, a famous R&B singer of the '50s, you must know how to do the pony dance move.
Mashed Potato, do the Alligator
Dance steps like Mashed Potato and Alligator are referenced to urge people to start dancing.
Put your hands on your hips, let your back-bone slip
A dance move that requires dancers to put their hands on their hips and move their backs in a smooth way.
Do the Watusi, like my little Lucy
The Watusi dance style is mentioned, which is being compared to Little Lucy's dance moves.
Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na, na na na na.
The 'na na na' refrain is used to add rhythm and energy to the song.
Need somebody to help me say it one time
The singer is looking for someone to dance with and urges the audience to respond to his call and dance.
You know I feel alright.
The singer feels good and enthusiastic about the dancing happening around him.
Dance with me honey, like Long Tall Sally
A reference to Little Richard's hit song, 'Long Tall Sally,' to entice someone to dance with the singer.
Twistin' with Lucy, doin the Watusi
The singer mentions another dance move called 'The Twist' and asks Lucy to accompany him in doing the Watusi dance.
Gotta hold of your back, I like it like that
The singer expresses his enjoyment of holding his dance partner's back while dancing.
Do the Jerk, watch me work
Another dance move called 'The Jerk' is referenced as the singer invites the audience to learn from his dance moves.
Ah, do it!
The singer urges the audience to start dancing and enjoy the moment together.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Christopher Kenner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind