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The Action: Shadows & Reflections – The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 box set

The Action: Shadows & Reflections - The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 box set
The Action: Shadows & Reflections – The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 box set
Note that I independently write and research everything in this article. But it may contain affiliate links.

Oh yes, this is a big one, Quite literally too as The Action: Shadows & Reflections – The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 box set covers four discs.

It is available to pre-order now ahead of its October release date, with the album produced by the Grapefruit arm of the Cherry Red label. Quite a feat as well considering the mod legends only officially released six singles in their lifetime.

The band, the first signed by Beatles producer George Martin after he left EMI to set up his own company (AIR Productions), released five singles via the Parlophone label between 1965 and 1967, with the intention of more more material making up an album, which never actually happened. But even allowing for the latter, there shouldn’t be a great deal of tracks to make up a box set. But there are.

The Action: Shadows & Reflections – The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 box set includes everything that can possibly be sourced, from studio material through to live tracks from radio and TV. Many of the original Parlophone single mixes have never been reissued in their original form on compact disc – until now. A ‘fresh discovery’ of multi-tracks and rehearsal tapes has led to a whole disc’s worth of previously unheard mixes and performances here.

Also present is material from the band’s BBC sessions and the post-Parlophone period, which has been remastered by Alec Palao.

Finishing things off is the packaging, with a selection of photos of The Action in their heyday, with 16,000 words of sleeve-notes by David Wells and a 36-page booklet too.

All the tracks and details are below.

You can get The Action: Shadows & Reflections – The Complete Recordings 1964-1968 box set either directly from Cherry Red or from Amazon. Price varies a little, with the former at £32.99 and the latter at £34.17. However, it is on Prime at Amazon, so free postage there if you have that, which isn’t the case for Cherry Red, bumping things up a bit.

The Action box set at Amazon

The Action box set at Cherry Red

Track listing:

DISC ONE
THE PARLOPHONE MASTERS
THE SINGLES
1. LAND OF ONE THOUSAND DANCES
2. IN MY LONELY ROOM
3. I’LL KEEP HOLDING ON
4. HEY SAH-LO-NEY
5. BABY YOU’VE GOT IT
6. SINCE I LOST MY BABY
7. NEVER EVER
8. TWENTYFOURTH HOUR
9. SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS
10. SOMETHING HAS HIT ME
11. THE HARLEM SHUFFLE
12. WASN’T IT YOU
13. THE PLACE
14. THE CISSY
15. I LOVE YOU (YEAH!)
16. COME ON, COME WITH ME
17. JUST ONCE IN MY LIFE (New Mono Mix) *

BONUS TRACKS
18. MINE EXCLUSIVELY (BBC Session)
19. REG KING INTERVIEW / BABY YOU’VE GOT IT (BBC Session)
20. TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS (ROCK ME A LITTLE WHILE) (BBC Session)
21. I SEE YOU (BBC Session)
22. SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS (BBC Session)

* Previously unissued

DISC TWO
AT ABBEY ROAD
NEW STEREO MIXES
1. I’LL KEEP HOLDING ON
2. THE CISSY
3. NEVER EVER
4. SINCE I LOST MY BABY
5. SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS
6. HEY SAH-LO-NEY
7. SOMETHING HAS HIT ME
8. BABY YOU’VE GOT IT
9. I LOVE YOU (YEAH!)
10. WASN’T IT YOU
11. THE HARLEM SHUFFLE
12. THE PLACE
13. TWENTYFOURTH HOUR
14. COME ON, COME WITH ME
15. JUST ONCE IN MY LIFE

OUTTAKES
16. SOMETHING HAS HIT ME (Rehearsal)
17. I LOVE YOU (YEAH) (Backing Track Take 1)
18. NEVER EVER (Rehearsal)
19. COME ON, COME WITH ME (Backing Track Take 4)
20. TWENTYFOURTH HOUR (Alternative Version)
21. THE PLACE (Backing Track Take 2)
22. JUST ONCE IN MY LIFE (Take 2)
23. SOMETHING HAS HIT ME (Alternative Backing Track)
24. SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS (Backing Track)

All tracks previously unissued

DISC THREE
ROLLED GOLD PLUS:THE 1967-68 RECORDINGS
1. COME AROUND
2. SOMETHING TO SAY
3. LOVE IS ALL
4. ICARUS
5. STRANGE ROADS
6. THINGS YOU CANNOT SEE
7. BRAIN (Full Length Version)
8. LOOK AT THE VIEW
9. CLIMBING UP THE WALL (SEE ME) (Full Length Vers.)
10. REALLY DOESN’T MATTER (Full Length Version)
11. I’M A STRANGER
12. LITTLE BOY (Full Length Version)
13. FOLLOW ME
14. IN MY DREAM (George Martin Orchestrated Version)

ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN…
15. ONLY DREAMING
16. DUSTBIN FULL OF RUBBISH
17. AN UNDERSTANDING LOVE
18. MY FAVOURITE DAY
19. A SAYING FOR TODAY

BONUS TRACK
20. IN MY DREAM (Demo Version)

DISC FOUR
ACTION EXTRAS
1. IT AIN’T FAIR – The Boys
2. I WANT YOU – The Boys
3. FINE LOOKING GIRL – The Boys
4. GIRL (WHY YOU WANNA MAKE ME BLUE) (Decca Audition)
5. IN MY LONELY ROOM (Decca Audition)
6. YOU’LL WANT ME BACK (Decca Audition)
7. I’LL KEEP HOLDING ON (Live)
8. LAND OF ONE THOUSAND DANCES / UPTIGHT (EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT) (Live)
9. GOING TO A GO-GO (BBC Session)
10. NEVER EVER (BBC Session)
11. INDIA (BBC Session)
12. LOVE IS ALL (BBC Session)
13. I’LL KEEP HOLDING ON (“Edsel” mix)
14. BABY YOU’VE GOT IT (“Edsel” mix)
15. THE HARLEM SHUFFLE (“Edsel” mix)
16. JUST ONCE IN MY LIFE (“Edsel” mix)
17. NEVER EVER (“Edsel” mix)
18. TWENTYFOURTH HOUR (“Edsel” mix)
19. SOMETHING HAS HIT ME (“Edsel” mix)
20. SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS (“Edsel” mix)

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