The Action - I'll Keep Holding On ----- Rating? Dyno-mite!!

I just got finished listening to a very old song that I was not familiar with, and yet I was.
It is a cover of a Marvelettes song called I'll Keep Holding On as performed by The Action. The appeal for me is the vocal, the period sound and arrangement, a kindred spirit of early Who and the drumming which aspires towards a higher similar style like Keith Moon of The Who or Bobby Elliott of the Hollies. I especially like how the insistance of the drums is emphasized in the final minute of the song.

Taste and enjoy the original by The Marvelettes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KAWYEfnzM4

Here is the cover by The Action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUuaVWIPG6g&NR=1

I'm definitely hooked. I keep playing it and I hope I won't grow tired of it. If I had bought this as a kid back in 1966, my 45 would be hot from being played over and over again.

It was (according to wikipedia ) their highest charting single at #47.

The Action existed at the same time as some other mid-60's Mod bands who were left behind in the wake of the success enjoyed by The Who. Despite having been signed by George Martin, they did not reach the success they may have deserved.

It hits a nice positive groove that is really comfortable; I feel that I can recognize a little bit of the same mood in this uptempo song being applied in a slightly slower fashion in the treatment given by David Bowie and Tony Visconti to their cover version of Neil Young's I've Been Waiting For You on Heathen -his wonderful effort from 2002 . If this particular song from Heathen is not the one that reflects the connection I make, it may be the mood of Heathen (or possibly Reality the follow-up cd) that I link between Bowie and The Action cover. Why wouldn't he have that sense of feeling? He was recording and releasing singles between 1964 and 1966 trying to find his groove before the success to come in the 70's.


Here is David Bowie's Neil Young cover from Heathen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMFbx5U0qRc

The production of this song is very cinematic and powerful - I love it.


It's nice to "rediscover" something you missed the first time around...