Acta Album Discography
The first single for the label was "Flight of the Dragon Lady"/"Wonderful Day" by the Other Half (Acta
801). The San Francisco based group was made up of Jeff Knowlen (vocals, harmonica, guitar), Geoff
Western (rhythm guitar), Larry Brown (bass), Danny Woods (drums), and Randy Holden (lead guitar). It
was Holden's lead guitar that gave the group its psychedelic sound, and after the Other Half split up,
Holden moved on to become a mainstay in Blue Cheer. The group had four singles and an album on
Acta.
The biggest selling group for the label was the American Breed, a Chicago band that had been known
as Gary and the Knight Lites. Personnel included Al Ciner (guitar), Chuck Colbert (bass), Lee Graziano
(drums), and Gary Loizzo (vocals, guitar). Their first single was Acta 802, "Give Two Young Lovers A
Chance"/"I Don't Think You Know," which sold poorly, even in their hometown where they were well
known. Their next single, "Step Out Of Your Mind" (Acta 804), made top 10 in Chicago and #24
nationally in the summer of 1967. Surprisingly, their followup ("Don't Forget About Me," Acta 808) only
reached #107 nationally, and didn't chart in Chicago at all. But it was their fourth single that really rang
the cash registers at Acta: "Bend Me Shape Me" (Acta 811), which made #5 nationally and topped the
charts in Chicago in early 1968. The song itself was a remake of a cut on an Outsiders' album from the
year before, written by Scott English ("Mandy") and Larry Weiss ("Rhinestone Cowboy"). Although the
American Breed had several more chart singles for Acta, they couldn't repeat their success. They
recorded commercials, and added a female singer, Paulette McWilliams. They moved toward a heavier
soul sound, and eventually changed names to Ask Rufus. When Ask Rufus signed with ABC in the mid
1970s, Chaka Khan replaced Williams and the band's name was shortened to Rufus. As Rufus, they
had several huge pop/soul hits for ABC.
Also signed to Acta in 1967 were Bobby Sansom & the Light Years, the Domestic Help, the Brothers
Cain, and the Peppermint Trolley Company. The Peppermint Trolley Company was a Redwood,
California, band made up of Jimmie Faragher (bass, guitar, sax), Danny Faragher (keyboards), Casey
Cunningham (guitars, flute), and Greg Tornouist (drums). The Faragher Brothers had been in the group
Mark Five, and had already got the Peppermint Trolley Company together for a single on the Valiant
label when Acta signed them. They released five singles and an album on Acta, their only chart record
being "Baby You Come Rollin' Across My Mind" (Acta 815), which reached #59 in the summer of 1968.
The band would eventually change their name to Bones, and then the Faragher Brothers.
Another California band to record for Acta was the Neighb'rhood Childr'n, made up of Rick Bolz (12
string guitar, tambourine, harmonica, vocals), Ron Raschdorf (guitar, tambourine, vocals, harmonica), W
A Farrens (drums, harmonica, tambourine, vocals), Dyan Hoffmann (vocals, organ, tambourine), and for
a time George Campbell (guitar). They spent most of their time playing gigs in the San Francisco area,
opening for groups like the Beau Brummels, the Who, and Iron Butterfly. When Acta chanced an album
of their material, it crashed and burned in the sales column, so the label turned down a second try and
the group eventually disbanded.
Other artists on the Acta roster releasing singles included Chicago's Pride & Joy, another of Bill Traut's groups, Blondell Breed & the Imports, and Joe & Al. By the end of 1969, psychedelia was over, and so was Acta. The few remaining artists went to parent labels Dot and Paramount, and that was that.
Although none of the Acta albums are particularly rare, they all command collector interest. Acta used excellent vinyl and pressings and sound quality were top notch. We are not aware of an issue with catalog number 8001/38001. The first American Breed album was released in both mono (A-8002) and stereo (A-38002). The remaining albums were issued commercially in mono and stereo at least as late as A-8006/A-38006.
