Who Needs Actions When You Got Words

Who Needs Actions When You Got Words
Studio album by Plan B
Released 26 June 2006
Recorded 2005–2006
Miloco Studios, London
Genre Hip hop, acoustic, Hardcore hip hop, Conscious hip hop
Length 62:48
Label 679
Producer Plan B, Fraser T. Smith, Paul Epworth, Eliot James, Sam Williams, The Nextmen, The Earlies (co.), Jonathan Quarmby (add.), Kevin Bacon (add.)
Plan B chronology
Who Needs Actions When You Got Words
(2006)		 The Defamation of Strickland Banks
(2010)
Singles from Who Needs Actions When You Got Words
  1. "Sick 2 Def" / "No Good"
    Released: 5 December 2005
  2. "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)"
    Released: 3 July 2006

Who Needs Actions When You Got Words is the debut album from UK rapper Plan B.

Contents

Writing and recording

The title comes from a line in the Meat Puppets song Plateau, famously covered by Nirvana on their 1994 album MTV Unplugged in New York.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Blender [2]
The Guardian [3]
NME [4]
Pitchfork Media (7.5/10) [5]
PopMatters [6]
Rolling Stone [7]

The album reached and peaked at #30 in the UK album chart when it was released in June 2006. It received very favourable reviews from critics in the hip-hop, indie and mainstream communities. In 2006, Q Magazine rated the album 64th in their 100 Best Albums of 2006. In February 2010, about 3 and a half years after its release the album was certified Silver by British Phonographic Industry for selling over 60,000 copies.

Track listing

CD track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Kidz"   Ben Drew, Fraser T. Smith Fraser T. Smith 4:07
2. "Sick 2 Def"   Ben Drew Fraser T. Smith 4:44
3. "No Good"   Ben Drew, James Edward Bratton, Kelly Charles, Paul Epworth Paul Epworth 4:56
4. "Dead and Buried"   Ben Drew, Fraser T. Smith Fraser T. Smith, Plan B 4:39
5. "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)"   Ben Drew, Daryl Hall, John Oates, Sara Allen Plan B, Jonathan Quarmby (add.), Kevin Bacon (add.) 3:57
6. "Charmaine"   Ben Drew, Fraser T. Smith, Jerry Fuller Fraser T. Smith, Plan B 3:46
7. "I Don't Hate You"   Ben Drew Plan B 5:15
8. "Everyday"   Ben Drew, Elliot James Eliot James, Plan B 4:24
9. "Tough Love"   Ben Drew Plan B 5:03
10. "Where Ya From?"   Ben Drew, Paul Epworth Plan B, Paul Epworth (co.) 3:43
11. "No More Eatin'"   Ben Drew Plan B, The Earlies (co.) 4:41
12. "Missing Links"   Ben Drew Plan B 3:53
13. "Couldn't Get Along"   Ben Drew, Sam Williams Plan B, Sam Williams 5:44
14. "Who Needs Actions When You Got Words"   Ben Drew, Brad Ellis, Dominic Betmead Plan B, The Nextmen 3:53
Total length:
 62:48

LP track listing

The LP version of Who Needs Actions When You Got Words was released as a double-12" Vinyl and bonus 7" Vinyl disc containing 14 tracks in total. Some tracks are in a slightly different order than the CD release and the LP also includes "Breakdown" and The Earlies version of "Sick 2 Def" in place of the acoustic version. It does not include "Everyday".

Singles

"Kidz" / "Dead and Buried" was released in 2005 as a 7" vinyl promotional single. The single was limited to 500 copies and released on Plan B's own record label Pet Cemetery Records.

"Sick 2 Def" / "No Good" was released in December 2005 as digital download and 7" vinyl/CD single. It was Plan B's first single on 679 Recordings and his first music video was filmed for "No Good".

"Missing Links" was released on 17 April 2006 as a video-only download single because of refused sample permission for the use of "Pyramid Song" by Radiohead.

"Mama (Loves A Crackhead)" was released in July 2006. The single was released in multiple formats and was his first song to appear on the UK Singles Chart at No. 41.

"No More Eatin" was filmed as a music video and was used as the lead track from Live at The Pet Cemetery EP (2006) and the Remixes EP (2006).

"No Good" was re-released in February 2007 as a digital download and 12" maxi-single. The lead track had been remixed by Jeremy Wheatley and a music video was filmed for the b-side "Bizness Woman" (featuring Killa Kela).

Personnel

Production
  • Fraser T. Smith – producer, mixing
  • Paul Epworth – producer, mixing
  • Elliott James – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Sam Williams – producer, mixing
  • The Nextmen – producer
  • The Earlies – co-producers
  • Jonathan Quarmby – additional producer, mixing
  • Kevin Bacon – additional producer, mixing
  • Finn Eiles – engineer, mixing
  • Jimmy Robertson – engineer, mixing
  • Tesfa Pitt – engineer, programming
  • Alan O'Connell – engineer
  • Tom Knott – engineer
  • Analog Kid – drum programming
  • Brad Ellis – drum programming, mixing
  • Dominic Betmead – mixing
  • John Davis – mastering
Additional musicians
  • NY – backing vocals, additional vocals
  • Akatriel – additional vocals
  • Randolph Matthews – backing vocals
  • Andrew Smith – guitar
  • Tom Knott – guitar
  • Jamie King – guitar
  • Dominic Betmead – guitar, turntables
  • Andy Sheldrake – bass
  • Christian Madden – keyboard
  • Cassell the Beatmaker – drums
  • Richard Young – drums
  • Harry Escott – cello
  • Kai Fish – cello
  • Elliott James – cello, piano
  • Alex Berry – double bass
  • Beni G – turntables
Other personnel
  • Ben Drury – design, additional photography, art direction
  • Neil Gavin – photography
  • Ben Sansbury – graphic design
  • Dan Stacey – A&R
  • Nicky Stein – legal

Sample credits

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom 26 June 2006 679 CD 5051011497926
2xLP + 7" 505101149791

Chart performance

Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart 30

Certifications

Country Certification
United Kingdom Silver[2]

Use in media

Tour

Who Needs Actions When You Got Words Tour
Tour by Plan B
Location United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, United States, Australia
Associated album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words
Start date 20 January 2010 (2010-01-20)
End date 4 September 2011 (2011-09-04)
Legs 5
Plan B tour chronology
Who Needs Actions When You Got Words Tour
(2006–2007)		 The Defamation of Strickland Banks Tour
(2010–2011)

Live band

Support acts

Tour dates

Date City Country Venue
Leg 1: United Kindgom
13 May 2006 Leeds United Kingdom The Faversham[A]
31 May 2006 London The Macbeth
12 July 2006 Newcastle Carling Academy Newcastle
13 July 2006 Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
14 July 2006 Birmingham Carling Academy 2 Birmingham
15 July 2006 Liverpool Carling Academy 2 Liverpool
18 July 2006 Nottingham Rescue Rooms
19 July 2006 Manchester Academy 3
21 July 2006 London Mean Fiddler
22 July 2006 Bristol Ashton Court[B]
23 July 2006 Brighton Concord 2
Leg 2: Festivals
12 August 2006 Osaka Japan Intex Osaka[C]
13 August 2006 Chiba Chiba Marine Stadium[C]
26 August 2006 Reading United Kingdom Little John's Farm[D]
27 August 2006 Leeds Bramham Park[D]
28 August 2006 Edinburgh The Liquid Room[E]
12 November 2006 Paris France La Cigale[F]
Leg 3: United Kingdom & Ireland
28 January 2007 Dublin Ireland The Village
30 January 2007 Preston United Kingdom 53 Degrees
31 January 2007 Birmingham Carling Academy 2 Birmingham
1 February 2007 Leeds The Cockpit
2 February 2007 Glasgow The Arches
3 February 2007 Sheffield The Leadmill
7 February 2007 Manchester Academy 2
8 February 2007 Cardiff University Solus
9 February 2007 London Shepherd's Bush Empire
10 February 2007 Bristol Anson Rooms
12 February 2007 Cambridge The Junction
13 February 2007 Liverpool Carling Academy 2 Liverpool
14 February 2007 Norwich Waterfront
15 February 2007 Southampton University
22 February 2007 London Fopp
Leg 4: United States
12 March 2007 New York City United States Joe's Pub
13 March 2007 Los Angeles Cinespace
15 March 2007 Austin Trinity Lounge[G]
16 March 2007 301 Chicon Street[G]
17 March 2007 Zero Degrees[G]
17 March 2007 Beauty Bar[G]
Leg 5: Australia
19 May 2007 London United Kingdom Scala
24 May 2007 Melbourne Australia Ding Dong Lounge
26 May 2007 Sydney The Basement
Leg 6: Festivals
16 June 2007 London United Kingdom Hyde Park[H]
17 June 2007 Leeds Harewood House[H]
21 June 2007 New York City United States Hiro Ballroom
23 June 2007 Pilton United Kingdom Worthy Farm[I]
29 June 2007 Istanbul Turkey Solar Beach[J]
8 July 2007 Balado United Kingdom Balado[K]
20 July 2007 Trenčín Slovakia Trenčín Airport[L]
4 August 2007 Faversham United Kingdom Mount Ephraim[M]
18 August 2007 Chelmsford Hylands Park[N]
24 May 2007 Staffordshire Weston Park[N]
Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
[A] As part of Nasty Fest
[B] As part of Ashton Court Festival
[C] As part of Summer Sonic Festival
[D] As part of Reading and Leeds Festivals
[E] As part of T on the Fringe
[F] As part of Les Inrocks Festival
[G] As part of SXSW
[H] As part of Wireless Festival
[I] As part of Glastonbury Festival
[J] As part of Radar Live Festival
[K] As part of T in the Park
[L] As part of Pohoda Festival
[M] As part of Electric Gardens
[N] As part of V Festival

References

  1. ^ "Release: Who Needs Actions When You Got Words". Music Brainz. http://musicbrainz.org/release/88986f62-5d7b-4bcf-ab3e-9563a18aef62.html. Retrieved 2010-02-28. 
  2. ^ "BPI > Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2010-03-16. 

External links

Plan B
Studio albums
Who Needs Actions When You Got Words · The Defamation of Strickland Banks · The Ballad of Belmarsh
Singles
Featured singles
"Pieces" · "Shifty" · "End Credits"
Director
Tours
Related articles
Book · Category