both of the Norwegian music papers Nye Takter and Puls, the Act now found themselves being courted by several record companies. In the spring of 1985, they signed a three-album deal with EMI and started preparing to record the first one. A number of potential producers were approached. Drummer Dag Bøgeberg had wanted to quit because of work and family obligations, but agreed to stay on temporarily after several auditions for a replacement had proved fruitless. In June 1985, the original quartet played one of their best gigs ever as support for US band The Textones at a beach club outside Oslo. Recording of the debut album began in August 1985 in Oslo's top studio Bel, with veteran house engineer Ingar Helgesen and US saxophone player Steve Berlin producing. Berlin had played with the LA-bands the Plugz and the Blasters and arrived in Oslo fresh from sessions with his new band Los Lobos for the milestone Paul Simon album Graceland (not released until August 1986). It soon became obvious that the sessions could not be timed around Bøgeberg's other commitments, so about half of the drum tracks were laid down by top session player Per Hillestad (Lava, a-ha etc.) In tune with Berlin's ambitions for a professional "state-of-the-art" album, session players were also brought in for some guitar parts and only one song by Rune Krogseth ended up on the album. All in all the more upbeat and snappy side of the band - one writer had labelled them "pop 'n' roll" - was toned down in favour of their moodier, more dramatic side. September Field On August 31. 1985, The Act played in front of tens of thousands at Rock on the Dock, the Norwegian version of Band Aid which was held outdoors in the port of Oslo. This was their first gig with new drummer Bjørn Juliusson as an associated member (The Young Lords, Saturday Cowboys, Ghostriders, Fra Lippo Lippi, the Monroes etc.). When the album September Field and the single "Coming Closer" were released in January 1986, the band's name had been shortened to simply Act. Expectations were high all over. Both the Puls (by now called BEAT) and Nye Takter music papers had put the band on their cover and reviews were good to great. A video of "When You Find Love" had even been produced, with financial and promotional support from sponsor Levi Strauss Norway,