The Outlaws (UK band)
Encyclopedia
The Outlaws were an English
instrumental
band
that recorded in the early 1960s. One time members included Ritchie Blackmore
, Chas Hodges
, Bobby Graham
, Ken Lundgren, Mick Underwood
, Reg Hawkins (born Reginald Hawkins, in 1942), Billy Kuy and others.
Their name was originally conceived by Joe Meek
, who needed a backing group for Mike Berry's "Set Me Free" in 1960. After that recording
, they continued being one of the house band
s of his recording studio
at 304 Holloway Road, London
. As such, they were used for recordings, demo
s and auditions. Many of their song
s were written
by Meek and credited to his pseudonym
, Robert Duke
. They appeared as themselves in the 1963 British
film
, Live It Up!
.
In addition to featuring on three hit single
s backing Mike Berry, they also recorded singles
in their own right, see discography below.
With the line-up : Ken Lundgren, Don Groom (born Donald Groom, 10 November 1939, Walthamstow
, East London
), Chas Hodges, Roger Mingaye (born in 1942)
With the line-up : Mick Underwood, Ken Lundgren, Chas Hodges, Ritchie Blackmore
With the line-up : Mick Underwood, Ken Lundgren, Chas Hodges, Harvey Hinsley
- Billy Kuy (lead guitar
), Bobby Graham (drum
s), Chas Hodges (bass
), Reg Hawkins (rhythm guitar
).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
that recorded in the early 1960s. One time members included Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
, Chas Hodges
Chas Hodges
Chas Hodges is an English musician and singer, probably best known for being one half, and lead vocalist, of the English musical duo, Chas & Dave....
, Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham was an English session drummer, composer, arranger and record producer. Shel Talmy, who produced The Kinks, David Bowie and The Who, described Graham as "the greatest drummer the UK has ever produced."...
, Ken Lundgren, Mick Underwood
Mick Underwood
Mick Underwood is a British drummer best known for his work with Episode Six, Quatermass and Gillan. First playing drums at the age of 14, he was a professional musician by the time he left school...
, Reg Hawkins (born Reginald Hawkins, in 1942), Billy Kuy and others.
Their name was originally conceived by Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
, who needed a backing group for Mike Berry's "Set Me Free" in 1960. After that recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, they continued being one of the house band
House band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
s of his recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
at 304 Holloway Road, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As such, they were used for recordings, demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
s and auditions. Many of their song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s were written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Meek and credited to his pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, Robert Duke
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
. They appeared as themselves in the 1963 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Live It Up!
Live It Up! (film)
Live It Up! is a British music-film released in 1963. It was filmed at Pinewood Film Studios in London, England and featured Gene Vincent, Jenny Moss, The Outlaws, Patsy Ann Noble, The Saints and Heinz Burt among others...
.
In addition to featuring on three hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s backing Mike Berry, they also recorded singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in their own right, see discography below.
Singles
With the line-up : Billy Kuy, Bobby Graham, Chas Hodges, Reg Hawkins- "Swingin' Low" b/w "Spring is Near" (March 1961) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#46 - "Ambush" b/w "Indian Brave" (June 1961) - UK #43
- "Valley of the Sioux" b/w "Crazy Drums" (September 1961)
With the line-up : Ken Lundgren, Don Groom (born Donald Groom, 10 November 1939, Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, East London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
), Chas Hodges, Roger Mingaye (born in 1942)
- "Ku-Pow!" b/w "Last Stage West" (February 1962)
- "Sioux Serenade" b/w "Fort Knox" (September 1962)
With the line-up : Mick Underwood, Ken Lundgren, Chas Hodges, Ritchie Blackmore
- "Poppin' Medley Part 1/2" as The Chaps (December 62) ParlophoneParlophoneParlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
R4979 - "Return of The Outlaws" b/w "Texan Spiritual" (February 1963)
- "That Set the Wild West Free" b/w "Hobo" (August 1963) (note: Underwood does not appear on "Hobo")
- "The Bike Beat 1" b/w "The Bike Beat 2" as The Rally Rounders (1964) Lyntone LYN 574
- "Law and Order" b/w "Do Da Day" (December 1963)
- "Keep a Knockin'" b/w "Shake with Me" (April 1964)
With the line-up : Mick Underwood, Ken Lundgren, Chas Hodges, Harvey Hinsley
- "Don't Cry" b/w "Only for You" (Thomas; Groom) (February 1965) [Note: United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
only, vocal single, produced by Derek LawrenceDerek LawrenceDerek Lawrence is a record producer, famous for his work for Joe Meek's Outlaws, Deep Purple, Machiavel and Wishbone Ash.Lawrence came in contact with Meek circa at the end of 1963, when he managed a group, Laurie Black and the Men of Mystery, that won a recording session at Joe Meek's studio. He...
. The b-sideA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to this release features Mick Underwood, Nicky Hopkins, Chas Hodges, Ritchie Blackmore]
Albums
- Dream of the West (HMV, December 1961)
- "Dream of the West" / "The Outlaws" / "Husky Team" / "Rodeo" / "Smoke Signals" / "Ambush" / "Barbecue" / "Spring Is Near" / "Indian Brave" / "Homeward Bound" / "Western Sunset" / "Tune for Short Cowboys"
- Billy Kuy (lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
), Bobby Graham (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s), Chas Hodges (bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
), Reg Hawkins (rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
).