Article published in Song Hits, March 1967
The Outsiders Aren’t Far-Out | A recent phenomenon of the pop scene has been the emergence of the American groups. After a siege of British hitmakers, the scene became one of confusion as the British began to proliferate like mad without developing any new ideas.
The Americans, who were, at first, inspired by the Beatles et al, began to go their own way. A cursory glance at any music chart will show the results: Americans are figuring in the top ten in a strength that was unforeseeable even a year ago.
One of the groups who has had a prominent place in this “counter-revolution” is a group of mid-westerners, Cleveland boys, whose first record was a runaway hit called “Time Won’t Let Me” on the Capitol label. Now they are established hitmakers themselves and, as the history of American pop music develops more or less on its own, they are very much in the forefront.
The Outsiders Aren’t Far-Out
Yet, The Outsiders do not belong to the way-out experimental school which is constantly exercising its right to go off the deep end. They are, rather, the representatives of the “good” music which is fun to listen to and great for dancing. There is a touch of the blues, but the melange of sounds is more reminiscent of the mid-West itself: clean-cut, youthful, happy and ambitious. The five Outsiders are led by guitarist-composer-arranger, Tom King.
King, who wrote “Time Won’t Let Me”, started his musical career with the aid of his brother. “He taught me to play the guitar. We liked the ‘Third Man Theme’ when it first came out and thought it had a great sound. We duplicated it on the guitar. Of course, we didn’t find out until later that the song had been recorded on a zither”. The mistake proved to be a happy one for it started Tom in a career that climaxed in the organizing of The Outsiders.
Shortly after Tom started, he began playing in various night spots in Cleveland. At one of his engagements he met Mert Madsen, a native of Denmark, who had become interested in pop music long before he moved to the U.S. As Mert explains it, “One day, on the Armed Forces radio, I picked up a broadcast from Germany that featured Elvis Presley and ‘Heartbreak Hotel’. That sold me”.
The Outsiders Aren’t Far-Out
By the time he came to America, Mert had already mastered a variety of instruments, including accordion, harmonica, guitar and bass. He joined the group as its bass player.
The third member of The Outsiders, Sonny Geraci, lead vocalist, had all but lost interest in music until the Beatles came along. The sound the British foursome brought with them stirred Sonny’s interest enough to start him singing locally in Cleveland. After several years of hitting the local spots he met Tom and became the group’s third member and lead vocalist.
While Tom, Mert and Sonny were discussing the future of The Outsiders, a University of Pittsburgh student had formed his own combo and was playing for college dances. At a party in Pittsburgh one night, Bill was told about the new group that had just formed in Cleveland. They needed a lead guitarist. Within a few weeks Bill was the man who filled the job.
Time Won’t Let Me
Ricky Baker, drummer and fifth member of the quintet, is another Cleveland youngster who played in various groups around town before joining The Outsiders. Ricky, youngest member of the fivesome, thought so much of The Outsiders’ future that he left high school in early April 1966 to travel with them on their first tour.
Once formed, the group, at first, only played in Cleveland. Their first recording came as the result of much prodding by Sonny who wanted to make a record. Tom, however, had already cut several records – “All bombs,” he says – and was discouraged. He didn’t want to cut another song – especially one that had been done by another group.
“O.K.,” Sonny said, “so write us a new song.” Tom did. It was “Time Won’t Let Me,” and after a four-hour recording session they took it to a Capitol executive who immediately signed them to a contract, and The Outsiders were, indeed, outside and running. We hope you can catch them.
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