| The Outcasts | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | San Antonio, Texas |
| Genres | Garage rock psychedelic rock |
| Years active | 1963–1968 |
| Labels | Outcast Records Askel Records Gallant Records |
| Past members | |
| Buddy Carson Rickey Wright Denny Turner Jim Carsten Jim Ryan Galen Niles |
|
The Outcasts are a garage rock and psychedelic rock band from San Antonio, Texas that released a total of five singles between 1965 and 1967. They are justly famous for two classic songs, "I'm in Pittsburgh (And it's Raining)" and "1523 Blair", although their recordings have been reissued on literally dozens of compilation albums of this type of music. According to the Ugly Things compilation album listing, they are the best known of at least 10 bands of this name that were active in the mid-1960s, followed by the band from Manhasset NY (see below for other bands of that name).[1]
Contents |
The Outcasts were formed in late 1963 by Buddy Carson, Rickey Wright and Denny Turner.[2] In late 1964, Jim Carsten and then Jim Ryan joined the band.[3] This line-up prevailed until the band's fifth single, when Galen Niles replaced Denny Turner on guitar. In 1964, Denny designed a logo and slogan for the band, "Music from the OUTER LIMITS" (inset), taken from the name of the popular science-fiction TV show of the period, The Outer Limits. The band had the logo emblazoned on the backs of their uniforms and also issued business cards with a similar design.
Early direction for the band came from Mike Post, whose many later musical credits include producing the first three albums for the First Edition and creating the theme music for Law & Order, the Rockford Files, Hill Street Blues and many other TV shows. Post was the songwriter and producer of the band's first single.[4] He also recruited the Outcasts as the back-up band for a performance by Jimmy Carlson (who was active in the New York folk music scene) and Jimmy Hawkins (who later worked in Elvis Presley films and on the Donna Reed Show).
By 1968, however, the band had broken up, as is true of nearly all of the garage rock bands of this period.
As documented on the website on the band created by bandmember Denny Turner, the Outcasts had all of the trappings of a successful rock band: a succession of managers (Sally Senter and Major John Carson), go-go dancers, a fan club with a regular newsletter, and adoring fans. Their many performances at area military clubs led to their being an opening act for Herman's Hermits in San Antonio and Austin. In 1965, the Outcasts were even invited to appear in Houston with the Beatles but turned down the opportunity; the Five Americans took their place in the concert.
In May 1966, the Outcasts shared a twin bill with the legendary 13th Floor Elevators (ticket pictured) and also appeared at Texas Teen Fairs and other venues with such popular music stars as Lou Christie, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Peter and Gordon, and the Rolling Stones.[5]
The Outcasts regularly participated in "Battle of the Bands" competitions, usually placing first or second;[6] and in 1966, the band won the statewide competition.[7] This is truly an amazing feat during that peak year of garage rock fervor, considering the large number of superb bands that were active in Texas then. No other state is so heavily collected today in compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock music; as one example, the landmark Highs in the Mid-Sixties series devotes 5 of their 23 volumes to bands from Texas.
"I'm in Pittsburgh (And it's Raining)" is a classic garage rock song that embodies much of the innocence and charm of this style of music, along with the general lack of slick production that either attracts or repels listeners. This was the band's most successful single, receiving national airplay and charting locally in San Antonio and also in Houston and Austin, Texas. The opening lyrics – I'm in Pittsburgh and it's rainin' / I'm sittin' in the subway here complainin' – combine a near non sequitur with an error of fact (Pittsburgh does not have a subway system – which cooled off the initial rush of record sales in that city after listeners began to notice[8]). No matter: The strong musicianship made it a natural for inclusion in the first of the Pebbles compilation albums. The album's original liner notes call this song a "blistering punk-rocker, which has been compared to the Pretty Things at their best."
As testimony to its status as a touchstone for garage rock fans everywhere, numerous bands have released covers of this song over the years. Probably the best known is the 1990 cover by the Cynics, who were from Pittsburgh; others have been recorded by the Flies, the Vibes]] and the Go-Devils. The original version of the song was re-pressed in 1977 as a bootleg recording in Amsterdam and marketed to new wave fans, with the band name changed to the Kicks.[9]
The band's final single, "1523 Blair" is something else again, with an introduction of a sort of wind-up followed by searing guitar riffs played at a furious pace, then barely intelligible lyrics – few psychedelic rock songs are ever played so fast. The title is taken from the address of the Doyle Jones recording studio in Houston. One recent reviewer remarked: "The music on this selection is jarringly experimental, the spirit is possessed fervor. '1523 Blair' is one minute and forty seven seconds long because it couldn’t have possibly been any longer".[10] This song inspired the name of a British psychedelic rock band, Blair 1523 (Bomp! Records released their single album in 1993 but only after the band had already broken up).
The band successfully tried their hand at nearly everything, from protest songs ("Price of Victory"), to blues ("Sweet Mary"), to instrumentals ("Come on Over" and "The Birds"), to romantic ballads ("I'll Set You Free" and "Everyday"). The Outcasts also played fine covers, notably "Smokestack Lightning" and "Route 66."
Annoyingly, the 1995 retrospective album I'm in Pittsburgh and It's Raining of the band's music by the label Collectables – which has only 15 tracks – omits the band's first single; according to the CD's brief liner notes, it is "not up-to-par with their subsequent releases."[11] Since neither side has yet been issued on a compilation album, we have only former bandmember Jim Ryan's description: "Nothing Ever Comes Easy" is "a very tender, yearning ballad with some nice changes and arrangement by a talented composer [Mike Post]. The B/side [is] a surf instrumental that rocked in fifths to give that Asian sound."[12]
The Outcasts (or variations on that name) has been a fairly common name for rock bands for many years, and as noted already, at least 10 bands were using this name during the mid-1960s. This has led to some confusion of this band with others using that name.
Probably the most common misconception has to do with the 1960s band The Outcasts from Manhasset, New York[13] whose recordings were reissued by Collectables even before the Texas band was featured on that label. In the mid-1980s Cicadelic Records released two archival albums by this group: Meet the Outcasts! (studio recordings, mostly previously unreleased), and Live! Standing Room Only (a 1967 concert). In 1993, Collectables reissued both albums on CD, with additional songs that include "Society's Child", and "Get It On". Popular recordings (reissued on compilations) of this band are "Don't Press Your Luck", "I Didn't Have To Love Her Anymore", "Nothing But Love", "Set Me Free" and their unique versions of "Walk On By" and "Gloria".
Another band called the Outcasts backed Linda Pierre King on several tracks recorded in the mid-1960s.[14] She was a featured artist on a compilation album on female garage rock artists from Texas, We Had the Beat / The Heartbeats & Other Texas Girls of the 60s, and the liner notes suggested that this band had backed her on these songs. This was a natural mistake, since King is from Houston, and the record label that released the final single by the Outcasts, Gallant Records was based there.
The Outcasts have a strong military connection – even their anti-war song, "What Price Victory?" is dominated by military-style snare drums. During his association with the band, Mike Post was in basic training at Lackland Air Force Base.[15] Galen Niles became the new lead guitarist after Denny Turner joined the U. S. Army to serve as a pilot in the Vietnam War. Particularly in the early part of their career, the band mainly appeared at local military clubs. Finally, the second manager of the Outcasts, Major John Carson – the father of bandmember Buddy Carson – wose brother Col. Eugene Carson considers himself a "war hero" and has written on-line books about his wartime experiences.[16]
I’m in Pittsburgh (And it’s Raining)
1523 Blair
I’ll Set You Free
Everyday
My Love
Sweet Mary
What Price Victory?
The Birds
Smokestack Lightning
Route 66