The Outsiders came from Amsterdam: started out a local band from Oost, their homebase being "Las Vegas" on the Korte Nieuwendijk. A disreputable body of hustlers and trouble-makers was constituting their typical audiences outside the city. This ill-famed body was notorious for turning places upside down and, therefore, the band was boycotted in many towns.
The group started out in 1960 as Jimmy Revon (Leendert Groenhof) & the Outsiders; its members also including: Wally Tax (vocals, guitar, ex-Victors), Gerrit Groenhof (drums, once in a while replaced by Pierre van der Linden!), Piet Zandstra (drums) & Ronald Splinter (guitar). Despite their scanty musical skills, the Outsiders gradually became popular amongst the country's youths: in 1966, they even played the support slot to the Rolling Stones in 's-Hertogenbosch! Under the guidance of Willem Duys, they recorded their first LP, on which the technique of recording instrumental tracks back in those days can be clearly heard: they were speeded up, after which the vocals were dubbed in.
The above lineup existed until 1964. After that, the lineup changed as follows: Wally Tax (vocals, guitar, keyboards, flute etc., in 1964 he was only 16!), Ronald Splinter (vocals, guitar and bass), Albert Rammers (bass, in 1970 to CCC), Leendert Busch (drums, later in Taxfree and OPMC) and Tom Krabbendam (guitar, sax, 1965-1967, ex-NV Groep '65).
The culminating point came in 1967: a few big hits, Wally's solo records and appearances in Paris with Little Richard. Even in France the group had its own fanclub. On their 1968 LP one can hear the band's remarkable progress.
Albert was replaced in 1968 by multi-instrumentalist Frank Beek (ex-Double Dutch). The Outsiders broke up in 1969; Wally and Leendert formed Taxfree, after which Tax went solo, accompanied by groups like Bamboulee and the Watermen.
Discography:
1965 You mistreat me/Sun's going down Muziek Express Op-art 1003
1966 Felt like I wanted to cry/I love her still I always will
Muziek Express Op-art 1006
Lying all the time/Thinking about today Relax 45004
Keep on trying/That's your problem Relax 45006
Touch/The ballad of John B.[manager John van Setten]
Relax 45016
1967 Monkey on your back/What's wrong with you Relax 45025
Summer is here/Teach me to forget you Relax 45048
I've been loving you so long/I'm only trying to prove to myself that
I'm not like everybody else Relax 45058
Don't you worry about me/Bird in a cage Relax 45068
LP Outsiders Relax 30007
LP Songbook Teenbeat APLP 102
1968 Cup of hot coffee/Strange things are happening
Relax 45088
I don't care/You remind me Polydor S 1266
LP C.Q. Polydor 236803
1969 Do you feel allright/Daddy died on Saturday
Polydor S 1300
1973 Touch/Monkey on your back/Lying all the time
Imperial 5C 006-24835
LP Story 16 Imperial 5C 052-24795
1975 LP The Outsiders Imperial 5C 050-51127
1976 LP Touch EMI Gold DAG 104
1979 LP Golden greats Bovema-Negram 5C 028-26197
HITS:
[04-06-1966]^10*16 LYING ALL THE TIME outsiders [27-08-1966]^9*11 KEEP ON TRYING outsiders [19-11-1966]^6*14 TOUCH outsiders [25-02-1967]^4*12 MONKEY ON YOUR BACK outsiders [27-05-1967]^8*10 SUMMER IS HERE outsiders [12-08-1967]^29*4 I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU SO LONG outsiders [04-11-1967]^32*4 DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT ME outsiders
Wally Tax already made solo records during his tenure in the Outsiders. After his group Taxfree disbanded, he went solo and was accompanied by Bamboule (1972), George Cash (1973), Watermen (1973) and the Mustangs (from Gooi) (1976), e.t.c.
Bamboulee consisted of: Samire (vocals, piano), Coco (percussion), David Hogan (bass) and Bruce Gant (brass), lineup sometimes augmented by drummer Martin van Duynhoven. Wally Tax & George Cash also featured: Hessel de Vries (keyboards, ex-Innerminit), Rob van Schaik (bass, ex-Relax), Rob van Wageningen (sax, flute, ex-Ahora Mazda & Hans Dulfer), Paul van Wageningen (drums, ex-Groep 1850) & Neppy Noya (percussion, ex-Xex).
Watermen included: Francois Content (trompet, ex-Tarantula, back to Machine), Jaap Schoonhoven (guitar, same as above) & Michel Marion (bass, ex-Kayak, to Machine). The 1974 lineup was: Jaap Schoonhoven (guitar, ex-Machine), Roy Ruys (guitar), Rene van der Valk (drums, ex-Tiger) & Dick van der Graaff (bass, ex-Orfeo).
Discography:
1967 I sat and thought and wondered why/You don't have to tell me
Philips JF 333692
Let's forget what I said/Last night 333871
LP Love-in XPY 855038
1968 I don't feel alone/Come closer JF 333929
1972 (& Bamboule'e) Crown of creation/Tomorrow Basf 05-15079-2
1973 Miss wonderful/Take me for what I am Ariola AT 13096
LP On my own (Love-in) Philips 6440063
1974 It ain't no use/Oh mama Ariola AT 13196
Evidently/She's as lovely as a breeze 13337
Bridges are burning/Lots of luck 13650
LP Wally Tax IT 87762
1975 This girl is mine/No love at all AT 16055
LP Tax tonight XOT 89244
1976 Let's dance/She AT 17407
It's too late/Do it all over 16470
HITS:
[15-04-1967]^17*6 I SAT AND THOUGHT AND WONDERED WHY wally tax [02-09-1967]^11*8 LET'S FORGET WHAT I SAID wally tax [05-01-1974]^11*6 MISS WONDERFUL wally tax [23-03-1974]^13*8 IT AIN'T NO USE wally tax [20-07-1974]^21*4 EVIDENTLY wally tax [23-11-1974]^26*4 BRIDGES ARE BURNING wally tax [08-01-1977]^31*4 LET'S DANCE wally tax
After the split-up of the Outsiders, Wally Tax formed the band Taxfree, with fellow-Outsider Leendert Busch (drums, later in OPMC) & Jody Purpora (vocals, guitar, keyboards, also solo). In 1970, they left for the USA, recruited David Oliphant (guitar) and Ray Cordell into the group, and made an LP. On this record, John and Richard Davis (bass, well-known session player) can also be heard. In 1971, Taxfree disbanded, after which Wally got back together with Bamboule in 1972. NB: the LP was recorded at New York's Electric Ladyland studios.
1971 LP Taxfree Polydor 244053
Progressive pop group from Amsterdam. The lineup comprised: Laurie Langenbach (vocals), Ton Schreuder (bass), Rob van Wageningen (voc, flute, later with Hans Dulfer & Wally Tax), Winky Abbink (drums, in 1970 replaced by Paul van Wageningen, who later emerged in Hans Dulfer's band, Groep 1850, Beehive, Tarantula, Wally Tax, Sight & Antares) and Peter Abbink (voc, guitar, perc). In an earlier lineup, drummer Hans Cleuver (ex-Focus) also played with them.
1970 LP Ahora Mazda Catfish 5C 054-24184
Submitted by: Adri Verhoef
(a3@a3.xs4all.nl-removespam)
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