The Outlaws (band)


The Outlaws were an English instrumental band that recorded in the early 1960s. One-time members included Chas Hodges, ,, Bobby Graham, Ken Lundgren, Ritchie Blackmore, Mick Underwood, Reg Hawkins, 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, according to Meek Biographer, John Repsch, Meek had fired Berry's original backing group, The Statesmen. After that recording, they continued being one of the house bands of his recording studio at 304 Holloway Road, London. As such, they were used for recordings, demos and auditions. Many of their songs were written by Meek, and credited to one or other of his pseudonyms, either Robert Duke or Peter Jacobs; the latter of which he used on The Outlaws' "Shake with Me".
They appeared as themselves in the 1963 British film, Live It Up!.
In addition to featuring on three hit singles backing Mike Berry, they also recorded singles in their own right. One of these, ' Bike Beat ', for Raleigh Bicycle Company, , even had dance instructions created especially for it, printed on the picture sleeve, with bicycle references : "Grab a girl at random, make like a tandem ".
In 1990, all of their 1960's singles were issued on ' The Outlaws Ride Again ', on the See For Miles Label, SEE CD 303.Catelo

Discography

Singles

With the line-up : Billy Kuy, Bobby Graham, Chas Hodges, Reg Hawkins
With the line-up : Ken Lundgren, Don Groom, Chas Hodges Roger Mingaye
With the line-up : Mick Underwood, Ken Lundgren, Chas Hodges, Ritchie Blackmore
With the line-up : Mick Underwood, Ken Lundgren, Chas Hodges, Harvey Hinsley
Re-released, with additional tracks :- Swingin' Low; Valley of the Sioux; Crazy Drums: and John Leyton and Mike Berry recordings :'Dream of the West The Outlaws ' : Coronet CCD2002, in 2012.