Outsiders

Even with roots in Cleveland, Ohio, that might have conferred a measure of regional leverage, the Outsiders appear destined never to enter Rock & Roll Hall of Fame consideration. Groups limited to a pair of major successes—“Time Won’t Let Me” and “Respectable”—and whose visibility remained largely restricted to 1960s AM airplay rarely attract such institutional acknowledgment. Still, among two-hit dance-oriented acts of that decade, few matched the sustained excellence the Outsiders displayed across three years and four albums.

Originally called the Starfires, the ensemble was established in 1958 by guitarist and vocalist Tom King as a locally popular, relentlessly touring Cleveland outfit. By 1965 the musicians had chosen to emphasize vocal material and recruited Sonny Geraci as lead singer. King and his brother-in-law Chet Kelley then composed “Time Won’t Let Me,” which King transformed into an expansive rock arrangement. Cut independently, the track combined the band’s fundamental sound—enriched by Al Austin’s lead guitar—with brass and horn sections in an intricate, two-tiered production. Capitol Records signed the group on the strength of that recording, yet required a name change. Having previously recorded a dozen sides for Pama Records, the label owned by his uncle, King found himself labeled an “outsider” within the family, prompting the new moniker.

The Outsiders suited both the band and the era; “Time Won’t Let Me” appeared in January 1966 and climbed to number five on the national charts. Its B-side, “Was It Really Real,” presented the unadorned quartet sound of two guitars, bass, and drums, highlighted by shimmering arpeggios and understated folk-rock harmonies. Core membership at that stage consisted of King, Geraci, and longtime Starfires bassist Mert Madsen, augmented by lead guitarist Bill Bruno and drummer Ronnie Harkai. Harkai soon departed for the Air Force and was replaced successively by Bennie Benson and Ricky Baker. A second hit, “Girl in Love,” reached number 21; the reflective ballad featured restrained electric guitars beneath a lush but not excessive string arrangement. By the time of its release Capitol requested a debut album, and King enlisted Jimmy Fox—formerly the Starfires’ drummer—to participate in those sessions. Fox, then attending college, returned for the recordings; afterward he opted against resuming studies and instead formed the James Gang.

Issued in spring 1966, the Time Won’t Let Me LP peaked at number 37 and contained the title track, several recent soul and rock covers, and additional King/Kelley originals. Earlier sessions had already produced material for the second album, Outsiders #2; among them, a cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Respectable”—a number dating back to King and Madsen’s Starfires tenure—became the third single. Released in July 1966, it rose to number 15. Outsiders #2 followed three weeks later, attaining only number 90 yet arguably ranking as the group’s strongest collection, thanks to strong renditions of songs such as “Since I Lost My Baby” alongside several finely crafted King/Kelley compositions. At their peak the Outsiders captured the essential vitality of mid-1960s Motown, most notably on the heartfelt King/Kelley songs “Lonely Man” and “Oh! How It Hurts.”

Much of the band’s appeal derived from tasteful embellishments that complemented its core three- or four-piece instrumentation, even when the lineup functioned as a quintet. King, who also played tenor saxophone, handled saxophone arrangements, frequently employing Sonny Geraci’s brother Mike and Evan Vanguard on reeds, while Tommy Baker scored the strings and horns. Despite these ambitious additions, the solid ensemble foundation remained audible. With Geraci’s commanding vocals in front, the group’s recordings—both singles and album tracks—held immediate appeal for listeners attuned to soul. In an alternate scenario featuring regular television exposure rather than sporadic appearances on programs such as Hullabaloo, the Outsiders might have achieved the stature of Paul Revere & the Raiders or the Rascals.

Momentum carried the band through the first half of 1966, yet fortune shifted thereafter. “Help Me Girl” was released as a single but encountered direct competition from a rival version by Eric Burdon and the Animals. The group also possessed early access to “Bend Me, Shape Me” but declined to issue it, thereby ceding substantial sales to the American Breed in the United States and the Amen Corner in England during 1968. The third album, released in April 1967, failed to chart; subsequent singles after “Help Me Girl” (which reached number 37) likewise missed the Top 100, although “Gotta Leave Us Alone” climbed to number 121—enough to secure tentative approval for a fourth LP. By then King and Kelley had begun collaborating with Cleveland songwriter Bob Turek. Personnel changes included Madsen’s departure to marry and leave the road; he was replaced on bass by former Starfire Richard D’Amato.

The revised lineup continued through 1967, occasionally augmented by outside musicians, among them Shadows of Knight guitarist Joe Kelley, who contributed lead guitar to “Gotta Leave Us Alone.” The planned fourth album was abandoned midway; in its stead appeared the unusual pseudo-live set Happening Live. Unlike many contemporary “live” albums constructed from studio tracks plus artificial crowd noise, Happening Live retains respect among serious 1960s collectors because producers returned to the original multitracks, stripped away the overdubbed strings, brass, and horns, and thereby exposed the raw instrumental performances more clearly. Several new recordings by the then-current configuration—Geraci, King, D’Amato, drummer Richie D’Angelo, and ex-Starfire Walter Nims on lead guitar—filled out the release, marking the band’s final album statement.

Popular taste had by then moved well beyond the clean-shaven, white soul style that had defined the Outsiders’ appeal. In the studio the group essentially reduced to King and Geraci working with session players; King’s exit in early 1968 effectively dissolved the original band. Geraci issued a single under his own name on Capitol and briefly continued with Nims in an attempt to keep recording, yet by 1970 he and King were litigating ownership of the Outsiders name, a suit King won. A Geraci-led group intended as the Outsiders was renamed Climax and scored a number-three hit in 1971 with Nims’ ballad “Precious and Few,” a quintessential early-1970s AM pop single. Nims later collaborated with both Geraci and King, including joining the latter in a reconstituted Outsiders during the 1980s and 1990s. Geraci has maintained an active performing and occasional recording career since the early 1970s, while King has produced and managed other artists in addition to leading his later-day Outsiders, who released a live album. Rhino Records issued a well-regarded best-of compilation in 1985, and Capitol Records finally accorded the group formal recognition in 1991 with the 25-song Capitol Collectors Series anthology.