The Outlaws - Pre - Ritchie Blackmore History (Singles ,Demos & Unreleased)

BILLY GREY & THE STORMERS / THE STORMERS
May 1960

Billy Grey (vocals)
Billy Kuy (guitar)
Reg Hawkins (guitar)
Chas Hodges (bass)
Bobby Graham (drums)

The group played the usual round of youth clubs, dance halls and holiday camps
But a few months later, in October 1960, Billy Grey left the group to get married and abandons the music.

Reg Hawkins - Billy Gray - Danny Rivers - Bobby Graham - the Emoire Theatre Butlins Holiday Camp, Filey, Yorkshire 1960

To Bobby Graham History: the invitation to join his first rock 'n' roll band in Spring I960 proved irresistible. An old school-mate, Billy Halsey, had formed Billy Gray and the Stormers. "Billy knocked on my door and said 'do you fancy going off to Butlins Holiday camp in Filey in Yorkshire for a summer season gig' remembers Graham. He declined -no, I'm a jazz musician". so the offer was made more attractive. there will be plenty of booze, plenty of girls' -'no, no' - 'it's 20 pounds a week'. Suddenly I became a rock 'n' roll musician".

The Stormers (Butlins, Filey, Yorkshire 1960)
Left to right: - Bobby Graham -Billy Kuy - Reg Hawkins - Chas Hodges

So off Graham went to Yorkshire, playing the chart hits of the day, mainly covers of Cliff and the Shadows. In September I960, after the Butlin's season, the Stormers split when Halsey got married. Joe Meek was interested in Mike Berry, but didn't like his backing band, so the Stormers were talked into reforming. Meek renamed them The Outlaws in late I960, "I thought (The Outlaws) was a bit camp. At the time we did what we were told" recalls Graham.

MICK BERRY AND THE OUTLAWS

Mick Berry & The (Originals) Outlaws 1960

The original Outlaws date back to December 1960 when they, as members of the then recently disbanded 'Billy Gray & The Stormers', reformed without Billy, on the promise of better things to come in the shape of a recording contract from the legendary producer Joe Meek, initially to back his newly signed artist Mike Berry. As it transpired, when Joe realised what a talented bunch they were, he was very keen to get them to record in their own right, as well as back virtually every other solo artist under Joe’s control.

The First apperance on record was Backing Berry is on a version of the Shirelles "Will you Love me Tomorrow" the track boasted a big orchestral arragement by Charles Blackwell and the vocal part is reputed to have needed more than twenty takes before meek was finally satisfied ...

SIDE A - My Baby Doll (Decca F 11314 -1961)
SIDE B - Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Decca F 11314 -1961)

Mick Berry & Chas Hodges

THE OUTLAWS #1
They were called Outlaws in December 1960.
They used cowboy clothes, and their songs were about that subject.

Mike Berry (vocals)
Billy Kuy (guitar)
Reg Hawkins (guitar)
Chas Hodges (bass)
Bobby Graham (drums)
A superb band, they were approached by the late, mythical producer, Joe Meek.


From The Bobby Graham Story :The Outlaws became a Meek house band, backing up Mike Berry and John Leyton as well as recording on their own. Meek's unusual approach to songwriting made an impression: "He used to come to us with demos of him singing what he thought he heard in his head, but he would use strange backing tracks that were nothing to do with the song. Occasionally he might try to play a few notes on the piano. We used to rewrite the things, but we would always see his name on the label, not ours!

You didn't dare criticise Joe, as he might throw a wobbly. I didn't like his occult thing, I'd seen him and (songwriter) Geoff Goddard on a oujia board session. He told me he was talking to Buddy Holly and Mario Lanza. Its no secret we didn't get on. He was a sad little man, a very lonely person. He couldn't relate to people"
They also released two singles:

SIDE A - Swingin' low (Mar 61, HMV)
SIDE B - Spring is near (Mar 61, HMV)

SIDE A - Ambush (Jun 61, HMV)
SIDE B - Indian brave (Jun 61, HMV)

Swingin' Low is a Top Fifty in Aplil 1961
It's Interesting to note that for the flipside Meek used a track that had been written for his abortive space fantasy "I Hear A New World". One of the demo tracks for the project which he had Releaded on his Short-Lived Triumph lavel called "Valley of The Saroos" Was transformed into a lush ballad titled "Spring Is Near"

Joe Meek & The Blue Men - Valley of The Saroos

They released an album, Dream of the west (Dic 1961)

01 - Dream Of The West
02 - The Outlaws
03 - Husky Team
04 - Rodeo
05 - Smoke Signals
06 - Ambush
07 - Barbecue
08 - Spring Is Near
09 - Indian Brave
10 - Homeward Bound
11 - Western Sunset
12 - Tune For Short Cowboys

Dream Of The West is a concept album on the topic "The Wild West"
Ritchie Blackmore hasn't met The Outlaws yet, it's Billy Kuy playing guitar. All 12 tunes are composed by Joe Meek under his standard pseudonyme Robert Duke. With a duration of only 26 minutes
More demos from "I Hear A New World " Were used , "Entry of The Globbots" became the comical "Tune for short Cowboys",while "Around the Moon" was transformed into "Husky Team" a tune recorded by another Meek group (The Saints) some time later .

Joe Meek & The Blue Men - Entry of The Globbots
The Blue Men - Orbit Around The Moon
The Saints - Husky Team
The Outlaws - Ambush (unreleased Joe Meek's Mix)
The Outlaws - Tune from Short Cowboys (Unreleased Joe Meek's Mix)

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