Song:Touch
Album:The Very Best Album Ever
There were two bands in the mid-60s called The Outsiders. There's the band from Cleveland best known for the top five hit Time Won't Let Me. This other group was from Amsterdam, Holland. They were very popular in Holland but never crossed the Atlantic.They sang in English so I don't know why they weren't picked up by a US record company. Of course they have a cult following now because of the Nuggets comps. The band was led by vocalist Wally Tax and guitarist Ronnie Splinter and they wrote all the group's songs. Other members were Appie Rammers on bass, Tom Krabbendam on guitar and Leendert "Buzz" Busch on drums. The Nederbeat Sound was heavily influenced by The British Invasion but The Outsiders in particular were influenced by The Rolling Stones and especially The Pretty Things who were very popular in Holland. They even opened for The Stones at a Nov. 1965 local concert. They had several hits locally but were unknown otherwise. There were Dutch bands that crossed the pond like Tee Set and Shocking Blue so it's odd that The Outsiders were never picked up by a US record company. You can get all their hits on this EMI Europe comp. By 1967, the Nederbeat bands weren't popular anymore. The Outsiders tried to keep going but split up in 1969. Wally Tax moved to the US and with Buzz Busch had a group called Tax Free. He recorded some solo albums in the 70s and moved back to Holland in the 80s. An alcohol addiction led to a public withdrawl and then his death in 2005. Ron Splinter quit the music business but reformed The Outsiders for a reunion tour in 1997 and they still play occasional gigs. If you're a fan of mid-60s garage band music, you should check them out. Here's The Outsiders featuring Edwin de Boer on vocals performing Touch in Amsterdam 1999.
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