Song:Green Grass and High Tides
Album:Best of the Outlaws: Green Grass and High Tides
Outlaws was a very successful Southern Rock band in the mid-70s. Though they had a couple of chart hits, Green Grass and High Tides was one of their most popular songs. They usually closed their shows with an extended jam of the song. But it was never released as a single. The leader of Outlaws was singer and guitarist Hughie Thomasson. When he first formed the band in 1967 in Tampa, they were called The Rogues and then The Four Letter Words. Guitarist Frank Guidry brought the name Outlaws from his previous band. Their manager tried to record them but so many guys were bouncing in and out of the band they couldn't find any consistency. Outlaws split up in 1970 and Thomasson moved to New York. Singer and guitarist Henry Paul formed Sienna in 1971 with drummer Monte Yoho and bassist Frank O'Keefe. Both guys were former Outlaws members. When Thomasson returned to Tampa, he joined the band and Outlaws was reborn. Then guitarist Billy Jones joined and Outlaws became known for having three guitarists. Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant got Outlaws a new manager and took them on tour. Clive Davis was starting Arista Records and Outlaws was his first signing in 1974. Their 1975 debut album Outlaws reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 200 and the single There Goes Another Love Song reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. Green Grass and High Tides was never released as a single because it was almost ten minutes long. They usually perform a twenty minute version to close their shows. One rumour that might have helped the song was that it was about marijuana. Thomasson says he wrote it as a tribute to dead rock legends like Jimi Hendrix. Outlaws also charted with Ghost Riders in The Sky in 1980 and you can get all their hits on this budget comp. But by the mid-80s, Thomasson was the only original member left. Henry Paul had success with Henry Paul Band and later the country group BlackHawk. Thomasson attempted to continue Outlaws but disbanded them in 1994. Billy Jones and Frank O'Keefe died in 1995. Thomasson, Paul and Yoho reformed Outlaws in 2005 with members of BlackHawk. Thomasson died in 2007 but Outlaws continues to tour and they released a new CD last year. Here's Outlaws performing Green Grass and High Tide at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia 1982.
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