Genre: garage
Rating: 4 stars ****
Tiitle: Outburst
Company: United Artists
Catalog: UAS 6557
Year: 1966
Country/State: Seattle, Washington
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: --
Available: SOLD
GEMM catalog ID: SOLD
Price: SOLD
Given the number
of talents early-'60s garage outfits that came out of the Northwest, it's
surprising that Tacoma's The Wailers are often forgotten. One of the regions
most talented and versatile bands,
Drummer Mike Burk, lead guitarist Rick Dangel, guitarist John Greek, sax
player Mark Marush, singer/keyboardist Kent Morrill and bassist Mark Ormsby
first crossed paths in 1958. The story is that they met at the Fort Lewis
Officers Club (Dangles' father was an army officer). Discovering a mutual
love of rock and roll, the quintet decided to form a band. Within a matter
of months they were playing high school dances and local talent shows.
Essentially an instrumental cover band, within a year they'd begun to
attract attention from the local media. Their initial break came when
musician Art Mineo (actor Sal Mineo's uncle) brought them to the attention
of the New York-based Golden Crest Records.
The band's 1959 debut "Tall Cool One" b/w "Road Runner"
(Golden Crest catalog number 518), provided them with an unexpected top-40
hit. The single led to a national tour and mass exposure including
appearences on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and the Allen Freed Show. A
stream of follow-on singles did well regionally, but the band's young age -
most of them were still in high school, placed severe limits on their
ability to tour outside of the Northwest, let alone legally play clubs.
In the wake of another set of personnel changes which saw the addition of
guitarist Neil Anderson, vocalist/sax player Ron Gardner and drummer Dave
Roland to the line up, the band signed a distribution deal with United Artists.
Unexpectedly 1966's self-produced "Outburst!"
may have been their finest hour. Anyone expecting to hear another set of throwaway
instrumental hit covers was in for a major shock. Largely penned by R. Wayne
Davies (not sure if there was any relationship to The Kinks Ray Davies), material such as
'If You Won't Lead Me', 'I Want To Walk with You' and 'Sit In My Room' found the band turning in a wonderful set of
garage rockers. Taunt, yet melodic, there simply wasn't a bad song on the
LP. Highlights included the fuzz guitar propelled raver 'Out of Our
Tree' and the mildly-psych sounding 'Bad Trip'. Elsewhere,
released as a single 'It's You Alone' b/w 'Tears'
(United Artists catalog number UA 50,026) provided the band with a massive
west coast hit - the single actually managed to hit # 118 on the national
charts, though the parent album failed to chart. Simply one of the best and
most consistently overlooked garage LPs I've ever heard.
With their careers suddenly revitalized, the band hit the concert circuit,
opening for a string of acts ranging from The Animals to James Brown.
Their late inning success proved fleeting with a pair of follow-on singles
bombing:
- 1966's 'Think Kindly Baby' b/w 'End of the Summer' (United Artists catalog number UA 50065)
- 1966's 'You Won't Lead Me' b/w ;Tears' (United Artists catalog number UA 50110)
"Outburst" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) If You Won't
Lead Me (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:23
2.) I Want To Walk with You (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:35
3.) Think Kindly Baby (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:55
4.) Out of Our Tree (Kent Morrill - Ron Gardner - John Ormsby) - 3:30
5.) It's You Alone (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:41
6.) Bad Trip (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:26
(side 2)
1.) Hold
(Ray
Wayne Davies) - 2:30
2.) My Girl (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:36
3.) Turn and Run (Kent Morrill - Ron Gardner) - 2:13
4.) Sit In My Room (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:32
5.) Tears Don't Have To Fall (Ray Wayne Davies) - 2:50
6.) I'm Looking Down At You (Ray Wayne Davies) - 1:55
1.)
