Outsiders – Time Won’t Let Me

Don’t forget tomorrow starts Beatles Week and we will have some great guest hosts. The Star Trek posts will continue. 

Today I’m guest hosting Dave’s site with Turntable Talk…about the one and only Jimi Hendrix.

I’ve always liked this song with its garage band sound. The Outsiders were a band from Cleveland Ohio that had a hit with this song in 1965. They had 4 top 40 songs. Time Won’t Let Me peaked at #5 on the Billboard 100 and #5 in Canada in 1966. It does get played occasionally on oldie radio stations. Jimmy Fox, who was the drummer on the Outsiders’ first album, later formed The James Gang with Joe Walsh.

The Outsiders formed in Cleveland, Ohio, and were a continuation of the rock band The Starfires. The members of the Outsiders at this time included Tom King (rhythm guitar, vocals), Sonny Geraci (vocals), Mert Madsen (bass, harmonica), Al Austin (lead guitar), Ronnie Harkai (drums), John Madrid (scream trumpet, and Gayle Guhde (keyboards). The lineup has been very fluid over the years.

They were signed by Capitol Records on the strength of Time Won’t Let Me. A&R man Roger Karshner became the group’s manager. Lead sing Sonny Geraci credits Karshner as the key to the band’s breakout success.

The Outsiders recorded three more Top 40 singles but never had another huge hit like Time Won’t Let Me. The band broke up after their fourth album, Happening Live!, was released in 1967.

Mert Madsen (bass player): “It all started in 1958 when I joined Tom in his new band called The Starfires, which started a few months before I joined the band in late 58. It took us seven hard-working years to get to the time in the fall of 1965 where we cut ‘Time Won’t Let Me’ at the “Cleveland Recording” studio.” 

“We could sense that this was not just any tune, but a tune with great hit potential,” Mert continues: “So we got hold of the East Coast Manager for Capitol Records, Roger Karhsner, and played the master record for him over the phone. He said right away, ‘Hold on, I do believe you guys got a hit on your hands, but I am coming to Cleveland in a few days, and then we will defiantly talk some more.’ The rest is history – all the guys on the record made up their own parts music ways, and I arranged the background singers. — The horns were added on afterwards.”

Time Won’t Let Me

I can’t wait forever
Even though you want me to
I can’t wait forever
To know if you’ll be true
Time won’t let me
Time won’t let me
Time won’t let me wait too long

Can’t you see I’ve waited too long to love you
To hold you in my arms
Time won’t let me
Time won’t let me
Time won’t let me aw
Oh

I can’t wait forever
Even though you want me to
I can’t wait forever
To know if you’ll be true
Time won’t let me
Time won’t let me
Time won’t let me wait that long
It won’t let me wait that long
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait that long)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait that long)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait that long)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait that long)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait that long)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait that long)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait that long)

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player. View all posts by Badfinger (Max)