THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
2,077) The Outer Limits — “Great Train Robbery”
The Outer Limits’ (see #1,707) final A-side was a “keyboard driven psychedelic pop gem” (Kevin Rathert, https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2025/09/the-outer-limits-just-one-more-chance-the-anthology-1965-1968-2025.htm), “a psychedelic and sunny chamber pop tune” (Fred Thomas, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/outer-limits-mn0000897169#biography) — based on a famous 1963 English train robbery (regarding which, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Biggs).
Band leader Jeff Christie recalls that “Andrew [Loog Oldham] liked the band and wanted to produce the single himself after we were recommended to Immediate by Tito Burns, our agent at the time. ‘Great Train Robbery’ was on Immediate but they created a sub-label called Instant as it was a little more poppier.” (https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/jeff-christie-and-the-outer-limits/)
Kevin Rathert explains that:
[T]he Instant Records version of . . . “Great Train Robbery” . . . failed to chart when released in September 1968. . . . [T]he Immediate Records version of “Great Train Robbery” [had] a run time forty seconds longer thanks to the sound effects introduction. Released in April 1968, the single likewise made no impression on the charts.
Why? Jeff Christie’s website says that:
Despite five years elapsing since the heist that made Ronnie Biggs’ name, the BBC wouldn’t play The Outer Limits’ 1968 Immediate/Instant single “Great Train Robbery” and that effectively ended the band’s career. The Immediate Records version starts off with gunfire, but it’s a hugely likeable Pop Sike nugget and unlucky to find itself banned, as it certainly possessed all the qualities to crossover towards mass appeal.
I think the real crime here was committed by the BBC, one of many it committed against Swinging London (for others, check out my website’s Swinging London page).
Jeff Christie’s website tells us more:
Clearly signalling the development of Jeff’s melodic songwriting skills, the song is . . . all about a train robbery. All stops were pulled out for this one — the arrangement, by former Shadow Tony Meehan, incorporates lavish orchestral backgrounds and lovely harmonies, and is not unlike some Bee Gees [see #291, 353-54, 439, 466, 484, 497, 570, 594, 717, 861, 962, 1,065, 1,101, 1,125, 1,190, 1,321, 1,336, 1,343, 1,465, 1,584, 1,640, 1,685, 1,843] offerings of the time.
Fred Thomas further explores the Outer Limits:
[T]he Outer Limits toured with Jimi Hendrix, played gigs opening for the Who, and released just three singles as they moved from blues- and skiffle-influenced sounds to mod and freakbeat inclinations, and got into mildly psychedelic chamber pop in their final days. . . Their earliest tunes show an affinity for the Northern soul phenomenon happening in the mid-’60s . . . incorporating horn sections and powerful, danceable rhythms along with pop affectations like group harmonies and snappy melodies. . . . The Outer Limits transitioned from Merseybeat-informed styles to freakbeat and mod-pop numbers . . . . The Outer Limits were a hardworking and creatively tireless group during their brief run.
The band was led by songwriter Jeff Christie, and they recorded multiple singles . . . before their dissolution was captured as the subject of the 1969 documentary Death of a Pop Group. . . . The Outer Limits formed in 1965, following the end of Christie’s projects like his skiffle band Three G’s Plus One and his beat band the Tremmers. The group initially made soul-tinged tunes in the style of Merseybeat or early rhythm and blues . . . . They soon transitioned to more of a mod sound, and signed briefly with Deram for their 1967 single “Just One More Chance.” Before 1967 was up, the Outer Limits performed on a package tour that included the Nice, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix. . . . In 1969, the documentary film Death of a Pop Group included live footage and interviews with the group, delving deep into their struggles with money and keeping the attention of what they felt was a fickle and unadventurous music listening public.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-one-more-chance-the-anthology-1965-1968-mw0004589462, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/outer-limits-mn0000897169#biography
Bruce Eder tells us of Jeff Christie’s post-Outer Limits career:
After their breakup, Christie decided to try his luck as a songwriter and cut a demo tape that passed through the hands of Tremeloes [see #1,193] guitarist Alan Blakely and into those of his brother, drummer Mike Blakely . . . . [who] was impressed enough . . . to arrange a recording session in London where the Tremeloes participated as [the] backing band[. N]one of the sides from that session saw the light of day, but inspired by Blakely’s faith in his songs, Jeff Christie decided to put together a group of his own. This ended up as a trio of Christie on bass and lead vocals, Blakely on drums, and his ex-Acid Gallery bandmate Vic Elmes on guitar and vocals. . . . [D]esignated Christie; they were signed by British CBS. Their debut single, “Yellow River,” featured Christie and Elmes’ voices dubbed over the Tremeloes’ backing track cut at Christie’s first session. . . . . [It rode] the U.K. pop charts for 22 weeks and reaching the number one chart spot in several countries. Even in the United States, [it] reached number 23, a very respectable showing for an act that was nowhere near ready to tour the U.S. Their follow-up, a group recording this time called “San Bernadino,” reached number one in Germany and number seven in England . . . . The group carried on for two years, going through several lineup changes leading into 1971 . . . . Their second LP, For All Mankind, abandoned the commercial, pop-oriented sound of its predecessor in favor of a harder, higher-wattage, more blues-oriented sound, and the band’s fortunes rapidly declined. They regrouped . . . . [but] professional clashes between Elmes and Christie signaled an end to the group’s recording history in 1972. Jeff Christie cut songs for Mercury Records in the mid-’70s and kept using the group name as an alias on material recorded for the Epic and Wizard labels, and took back his full name for records on the RK label in the 1980s.
Here is the Instant release:
Here is the demo — “a stripped-down preview of the intricate orchestral chamber pop” release. (Fred Thomas, https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-one-more-chance-the-anthology-1965-1968-mw0004589462):
Here is a demo the Searchers recorded:
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