The Barbarians
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54 GOLDMINE June 26, 1992 The Barbarians by Matt Whorf cleaning business in Abington, Massachu- the Barbarians began under the deadline blocked and it just seemed that people fror setts, looks back with nothing but fondness pressure of a Saturday night gig which was all over were trying to get into the clut Were the Barbarians the first-ever punk and appreciation for his career in the music only three nights away. which only had a capacity for between 20 band? Given that punk as a style has always business. Said Moulty, "The Rumpus Room had and 300. The people included friends. rela been as much defined by stance and attitude Born February 24, 1945, Moulty grew up never had live entertainment. But when I tives and ·music fans in general. Nobody ha· as by musical sound, the case for the Cape in Provincetown, Massachusetts. His was a told my cousin I was a drummer he offered ever seen anything like that in Provin ce Cod-bred mid-'60s garage-rock band for musical family, with both of his parents gui- me a spot to play there that weekend. So, town." such a status is quite strong indeed. Among tar players who occasionally performed live, within three days I called a couple of guys I From there, the Barbarians began playi n those who suggest yes in answer to the ques- playing what he describes as "old-fashioned knew who played guitars and asked them if at cl ubs all over their hometown. Two ofth tion is one Joe Doissyof the Luxembourg- country 'n' western," and a grandfather who they wanted to play at the club Saturday players at the original gig were soon found to based Barbarians fan club in his album also played guitar and piano. Moulty recalls night, and I started putting up posters for be too young to play in cl ubs and wcr notes to Rh ino Records' 1979 reissue of the that when Elvis Presley began to hit it big in our gig all over town. It was completely forced to leave the gro up. T he y were Barbarians' self-titled one and only LP,\orig- the mid-'50s, he was a big influence, both spontaneous. When I had lined up two of replaced by bassist Causi. The club date inally released on the Laurie label in 1966. musically and personally. Then, as time the three guitarists I ended up using, I called incl uded a regular weekend gig at the Rum As one of the most fondly-remembered went on, he became a devout fan of all of the another guy I knew who played bass. Li ke pus Room, whose management offered the wildman bands of the '60s, the Barbarians' original rock 'n' rollers, including, among a the others, he said yes, and then he asked band members a practically unheard-of entire approach was certainly in keeping variety of those he names, Fats Domino, what was the name of my band. And sin ce well-paying dtal for the time, $80per mem with the punk essence, to si mply say it and Chuck Berry, Johnny and the Hurricanes we didn't actually have a name at that point, ber per night clear. Moulty recall s, and $125 do it with no apologies. Nowhere was this and all of the old doo-wop groups. I just sort of went, like, 'Ah ... the Barbari- clear if the club sold enough beer. Said approach more evident and effecti ve than Mo ulty remembers that when he was ans.' And just like that, the name stuck." Moulty, " Making an average of $125a week on the group's biggest hit single, "AreYouA young, he played guitar and had two bands Moulty continued, "Come Saturday from our gigs. and li ving at home with our Boy OrAre YouA Girl?," which peaked at at different points, but that he had always night, we set up at eight for the gig, for· no pwarents. we ere li ke millionaries." #55 on the Billboard Hot 100chart in 1965. wanted to play drums. At 14, he lost his money. By nine o'clock, the whole town was The Barbarians performed than-fashion- That song took head-on the then controver- hand in an explosion from a homemade in chaos. Traffic on the street outside was abli e nstrumentals such as " Walk Don t sial issue of fashionable long hai r on young. lead-pipe-and-gasoli·ne bomb, He then Victor wh ite, male rock 'n' roll musicians, and fans, became a drummer when he got his hook "Moulty" Moulton in the wake of the arrivals of the Beatles and hand. the Rolli ng Stones in America. The lyri cs Said Moulty, " Naturally, after my acci- fea rlessly mimicked the oft-heard comments dent wh en I was young, it was hard. But of the bourgeoisie, "uptightsquares" who in those days, I had drive and desire, and I pointed their fingers at young rockers, say- was determined to become a drummer. Not ing, "Isi t a boy or a girl?,"finally reducing just a mediocre drummer with a hook hand, those comments to laughable cliches. but a full-fledged drummer. I believe I The Barbarians' four members-sing learned to play reasonably well, though I ers/guitarists Jeff Morris and BruceBenson, couldn't improvise. And there were other bassist/ singer J erry Causi and drum- various things 1 couldn' t do that other mer/singer Victor " Moulty" Moulton- drummers did." combined their own Beatle-length hair with Moulty recalls that after learning the Stones-like attitude. Along with "Are You A drums, he "toyed around with a couple of Boy," the group's other originals, such as gu ys here and there." He also performed "What The New Breed Say" and "Take It occasi onall y wi th Caribbean-style steel Or Leave It," co-written by Morris, essen- bands that were popular in Provincetown in tially and ve hemently urged listeners to the ·early '60s. Whi le working a day job in think and act fo r themselves, regardless of Boston in 1962 arid '63, he jammed with a how they may be viewed by others. Moulty nu mber of other musicans at a TV room/rcc in particular conveyed a personal emphasis room at Boston U niversity. One of them on self-determination, havi ng learned to wa. singer/guitarist Barry Tashia n, later of play the drums after losing hi s left hand in another well-remembered Boston area '60s an accident as a teenager and using a pros- garage-punk group, the Remains. Moulty's thetic hook in its place. The group's second life in those yea rs was generally spent work- and final chart si ngle was his story of mak- ing and jammingin Boston during the week ing it a ga in st a ll odd s- it was t it le d and driving back home to Provincetown on "Moulty." the weekends. wMoulty as perhaps the most outs poken The Barbarians story begins in Province- of the four Barbaria ns i their day, both off- town in the early summer of 1964. Moulty stage and on. And in punk attitude is as recalls having a cousin who worked as a bar- much no regrets as no a po logies, the tender at the Rumpus Room, a beachside singer/drummer fi ts the bill to this day. cl ub in town known for its wildness. His Despite having experienced the inevitable cousin approached him to book him and his pitfa lls and ultimate limitations of most in band for a weekend performance. The only '60s rock ' n' roll. Moulty, currently the problem at the time was that Moulty did not owner of a successful carpet and upholstery actually have a band. Thus, the formation of 56 GOLDMINE June 26, 1992 Run" and "Red River Rock" and the hits basked in the excitement of tours with of the day ("TwistAnd Shout," for instance) out shows throughout the United States and at their club gigs. They were also attracting Canada. There were also frequent TV much record company attention, as Moulty appearances, including the Mike Douglas recalls. But since the band members felt they Show, Shindig and Hullabaloo. Most signifi- did not know any of the people they met cantly, in 1964 they appeared in the concert from the record companies well enough, film The TAM! Show, alongside the likes of they signed with a New York-based manage- James Brown, Chuck Berry and the Rolling ment agency. Freedlander Enterprises, led Stones. Said Moulty of those peak years, "I by Buddy Freedlander, who was affiliated thought the money would never stop and I'd with the William Morris conglomerate. be rich forever." Freedlander signed the group with Joy Rec- Moulty reca11s that as soon as "Are You A ords, where they released one single, "Hey Boy" became a hit, the Barbarians wasted Little Bird,,; in September 1964. The record no time in recording and releasing their self- did not hit. titled debut album. Originally released, of The Barbarians' luck changed dramati- course, on Laurie and later reissued on cally the next year when the band moved to Rhino with "Moulty" added, the album is a Laurie Records. There they hit immediately fascinating period memento of the group's with their first single, "Are You A Boy Or raw, primal splendor in its day. Along with Are You A Girl?" The song was co-written the above-mentioned originals, there are by singer/guitarist Jeff Morris and Laurie ragged but spirited covers of period rock 'n' company songwriter and Barbarians album roll and R&B hits from "Mr.