ABOUT
The Barbarians were a short-lived but influential garage rock/proto-punk band with a humorous bent that became famous during the mid 1960s. Their best known songs include "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" (1965), a novelty tune about the long hair craze popularized by The Beatles and other British Invasion acts.
Formed in 1964 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the original lineup consisted of Bruce Benson (guitar), Ronnie Enos (guitar), Jerry Causi (bass), and Victor "Moulty" Moulton (drums), who all shared vocals. In 1965, Geoffrey Morris replaced Enos on lead guitar. The Barbarians were unusual in that the band's drummer, Moulton, had lost his left hand at age 14 in an explosion from a homemade bomb and had a hook in its place. The band quickly became a local sensation in the New England area and by 1965, had relocated to New York City and signed with Laurie Records.
The Barbarians debuted in 1965 with the Geoffrey Morris-penned "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl." They followed up with two minor hits, "What The New Breed Say" (1965) and "Moulty" (1966), an inspiring, mostly-spoken account by the resilient founding drummer on how he overcame the loss of his hand.
At the height of their commercial fame, The Barbarians were regulars on TV's "Shindig" and "The T.A.M.I. Show." By 1968, the band had split after a number of personnel changes. Over the years, The Barbarians gained a loyal cult following after the inclusion of "Moulty" in the 1972 compilation album, "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968."
LINKS
- Victor "Moulty" Moulton discusses his time with The Barbarians and later projects in an interview with Robert Kreutzer on Garagerocktopia (June 7, 2015).
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SONGS
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The Barbarians
- Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl 1965
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