The Barbarians - Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl (1965 us, cool garage rock with one-handed drummer!)

Formed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in 1963, The Barbarians got their big break in 1964, when they scored a slot on the T.A.M.I. Show. The band's barbaric, nonconformist image was a big part of their appeal. They grew their hair longer than most of their contemporaries and wore leather sandals instead of Beatle boots. And then there was their drummer Moulty, who had a hook for a left hand.

Deciding to capitalize on Moulty's disability, The Barbarians' producer, Doug Morris, talked our hook handed hero into recording this "autobiographical" soliloquy in early '66 using Dylan's group, The Hawks (aka The Band), as accompanists. The song's simple message - never give up no matter what the odds - was sincere enough, and it tugged enough heart strings to become a minor hit. But the single was an embarrassment for the group. Moulty was so furious when he found out that the track had been released that he flew straight to New York and chased the president of Laurie Records around his office, breaking copies of the single over his head. Not surprisingly, the band parted company with the label soon afterwards.
--Richard Patterson

The song "Moulty" from the 1966 Barbarians single "Moulty"/"I'll Keep On Seeing You" (Laurie 3326) was added to the songs from the original LP on the CD re-release of this Barbarians album. In interviews with members of the Barbarians, they claim that the Hawks (minus the departed Levon Helm) played on the track "Moulty". This has later been confirmed by the Barbarians' one-handed drummer Victor "Moulty" Moulton, through his friend, artist and producer Joe Viglione (who in 1998 released the compilation Boston Rock and Roll Anthology #20 on his own label Varulven Records, with two previously unreleased tracks credited to Moulty & the Barbarians.)

Tracks
1. Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl - (Jeff Morris, Doug Morris) 2:17
2. Mr. Tambourine Man - (Bob Dylan) 2:12
3. House of the Rising Sun (Traditional) - 2:48
4. Maria Elena - (Russell-Barcheleta) 2:23
5. Bo Diddley - (Ellis McDaniel) 3:11
6. Memphis - (Chuck Berry) 2:31
7. What the New Breed Say - (Doug Morris) 2:13
8. Take It or Leave It - (Clark, Morris) 2:45
9. I'll Keep on Seeing You - (Marecsa, Morris) 2:29
10.Linguica - 1:34
11.Susie-Q - (Broadwater, Hawkins, Lewis) 1:47
12I've Got a Woman - (Ray Charles) 3:16
13.Moulty - (Greenberg, Morris, Baer, Schwartz) 2:33
14.Hey Little Bird - (Kaye) 2:24
15.You've Got to Understand - (Goehring, Kuntz) 2:08

The Barbarians
* Bruce Benson - Guitar, Vocals
* Jerry Causi - Lead Vocals, Bass
* Victor Moulton - Drums, Vocals
* Jeff Morris - Guitar, Vocals

Free Text
Text Host