Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl

Last updated
"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl"
Single by The Barbarians
from the album Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl
B-side "Take It or Leave It"
ReleasedSeptember 1965
Recorded1965
Length2:17
Label Laurie
Songwriter(s) Geoffry Morris
Producer(s) Doug Morris
The Barbarians singles chronology
"Hey Little Bird"
(1965)
"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl"
(1965)
"What the New Breed Say"
(1965)

"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" is a song written by Geoffry Morris for the American band The Barbarians. It was released as the group's second single, and was the first and most successful tune for the Barbarians to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox . [1]

Contents

Following the group's unsuccessful debut, "Hey Little Bird", The Barbarians had their breakthrough with an appearance, alongside other musical artists such as The Rolling Stones and The Supremes, on The T.A.M.I. Show . In order to take advantage of their exposure, the band recorded "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" with the B-side, "Take It or Leave It". Guitarist Geoffry Morris, who had recently joined the band, was responsible for the arrangements. [2] The song reflected the social commentary of the period, specifically around what distinguishes a male from a female. The lyrics express both sides' opposing views on issues like hair length or how a person dresses. The band members themselves grew their hair long and wore unusual clothing. Jerry Causi, as lead vocalist, initiates call and response with Bruce Benson and Jeff Morris on backing vocals. [3] There is also mockery toward bands from England with lyrics like "Your're either a girl, or you come from Liverpool", and more specifically "You can dance like a female monkey, but sink like a stone...yeah a rolling stone", a direct reference to The Rolling Stones. [4] The song ends with a brief R&B-influenced guitar solo before fading out.

"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl", with its B-side "Take It or Leave It", was released in September 1965 on the Laurie label. It peaked at number 55 nationally, and stayed on the charts for six weeks. The song was also featured on the group's debut album of the same name, as the opening track. Despite the publicity following their modest hit, the album failed to chart. The song has been included on several compilations thereafter, most prominently the 1998 reissue of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 . [5] [6]

Releases

Singles/EPs

Albums/Compilations

Related Research Articles

Garage rock is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is characterized by basic chord structures played on electric guitars and other instruments, sometimes distorted through a fuzzbox, as well as often unsophisticated and occasionally aggressive lyrics and delivery. Its name derives from the perception that groups were often made up of young amateurs who rehearsed in the family garage, although many were professional.

The Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes are an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. Much of the band's music was, as music historian Richie Unterberger described it, possessed of "an eerie and sometimes anguished ambiance", and, early on, mainly consisted of material by songwriters Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, though the group also penned their own songs. Incorporating psychedelia and elements of embryonic electronic rock, the band's sound was marked by innovative recording techniques with fuzz-toned guitars and oscillating sound effects. In addition, guitarist Ken Williams' and singer James Lowe's concept of "free-form garage music" provided the band with a richer sonic palette and exploratory lyrical structure than many of their contemporaries.

<i>Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968</i> 1972 compilation album by Various artists

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American psychedelic and garage rock singles released in the mid-to-late 1960s. It was assembled by Lenny Kaye, who at the time was a writer and clerk at the Village Oldies record shop in New York. He would later become the lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group. Kaye worked on Nuggets under the supervision of Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records. Kaye initially conceived the project as a series of approximately eight individual LP installments, each focusing on US geographical regions, but Elektra convinced him that one 2-disc LP would be a more commercially viable format. The resulting double album was released on LP by Elektra in 1972 with liner notes by Kaye that contained one of the first uses of the term "punk rock". It was reissued with a new cover design by Sire Records in 1976. In the 1980s Rhino Records issued Nuggets in a series of fifteen installments, and in 1998 as a 4-cd box set.

Dirty Water

"Dirty Water" is a song by the American rock band The Standells, written by their producer Ed Cobb. The song is a mock paean to the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and its then-famously polluted Boston Harbor and Charles River.

The Barbarians were an American garage rock band formed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts that were active between 1964 and 1967, and briefly re-formed in 1973 to cut an album under a different lineup. At the height of their popularity, the band was touted as an American counterpart of The Rolling Stones. Particularly striking in their appearance was the sight of drummer, Victor "Moulty" Moulton's prosthetic hook used in place of his missing left hand to hold his left drumstick during performances. During their tenure, the Barbarians produced two nationally charting hits, including the novelty single, "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?".

The Nerves were an American power pop trio formed in 1974 and based in Los Angeles, featuring guitarist Jack Lee, bassist Peter Case, and drummer Paul Collins. All three members composed songs and sang. They managed an international tour in the U.S. and Canada, including dates with The Ramones, and performances for the troops as part of the United Services Organization (USO).

<i>The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators</i> 1966 album by the 13th Floor Elevators

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators is the debut studio album by the 13th Floor Elevators. The album's sound, featuring elements of psychedelia, garage rock, folk, and blues, is notable for its use of the electric jug, as featured on the band's only hit, "You're Gonna Miss Me", which reached number 55 on the Billboard Charts with "Tried to Hide" as a B-side. Another single from the album, "Reverberation (Doubt)", reached number 129 on the Billboard's Bubbling Under Chart.

<i>Pebbles, Volume 1</i> 1978 compilation album

Pebbles is a compilation of US underground and garage single record releases from the mid- to late-1960s. It had a limited original release in 1978 and a more general release in 1979 ; this album was followed by several subsequent Pebbles compilations and albums. This album is nowadays known as Pebbles, Volume 1 and was originally issued in 1978 as Pebbles, Volume One: Artyfacts from the First Punk Era, an obvious riff on Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, a similar, groundbreaking compilation from 1972.

<i>Pebbles, Volume 2</i> 1979 compilation album

Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album featuring American underground psychedelic and garage rock musical artists from the 1960s. It is the second installment of the Pebbles series and was released on BFD Records in 1979.

Mouse and the Traps is the name of an American garage rock band from Tyler, Texas that released numerous singles between 1965 and 1969, two of which, "A Public Execution" and "Sometimes You Just Can't Win", became large regional hits. The leader of the band, nicknamed "Mouse", was Ronnie Weiss. Two of their best known songs, "A Public Execution" and a cover of "Psychotic Reaction", are not actually credited to this band but, respectively, to simply Mouse and Positively 13 O'Clock instead. Their tangled history also included one single that was released anonymously under the name Chris St. John. The band are not to be confused with the girl group Mousie and The Traps who recorded for Toddlin' Town records around the same time.

Cant Seem to Make You Mine 1967 song by The Seeds

"Can't Seem to Make You Mine" is a song by American rock group the Seeds, written by vocalist Sky Saxon and produced by Marcus Tybalt. It was released as a single in 1965 and re-issued in 1967, when it peaked at number 41 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 33 in Canada.

Get Me to the World on Time

"Get Me to the World on Time" is a song written by Annette Tucker and Jill Jones for the American garage rock band, The Electric Prunes. The song was released in May 1967 following the success of the band's previous single, "I Had Too Much to Dream ". Although the follow-up did not have the same success, "Get Me to the World on Time" still charted at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single also fared slightly better in the UK, where it reached number 42.

<i>No Way Out</i> (The Chocolate Watchband album) 1967 studio album by The Chocolate Watchband

No Way Out is the debut album by the American garage rock band The Chocolate Watchband, and was released in September 1967 on Tower Records. It blended both garage and psychedelic rock influences, and was marked by distorted guitar instrumentals that were early examples of protopunk. It features the band's harder-edged interpretations of songs, with only three original compositions. The album was preceded by two non-album singles, "Sweet Young Thing" and "Misty Lane", and track singles, "No Way Out" and "Are You Gonna be There ". However, none of the singles managed to chart. Like its singles, No Way Out failed to reach the Billboard 200, but it established the group as a popular live act, and later became noted as a garage rock classic.

"Moulty" is a song by the American band The Barbarians, and was released in 1966 on Laurie Records. It was written by Doug Morris, Barbara Baer, Eliot Greenberg, Robert Schwartz, and Victor "Moulty" Moulton, and was also produced by Morris. The lyrics refer to Moulton's loss of his left hand, and the feelings of estrangement that followed. The song was released as a single, and gave The Barbarians their second and final hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

A Public Execution

"A Public Execution" is a song performed and recorded by the American band Mouse and the Traps, also credited simply as Mouse, written by Ronnie "Mouse" Weiss (né Ronald Lon Weiss; born 1942) (music) and Knox Henderson (né Knox Holmes Henderson; 1939–2002) (words), and first released as the group's debut single on Fraternity Records in December 1965. The song was a big regional hit in Texas and peaked in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts, but has become better-known today, in large part, due to the band's uncanny imitation of Highway 61 Revisited-era Bob Dylan.

Its Cold Outside

"It's Cold Outside" is a song by the American garage rock band the Choir, written by the Choir's drummer, Dan Klawon, and first released on Canadian-American Records in September 1966. It is considered a classic of the musical genre of garage rock, and became the group's only national hit. The song has since been featured on several compilation albums.

Bad Girl (The Zakary Thaks song)

"Bad Girl" is a song by the American garage rock band the Zakary Thaks, written by the whole group—Chris Gerniottis, Pete Stinson, Stan Moore, Rex Gregory, and John Lopez—and was first released for the band's debut single on J-Beck Records in July 1966. The song was an immensely successful regional hit in Texas, precipitating "Bad Girl"'s national release on Mercury Records later in the year. Since its initial distribution, the tune has received further recognition for its appearance on several compilation albums.

"Farmer John" is a song written by Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Dewey Terry, and first recorded by the two as the American R&B duo Don and Dewey, in 1959. Although the original version of the composition did not receive much attention, it was reinvigorated by the garage rock band the Premiers, whose raving cover version was released in 1964. The song's raw and partying atmosphere was immensely popular, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the group's national success, several additional interpretations of "Farmer John" were released, making the tune a classic of garage rock.

The Underdogs (American band)

The Underdogs were an American garage rock band from Grosse Pointe, Michigan who were active in the 1960s. They became a regular attraction at the Hideout, a club that was an early venue for acts such as Bob Seger, Glenn Frey, and The Pleasure Seekers, featuring Suzi Quatro, and it also served as the home to the Hideout record label, which released several of the Underdogs' singles. The group enjoyed success in the region and came close to breaking nationally with two records released though a joint deal on Reprise Records and then their last on Motown. The Underdogs' work has been included on various garage rock compilations such as the 1998 Nuggets 4-CD box set released on Rhino Records.

The Witch (song)

"The Witch" is a song by the American garage rock band the Sonics, written by vocalist Gerry Roslie, and first released as the group's debut single in November 1964. It also appears on the Sonics' debut album Here Are the Sonics!!!. Arguably among the most frantic and heaviest recordings of the era, "The Witch" is regarded as being a quintessential stepping stone in the development of punk rock despite the fact the tune never reached national success. Since the song's original release, "The Witch" has appeared on numerous compilation albums, most notably the 1998 reissue of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968.

References

  1. "The Barbarians". last.fm. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  2. "BARBARIANS". badcatrecords.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  3. Lindsay Planer. "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  4. James Reed. "Old Music:The Barbarians". boston.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  5. "Billboard Charts". billboard.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  6. Richie Unterberger. "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl - Overview". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.