The New Barbarians – Recall Recordings

The New Barbarians
Recall Recordings
1992 CRS Records
Huntington Beach, California, USA

Stephen Light – Vocals, rhythm guitars, Fender Rhodes, harmonica
Robert Bamgrover – Vocals on “The Tee” and “The New Barbarians,” lead guitars
Rich San Miguel – Bass guitar
Jerry King – Saxophone
Bruce Davison – Drums

Side 1:

1. The Tree
2. There’s Danger All Around
3. Refridgerator Blues
4. Of Stories Crossed

Side 2:

1. The New Barbarians
2. The Web of Life (Spins Round)
3. Total Recall

This band is another collaboration between Robert Barngrover and Stephen Light, but there really isn’t a whole lot of information about it out there. This band is also blues rock, but it reminds me somewhat of the The 77s when they mixed some alternative rock sensibilities with blues rock. Well, maybe like The 77s meets G.E. Smith. This tape serves as a memorial to a short lived band. The track listing on the j-card isn’t the actual order of the songs on the tape. The correct order is listed above. From what I can find online, this was the last collaboration between Barngrover/Light, released the same year as their Refridgerator Blues album.

Barngrover/Light – Refridgerator Blues

Barngrover/Light
Refridgerator Blues
1992 CRS Records
Huntington Beach, California, USA

Robert Barngrover – Vocals, lead guitars, slide guitars
Stephen Light – Vocals on “I’m Goin to California,” “My Telephone Woman,” “Nightmare,” “Mike Tyson,” and “I Wish I was in Heaven”; electric guitars; acoustic guitars; piano; organ; harmonica; bass on “It’s Time to Go Home” and “I’m Leavin’ California”
Dr. Dave – Bass
Tom Barile – Drums

Chris Sundeman – Drums on “I’m Leavin’ California”
Ketarah Shafer – “Telephone Woman”
Steve Shafer – Tambourine on “Telephone Woman”

Side 1:

1. I’m Goin to California
2. Refridgerator Blues
3. TV Movie Blues
4. My Telephone Woman
5. Nightmare (including the touch of an angel)
6. Hear Me Lord Blues

Side 2:

1. Mike Tyson
2. She’s a Surfer with the Surfing Blues (Lady in Red, White, and Black)
3. It’s Time to Go Home
4. I Wish I Was in Heaven
5. I’m Leavin’ California

The cover says this is the pre-release – apparently it was officially released the same year on CD. According to the band: “The Refridgerator Blues concept was inspired by their actual refrigerator. Steve and Robert’s refrigerator over the years became covered with all types of stickers; you could call it a work of art or a collage.” The j-card is actually printed on neon orange paper – but scanners can’t pick that up. If you guessed blues rock – you would be correct. I don’t believe that any of these songs were on their 1990 Dangerously Live! tape. Bargrover and Light also recorded a tape called The New Barbarians after this, but possibly under a different moniker. Before this they released a tape called Living on the Outside around 1990.

Barngrover/Light – Dangerously Live!

Barngrover/Light
Dangerously Live!
1990 CRS Records
Huntington Beach, California, USA

Steve Light – Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, harmonica
Robert Barngrover – Vocals, lead guitars; acoustic guitar on “Barbarians”
Tom Barile – Drums
Mark Henri – Bass guitar on “Crossroads,” “Mystery,” and “When Will I See You Again”
Fronz van Ouwerkerk – Bass guitar on “There’s Danger,” “Days Like These,” “Surf City,” “The Web of Life,” and “The World Turns On”
Jerry King – Saxophone
Dorothy Light – Additional vocals

Side 1:

1. There’s Danger All Around (vocals: Steve) (5:28)
2. Days Like These (3:46)
3. Living on the Outside (vocals: Robert) (5:40)
4. Crossroads (vocals: Robert 5:42)
5. Hey Dude! (0:48)
6. Surf City Revisited (vocals: Steve) (6:15)

Side 2:

1. The Web of Life (Spins Round) (4:42)
2. Mystery Train (3:06)
3. The New Barbarians (7:10)
4. When Will I See You Again (3:50)
5. The World Turns On (6:01)

Barngrover/Light existed as a band from 1979 until 1992, producing several tapes along the way. Several of the songs on this live album were originally on earlier tapes: ” Days Like These,” “Living on the Outside,” “Surf City Revisited,” and “The World Turns On” were all from Living on the Outside. Other songs might be original to this recording, but are probably from other tapes I have not heard. The sound here is the same as on other albums – blues influenced rock and hard rock. The notes say this was recorded at different stops on the Living on the Outside tour between June and August of 1990, but they were able to keep the recording levels pretty consistent.

Robert Barngrover – Heartbeat

Robert Barngrover
Heartbeat
1992 CRS Records
Huntington Beach, California, USA

Robert Barngrover – Vocals, guitars
Eric Bogart – Bass guitar
Dan Lloyd Deeble – Piano
Jeff Suri – Drums
Tent Thomason – Vocals

Tom Barille – Drums on “Great Awakening”
Joey Caffman – Guitar on “Heartbeat of My Soul”
Dr. Dave – Bass on “Great Awakening”
Steve Light – Guitar on “Longing”

Side 1:

1. Heartbeat of My Soul
2. Great Awakening
3. Esau’s Heel
4. To Rule the Night

Side 2:

1. I Want to See You
2. Longing
3. B.C.
4. Reality

This appears to be the only solo album by Robert Barngrover of Bargrover/Light, Blue Shift, etc fame. Bandmates from those other bands like Steve Light and Dan Deeble also play on this album. The songs are mostly instrumental guitar solo songs, all in the rock / hard rock / blues rock vein. There are a few songs with vocals – “Great Awakening,” “I Want to See You,” and “Reality.” Just note this is not a neo-classical or Vai-influenced guitar shred album – its more along the lines of blues jam trio music.

Barngrover/Light – Living on the Outside

Barngrover/Light
Living on the Outside
1990? CRS Records
Huntington Beach, California, USA

Written, Performed and produced by Robert Barngrover and Stephen Light
Additional vocals: Dorothy Light

Side 1:

1. Days Like These
2. Living on the Outside
3. Surf City Revisited

Side 2:

1. I Want to Go There with You
2. History 101
3. The World Turns On

This is not the first Barngrover/Light tape I have heard of, but it is the first to make it on this blog. Robert Barngrover and Stephen Light played together under the Barngrover/Light moniker from 1979 to 1992, so I am not sure what era this tape was released in. I think I have it narrowed down the 80s, if that helps :). The sound is a blues-influenced rock sound that borders on hard rock here and there. They have also been known to explore folk and progressive rock as well, but they seem to stick with rock on this tape. While they usually have a full band on most of releases I have seen, they are apparently handling all the instruments themselves here. They also note that “Living on the Outside” was recorded with their former band Blue Shift. Some of these songs were recorded live on the Dangerously Live! tape from 1990. Since that tape was recorded live on the tour for this tape (June-August 1990), that means this tape was released in late 1989 or early 1990. I am leaning towards early 1990. Their next studio album (that I am aware of) was 1992’s Refidgerator Blues.

Dan Deeble & Robert Barngrover – To Wherever There’s a Heart

Dan Deeble & Robert Barngrover
To Wherever There’s a Heart
19?? CRS Records (9262-19)
Huntington Beach, California, USA

Dan Deeble – Vocals, piano, additional keyboards
Robert Barngrover – All guitars

Rob Deeble – Backup vocals on “To Wherever There’s a Heart,” drums on “A Beautiful Beginning”

Side 1:

1. To Wherever There’s a Heart
2. Look Away
3. Precious Moments
4. When I Look to You

Side 2:

1. Love Song
2. Ease the Pain
3. A Beautiful Beginning
4. Humble Knees

Robert Barngrover of Barngrover/Light teams up with Dan Deeble to release an album of light rock. This is much lighter than the progressive/blues rock of Barngrover/Light. I wonder if Dan’s brother Rob that made some guest appearances here is the same as Robert Deeble of Days Like These fame? It seems like this project is mainly Dan, but with a lot of help from Bargrover. Several of the songs are folk rock in nature, with some hints of Caribbean and other world music touches here and there. There is no date on this tape, but I would almost say it was a 70s Jesus Music album. Unless it was released in the 80s and 90s, in which case it would be labeled folk rock / light rock.