

Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965-1968 and was a major influence on punk rock. Rhino Records reissued an expanded version of the set in 1998, with 118 tracks in total. I’m profiling and rating each of these 118 tracks, working backwards.
Track 92: Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl by The Barbarians
Release Date: 1965
From: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Aphoristical Rating: 6/10
ARE YOU A BOY OR ARE YOU A GIRL – The Barbarians [2:12]
(Douglas Morris/Ron Morris)
Personnel/JERRY CAUSI: vocals, bass * BRUCE BENSON & JEFF MORRIS: guitar, vocals * VICTOR “MOULTY” MOULTON: drums
Produced by DOUG MORRIS
Recorded in New York, NY
Laurie single #LR-3308 (7/65); Pop #55
‘Are You A Boy or Are You A Girl?’ is the second song from The Barbarians on Nuggets. Their more famous song in the boxset is ‘Moulty’, about their drummer, Victor “Moulty” Moulton, who lost his left hand to a homemade pipe bomb at the age of 14. The earlier ‘Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl’ charted higher, but it’s a less interesting song.
‘Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl ‘ is essentially a blues song with novelty lyrics. My mother used to give my sister terrible haircuts. Once a tactless substitute teacher asked her if she was a boy or a girl. This song doesn’t refer to that incident. but it’s along similar lines, a commentary on the long hairstyles of the British Invasion.
The lead guitar, from Boston guitarist Geoffrey Morris, adds some folk-rock flavour to the arrangement and it’s the best part of the song. It makes sense that ‘Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl’ is followed on The Barbarians’ only album by ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’. The album wasn’t successful, mainly consisting of rock and roll chestnuts like ‘Bo Diddley’ and ‘House of the Rising Sun’. Most of the band quit in 1967, forming Black Pearl.
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Nuggets: Respect by The Vagrants

Nuggets II: No More Now by The Smoke

Nuggets: Steppin’ Out by Paul Revere & the Raiders

Nuggets II: Nothin’ by Ugly Ducklings

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Nuggets: Complication by The Monks

Nuggets: Too Many People by The Leaves

Nuggets: Psycho by The Sonics

Nuggets: Strychnine by The Sonics

Nuggets: Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl by The Barbarians

Nuggets: Just Like Me by Paul Revere & the Raiders

Nuggets: Stop! Get A Ticket by Clefs of Lavender Hill

Nuggets II: Kicks and Chicks by The Zipps

Nuggets: Journey To The Center Of The Mind by The Amboy Dukes

Nuggets: Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White by The Standells

Nuggets: An Invitation to Cry by The Magicians

Nuggets: Maid of Sugar – Maid of Spice by Mouse and the Traps

Nuggets II: Real Crazy Apartment by Winston’s Fumbs

Nuggets II: Why Don’t You Smile Now by Downliners Sect

Nuggets II: The Train to Disaster by The Voice

Nuggets II: My Life by Thor’s Hammer

Nuggets: One Track Mind by The Knickerbockers

Nuggets: Hey Joe by the Leaves

Nuggets: What Am I Going to Do? by The Dovers

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Third Rail

Nuggets: Tobacco Road by Blues Magoos

Nuggets II: But You’ll Never Do It, Babe by The Boots

Nuggets II: Get Yourself Home by The Fairies

Nuggets: Little Girl by Syndicate of Sound

Nuggets II: Love Hate Revenge by Episode Six

Nuggets: Live by The Merry-Go-Round

Nuggets: Open Up Your Door by Richard & the Young Lions

Nuggets: I Want Candy by The Strangeloves

Nuggets: Outside Chance by The Turtles

Nuggets: Can’t Seem To Make You Mine by The Seeds

Nuggets: Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In) by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: Story of My Life by The Unrelated Segments

Nuggets: Knock, Knock by The Humane Society

Nuggets: Journey to Tyme by Kenny and the Kasuals

Nuggets: Mindrocker by Fenwyck

Nuggets: You Must Be A Witch by The Lollipop Shoppe

Nuggets: Put the Clock Back on the Wall by The E-Types

Nuggets II: Slaves Time by The Slaves

Nuggets: I Wonder by The Gants

Nuggets: Bad Girl by The Zakary Thaks

Nuggets: Moulty by The Barbarians

Nuggets: Voices Green and Purple by The Bees

Nuggets: Farmer John by The Premiers

Nuggets II: Rosalyn by The Pretty Things

Nuggets: Who Do You Love by The Woolies

Nuggets II: Break It All by Los Shakers

Nuggets: Sweet Young Thing by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: It’s Cold Outside by The Choir

Nuggets: Going All the Way by The Squires

Nuggets: The Witch by The Sonics

Nuggets II: I’m Your Witchdoctor by Chants R&B

Nuggets: Liar, Liar by The Castaways

Nuggets: Time Won’t Let Me by The Outsiders

Nuggets: Beg, Borrow, And Steal by The Rare Breed

Nuggets: Johnny Was A Good Boy by Mystery Trend

Nuggets: Mirror Of Your Mind by We The People

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Gestures

Nuggets: You Burn Me Up and Down by We The People

Nuggets: Lies by The Knickerbockers

Sugar and Spice by The Cryan’ Shames

Nuggets: Sit Down, I Think I Love You by The Mojo Men

Nuggets: I’m Gonna Make You Mine by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets II: Touch by The Outsiders

Nuggets: Action Woman by The Litter

Nuggets: Primitive by The Groupies

Nuggets: Talk Talk by The Music Machine

Nuggets II: No Presents For Me by The Pandamonium

Nuggets: Falling Sugar by The Palace Guard

Nuggets: The Little Black Egg by The Nightcrawlers

Nuggets: Don’t Look Back by The Remains

Nuggets: Louie Louie by The Kingsmen

Nuggets II: The Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane by Timon

Nuggets: Why Pick On Me by The Standells

Nuggets: Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Nuggets: Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) by The Hombres

Nuggets: It’s A-Happening by The Magic Mushrooms

Nuggets: Hold Me Now by The Rumors

Nuggets: You’re Gonna Miss Me by The 13th Floor Elevators

Nuggets: So What! by The Lyrics

Nuggets: She’s My Baby by The Mojo Men

Nuggets II: Bat Macumba by Os Mutantes

Nuggets: Get Me to the World on Time by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: Follow Me by Lyme & Cybelle

Nuggets II: Vacuum Cleaner by Tintern Abbey

Nuggets II: I Wish I Was Five by Scrugg

Nuggets: Last Time Around by The Del-Vetts

Nuggets: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: The Trip by Kim Fowley

Nuggets II: I’m Just A Mops by The Mops

Nuggets: I Live in the Springtime by The Lemon Drops

Nuggets: Diddy Wah Diddy by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

Nuggets: (Would I Still Be) Her Big Man by The Brigands

Nuggets: Blue's Theme by Davie Allan & the Arrows

Nuggets: Blackout of Gretely by GONN

Nuggets: I See the Light by The Five Americans

Nuggets II: No Good Without You Baby by The Birds

Nuggets: Codine by The Charlatans

Nuggets: Laugh, Laugh by The Beau Brummels

Nuggets: Romeo and Juliet by Michael and the Messengers

Nuggets: Spazz by The Elastik Band

Nuggets: Let’s Talk About Girls by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets II: Glendora by Downliners Sect

Nuggets: Dirty Water by The Standells

Nuggets: Oh Yeah by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets II: Bad Little Woman by The Wheels

Nuggets: At the River’s Edge by New Colony Six

Nuggets II: Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo

Nuggets II: Flight from Ashiya by Kaleidoscope

Nuggets: Out Of Our Tree by The Wailers

Nuggets II: How Does It Feel to Feel by The Creation

Baby, Please Don’t Go by The Amboy Dukes

Nuggets: No Friend of Mine by The Sparkles

Nuggets: 7 and 7 Is by Love

Nuggets: My World Fell Down by Sagittarius

Nuggets: No Time Like The Right Time by The Blues Project

Nuggets II: You Can Be My Baby by The Red Squares

Nuggets: Psychotic Reaction by Count Five

Nuggets: I Need You by The Rationals

Nuggets: She’s About A Mover by Sir Douglas Quintet

Nuggets: Love's Gone Bad by The Underdogs

Nuggets II: The Madman Running Through The Fields by Dantalian’s Chariot

Nuggets: Mr. Pharmacist by The Other Half

Nuggets: I Think I’m Down by the Harbinger Complex

Nuggets: Optical Sound by The Human Expression

Nuggets: Why Do I Cry by The Remains

Nuggets: Nobody But Me by The Human Beinz

Nuggets: I Ain’t No Miracle Worker by The Brogues

Nuggets II: One Third by The Majority

Nuggets: I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time by The Third Bardo

Nuggets: A Public Execution by Mouse

Nuggets: Jack of Diamonds by The Daily Flash

Nuggets: You Ain’t Tuff by The Uniques

Nuggets: Double Yellow Line by The Music Machine

Nuggets: Pushin’ Too Hard by The Seeds

Nuggets: A Question of Temperature by The Balloon Farm

Nuggets II: Here Come the Nice by The Small Faces

Nuggets: Shape of Things to Come by Max Frost & The Troopers

Nuggets: Little Bit O’Soul by The Music Explosion

Nuggets II: Dance Around the Maypole by Acid Gallery

Nuggets: Fight Fire by The Golliwogs

Nuggets: Open My Eyes by Nazz

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Nuggets II: It’s My Fault by The Rattles

Nuggets II: Come On by The Atlantics

Nuggets II: When The Alarm Clock Rings by the Blossom Toes

Nuggets: Night Time by The Strangeloves

Nuggets: Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Nuggets: Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love) by The Swingin’ Medallions

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I bought this single in the early eighties at a second hand record shop. It was backed with a song called Take It Or Leave It that had a slight “Hang On Sloopy” melody behind it.
I read about them in some rock book and had to have this one and Moulty before ever hearing them. I got into the Troggs around the same time. I love this garage sound.
Once my mom cut my ear slightly…I ended the homemade haircuts in 2nd grade. I feel for your sister!
It’s hardcore finding a secondhand copy in the 1980s. I like Moulty a lot more.
I had home haircuts for ages – I felt bad asking for money for haircuts.
I found out about a bunch of songs through reading either Beatle books or books about the 60s and I would hunt them down. That is how I found Dylan.
I loved my mom dearly…but cutting hair she could not do…she would take me to a friend who was a hair stylist.
My mother-in-law has cut my hair a few times and she’s legally blind! My hair’s pretty bald so the options are shave it off or just keep it short.
Oh mine is that way now…I have my wife to use a trimmer kit. It’s not much to mess up now.
While not very original, it’s not a bad tune. I like the sound. As for that substitute teacher, I hope that person changed their job!
I think they were getting elderly by that point.
One of my favorites from that era. Much better than “Almost Cut My Hair.”
I’m on team Crosby for this one, I’m afraid.
Crosby wrote (writes) some great songs, but that one was too superficial and didactic for me. There was a humorous vein running through the Barbarians song, and if you were old enough in the mid-60s (like me), that boy-girl shit from our elders was everywhere.
But…differences of opinion make life interesting!
The lyrics are kind of stupid but I like the arrangement with Crosby on rhythm and Stills and Young both on lead. There’s an uncut version of the box set – it’s a bit more satisfying than the edit.
Lol love it. Reminds me, in passing, of that Bob Seger lyric in Turn The Page.
A little throwback to another age.
Yup, maybe that’s why I struggle with it a little.
A lot of these cuts’ are just a curiosity to me. I was listening to some throwback stuff today, ,Thee Midniters . It was very good and I have and will listen to it again. Cant remember where I picked it up but it was recently. You might have steered me in the bands direction. I really like it
Wasn’t me – I don’t know the Midniters.
Chicano band out of LA in the 60’s. One of our fellow travelers turned me on to them.