History
Originally started as a solo project, the first Little Barrie single 'Shrug Off Love'/'Reply Me (It Don't Deny Me)' released on Stark Reality in summer 2000 was a demo recorded in 1999 by Cadogan with friends Chris Lee on drums and Miles Newbold engineering the sessions and also playing organ on B side 'Reply Me'. Shortly after Cadogan met drummer Wayne Fullwood and they began writing together as a duo. The pair played a handful of gigs without a permanent full lineup before relocating to London in September 2000 where they met bassist Lewis Wharton. The trio began playing around London clubs in late 2000 and cut two further singles for Stark Reality, 'Don't Call It The Truth'/'Give Me A Microphone' in 2001 and 'Memories Well'/'Didn't Mean A Thing' in 2002 both produced by Mike Burnham. The early sound of the band was heavily influenced by the rhythms of early soul, funk and R&B.
Through friend Andy Hackett of The Rockingbirds the band met Edwyn Collins and his engineer Seb Lewsley. On hearing some of of their Stark Reality recordings Collins offered to produce a new Little Barrie single at his West Heath Yard studio in London. The sessions went well and as a result Collins offered to continue recording and producing more tracks towards a full album despite the band having no record deal at the time. The sessions that followed became the debut album 'We Are Little Barrie'. In summer 2004 Cadogan also played ten gigs as a session guitarist for Morrissey.
'We are Little Barrie' was released on Genuine in 2005. Following the albums release the band toured in Europe, Japan, Australia and the US before returning in late summer 2005 to begin writing their second album 'Stand Your Ground' which was initially produced by Dan the Automator. Wayne Fullwood left the band during the writing period. Russell Simins from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion played drums on the first sessions which were engineered by Scott Harding at his studio in Brooklyn, New york in December that year. Whilst in New York Cadogan and Wharton played two gigs with Simins, once opening for blues legend Hubert Sumlin. On returning to London Billy Skinner joined the band on drums and they continued work on the album with Mike 'Prince Fatty' Pelanconi as producer. During this time in March 2006 Cadogan also joined Primal Scream as a session guitarist. Alongside the bands R&B and funk inspirations 'Stand Your Ground' featured hints of Rockabilly. It was released in 2007 on Genuine and featured guest appearances from Martin Duffy of Primal Scream on keys and Bill Denton on harmonica.
Following further tours across Europe, Japan and Australia in 2007 the band backed Paul Weller on the title track of his album '22 Dreams'. In late 2007 Virgil Howe, son of Yes guitarist Steve Howe, replaced Skinner on drums. The first recordings featuring the new lineup were in March 2008, when alongside Martin Duffy on keys the trio backed French Polynesian artist Mareva Galanter on her album 'Happy Fiu'. Later that year the band began work on the songs that would become part of their third album 'King Of The Waves'.
Throughout 2009 the band toured and continued work writing 'KIng Of the Waves', demoing the album at Pipe Dream Studios in north London and road testing new tracks whilst on tour. In 2010 the band returned to working with mentors Edwyn Collins and Seb Lewsley to record the album at West Heath Yard which was still their favourite place to work. Due to his own commitments, Collins was unable to mix the full album. The six remaining songs were mixed by Shawn Lee at Transyank Studios. 'King Of The Waves' was released in Japan in December 2010 and in the UK and US in summer 2011. The album is harder edged than previous recordings, leaning more towards Surf and Garage sounds with a greater use of overdriven guitars, feedback and tougher bass and drums from Wharton and Howe. The album's opening track 'Surf Hell' became popular through it's use on the game 'Rocksmith' and several synchs on television. The song 'Money In Paper' featured a backing vocal from Edwyn Collins.
Following the release of 'King Of The Waves' they hit the road again in Japan and across Europe. In November 2011 the band opened for rising New York soul singer Charles Bradley and his band The Extroadinaires for two shows in Spain. The two groups struck up a mutual appreciation and friendship, which led to Little Barrie being the opening band on Charles Bradley's US tour on the east coast in February - March 2012. Two more US tours followed that year, spanning the east and west coasts as well as performing in Texas and the mid west.
During 2012 work began on writing new songs for the bands fourth album 'Shadow'. Demos were recorded between touring schedules and outside commitments. In 2013 the band continued tour, including a return to the US for shows in Texas and also opening for Dinosaur Jr and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion before supporting The Stone Roses at La Cigalle in Paris in June. The group then performed in Vietnam and Japan before returning to rehearse tracks for the new album to be recorded that summer. Once again working with long time collaborators Edwyn Collins and Seb Lewsley, 'Shadow' was recorded, mixed and mastered in West Heath Yard in 17 days, with the exception of the title track, which reunited the band with Miles Newbold, who recorded and mixed the song at The Chicken Shack in Nottingham. Whilst capturing the bands live energy, 'Shadow' has a much darker feel than 'King Of The Waves', with more reverb and fuzz effects and influences of Psychedelia, Freakbeat and Krautrock. The track 'Fuzzbomb' features Shawn Lee on backing vocals. The band also recorded a version of the song 'Only You' originally written and sung by guitarist Danny Kirwan during his time with Fleetwood Mac. A limited edition 7" single of 'Fuzzbomb'/'Only You' was released as part of Record Store Day 2014. 'Shadow' was released on 26th May 2014.
Other Projects And Associated Acts
As well as performing with Morrissey in 2004 and Primal Scream from 2006-present Barrie Cadogan has also played live with Edwyn Collins, Paul Weller, Pete Molinari, BP Fallon and Saint Etienne.
He has also played on studio sessions with Primal Scream, Edwyn Collins, Paul Weller, Spiritualized, Scott Asheton, Pete Molinari, Andrew Weatherall, Zook, The Chemical Bros, Aspects, The Greg Foat Group, Bent, Paul Butler of The Bees, Patti Palladin, Brendan Lynch and The Proclaimers and also worked as a producer with Gil De Ray.
Prior to the formation of Little Barrie, Cadogan played in Nottingham instrumental outfit Polska with Paul Isherwood, Adam Cann and Dorian Conway who later formed The Soundcarriers.
Virgil also plays drums with The Dirty Feel and The Killer Meters and has recorded solo material. He has also previously toured with Shawn Lee, Amorphous Androgynous and Bryan Ferry.
Lewis Wharton also works as a designer and illustrator and has his first Exhibition at the Bolt motorcycle shop and gallery in Hackney, London in June 2014.
Love You
Little Barrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a sure fire way to put my soul on trial,
Won't you barricade me to your one door town,
They'll be hell no way I'm gonna turn that down,
Memory recalling that this firm don't understand,
But I can't draw no breath until I got you by the hand.
Because I love you,
Love you,
Oh yeah I love you.
Shirts and ties,
It's suicide,
Gonna be no hassle if you keep it quiet,
Like a goalmouth scramble for someplace to hide,
And that red stripe noose is getting more my size,
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,
Voluntary mover go hook that turn back down the road,
You'll be solitary 'till you get exactly what you want.
Sure as hell no souvenir for knowing just what you missed,
One of these days I'm losing here and still,
Wonder who you're with
The lyrics to Little Barrie's song "Love You" are a passionate declaration of love from the singer to their lover. The opening lines of the song warn the lover not to dial anyone else's number, as doing so would be a surefire way to put the singer's soul on trial. The singer implores their lover to barricade them in their small town, as they are unwilling to turn down the opportunity to be with them. The singer remembers that others may not understand their love, but they cannot breathe without holding their lover's hand.
The chorus of the song repeats the singer's love for their partner, declaring their love three times in a row with increasing intensity. The verse continues with the singer warning against conformity, saying that shirts and ties are suicide and that it's best to keep their love quiet. The singer compares their love to a goalmouth scramble, a chaotic and desperate struggle for survival. The red stripe noose refers to a tie, which the singer likens to a noose that is getting tighter around their neck.
The final lines of the song express the singer's fear of losing their lover to someone else, and they wonder who their lover might be with if they do not stay together. Overall, the song speaks to the intense passion and devotion that the singer feels for their partner, despite the challenges they may face as a couple.
Line by Line Meaning
Hands off baby don't you dare go dial,
Don't you even think about calling anyone else, it will only make me question our relationship and put it in jeopardy.
It's a sure fire way to put my soul on trial,
Calling someone else will make me feel insecure and question your commitment to me.
Won't you barricade me to your one door town,
I want to be exclusive with you and have you be the only one in your life.
They'll be hell no way I'm gonna turn that down,
I won't hesitate to commit to you fully and exclusively.
Memory recalling that this firm don't understand,
I remember situations where this firm (possibly referring to past relationships) did not understand me or my desires.
But I can't draw no breath until I got you by the hand.
I need you to be with me in order to feel complete and content in life.
Because I love you,
My strong feelings for you motivate my behavior and words in this song.
Love you,
Repeating this phrase reinforces the strength of my love and commitment.
Love you,
Repeating this phrase reinforces the strength of my love and commitment.
Oh yeah I love you.
Affirming my love for you with confidence and conviction.
Shirts and ties,
Possibly referring to corporate or formal attire, a sign of conformity or societal expectations.
It's suicide,
Going against one's true self and desires can feel like an act of self-harm.
Gonna be no hassle if you keep it quiet,
If we keep our relationship exclusive and don't listen to outside voices or opinions, it will be easier to maintain.
Like a goalmouth scramble for someplace to hide,
Possibly referring to the chaos and confusion of a soccer scramble, it may feel overwhelming to try to hide or suppress our true desires.
And that red stripe noose is getting more my size,
The red stripe noose could represent conformity or societal expectations, and the more they try to conform to it, the harder it is for them to escape.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,
Repeating this phrase adds emphasis to their message and reinforces their conviction.
Voluntary mover go hook that turn back down the road,
They might be urging someone who is not fully committed to turn back before it's too late.
You'll be solitary 'till you get exactly what you want.
If you can't commit to me, you will be alone until you find what you truly desire.
Sure as hell no souvenir for knowing just what you missed,
If you pass up the chance to be with me, you will regret it and have nothing to show for it.
One of these days I'm losing here and still,
If you don't commit to me, I will eventually move on and leave you behind, even if it hurts me to do so.
Wonder who you're with
I will always wonder if you are with someone else and if you made the wrong choice in not choosing me.
Contributed by Logan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@zbox6420
Little Barrie needs more recognition
@Rakstation
THIS IS AWESOME!!!!
In times of the Yardbirds barrie would be a serious competitions for J. Beck, Page and Clapton.
@kataritenabelasciscix9823
<3 very nice fresh summering sunny delight
@toomanywaystofall
kool!