David Barbe
Encyclopedia
David Barbe is an American musician and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia
and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia
. He is chief of Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens. Barbe is known for his work as a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and bass guitarist in Sugar, Mercyland, and Buzz Hungry, as well as solo performances. Also, he has produced nearly every album by the popular country-rock band Drive-By Truckers
, and has worked as producer and engineer with Son Volt
. He has an all-star solo band in Athens called the Quick Hooks.
and composer John Barbe — who were both big band
musicians.
Barbe and his wife, Amy, have three children — daughter Annabelle and sons Winston and Henry. He is a past president of the Athens-Clarke County Little League baseball league and has managed his sons' all-star teams to several city championships.
in 1981 to attend the University of Georgia. In Athens, he played occasional guitar with punk
favorites Bar-B-Que Killers. He later formed his own group, Mercyland in 1985 and acted as the main songwriter, bassist, and co-lead singer. After Mercyland disbanded in 1991, he fronted Buzz Hungry.
It was shortly after this that two key things came up that influenced the course of his career. One was John Keane offering to tutor him in music production and engineering, and one was Bob Mould
asking him to join Sugar. Barbe initially turned Mould down, feeling that he should stay home and look after his family. But his wife encouraged him to accept. The band was Mould's show; Barbe placed only one track, "Company Book," on a proper Sugar full album release. However, he did contribute a number of songs, some from Buzz Hungry and some original, that were performed live and/or released as B-sides
, such as 'Where Diamonds are Halos' which was also recorded as part of a BBC
radio session. In 1994, with his family now including three children, he decided he needed to leave Sugar. http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A6906
Barbe and Mould played a reunion show on March 18, 2008, in Atlanta as Barbe joined Mould's touring band for a rendition of Divide & Conquer (even more interesting that this is a Hüsker Dü song, not a Sugar song). Barbe also joined Mould for a full gig on October 18, 2009, at the Treasure Island Music Festival. Barbe flew out to play the show after bassist Jason Narducy's wife went into labor. The set consisted of a mix of Hüsker Dü
and Sugar songs.
In 1997, Barbe and two co-owners opened Chase Park Transduction studios in Athens. Since opening Chase Park, Barbe has worked as a producer, engineer, writer and musician on hundreds of recording projects with many artists, including Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter, the Glands, Jerry Joseph, Amy Ray, k.d. lang, and R.E.M. Barbe has performed in a wide variety of "one-off" bands such as Christa McAuliffe and the Challengers and helped create or contribute to many cassette and vinyl compilation records around Athens and Atlanta such as Proud o' Me Gluttony and Some. He performed at AthFest 2007 with Jack Logan
. In 2011, Barbe remixed and reissued Mercyland’s sole full-length album, No Feet on the Cowling.
In August 2010, Barbe was named interim director of the University of Georgia’s Music Business Certificate Program, then in March 2011 he was appointed the certificate program’s director on a permanent basis by Terry College of Business
Dean Robert Sumichrast.
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. He is chief of Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens. Barbe is known for his work as a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and bass guitarist in Sugar, Mercyland, and Buzz Hungry, as well as solo performances. Also, he has produced nearly every album by the popular country-rock band Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country/Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now...
, and has worked as producer and engineer with Son Volt
Son Volt
Son Volt is an alternative country group formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo.-History:The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour. Together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and...
. He has an all-star solo band in Athens called the Quick Hooks.
Biography
David Barbe was musically influenced by his parents — "Time Lady" Jane BarbeJane Barbe
Jane Barbe was an American voice actress known as the "Time Lady" for the recordings she made for the Bell System and other phone companies. The ubiquity of her recordings eventually made her a pop-culture figure whose death drew national attention....
and composer John Barbe — who were both big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
musicians.
Barbe and his wife, Amy, have three children — daughter Annabelle and sons Winston and Henry. He is a past president of the Athens-Clarke County Little League baseball league and has managed his sons' all-star teams to several city championships.
Music career
Barbe moved to Athens, GeorgiaAthens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
in 1981 to attend the University of Georgia. In Athens, he played occasional guitar with punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
favorites Bar-B-Que Killers. He later formed his own group, Mercyland in 1985 and acted as the main songwriter, bassist, and co-lead singer. After Mercyland disbanded in 1991, he fronted Buzz Hungry.
It was shortly after this that two key things came up that influenced the course of his career. One was John Keane offering to tutor him in music production and engineering, and one was Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
asking him to join Sugar. Barbe initially turned Mould down, feeling that he should stay home and look after his family. But his wife encouraged him to accept. The band was Mould's show; Barbe placed only one track, "Company Book," on a proper Sugar full album release. However, he did contribute a number of songs, some from Buzz Hungry and some original, that were performed live and/or released as B-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
, such as 'Where Diamonds are Halos' which was also recorded as part of a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio session. In 1994, with his family now including three children, he decided he needed to leave Sugar. http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A6906
Barbe and Mould played a reunion show on March 18, 2008, in Atlanta as Barbe joined Mould's touring band for a rendition of Divide & Conquer (even more interesting that this is a Hüsker Dü song, not a Sugar song). Barbe also joined Mould for a full gig on October 18, 2009, at the Treasure Island Music Festival. Barbe flew out to play the show after bassist Jason Narducy's wife went into labor. The set consisted of a mix of Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
and Sugar songs.
In 1997, Barbe and two co-owners opened Chase Park Transduction studios in Athens. Since opening Chase Park, Barbe has worked as a producer, engineer, writer and musician on hundreds of recording projects with many artists, including Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter, the Glands, Jerry Joseph, Amy Ray, k.d. lang, and R.E.M. Barbe has performed in a wide variety of "one-off" bands such as Christa McAuliffe and the Challengers and helped create or contribute to many cassette and vinyl compilation records around Athens and Atlanta such as Proud o' Me Gluttony and Some. He performed at AthFest 2007 with Jack Logan
Jack Logan
Jack Logan is an American singer-songwriter from southern Illinois. He began recording, however, after moving to Winder, Georgia. He created two comic books in the 1980s, starring Peter Buck of R.E.M...
. In 2011, Barbe remixed and reissued Mercyland’s sole full-length album, No Feet on the Cowling.
In August 2010, Barbe was named interim director of the University of Georgia’s Music Business Certificate Program, then in March 2011 he was appointed the certificate program’s director on a permanent basis by Terry College of Business
Terry College of Business
The C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry College of Business is the business school at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. The Terry College is the flagship business school in the state of Georgia and one of 16 schools and colleges at the oldest state-chartered public university in the...
Dean Robert Sumichrast.