"I just want people to walk away knowing that they’ve seen a great show,
and they know that Barrence Whitfield is still with them."
I had the great pleasure of chatting with Barrence
Whitfield, the lead singer of the legendary Boston-based band Barrence
Whitfield and the Savages. I first saw Barrence and his band perform in the early
1980s and took many folks to his shows – I loved turning people on to this
unique, highly talented performer. Savages shows are full throttle from
beginning to end, a unique blend of classic hard-driving R&B with a rocking
garage band ethos, with a bit of James Brown and Little Richard thrown into the mix as well. Barrence, who has been described as "the last great soul shouter," never fails to give everything he’s got, every performance. By the end of the
show performer and audience alike are equally exhausted and fully charged up
at the same time. There was nothing like a Barrence Whitfield show and from the
clips I’ve seen, little has changed. We talked about his career and his
fantastic new album – and we talked quite extensively about a band we both
love: Sparks! Turns out he’s a huge fan. Our conversation about Sparks is
captured the second half of this interview.The website for Barrence Whitfield and the Savages is worth checking out, as is their Facebook page. And I hope you enjoy my interview with this remarkable entertainer!
