Biography
R&B howler Barrence Whitfield embodies the period when rhythm & blues and rock & roll moved in tandem, his turbo-charged sound and flamboyant delivery positioning him among the era’s most unhinged frontmen. A frantic soul shouter evoking Little Richard, Wilson Pickett, and Don Covay, he and his band the Savages built a devoted cult audience once their self-titled debut album surfaced in 1984. The follow-up Dig Yourself in 1985 and Ow! Ow! Ow! in 1987 intensified that raw drive. After largely stepping away during the 2000s, Whitfield returned with 2012’s Dig Thy Savage Soul to confirm his abilities remained intact, while 2018’s Soul Flowers of Titan and 2023’s Glory reaffirmed his grip on high-octane, party-starting soul.
Born Barry White in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 13, 1955, he shifted with his family to East Orange, New Jersey at an early age. Church services sparked his first singing experiences, and during high school he took up drums while supplying vocals and percussion for neighborhood rock and soul groups. Relocating to Boston in 1977, he enrolled at Boston University to study journalism and secured part-time work at a Brookline, Massachusetts record store that fed his appetite for unhinged early rock & roll and rhythm & blues records. Regular customer Peter Greenberg, guitarist in the garage-revival band the Lyres, recognized their shared tastes and realized White possessed the same fervor and force as his idols. At Greenberg’s encouragement they assembled a group, and to sidestep mix-ups with the famous soul singer Barry White, he chose the stage name Barrence Whitfield, borrowing the surname from Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield. With Greenberg steering the backing unit they called the Savages, Whitfield’s blistering vocals and the band’s frantic attack quickly turned them into East Coast club favorites; their 1983 self-released debut Barrence Whitfield & the Savages on Mamou Records drew strong notices, prompting Rounder Records to sign them and issue the equally explosive Dig Yourself in 1984. British radio exposure cultivated a U.K. fan base, leading to successful English tours. Demon Records in Britain put out the six-song EP Call of the Wild in 1987, capturing a fresh Savages lineup anchored by guitarist Milton Reeder; that material later formed the core of Whitfield’s second Rounder album, Ow! Ow! Ow!, also from 1987.
Rounder next delivered 1989’s Live Emulsified, compiled from three Barrence Whitfield and the Savages shows, marking his final release for the label. New Rose Records in France issued 1990’s Let’s Lose It, produced by Jim Dickinson, with Stony Plain handling Canadian distribution. Shortly afterward Whitfield disbanded the Savages, and 1992’s Savage Tracks gathered demos, live cuts, and unreleased material. He joined country-folk artist Tom Russell for two collaborative albums, Hillbilly Voodoo and Cowboy Mambo, both appearing in 1993. Additional contributions included a cover of “Pony Time” on the 1993 tribute Back to the Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay and a reading of “Irma Jackson” on 1994’s Tulare Dust: A Songwriters’ Tribute to Merle Haggard. A brief Savages reunion yielded 1995’s Ritual of the Savages, featuring guest spots from Ben Vaughn, Dave Alvin, and Brother Cleve of Combustible Edison. From 1997 onward Whitfield occasionally performed with Boston soul-and-blues outfit the Movers, toured Europe with ad-hoc ensembles, and cultivated fans on rockabilly and garage-rock circuits.
Reuniting with Greenberg in 2010, the pair revived the Savages for select live dates and recorded Savage Kings, released in 2011 on Spain’s Munster label before Shake It Records issued it domestically. The refreshed lineup began regular touring across the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom, eventually signing with Chicago’s Bloodshot Records. Their label debut Dig Thy Savage Soul arrived in summer 2013. Between 2014 and 2015 the group opened for garage-rock stalwarts the Sonics, and in August 2015 they delivered their second Bloodshot album, Under the Savage Sky. The hard-wailin’ blues collection Soul Flowers of Titan emerged in 2018, highlighted by the track “Let’s Go to Mars,” which inspired Whitfield’s debut music video. He explored fresh territory with Songs from the Sun Ra Cosmos under the Barrence Whitfield Soul Savage Arkestra banner, delivering robust reinterpretations of Sun Ra material. He also supplied backing vocals on Los Lobos’ 2021 album Native Sons, a set of songs by California artists. Whitfield & the Savages reconvened once more for 2024’s Glory, a rollicking R&B date issued by Spain’s Folc label.
Born Barry White in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 13, 1955, he shifted with his family to East Orange, New Jersey at an early age. Church services sparked his first singing experiences, and during high school he took up drums while supplying vocals and percussion for neighborhood rock and soul groups. Relocating to Boston in 1977, he enrolled at Boston University to study journalism and secured part-time work at a Brookline, Massachusetts record store that fed his appetite for unhinged early rock & roll and rhythm & blues records. Regular customer Peter Greenberg, guitarist in the garage-revival band the Lyres, recognized their shared tastes and realized White possessed the same fervor and force as his idols. At Greenberg’s encouragement they assembled a group, and to sidestep mix-ups with the famous soul singer Barry White, he chose the stage name Barrence Whitfield, borrowing the surname from Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield. With Greenberg steering the backing unit they called the Savages, Whitfield’s blistering vocals and the band’s frantic attack quickly turned them into East Coast club favorites; their 1983 self-released debut Barrence Whitfield & the Savages on Mamou Records drew strong notices, prompting Rounder Records to sign them and issue the equally explosive Dig Yourself in 1984. British radio exposure cultivated a U.K. fan base, leading to successful English tours. Demon Records in Britain put out the six-song EP Call of the Wild in 1987, capturing a fresh Savages lineup anchored by guitarist Milton Reeder; that material later formed the core of Whitfield’s second Rounder album, Ow! Ow! Ow!, also from 1987.
Rounder next delivered 1989’s Live Emulsified, compiled from three Barrence Whitfield and the Savages shows, marking his final release for the label. New Rose Records in France issued 1990’s Let’s Lose It, produced by Jim Dickinson, with Stony Plain handling Canadian distribution. Shortly afterward Whitfield disbanded the Savages, and 1992’s Savage Tracks gathered demos, live cuts, and unreleased material. He joined country-folk artist Tom Russell for two collaborative albums, Hillbilly Voodoo and Cowboy Mambo, both appearing in 1993. Additional contributions included a cover of “Pony Time” on the 1993 tribute Back to the Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay and a reading of “Irma Jackson” on 1994’s Tulare Dust: A Songwriters’ Tribute to Merle Haggard. A brief Savages reunion yielded 1995’s Ritual of the Savages, featuring guest spots from Ben Vaughn, Dave Alvin, and Brother Cleve of Combustible Edison. From 1997 onward Whitfield occasionally performed with Boston soul-and-blues outfit the Movers, toured Europe with ad-hoc ensembles, and cultivated fans on rockabilly and garage-rock circuits.
Reuniting with Greenberg in 2010, the pair revived the Savages for select live dates and recorded Savage Kings, released in 2011 on Spain’s Munster label before Shake It Records issued it domestically. The refreshed lineup began regular touring across the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom, eventually signing with Chicago’s Bloodshot Records. Their label debut Dig Thy Savage Soul arrived in summer 2013. Between 2014 and 2015 the group opened for garage-rock stalwarts the Sonics, and in August 2015 they delivered their second Bloodshot album, Under the Savage Sky. The hard-wailin’ blues collection Soul Flowers of Titan emerged in 2018, highlighted by the track “Let’s Go to Mars,” which inspired Whitfield’s debut music video. He explored fresh territory with Songs from the Sun Ra Cosmos under the Barrence Whitfield Soul Savage Arkestra banner, delivering robust reinterpretations of Sun Ra material. He also supplied backing vocals on Los Lobos’ 2021 album Native Sons, a set of songs by California artists. Whitfield & the Savages reconvened once more for 2024’s Glory, a rollicking R&B date issued by Spain’s Folc label.
Albums
