L to R: Steve Barton, Dave Scheff, Larry Dekker, Robert Darlington.
Photo by Trudy Fisher.
ABOUT
Formed in Los Angeles in 1979, Translator began as the trio of Steve Barton (vocals, guitar), Larry Dekker (bass), and Dave Scheff (drums). After playing a handful of shows, the lineup was solidified by the addition of Robert Darlington (vocals, guitar). Translator relocated to San Francisco and was quickly signed to local label, 415 Records. The timing was fortunate as Translator became one of the first groups to benefit from 415’s manufacturing and distribution deal with Columbia Records. Debut album Heartbeats and Triggers arrived in 1982 and was greeted with critical praise and solid airplay for the career-defining tracks “Everywhere That I’m Not” and “Everywhere.” A video for the group’s anti-nuke statement, “Sleeping Snakes,” received airplay on MTV.
Between 1983 and 1986, the band completed three more albums for Columbia Records. They received significant airplay for "Un-Alone,” from No Time Like Now, which was their second album produced by David Kahne (The Bangles, Romeo Void, Fishbone). For their third and fourth albums — the self-titled Translator and Evening of the Harvest — the group worked with producer Ed Stasium. Stasium’s resume at the time included engineering the Ramones’ Leave Home and Rocket to Russia, as well as Talking Heads: 77; mixing Talking Heads’ More Songs About Buildings and Food; and producing the Ramones’ Road to Ruin and It’s Alive.
The 1980s were a slightly strange time for a guitar-based group like Translator, as the charts were loaded with synthesizer bands and larger-than-life pop stars. In the first half of the decade, they shared stages with the Kinks, David Bowie, R.E.M., Psychedelic Furs, ABC, Sparks, Romeo Void, Echo & the Bunnymen, Gang of Four, and many others.
Translator ended its initial run with a final local Bay Area concert. That show will be released for the first time in April 2025 as Beyond Today: Live at The Farm - San Francisco 1986. In addition to featuring the entire performance from that night, Beyond Today will include two brand-new studio tracks recorded by the band and mixed by Stasium.
MEDIA BREAKS
Portable Infinite (Beyond Today: Live at the Farm 1986 announcement)