Yacht Rock Friday, Vol. 3
Big in Japan: Byrne and Barnes — “Never Gonna Stop Lovin’ You”
This week we’ve got a tasty reissue of an under-appreciated/forgotten yacht rock antiquity.
Primarily known for pop and country songwriting for the likes of Ronnie Milsap, Phil Collins, the Pointer Sisters, Brian McKnight, and Anne Murray — among others — , songwriters Robert Byrne and Brandon Barnes were independently known entities in the music industry. And then they teamed up to form the pop duo Byrne and Barnes. (Lastname & Lastname bands are a hallmark of yacht rock. See: Loggins & Messina, Hall & Oates, Seals and Croft, etc. The choice to go ampersand or not is a discussion for another time, though.)
They put out one album, 1981’s An Eye for An Eye, an expertly crafted, smooth piece of soft rock glory. It was released by a Japanese label and, though Byrne & Barnes are clearing drinking Mai Tais on the same sonic beach as the likes of Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, the duo never found similar success and returned to the world of songwriting for big-name acts. French label Favorite Records reissued An Eye for An Eye last summer.
The album, and today’s featured track, “Never Gonna Stop Lovin’ You,” is a bittersweet testament to unheralded greatness and the imperative to keep creating.
Chase the elusive glory . . .
Dane A. Wisher is based in Brooklyn.
