A Remembrance Of Howie Klein From Translator

Translator in SF photo by Julie Rox

This continues our tributes and reminiscences about this site's founder Howie Klein. For others in this series, click on the tag "Howie" at the end of any of these posts.

Noah: In my book, Translator is one of the greatest rock bands to come along in the 1980s. They're a true example of what a great band should be and I think Howie saw that from the start. For that reason, when three of the four band members immediately came forward with remembrances upon Howie's passing, I thought it only natural that they be presented together.

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A Remembrance Of Howie Klein From Translator

Steve Barton, guitarist, vocals:

Howie Klein was a sort of cultural sleuth who seemed to have a knack for recognizing important moments. He once told me about the time he was in New York with Sandy Perlman (Blue Oyster Cult Manager & Producer) who said he must see a poet with a guitarist improvising behind her. Of course, that was Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye, one of the first times they ever played together in the early 1970s. That was indicative of Howie being at the center of change. He was friends with Harvey Milk and would hang out at the camera shop in the Castro in San Francisco. It was just the beginning of a lifelong advocacy for social justice. He was as passionate about that as he was about music.

He started 415 Records as rock and roll was going through one of its necessary renaissance phases. With Translator I remember he had heard a demo of ours, but when he saw us live he said “Oh, you’re like Talking Heads meets Gang Of Four”. I think that’s what made him want to work with us. He deeply felt the power of songs and real soulful bands. His impact on music and social justice will continue long into the future. His life touched so many people. The waves and ripples will be felt for a very long time.

Bob Darlington, guitarist, vocals:

I remember the day Translator signed our contracts with Howie Klein and we became a 415 band. We had made a demo of "Everywhere That I'm Not" with David Kahne who had heard a version of it that we had recorded in Los Angeles before we moved to San Francisco. Howie played David's demo on KUSF radio, saw the huge response it was getting, and offered to sign us. David's initial demos with us were so popular that they wound up on our first 415 Records LP, "Heartbeats And Triggers."

Howie gave us artistic freedom, but he was also adamant when he disagreed with us. He was a complicated person. I liked him because he was as socially awkward as I was and I understood what he was going through internally to be outgoing, and to promote his bands. He worked tirelessly for us, and I can't imagine where I would be today without having had Howie in my life.

Dave Scheff, drums:

When Translator moved en-masse to San Francisco in Oct 1980, we had two phone numbers a friend had gotten for us — Iguana Rehearsal Studios and Howie Klein. We arrived, went immediately to the studio, had a practice, and then called Howie as soon as we settled into our friend’s apartment at Noe and 18th. He invited us over and we hung out talking about music, our reasons for leaving LA, just getting to know each other.

We played him our garage-recorded demo and he said he knew a young guy called David Kahne, just starting out as a producer, and he offered to hook us up with him and pay for a proper demo of the song he liked best (“Everywhere That I’m Not") at a real studio called the Automatt. It was a spectacularly generous thing and of course we said yes.

The song was a hit on KUSF — “Everybody likes it! Punks in SF and housewives on the peninsula are requesting it!” — and we signed with 415 a few weeks later, celebrating with dinner at The Spaghetti Factory. That kind of belief and vision is a rare thing. I’ll be forever grateful to Howie.