Mushroom Music Publishing

Translator formed in Los Angeles in 1979 when singer/songwriter/guitarist Steve Barton linked up with Larry Dekker on bass and Dave Scheff on drums. A second singer/songwriter/guitarist, Robert Darlington, joined soon after and completed the lineup. The combination of 2 talented songwriters and a powerful energetic rhythm section became the key to their success. They created a sound that spanned updated British Merseybeat and stripped-down punk-like rock to psychedelia. Inspired by the Beatles and 1960's California folk-rock bands such as The Byrds.

They were signed to Howie Klein's independent label, 415 Records, on the strength of the demo tape they sent to college radio station KUSF: the loose and rambling yet laconic "Everywhere That I'm Not" has remained the band's signature tune. The song was featured on Translator's debut album Heartbeats And Triggers, which was produced by the widely respected David Kahne. As a result of 415 Records' national distribution arrangement with Columbia Records the debut album received good promotion and became an underground and College radio hit in 1982.

Between 1983 and 1986 the band completed 3 more albums for the same label. They also received some airplay for other songs such as "Un-Alone", from No Time Like Now (1983). The self-titled third album Translator (1985) contained fan-favorites "Gravity" and "O Lazarus". The fourth Evening of The Harvest (1986) featured "Standing In Line" and "Stony Gates of Time."