For those unaware, the early years of the enigmatic musical duo Barnes & Barnes will be celebrated with the June 19th, 2026 release of Zabagabee: The Best of Barnes & Barnes.

Originally released in 1987 by Rhino Records, this 16-track compilation — featuring the early MTV hit “Fish Heads” — will be available again on LP and CD, and for the first time on DVD.

Barnes & Barnes was formed in 1970 by Los Angeles high school classmates Robert Haimer (1954-2023) and Bill Mumy. Mumy was already an established actor known for his work in the popular television series Lost in Space and The Twilight Zone, among other credits.

By 1978, the pair had become darlings of the musical underground with “Fish Heads,” a novelty tune which went on to become the #1 most requested song in the history of the “Dr. Demento Radio Show.” A video for “Fish Heads,” directed by and starring actor Bill Paxton, aired on NBC-TV’s Saturday Night Live in December 1980. Eight months later it was in rotation on the newly launched MTV cable channel.

When recording or performing as Barnes & Barnes, Haimer and Mumy adopted the pseudonyms of Art Barnes and Artie Barnes, respectively — supposed twin brothers from the fictional civilization of Lumania. The names were derived from the “Art Films” they had created as teenagers with a Super 8 motion picture camera.

Zabagabee: The Best of Barnes & Barnes was the duo’s first full-length compilation of their music recorded 1978-1987. It includes five tracks from debut album Voobaha (1980), two from Spazchow (1981), four from Amazing Adult Fantasy (1984), two from Sicks (1986), and three additional non-LP cuts.

CD:
1. Fish Heads | 2. Blithering | 3. Soak It Up | 4. Ah Ā | 5. Boogie Woogie Amputee | 6. Life Is Safer When You’re Sleeping | 7. Unfinished Business | 8. Pussy Whipped | 9. What’s New Pussycat? | 10. Party in My Pants | 11. Don’t You Wanna Go to the Moon | 12. Pizza Face | 13. Love Tap | 14. I Don’t Remember Tomorrow | 15. Cemetery Girls | 16. When You Die.

On an album chock full of the weird and wonderful, the new collection open on the Dr. Demento classic Fish Heads and the rhythmically melodic Blithering and then we are brought forth the bouncy Soak It Up, the beautiful musical hallucination Ah Ā, the early Zappa-esque Boogie Woogie Amputee, the psych trip within Life Is Safer When You’re Sleeping, and both the electronic dance of Unfinished Business and the jaunty fun of Pussy Whipped.

Along next is their dutifully pop-tastic cover of What’s New Pussycat? and the quirky brilliance of Party in My Pants and then we are gifted the harmonically 70’s hued Don’t You Wanna Go to the Moon, the 80’s synth pop work of Pizza Face and the synth balladry of Love Tap, which are in turn backed by the sing-along, clap-along foot tapper I Don’t Remember Tomorrow, the sonically textured Cemetery Girls, the new set coming to a close on the beautiful mellow ballad When You Die.

As for the DVD, well we get just the seven videos, but my goodness, they are all such Barnes & Barnes gold to still view here today! Chock full of visual wonderment and musical genius, and inclusive of some of the late, great Bill Paxton’s best work, each one of them is a joy to sit back, kick back to.

Sure, they are dated - some even a precursor to the modern absurdist comedy style of Adult Swim, Tim and Eric, and such in my eyes - but then again so am I! And seeing When You Die open with an introduction (of sorts) from Larry “Wildman” Fischer just makes me smile. Anyway, just fu*king enjoy this most wondrous flashback to an easier, much more whimsically fun musical time, and stop worrying about your troubles here today, my friends!

1. Fish Heads | 2. Love Tap | 3. Soak It Up | 4. Ah Ā | 5. Party in My Pants | 6. Pizza Face | 7. When You Die.

In addition to showcasing Haimer and Mumy’s instrumental and songwriting talents, Zabagabee: The Best of Barnes & Barnes features an eclectic lineup of guest artists. Bob Casale of Devo produced the duo’s remake of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What’s New Pussycat?,” while Gerry Beckley of the band America produced and sang on “Blithering.” Additional vocals on “Don’t You Wanna Go to the Moon” are provided by Beckley and his America bandmate Dewey Bunnell, Journey’s Steve Perry, Toto’s Joseph Williams, and Jay Gruska.

Following Zabagabee: The Best of Barnes & Barnes’ original release in 1987, Haimer and Mumy recorded an additional nine collaborative albums before Haimer’s death in 2023. The duo also produced a pair of albums for Wild Man Fischer.

Longtime fans of Barnes & Barnes will be especially pleased to finally be able to add the DVD of Zabagabee: The Best of Barnes & Barnes to their collections. Previously only available on the VHS format, this 40-minute collection features seven videos of songs featured on the album. Intercut between the videos are comic testimonials to the genius of Barnes & Barnes from Mark Hamill, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Barret Eugene Hansen (aka “Dr. Demento”), Stephen Stills, Rosemary Clooney, Woody Herman, José Ferrer, Devo’s Booji Boy,” and other celebrities of the era.

Barnes & Barnes - Zabagabee: The Best Of Barnes & Barnes | Official Trailer

Barnes & Barnes - Fish Heads (Official Music Video)

Official CD Purchase Link