I was a teenage guitar hero.

Okay, maybe not a hero, but truth be told, way back before your humble crooner donned a suit and tie and delved into the Great American Songbook, I was one hell of a pop guitar player, singer and yes... songwriter.

Over the years, my skills as an instrumentalist shrunk along with the size of what was once a vintage guitar collector’s dream. I played 1950's and 1960's Gretsch guitars almost exclusively, save for my trusty matched pair of custom made, Fender Telecaster Thinlines. Add to that the sweetest little 1965 Martin 00-18 acoustic as well as a Fender P-Bass and a genuine Hofner Beatle bass, and I had a killer setup. Unfortunately, over the years, all but one of my guitars were sacrificed to keep the lights on and the rent paid. I regret that now, more than ever, as I have recently begun the journey of getting my chops back. I picked up a cheap, Yamaha acoustic and went back to the first step I took when I was in my mid teens - I dusted off my set of Compleat Beatles scores and set about relearning every one of these treasures.

Much of this was inspired by digging out master tapes of my old pop tunes. I listened to these almost forgotten songs and realized that they still hold up. Ironically, what with the current state of entertainment in Vegas, I’d probably be getting more work as a pop singer, but that's a story for a different day.

As I listen to my old songs and force myself to remember just how the hell I played what I played, it's given me a new appreciation for these home recordings that date back as far as twenty years. Back then I laid down each track, one at a time, like painting a picture with time as my canvas. In some cases, I played the drums, in others I used a real live person and in others I used drum machines. This was way before the music creation software that exists today that allows people to simply join pre-recorded "loops" of drums (and all other instruments for that matter) to construct a song. No... back when I was doing it you needed to know what you wanted played when and where and had to set about programming these machines as if you were playing the patterns yourself. Luckily, I was a half-good, closet drummer, so I really enjoyed crafting some pretty cool drum and percussion rhythms. When it came to stringed instruments, both bass and guitar, I played them all myself. Then came the fun of the lead vocal and as many harmonies as I could invent. It's funny... I'm a far better singer now than I was then, but as unseasoned as I was, I managed to take some seriously complex melodies and make them sound easy. Even today, when I sing along with my tunes, I find it difficult to recreate some of the acrobatics as I force myself to "do it the right way" rather than allow myself to slip into old habits and tricks that, while they got the track on tape, left their wear and tear on my vocal cords.

Oddly enough, of all the elements that went into recording and writing my tunes, the part that was always the most fun for me was laying down the bass track. While the drums, as I say above, created the canvas, it was the bass that dictated the pulse. Some of my contemporaries at the time referred to my bass playing as that of a frustrated guitarist. Well, if that's what happens when you learn to play bass listening to the likes of Paul McCartney, then I consider it a compliment.

The thing that most dictated how I approached the recording of each song was my goal of precision rather than technique. I knew lots of guys that had more advanced technique than I, but I was taught early on by old school cats far better than I that if one aims only for technique, technique is all you will have. If you strive for precision, on the other hand, you will automatically arrive with any requisite technique to execute your ideas and creativity. This was one of many invaluable lessons I learned from the benefit of playing with players older than myself from the very beginning.

As far as writing these things? That's a whole other story. The best I can say is that while my writing (lyrically and musically) got better over time, it always felt to me like a collaborative effort between me and Pure Music. John Lennon once referred to what he called the "music of the spheres." When I read that I got chills because it so closely mirrored my own philosophy of song writing. Music, in its unearthly, purest form, exists as energy that flows all around us like an electric current. It’s always there, ready to be tapped into when "inspiration" or whatever you wish to call it allows us to reach in momentarily and grab a perfect sphere of music and allow ourselves to act as a medium through which this music is realized in the physical world. Because it is done so on such a personal level, the original spherical Music is influenced and reshaped by the individual upon whom this gift has been bestowed. Thus you have the collaboration; Music and the musician. Still, writing is a skill much like that of playing or singing. You need to keep that "muscle" in shape so that when a real idea hits you, you are in good form to grab it and see it realized. That means you write the occasional clunker now and then but that's okay. It just prepares you for when you get handed a sphere. Dig it?

What’s the point of all this? After much consideration, I've decided to post my old pop tunes for your listening pleasure. I've considered selling them at different times, but the offers I received didn't seem worth the loss of control of the song. I guess that someday I'll end up in the studio re-recording these tunes and cause everyone that knows me as a singer of standards to think I’ve gone insane. Well, if you know me personally, you know I’ve already taken that step.

Below you'll find a link to hear these songs as well as info on each one. I'd love to hear your feedback, so please drop me a line and let me know what you think (unless you have something nasty to say, in which case, please delete my address from your computer).

In all seriousness, I truly hope you enjoy what you hear, as however great a departure these songs are from what you know me as, they are as much a part of me as anything I do today.

UPDATE: As is the nature of many things in the 'biz, circumstances have changed insofar as my ability to post my old pop tunes. Therefore, please check back within a few days if you wish to give a listen to what I was doing a long, long time ago...

Darin 01/06