Dave Darling (born in 1958 in San Francisco, California, United States) is an American record producer, songwriter, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist. He relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1980 while recording an album project and decided to stay in Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. Darling has worked with many successful recording artists such as The Temptations, Glen Campbell, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Stray Cats, Ricky Lee Jones, Rusty Young, John Waite, Def Leppard, Tom Waits, Janiva Magness, Jack Johnson, Cherie Currie, Brie Howard and more. He has produced six Grammy nominated records. In addition to being a record producer, Darling, has been a member of several bands, most notably Boxing Gandhis and 58.[1]

Dave Darling
Darling in 2013
Born
Dave Darling

1958
San Francisco, California U.S.
Occupations
  • Record Producer
  • Musician
  • Singer-Songwriter
  • Mixer
Spouse
Brie Howard Darling
(m. 1993)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Bass
  • Guitar
  • Keyboards
Labels
Websitedavedarlingmusic.com

Professional music career

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Brian Setzer

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Darling has produced and mixed ten albums with Brian Setzer, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and The Stray Cats, five of which were nominated for Grammy Awards. Setzer Goes Instru-Mental! won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary album in 2011. Darling appeared in the video documentary, Stray Cats: Rumble in Brixton in 2004 and It's a Rockabilly World! documentary in 2016.[2][3]

Janiva Magness

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Darling has produced six records for singer, Janiva Magness. Her 2016 release, Love Wins Again, (co-written and produced by Darling) was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Blues Chart, number 2 on iTunes Blues, reached number 1 on the Blues radio chart, and spent two months on the Americana radio chart.[4] Their collaborative, I Won't Cry won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards in 2013.[5]

Boxing Gandhis

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Darling is the founder of Boxing Gandhis which was signed to the record label Mesa Blue Moon in 1993. The band has recorded four albums. They climbed the charts with a No. 5 hit on the Billboard Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) charts with the song, "If You Love Me (Why Am I Dyin')" off their debut album after touring the US as opening act for the Dave Matthews Band and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The song's music video also garnered a Billboard Music Award for "Video of the Year" which was directed by Brian Lockwood (director). "If You Love Me (Why Am I Dyin')" was featured in Episode 3 of the 2011 season of the HBO Original Series True Blood.[6][7]

  • Boxing Gandhis (1994, Mesa Records)
  • Howard (1996, Atlantic Records)
  • Culture War (2019, Blue Elan Records)

58 was an eclectic, alternative, pop-rock band foursome that included Darling, Nikki Sixx, Steve Gibb and Bucket Baker. They released, Diet for a New America on May 16, 2000 on Sixx's record label, Americoma. All songs were written by Nikki Sixx and Dave Darling, except Alone Again (Naturally) written by Gilbert O'Sullivan and "Who We Are" written by Nikki Sixx, Dave Darling and Steve Gibb.[8]

Film, television, and commercials

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Darling's music and/or production has been placed in films, TV shows, and commercials such as True Blood, So You Think You Can Dance, Ed TV, Father of the Bride, What a Girl Wants, Entourage, Chuck, Bad Girls Club, Ugly Betty, Ritz Crackers, and Lincoln Navigator.

Discography

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Year Album Artist Credit
2018 Love Is An Army Janiva Magness Producer, Mixing, Guitar, composer
All The Time The Temptations Producer, Mixing
2017 Blue Again Janiva Magness Producer, Mixing
Greatest Licks: I Feel Like Singin' Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks Producer, Keyboards, Percussion
Peaceful Easy Feeling: The Sounds of Jack Tempchin Jack Tempchin Additional Production
Tug of War Gina Sicilia Producer, Bass, composer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Mixing, Vocals (Background)
Shakey Ground Kyle Maack Producer, Mixing, Guitar, composer
2106 Find Your Wings Anna Danes Producer, Mixing, composer
Love Wins Again Janiva Magness Producer, Mixing, Guitar, Dobro, Celeste, Glockenspeil, Vocals (Background), Bass
2015 Rockin Rudolph The Brian Setzer Orchestra/Brian Setzer Additional Production
2014 Original Janiva Magness Producer, engineer, Mixing, Guitar, Dobro, Golckenspiel, Vocals (Background), Bass
2013 Live at Davies Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks Keyboards
See You There Glen Campbell Producer, Mixing, Guitar
2012 Living Like a Runaway Lita Ford Composer
Rockabilly Riot! Live From the Planet Brian Setzer Mixing
Stronger For It Janiva Magness Producer, engineer, Mixing, Bass, composer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Piano, Toy Piano, Vocals (Background)
2011 Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection Producer
Rough & Tumble John Waite Mixing
Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL! Brian Setzer Producer, Mixing
2010 Christmas Comes Alive! The Brian Setzer Orchestra Mixing
Don't Mess With a Big Band: Live! The Brian Setzer Orchestra Mixing
Runner Runner Runner Runner Producer, engineer, Mixing
The Devil is an Angel Too Janiva Magness Engineer, Mixing, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards Vocals (Background), Wurlitzer
2009 Songs From Lonely Avenue Brian Setzer Producer, Mixer
Sounds of Defeat Until June Producer, Mixing
2008 Alive! Becca Bass, composer, Guitar, Keyboards, Programming
Christmas Rocks! The Best of Collection The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer
Christmas a Go-Go Producer
Raise Up The Tent Tea Leaf Green Mixing
Turn to Stone Becca Producer, Keyboards, Programming
What Love Will Do Janiva Magness Producer, engineer, Mixing, Guitar, Handclapping, Percussion, Vocals (Background), Bass
2007 Elephant Graveyard John Oszajca Producer, engineer, Mixing, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Keyboards, Drums Percussion, Programming, Vocals (Background), Bass, Mastering
Moondance Alexander Composer
Musicians For Minneapolis Producer
No Place Like Soul Soulive Tracking
Red Hot & Live Brian Setzer & The Nashvillains Mixing
Wobble with the World Cindy Alexander composer
Wolfgang's Big Night Out The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer, Audio Production
2006 13 Brian Setzer Producer, Mixing, Audio Production
Eclectic Café: The Complete Coffee House Collection Producer
Music is Hope Guitar, Keyboards
Wylde Bunch The Wild Bunch Mixing
2005 Break For Love: Danny Rampling Mixing
Dig That Crazy Christmas The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer, Audio Production
First Sign of Anything John Oszajca Producer, engineer, Audio Production, Main Personnel, Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals (Background), Bass, composer
Rockabilly Riot, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Sun Records Brian Setzer Producer
Sweet Saxations Pamela Williams Audio Engineer
2004 Avion (Console/Image) Avion Producer
Glean EchoBrain Producer
Rumble in Brixton Stray Cats Producer
Selected Shorts Dan Hicks Producer, Mixing, Percussion
Shine Meredith Brooks Producer, engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals (Background), Bass, composer
Songs For a Rainy Day Cyndi Vellmure Producer, engineer, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Bass
Where Lovers Meet Meredith Brooks Producer
Words, Wisdom, and Music Alvin Green & The Unlimited Sounds Producer, Mixing
2003 Jump, Jive an' Wail the Best of The Brian Setzer Orchestra 1994–2000 The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer, Mixing
Luck Be a Lady The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer
Nitro Burnin' Funny Daddy Brian Setzer Producer, Mixing
Smash Cindy Alexander Producer, engineer, Mixing, Guitar, Keyboards, Bass, Loop
Untucked Katrina Carlson Producer, engineer, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals (Background), Musical Direction
What a Girl Wants Producer, engineer, Mixing
2002 Bad Bad One Meredith Brooks Producer, engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals (Background), composer
BareNaked Jennifer Love Hewitt Engineer, guitar, Programming, Bass, composer
Best of Big Band The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer
Boogie Woogie Christmas The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer, Audio Production
Chilled Sirens Producer
Shiny Things Jackpot Producer, Mixing
2001 Get a Taste Sprung Monkey Producer, composer
Party Like a Rock Star Sprung Monkey Producer, composer
Renaissance Ibiza: 2001 Collection New York Renaissance Band Engineer
Very Best of Ibiza Anthems Engineer
2000 Beatin' the Heat Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks Producer, composer
Vavoom The Brian Setzer Orchestra Producer, Mixing, Associate Producer
Diet For a New America 58 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Programming, songwriter
Jeremy Kay Jeremy Kay Producer, engineer
1999 Deconstruction Meredith Brooks Producer, Percussion, Programming
EDtv Producer
Raingods With Zippos Fish Photography
See Red Cindy Alexander Producer, engineer, Audio Engineer, Mixing, Personnel, Guitar, Horn, Bass Percussion, Programming, composer
1997 Generation Swine Mötley Crüe Guitar
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: The Greatest Hits Kenny Loggins Guitar
1996 Howard Boxing Gandhis Producer, engineer, Vocals, Guitar
Real World Tin Drum Guitar (Acoustic)
1994 Boxing Gandhis Boxing Gandhis Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Percussion, Bass, composer
1992 California Dreams California Dreams Guitar
1988 Little Lives Adele Bertei Guitar
1987 Big Trouble Big Trouble Guitar
Big Trouble Big Trouble Guitar

References

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  1. ^ "Dave Darling". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Stray Cats: Rumble in Brixton documentary – Dave Darling". IMDb.com.
  3. ^ "Mix Magazine – Brian Setzter's Lucky 13 – Working with Dave Darling in the studio". Mixonline.com. January 2007.
  4. ^ "Janiva Magness' "Love Wins Again" premieres at #5 on the BILLBOARD BLUES CHART!". Blue Elan Records. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
  5. ^ "Janiva Magness – Love Wins Again album review – John Mitchell – July 12, 2016". Bluesblastmagazine.com. 12 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Houston Press – True Blood: Boxing Gandhis and other possibilities – Jeff Rouner – July 11, 2011". Houston Press.
  7. ^ "Dave Darling LA Producer, Mixer, Songwriter, Singer, Musician – interview by Joe Montague -September 14th, 2014". Rivetingriffs.com.
  8. ^ "58 – Diet For A New America album review – Rob Rockitt – July 11, 2008". Hardrockhideout.com. 11 July 2008.