DIANE DURRETT

The Demos Have Magic

Huge News! Release date early 2022!

The Demos Have Magic - DIANE DURRETT

featuring "Whatever Makes Your Soul Sing"

Jayne Olderman

Many of you know Diane Durrett as a popular, chart topping Soul Blues artist as well as a longtime board member of The Recording Academy (Grammys) Atlanta Chapter. Well, fasten your seat belts for a wild “Ride” and another side of the inimitable Ms. Durrett!

Diane and I began co-writing in 1987 and the demos featured on “The Demos Have Magic - Diane Durrett” feature demos of some of our favorite songs written and recorded from 1998-2003 featuring Diane on lead and background vocals.

I produced, arranged, engineered, sang a few background vocals, played all the instruments (with the exceptions of Barry Thrasher playing guitar on “Whatever Makes Your Soul Sing” and “Women Be Wise” and Anthony Papamichael guitar on “Ride!”) on my Tascam 8 track reel to reel which has since been replaced by Protools in 2003. (Thank goodness! No more razor blade editing tape debacles!)

“Whatever Makes Your Soul Song” is our most popular song recorded by many artists and licensed by The American Cancer Society.

1998. Diane and I were in the midst of writing a song called “Visualize” when I made a lyric or melody suggestion. Instead of her saying something pedestrian like “whatever floats your boat”; she said “whatever makes your soul sing’. We both looked at each other! Lit up! Aha! “Hey! Write that down! Save it for later.” Back to Visualize. Then, IT showed up again. “Cool! Write that down, too and save it for later.” When IT came knockin’ a third time; we knew to put Visualize” aside and let this new song “Whatever Makes Your Soul Sing” enter the room. And it did! 20 minutes later the song was completed!

We’ve joked for decades that we have a MUSE who invisibly appears whenever we get together! Songs materialize seemingly out of nowhere such as the tunes on this record. We both can “feel” when it is in the room. It’s as if the MUSE is our third co-writer, but we don’t know it’s name or where to send royalties.

“Counter Calysmic” is our zany attempt to save the world with a bouncy, funky cautionary message! “Counter Calysmic! Flood the world with love.! Turn it around!” “We’re just a rock in the awesome Universe.”

“Ride!” Is our love song to life and to how to live it fully because “Before you know it, it’s over and done. Don’t look back regretting the rides you never went on.”

"Women Be Wise” Picture a 1950s beatnik, smoke filled, basement, poetry reading night club. Our proud tribute to the power and mystique (with tongue firmly planted in cheek) of female energy! “Giver of the good stuff. Runner to the store. Goddess to your lover. You shall not be ignored. Women Be Wise”.

“Out Of The Box” is a fun, funky, quirky song celebrating the freedom to “color me outside the lines”. Diane's and my motto? “Box? What box? I didn’t know there was a box!” Be free to create! And, no, that is NOT someone passing gas. It’s a Tuba!!!

“Wings To Fly” The Phoenix rising from the ashes of abuse. I cry every time I hear Diane sing the ending of the song. Diane’s stellar vocal is a snapshot of an emotional moment that can not be replicated. And THAT! Ladies and Gentlemen, is a perfect example of the Demos having Magic!