Helen Darling

 
by Gary Powell

It was January, 1985. Helen Darling walked into the classroom at the University of Texas to audition for the performing vocal group, Ensemble 109, I was directing. I’m pretty sure she had a bow in her hair. She could barely speak, much less sing, due to laryngitis. Nonetheless, she was game for giving it a try. She sat at the piano and struggled to get any tone out at all performing one of her original songs. Obviously when someone sings for you with nothing but air and you can still hear the soul, then you have met a singer.

Who would figure that Helen would become my life-long friend and ally? But, she is – and is now featured in my show, “Maybe I’m It – Maybe I’m Not” singing the songs “It’s Nice to Know Faces,” “When Will I Ring the Bells?” and “Was It Wrong?” which I wrote in 1976 for my first real production, “Through My Eyes.” The song lyrically struggles with the personal price we all pay for systemic judgmental oppression. Helen delivers a powerful and stylistic update to an idea which is still relevant. You can also hear her perform “Was It Wrong?” in the show, “Composer’s Choice.”
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Immediately after graduating U.T., Helen moved to Chicago and sang several jingles which made it into the popular lexicon. She then moved from Chicago to Nashville where Decca Records grabbed her up for a two-album deal. Continuing to develop as a songwriter, Helen penned the hit song released in 2001, “Bring on the Rain”, which you can now find on Jo Dee Messina’s Greatest Hits Album. Please visit Helen’s website to learn more about her extensive work as a Nashville singer and songwriter.

When my very first multi-track recorder showed up in the mid-80′s, it was Helen who that day quickly stacked a bunch of vocals just to try it out. We’ve enjoyed that kind of ease of music-making ever since. However, it’s not history that makes Helen valuable in recording sessions. It’s her ability to musically coexist with other singers with the studied ability to vocally sculpt tone and phrasing as needed. I talk a lot about the relationship between the voice and the ear for studio session singers. Helen is the flagship within that paradigm. Another twenty years or so? I hope so.

Helen and professional photographer husband, Dennis Darling, live in Austin and summer in Montana and the Czech Republic.

You can see Helen perform in all performances of Gary Powell’s shows
“Composer’s Choice” and “Maybe I’m It, Maybe I’m Not.”

These Helen Darling solo performances can be found on various Disney recordings and the other recordings listed below. Please note that I do not sell these recordings.

VIDEO

“I Haven’t Found It Yet” on iTunes
“Jenny Come Back”on iTunes
“Hold on to Me” on YouTube

Disney’s Karaoke Series: Hannah Montana

“The Best of Both Worlds”, “I Got Nerve”, “If We Were a Movie”, “Just Like You”,
“The Other Side of Me”, “Pumpin’ Up the Party”, “This is the Life”, “Who Said?”, “Crazy”, Don’t Want to Be Torn”, “Every Part of Me”, “He Could Be the One”,
“I Wanna Know You”, “Just a Girl”, “Let’s Chill”, “Super Girl”

Disney’s Karaoke Series: Disney Girlz Rock

“Let’s Bounce”

A Bug’s Life Sing Along

A PARENT’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER
“Lucky, Lucky Snake”, “Black Widow Spider”

Jungle Book 2 Soundtrack

“Queen of the Jungle”, “He’s a Lucky, Lucky Snake”

Disney’s Party Beats

“Jenny from the Block”, “Missundaztood”

A Toy Story Sing Along

“Woody’s Waltz”

Lady and the Tramp and Friends

“Dear Heart”

Dinosaur

“The Perfect Size”

Chorus Performances for Walt Disney Records

“Black Widow Spider”, “Santa Wrap,” “Santa’s Rap,” “The Herd,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “Anytime You Need a Friend”

Joe Scruggs & Ballet Austin’s “Not Afraid of the Dark”

“Rainbow Colored Jump Rope”, “I Can Dance”

Joe Scruggs – “Traffic Jams”

“Goo Goo Ga Ga”

University of Texas Ensemble 109 – “The Feelin’ is Mine”

“It’s So Easy”