Van Duren (musician)

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Van Duren is an American singer-songwriter who released a successful debut album in 1978 to critical acclaim. He has subsequently recorded and released more than 15 additional albums. Van's career was revitalized in 2019 after the release of a film about his journey, Waiting – the Van Duren Story.

Born 25 August 1953 in Memphis, Tennessee, Van Duren was part of the Memphis music scene along with power-pop group Big Star.^[1] Van befriended the group's eventual drummer Jody Stephens in 1970 when Stephens was working with Chris Bell and Andy Hummel in Icewater, the precursor to Big Star.^[2] In 1974, he auditioned to replace vocalist and guitarist Chris Bell in Big Star. "It went horribly, basically because I was a bassist at the time" he recalled later, and he didn't get the spot.^[3] In 1975-76, Van played in a post Big Star band called the Baker Street Regulars with Bell and Stephens.

In 1977, he moved to New York's Greenwich Village^[3] and began work on a solo album.^[2] He was managed and produced by Andrew Loog Oldman of Rolling Stones fame,^[4] and had been drawing comparisons to Paul McCartney.^[5] He released his first album Are You Serious? in 1978 on the Big Sound label, which received rave reviews and was widely played on US radio stations.^[4] It was released in Europe as Staring at the Ceiling on the London Decca label.^[6] It included one song, The Love That I Love, co-written by Big Star's Jody Stephens.^[7]

In 1980, he had recorded his second album, Idiot Optimism, but his relationship with Big Sound's owner, Doc Cavalier, had soured due to a conflict over Scientology. As a result, the label did not distribute the album, while retaining the rights.^[8]

In 1981, he returned to Memphis after "things just ran out of steam and gigs dried up".^[3]

In 1982, he helped form a band, Good Question. He wrote all the songs on the 1986 release Thin Disguise except "Girls In Uniform" co-written by John Hampton.^[9] Good Question had limited success with the single "Jane"^[3] and didn't make any more albums but continued to perform until the late '90's.

In 1998, he teamed up with fellow Memphis musician Tommy Hoehn to co-write an album, released as Hailstone Holiday on Frankenstein Records in 1999.^[3][10]

Also in 1999, the album Idiot Optimism was finally released, in Japan on Airmail Recordings and with minimal input from Van Duren who was recovering from a major stroke.^[11] In 2020, he released a remastered version on Omnivore Recordings along with a remastered version of Are You Serious?, both on vinyl.^[11]

Meanwhile, Van formed a musical partnership with the singer/songwriter/percussionist Vicki Loveland in 2012, recording 3 albums of material co-written by the duo: Bloody Cupid (2013), NEXT (2016) and Any Such Thing (2021) all on the Edgewood Recordings label.

In 2019, he became the subject of the documentary Waiting: The Story of Van Duren, made by two Australian first-time film-makers.^[1] This triggered the re-release of some earlier albums (see above) and a soundtrack album from the film, also on Omnivore.^[5]

In 2023, a set recorded live in Memphis in 1992 with Good Question was released, under the name Cartwheeling: Live in Memphis, which features Van on lead vocals, guitars and piano; Ray Sanders on vocals, bass: James Lott on vocals, guitar: Joel Williams on drums, vocals; and Rick Steff on keyboards, accordion.^[12]

2024 finds Van still performing live regularly in his hometown of Memphis at age 70.

• Are You Serious? (Big Sound, 1978) / Staring At the Ceiling (London/Decca)
• Idiot Optimism (recorded 1978–1979,^[13] released 1999 Airmail Recordings, Japan)
• Thin Disguise (SUR Records 1986), reissued 2001 Airmail Recordings, Japan)
• Hailstone Holiday—Hoehn Duren (w/Tommy Hoehn) (recorded 1998–99 released 1999 Frankenstein Records, reissued 2001 Airmail Recordings, Japan)
• Blue Orange--Hoehn Duren (w/Tommy Hoehn) recorded 2001–02 released 2002 Frankenstein Records, reissued 2003 Airmail Recordings, Japan
• Open Secret (Van Duren 3rd solo album^[14]) recorded 2003–05, released 2005 Pure Pop Planet Recordings
• Resonance Road (2010) (Van Duren 4th solo album) recorded 2005–10, released by Three Cool Cats Records^[15]
• Her Name Comes Up (Van Duren and Tim Horrigan, 2012)^[16] recorded 1990–1996, released 2012
• Bloody Cupid (Loveland Duren) recorded and released 2013 Edgewood Recordings
• NEXT (Loveland Duren) recorded 2015–16, released 2016 Edgewood Recordings
• Any Such Thing (Loveland Duren) recorded 2020–21, released 2021 Edgewood Recordings
• Waiting: The Van Duren Story film soundtrack (2019 Omnivore Recordings)
• Are You Serious? (re-mastered, 2020 Omnivore Recordings)
• Idiot Optimism (re-mastered, 2020 Omnivore Recordings)
• Cartwheeling: Live in Memphis 1992 (Van Duren and Good Question, 2023 Omnivore Recordings)

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