Welcome to the 2026 Vocals by Dave Yarin website – please be seated…or remain standing if you wish. No glossy production or AI special effects on these vocals, no autotune or pitch correction in this home studio joint – just keepin’ it real for my listeners.
First…and new for 2026 – a Recently Dropped section with some liner notes for light reading. Then, my latest and other recent releases playlists; followed by my “Dave sings Billy” playlist – which is remastered and remixed…for 2026 (no extra charge for the rhyme), and then my Elton John playlist (the “piano men” section). Below all that (exhale), there are some miscellaneous takes that didn’t end up on an album. And for those of you who can’t get enough holiday music, my holiday playlist is available throughout the year at the bottom of the page!
Thanks to Adriana Balic for teaching me how to actually sing instead of yell, and finding the emotion in the songs. Thanks to my friends who listened. But big big thanks to my lovely wife Beth and awesome kids Jennifer and Michael for a lot of listening to the good, the bad, and yes the ugly at times; and some great feedback too! Michael (aka “Beatle”) – the music producer, studio engineer and entrepreneur – taught me a heckuva lot about singing and recording. He oughta know – it’s what he does. So Come On Get Happy, and thanks for listening! Please drive home safely!!
Upcoming Gigs!
October 3rd, 2026 – private party
Stay tuned for other upcoming gigs! Meanwhile, please use the “Contact Dave” tab above to reach Dave about booking info, get a file of something you heard here that you like, or just to say hello and talk music.
Recently Dropped (but not broken)
These are recent takes; meaning there may be some re-recordings and more better mixing/mastering to follow, but I thought they showed some promise. I hope you do too!
Brilliant. In the early 1980s, Billy did an homage album to the 50s doo-wop groups that he grew up listening to, and he wanted to hit the high notes before he no longer could. Somehow, he managed to write a great group of songs that had the 50s influence but appealed to 80s audiences. I loved the album when it first came out, and I love it just as much if not more now. This is the title track from that album.
Who else gives you two songs performed by The Knack (see the Other Recent Releases playlist below); neither of which is My Sharona? You’re welcome. I still love this album, on which they did this cover of a Buddy Holly song. When Get The Knack came out back in 1979, I didn’t know that this was a Buddy Holly tune, but I eventually learned…and still love the way The Knack covered it.
A dreary, cold and rainy late May morning seemed to call for this song. Yes I know it’s a very well-known and oft covered song (and you remember it from Shrek), but Jeff Buckley’s version and emotional, haunting voice gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. He left us too soon and only released one full album in his all-too short life, but his voice lives on. I recorded this in the early morning, so whatever I didn’t have in vocal warm-ups, I tried to make up for by capturing the raw emotion of this song.
The Beatles finished recording the songs that would end up on Let It Be, and John took the master tapes and handed them off to Phil Spector – without asking the other Beatles – to post-produce the songs as only Phil Spector could. This understandably infuriated Paul, as songs like this one were muddied with all of Spector’s production. Paul intended this is a piano-centric piece, but his piano playing and vocals get lost in the Phil Spector-produced version. It’s much better as Paul intended it, and that’s how he performed the song live in the years that followed.
I recorded this a few years ago, but heck singing technique changes, ya get a little better at figuring out how to use the recording equipment; and last but certainly not least – the world around you changes, so you sing it with a bit of emotion in your heart this time. So with all that said, I recorded it again this morning.
This song appeared on Led Zeppelin’s masterpiece double album Physical Graffiti, but ironically their prior album was titled Houses Of The Holy. Led Zep had so much material written that they couldn’t fit this song on that album, so they put it on the next one. I hope I did some justice to one of my vocal heroes – Robert Plant – with this one…
For Peter my brother on this Memorial Day. The biggest U2 fan there is (I’m second just behind him). While I coulda changed the lyrics to “Party Boy” for Peter, it would’ve messed up all the rhymes and what not in the original song (I know he’s laughing at that).
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon’ come, oh yes, it will
A song to end racism. A song of hope and optimism by one of the greatest singers that there ever was. He left us too soon, but he left behind the most incredible voice and style of any singer/entertainer. If you have a chance to listen to Sam Cooke Live At The Copacabana, I highly recommend it.
What a velvety smooth voice and style that Nat had. He wasn’t a big fan of rock n roll, but that didn’t make him a bad person (one of my mother-in-law’s favorite expressions).
A boogie woogie song for ya…
Some people consider The White Album to be the Beatles weird album cuz admittedly they indulged themselves on a few tracks (“Number 9, Number 9…”). But if they took the best 12-13 songs from this album and released it as a single album instead of the double album that it was, I guarantee you that it would be considered yet another classic Beatles album; which it is regardless. It’s full of great songs, like this one…
Back around 1977 and already really into music, my grandma took me to Newberry’s (the “five and dime“) to buy me my very first record album. Truth is before I got really into The Beatles, my first musical memories are of Paul McCartney’s solo music, and I told my grandmother at the time that “this guy was once in a really big band.” Understatement of the century. Anyway, my grandmother bought me the Paul McCartney live album (“Wings Over America“) that had just come out. Oh and by the way…here’s the very same album. Still with me after all these years…
Love me some more 52nd Street Billy Joel songs. Every member of Billy’s band at the time was on fire in this song (and on this entire album for that matter). Listen to Doug Stegmeyer’s (RIP) bass line on the song – insane. The trumpet was played by legendary jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and it too is insane. I made an intentional edit of a certain lyric in the song – see if you can catch it.
Latest Releases
Other Recent Releases
A note regarding “China Girl” on the playlist below. I’ve always loved David Bowie – as both a musician and a person, and I’ve always loved this song. Killer blues guitar on the original recording was Stevie Ray Vaughan. Before you judge the song, here is it’s true meaning as The Washington Post reported:
“If you ever took Bowie for what was on the surface, you were missing something,” said Tiffany Naiman, whose work on Bowie was published in “David Bowie: Critical Perspectives.” “I think he was well aware of his elite cosmopolitanism. He was able to move through different cultures because of his privilege but he understood otherness and wanted to highlight that.”
“Bowie was donning the role of a racist womanizer not only to decry racist womanizing but to condemn the West’s demeaning view of the East as a whole. “China Girl” was a parody of racism and stereotyping.”
“The message that they have is very simple,” Bowie said. “It’s wrong to be a racist!” Amen and well said David.
Dave sings Billy – remastered and remixed for 2026
As a fellow Long Island native and MOT who was born in the same Bronx NY hospital as Billy was, I’ve loved his music for as long as I can remember. To me, he is the Norman Rockwell of popular music 1 – there’s a story in every song. Studying The Stranger’s album sleeve, pictures, liner notes and lyrics as a 10-year old when it came out – and all of Billy’s albums going forward, I worked my way back to his older music through the Songs In The Attic live album. Awesome piano playing and songwriting aside, I’ve always loved the range in Billy’s singing voice and the way that he uses it – particularly for a guy who never took voice lessons. And he can sing all genres – rock, ballads, doo wop 50’s…you name it.
Most of the below songs were remixed and remastered recently to balance my vocals with the instrumentation a bit better and get the loud out (not to be confused with “Getting the Led out” – which is when a radio station plays 3 Led Zeppelin songs in a row). “Everybody Loves You Now” was recorded in an LA studio and was engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Beatle; and therefore needed no further remixing and remastering. Also, some of the songs now include more retsyn – the secret ingredient in certain breath mints.
Get well soon Billy! Long Island’s own…Billy Joel – as sung by me. Oh and one more thing…as Billy always said at the end of his concerts – don’t take any sh*t from anyone!
Dave Sings Elton
Everyone talks about Elton and Billy’s piano playing…for obvious reasons, but I was always awed by their vocals. Elton’s range, his style, his vocal emotion was and remains amazing. The playlist includes 4 songs from my favorite Elton album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (the title track), and 3 songs you don’t hear as often (Sweet Painted Lady, Roy Rogers and Harmony) – that are part of the reason why this album remains one of my all-time favorites from cover to cover. And before you say “Hey Dave, isn’t Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds a Beatles song?” – Elton did an awesome cover of it, so I included it on this playlist. Thank you Elton.
More Songs I’ve Sung Fairly Recently…
This one goes out to my lifelong brothers that I grew up with and remain my brothers 55 years later. I let Roger be Roger on this recording (as suggested by one of those brothers – Marc), while I took the Pete Townshend vocals. Such a great song. “I’ll sing my heart out to the infinite sea”
Such a beautiful song, and amazing vocals from one of my all-time favorite singers – Robert Plant. The dynamics and range in his voice, especially earlier in his career – but even now, are out of this world.
While I’m not yet 64, I’ve accomplished the first line of the song…
Next Album
Mrs. Gibson – our grade school music teacher – taught us this one, lyrics on ditto paper and all. She asked us to guess who we thought the song was about. Guesses?
Before Sheryl Crow sampled the guitar part for All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun, and before Gerry Rafferty did Baker Street, he did this. If you want to have more fun with this song, see Malcolm In The Middle, Season 1 – Episode 11. Not as much fun in the movie Reservoir Dogs.
My very favorite Who song…every component of this amazing band was on display in this song; the raw energy and power that was and remains The Who.
We were watching Fleishman Is In Trouble – great show (and book). They were playing this song in one of the episodes and I said “Dang it that’s one of my favorite Neil Diamond tunes.” So here ya go…
…In honor of the documentary of the same name that came out a couple of years ago. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. The video and dialogue between John, Paul, George and Ringo (and Billy Preston) are so clear that it feels like these events happened last week or something. I know, I know but just let me have my dream ok? This has always been one of my faves from the Fab Four, and I really came to appreciate John’s lead guitar work on this song. From the rooftop of Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row in Central London…
Jerry Lee Lewis wrote this humorous little ditty, and I enjoy Rod Stewart’s cover. The instrument track was in a lower key than I wanted to sing it in, so I cranked it up a few steps.
The great Nile Rodgers produced this song and album (and I believe played guitar on this song), and combined with John Taylor’s bass playing it made for an absolutely fantastic soulful funk album. This was my favorite song off that album. Come to think of it, Nile Rodgers produced David Bowie’s Let’s Dance album that China Girl (above) is on. No doubt that Nile Rodgers is one of the greatest musicians, performers and producers there is.
Because who among us didn’t have an imaginary childhood friend? Mazel Tov Neil!
To ma boys, ma homies, my Green Acres MOTs. Five guys who grew up loving The Who. The Who forevah. Best friends and brothers forevah.
This is a song called Plush.
Happy Holidays!
A playlist of twelve thirteen of my favorite Christmas songs – all as sung by; and repeatedly remixed and remastered by…Moi. A double shot of Elvis (RIP). Jimmy Buffett (born on December 25th; RIP) and Tom Petty (RIP). I read somewhere that Wham’s Last Christmas (RIP George Michael) is the most listened to Christmas song ever…however they keep track of that. Band Aid had everyone who was everyone then…before We Are The World I might add. And yes – I’m all the lead vocals on Do They Know It’s Christmas. John Mellencamp – for my Indiana family! Elton being Elton. Combining Motown and U2 on Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is like putting chocolate and peanut butter together, and I’ve loved the John Lennon (RIP) and Greg Lake (RIP) songs ever since I can remember remembering. I first heard Please Come Home For Christmas by The Eagles when I was a kid, but over time I’ve discovered several other versions that are equally as good, the best of which is by Aaron Neville. Twelve Thirteen of my favorite Christmas songs, with Happy Holiday wishes from me and the “band” to everyone!
“I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave new year
All anguish, pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear“
- Expression TM by D. Yarin ↩︎