Daniels the rocker kicked back with Brooks & Dunn
People who don’t know anything about Charles Daniels’ work in the law might know him as a rocking bass guitar player who has been on the music scene here since the 1970s.
“I ended up getting inspired to pick up guitar from one of the students in the Native American pre-law program. He taught me a few chords. The first song I ever learned was an Indian protest song.” It was another door. He ended up playing with some other people and in the late ’70s started to play at parties. His first band — Dave Ain’t Here — lasted about a year and played mostly outlaw country in roadhouses.
Daniels dropped out when the rest of the band wanted to go on the road.
“I didn’t have any illusions about being a musician, or a race car driver — those were my golf substitutes and have been to this day.”
He formed a new band — Lawyers Guns and Money — with some lifelong friends. Several members later moved to a group that still plays twice a month: The Incredible Woodpeckers, which also features retired Judges Tommy Jewell and Woody Smith.
A piece of trivia: Daniels is the bass player in the Youtube video of “Brand New Man,” the first hit by country legends Brooks & Dunn.
“Like most of the things in my life, someone opens the door and I look in. It was a fluke.”
Brooks and Dunn recorded the song in Nashville and their company wanted to do the music video in Albuquerque.
“I got a call one day in my law office and some stranger is on the phone and says he’s with a film production company … and had heard I was connected to local musicians.”
They spent several days filming at Sandia Crest, in the Jemez and the old Sundance saloon in the Heights with a fake bar crowd.
“I remember sitting down and talking to Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn … I said this song sounds good, but I know that’s no guarantee it will be a success … where do you think you’ll be a year from now?
“They said, ‘We don’t know. We might be back in our old jobs, but we’re going to go for it.’ ”