Dctalk has now been on intermission for the better part of twenty years, far longer than their thirteen years and five albums together from 1987-2000. This post is a just a fun hypothetical posing of the question, “What If Dctalk Never Went Solo?” What if the “Intermission” never happened?

Mainly I wanted to try and see what kind of tracklist for a 6th Dctalk album we could have gotten from each of their first solo albums. I limited it to thirty songs, taking ten per singer across a double album to be called 1+1+1 = > Solo.

Again, I have a enjoyed their each of their solo output, and I’m grateful that each has continued to make excellent music to this day. I just think we can all agree that together there was just some special sauce that’s missing when they go at it alone.

What would your tracklist look like? How would you tinker with who sings what? Where could the individual songs be changed up a bit to make it more Dctalk?

Remember this is just for fun!

My tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. “Let’s Get This Party Started” – Toby

This song jams! But could you imagine a lounge-singer like breakdown in the latter half sung by Kevin? Could have lengthened the song a bit and broken the dynamics before slamming back in with the grinding guitar part thru the end.

2. “Alibi” – Michael

I could hear Kevin harmonizing on the chorus of this one, taking a much higher part a top Michael. I envision Toby coming in on the bridge with a bit tougher vocal to mix it up from Michaels smooth croon. Maybe even a bit of reggae touches on the bridge as Toby rap-sings it.

3. “Existence” – Kevin

Toby takes the pre-chorus part and the rap that Grits did later in the song. Michael and Kevin harmonize on the chorus.

4. “What’s Going Down” – Toby

Kevin and Michael come in right away singing “what’s going down, what’s going down” Toby does his rap, Michael sings the pre-chorus “stop hey what’s that sound,” Kevin does the part opposite of Toby’s rap in the call and response bit.

5. “Spy” – Michael

Three part harmony on the chorus, everything else stays the same except a few Kevin vocal runs in the background.

6. “Do You Know” – Toby

No tinkering with this one.

7. “Be” – Kevin

Kevin sings verse one, Toby verse two, Michael takes the bridge. Toby raps-talks the last twenty-five seconds of the song.

8. “Loss For Words” – Michael

Toby’s gotta sing the “doo doo da doo doos,” Michael sings the verse with Kevin harmonizes in the background vocals. Kevin takes the bridge, Toby joins Michael in the last two choruses through time the end.

9. “Blind” – Kevin

Leave this one alone…it’s all Kevin.

10. “Irene” – Toby

Kevin’s gotta sing the hook that was originally a female lead. Tait goes old school and becomes the hype man, singing the interjections between Toby’s raps.

11. “Dead End Moon” – Kevin

Not sure exactly what could be changed about this one…maybe a bit higher on the BPMs? Have Toby sing the lead line on the chorus so Kevin can do all his vocal vamps? Might be best leaving this one alone.

12. “Wonderin’ Why” – Toby

Michael sings on the hook, Kevin adds a few vocal flares here and there.

13. “I Don’t Belong” – Kevin

Strong Dctalk three-part harmony on the Chorus. Each member can feel like they don’t belong for a variety of different reasons. Toby sings the bridge breakdown.

14. “American Tragedy” – Michael

Toby takes takes the first verse, Michael in the chorus, Kevin on verse two.

15. “Shaping Space” – Kevin

Michael joins on harmony in the last half of the song.

Disc 2:

1. “Return Of The Singer” – Kevin

Change nothing. Next.

2. “Somebody’s Watching” – Toby

Michael sings the hook.

3. “Momentum” – Toby

Michael and Kevin sing harmony on the chorus call and respond part with Toby.

4. “Carried Away” – Michael

Kevin utilizes his lower register to sing verse one. Toby sings the chorus. Michael takes verse two and joins Toby on the second chorus. Soaring three part harmony in the bridge.

5. “The Secret Circle” – Kevin

This one’s got Kevin and Toby all over it.

6. “All You Got” – Michael

Michael verse one. Kevin on BGV. All three on chorus. Toby sings verse two. Kevin does echo parts and then also the bridge.

7. “Her Game” – Kevin

Toby sing/raps verse one kevin on chorus. Toby again on verse two kevin on chorus. Michael adds harmony from second chorus on. The last 25 seconds everything but the string section drops and strings swell louder until the end.

8. “J-Train” – Toby

Michael takes the opening rap?! Yes. Toby raps the verse and Michael takes Kirk Franklin’s part. Kevin joins female vocal in singing the hook.

9. “Bonded” – Michael

Michael in verse one, Kevin on the chorus. Toby on Verse two, Kevin on the chorus again. Michael takes the bridge, and after the instrumental all music drops and a capella three part harmony ends the song about 30-40 seconds sooner.

10. “Extreme Days” – Toby

Kevin and Toby trade singing and rapping throughout. Michael takes the breakdown bridge. Michael and Kevin harmonize on the soaring chorus.

11. “Looking For You” – Michael

Let’s keep this a Michael solo feature.

12. “On And On” – Kevin

Kevin keeps this as a solo performance as we begin to see the cracks that would eventually break up the band as the songs become more and more isolated to individual members.

13. “Tell Me Why” – Michael

I actually hear this as a predominately Toby and Kevin song. Toby on verses and Kevin on chorus. Michael still the scatting vocal parts towards the latter half of the song.

14. “Love Is In The House” – Toby

Only thing I add to this one is touches of Michael as background and hype man. Kevin sits this one out.

15. “Unglued” – Michael

Michael’s solo feature. The hidden track at the end written by Pete Stewart is the concert closer for the album, and a song they ad-lib lyrically every time concert.

That’s it! How about you? I’d love to see your proposed tracklist and different arrangement ideas. Share them in the comments!

Here’s a playlist of how the tracklist would flow if you wanna listen: https://open.spotify.com/user/jukeboxjosh/playlist/6nnO524Nd5DvyMMlPbXvUA?si=MBK-S0ljTWya35caCE0RFQ