This is the first collection of songs from Mark Urgent. The original line-up included Steve Smeltzer (drums and lyrics), Denny Geiger (guitar, lead and backing vocals), Steve Lethwaite (bass and backing vocals), John Forbing (guitar and backing vocals) and Barry LaBov (keyboards, saxophone, backing and lead vocals). The song that started it all off, On a Night Like This, was recorded during a blizzard in a friend’s attic (Jeff Stone played bass guitar for us that day). After that, we officially formed the band and jumped into creating original songs with Steve writing lyrics; Carol LaBov writing lyrics; and Barry writing music and some lyrics.

The band shuffled its line-up and added Dick Swary on guitar and vocals, moving Denny over to bass guitar (replacing Steve Lethwaite). We traveled numerous times to New York City and Los Angeles, trying to secure record deals. While there was some strong interest, it was a time of great hopes, but few realistic opportunities. The title song, Shoot Your Gun Off, was created when a friend of John Forbing played a cassette of On A Night Like This and the tape accidentally twisted, performing the song backwards. All of a sudden, when we sang On a Night Like This, it sounded like Shoot Your Gun Off. Using this as inspiration, we finished off the new song.

This was the final iteration of Mark Urgent. The three remaining members (Denny, Dick and Barry) secured a local recording studio and produced the songs on this album. Jim Greene engineered the sessions and was with us throughout, lending his talents. Chuck Surack allowed us to borrow some of his keyboard gear for the sessions as well. Local legends Kenny Taylor and Geo Conner joined in on guitars while Kenny Aronoff (then with the John Mellencamp band and later with The Smashing Pumpkins and John Fogerty) joined us on drums for several of the cuts.

One of my earliest projects was writing a rock opera called "The Ruins" when I was only 18 years old in 1974. It was a unique challenge to find great musicians who were willing to commit their talent to the project, but eventually, I enlisted the help of Jerry Reff, Mark Linehan, and Gary Sauers. We rented a small practice room in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and spent months huddled together, jamming, and creating music across various genres, including rock, progressive, and orchestral. The result was twelve tracks, beginning with an overture that showcased brief snippets of the songs that would follow. I recently digitized the master tape of "The Ruins" that I discovered in my basement and was amazed at how good it sounded. To this day, Jerry, Mark, Gary, and I remain friends, and they continue to play music.

The earliest original songs and recordings I created are found in an album called "Gas, Food & Lodging". When I was just 14 years old, I started a band with my 12-year-old brother, Dean, who played the guitar and sang. We named the band after a roadside sign we saw while in our parent's car, which read "Gas, Food & Lodging". Despite being only a two-piece band with Dean on guitar and me on drums and keyboards, we played at dozens of events, such as local parks, weddings, and lakes in our region. It was during this time that I began exploring creativity by writing songs, performing, and learning how to record music on an old tape recorder.

In 1975, I assembled a group of elite musicians to perform with me at my college, Indiana-Purdue in Fort Wayne, Indiana (IPFW). We put on a performance that featured progressive music with touches of jazz and rock and roll. The band included Gene Murray, Cliff Webb, and Mike Williams, and the music was mostly instrumental and very challenging to perform, with numerous time signature changes. We were able to pull it off, and I'm still amazed at what we accomplished. Much of the inspiration for these long-form pieces came from a famous painting by Hieronymus Bosch called "The Garden of Earthly Delights". The painting gave birth to some ambitious music that was featured in the concert.