Bobby Darin is a legend.
I get tired starting comments with the so and so is a legend.
But I have to. I find it easy to put it out there from the start and then work backwards.
Which is apt because that’s what Bobby Darin was doing here. Working backwards.
Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the music but Bobby was doing this in 1961 when he took rock ‘n roll in a different direction by synthesising it’s beat, energy and hyper emotions with the laid back crooner trad pop of the musical establishment. The only other big acts doing the same were Elvis (more rock less trad pop) and Pat Boone (more trad pop and less rock). Bobby drove down the middle and really ended up defining that sound. This became incredibly influential and yet popular music critics don’t acknowledge Darin.
Bobby backed up singles like “Mack the Knife” , “Beyond the Sea” and “Lazy River” with albums and at least one concert album from the time, “ Darin at the Copa”, where he is as much (if not more) Frank Sinatra as he is Elvis Presley or Ray Charles (another artist Darin admired).
He cemented that image in movies and many TV shows of the time and the establishment loved him. Here’ was a unruly rock n roll kid growing up and playing adult music.
Bobby though wasn’t content. Within three years he went on to a series of folk pop albums which are memorable if a little unknown.
He was always on the move musically …perhaps it was because he knew he would die young (which he did …read the links to his bio below). Perhaps he was just bored. Perhaps he was wise enough to surround himself with contemporary adventurous musicians (Roger McGuinn was in his band for a while even). Perhaps the times were right.
Music is a business though.
Darin never ditched his “Broadway bag” of music and returned to it time and again and even though he changed his live act a number of times he, also, returned to the suit, tie and orchestra show.
And that’s what we have here. Darin live in England in 1967 doing his trad pop standards in a standard Bobby Darin hepcat show from 1961. Impressions and lounge lizard one liners are down pat. The thing is that Darin is never standard.
The guy can sing and he wore his heart on his sleeve.
And what’s more Darin is smart with a sharp sense of humour. You can hear that in some of the between song banter but you can also here that in how he delivers the songs. There is a little playful venom in his delivery which is aimed at his well-heeled audience (nothing like biting, or rather pecking, at the hand that feeds you).
This is the only Darin album I did not have (there are about thirty) and I have loved this guy from when I was in my early 20s (Hell, Elvis loved his singing … that’s how I got on to him) so this is a real treat.
Ultimately though it’s not an album I will play a lot and there is nothing wrong with the show but it’s a variation on the Darin stage act which he has done elsewhere earlier (the “Copa” album) and subsequently (“Live at the Flamingo”)
Now for a ramble ……
Darin is not as respected as the other 50s rock n rollers.
Why?
Because he vacillated between musical styles too much?
Because he recorded many covers even though he wrote many songs?
Because he had a career in film and TV?
Because he was a natural all round entertainer?
Because he played music for the “older” crowd?
Because he was brash, confident and ambitious?
Because he sang a lot of MOR schlock?
All of the above is true but so is the fact that Darin could sing rock, pop, Broadway, folk, singer songwriter, soul and blues. He could play piano, drums, guitar, harmonica and the xylophone.
He had a keen sense of adventure slipping folk songs into his Vegas show and MOR old school pop into his rock shows. Much like Elvis he did not want to be limited by one form of music and dipped into his musical memory. Also, like Elvis he had great taste, musical intelligence and a great ear for music.
Unlike Elvis, Bobby wrote many, many songs. Also unlike Elvis Bobby never had a problem about speaking out his mind on politics, social issues or fame generally. Elvis’ views were not that dissimilar but he rarely voiced them. Maybe that’s the difference between being a poor kid from Memphis and a poor kid from the Bronx?
He wasn’t the great stylist that Elvis was and wasn’t as great an interpreter as Elvis, but on occasion he comes close and he was still head and shoulders above his contemporaries. It becomes clear that, with Bobby, there is more than meets the eye and the official music histories have not given him enough credit. Even Kevin Spacey’s flawed (but interesting) film bio on him didn’t create much interest.
Ultimately, Elvis loved Bobby Darin and normally that would be all I need, but there is so much more to Bobby.
Tracks (best in italics)
- Don’t Rain on My Parade – (Styne, Merrill) – From Funny Girl. Bombastic and full on. A perfect way to open a show like this.
- About a Quarter to Nine – (Warren, Dubin) – hmmm
- Once Upon a Time -(Strouse, Adams) from "All American" …magnificent sentimental song
- I Wish I Were in Love Again – (Rodgers, Hart) – from "Babes in Arms" –
- Mack the Knife -(weill, Brecht, Blitzstein) – from "The Threepenny Opera" – possibly the most Bobby Darin associated song. The song is great and I don’t think I’ve heard Darin do a bad version.
- If I Were a Carpenter -(Hardin) – magnificent
- Impressions (One for My Baby) – (Arlen, Mercer) – Yes impressions – and he pulls them off really well. All round entertainer indeed.
- The Girl That Stood Behind Me – (Stevens) – one of Bobbies more folky numbers. A beautiful song well sung by Bobby.
- Funny What Love Can Do – (Darin) – a slow bluesy song
- What’d I Say – (Charles) – Darin was a great rock n roller. Not outrageous, or wild but he has the beat.
- That’s All – (Haymes, Brandt) – the trad standard associated with Bobby
And …
Excellent lounge with some corn in the corner…. I’m keeping it.
Chart Action
Nothing, no where.
Sounds
Don’t Rain on My Parade
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz8PW_5dG-o
Once Upon a Time
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYbAyukVpHM
Mack the Knife
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUAk-CRNC44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qrjtr_uFac
If I Were a Carpenter
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjFRLOktHXo
mp3 attached
Bobby Darin – If I Were A Carpenter (Live)
Impressions (One for My Baby)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhbi_W-TDAQ
The Girl That Stood Behind Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUwv96H3bi0
What’d I Say
live in london clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR8Dr1ey3gI
That’s All
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L_cy5PgfRc
Others
a good example of Darin the all entertainer – slick, talented, confident…and he is 29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JMUGlQE-HE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3QAXi1_350
some styles of Bobby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMCsc4Iqvqc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCnhEfQ1bA4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N16WP-vwIDA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEIDep_UMmk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ1ohsissjE
Review
—
Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_darin
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-darin-mn0000070715
Website
http://www.bobbydarin.net/main.html
http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=bobbydarin;id=2;url=http%3A%2F%2Fdarinland%2Ecom%2F
Trivia
- This album is the soundtrack to Bobby’s BBC Television Special from London which aired in May 1967.
- Apart from Elvis, Darin was the only rock n roller to have a film career. It was’nt a big one but he got the serious roles Elvis would have killed for. In 1963, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a shell-shocked soldier in Captain Newman, M.D.
- Bobby and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds http://darinland.com/Roger-McGuinn-Bobby-Darin.html
