Liking It So You Don't Have To #3 - Bobby Darin

My quest - to list those things I like that everybody else probably doesn't - continues.

I started with the movie 'Mission Impossible 3' and moved on to (God help us) this song. So now here's number three and it's a singer.

I think I may be off-the-mark, this time though. I mean, really, how could anyone not love this:

(turn the volume up a bit)



I love Bobby Darin.

Sorry I can't help it. I'm not an authority on him or anything and I don't own his entire back catalog either. In fact, I only have one CD of his work - a sort of a greatest hit compilation but, dammit, if I feel bad and want to feel a bit better then Bobby can do that for me and he never seems to fail.

So if you want to know everything about Bobby Darin, go look him up on Wikipedia or something. I'm only hear to tell you he's great and to play a few tunes for you.

There's one thing about Bobby that I don't like (sorry Bob). I really don't like looking at him. He was just so darn 'busy' on stage, it even gives me the jitters to YouTube him. Perhaps it's also a factor that he was so 'hip' and 'cool' that images of him now seem so much more dated than those artists who weren't trying so hard to be on the cutting edge all the time.

People might put him down 'just as a pop singer' but he was innovative and creative too. He took that song from the Threepenny Opera and made it his own in a very special way. Everybody in the world has recorded it - some versions may be better and many are doubtless worse but it's Bobby's version that sets the standard. I don't think the archive footage captures what it must have been like to hear Bobby sing 'Mack The Knife' live but I think this clip from Kevin Spacey's biopic goes some way to doing that.

Have a Look by clicking here.

I like loads of dear Bobby's songs. (Truth? I wish I could sing like that, I do).

But my absolute favorite was derived from Charles Trenet's wonderful song, 'La Mer'. Here's Charles himself doing it like the French do.



Bobby took this lovely song and he did this wonderful thing with it:



I like Bobby Darin. So you don't have to.

You really should though.


20 comments:

Susan at Stony River said...

Comme j'adore Monsieur Trenet!! And yeah, Bobby's not so bad at all. My older sister luurrrrved him so as I grew up in the house, there he was. Beautiful voice.

I can see how he makes your list however... liking Bobby seems hand-in-hand with wearing cardigans and driving a vintage Ford Mustang. But oh, the voice...

Laura Brown said...

I like The Pirate Movie with Christopher Atkins. Most people have never seen it or don't admit to it. It was fun and I even liked the songs. I'm just not very high-brow.

hope said...

I grew up with a Dad who "loved" Bobby D. and a lot of that sunk into my subconscious. "Beyond the Sea" is still my favorite. I don't think Kevin Spacey got enough credit for doing that movie...plus his OWN singing.

I agree, he's not lovely to look at but if you want to snap your fingers...

Anonymous said...

Yep - gotta say that when my best mate and I were boys, we'd sit up late at night listening to - dare a say it here in 'public' so to speak - records (LPs)!

One after the other till the wee hours of the morning. Splish Splash was right up there with a bundle of songs - Everly Brothers made the list then (and for the life of me I don't know why we did it), Green Green Grass of Home, Rubber Ball and a stack of others... no Elvis - he never made the list - but a stack of others.

Oh the shame Ken lol ;-)

K. said...

"Beyond the Sea" is greatness. The photo of Bobby at 1:14 is a little unfortunate, though: He looks like he's gorging himself on a gigantic phallus.

"Splish Splash"...Dunno about that one. Lyrically, it's pretty slight. Imagine Elvis singing it and you realize it's at the level of one of his movie soundtracks.

The Trenet was great! He's new to me.

Relax Max said...

Boy, that record really sucks, Ken. I thought you said you had a CD. Doesn't even sound like him that much. I listened to him for almost 200 miles on the freeway a couple weekends ago when I was on a trip. I have all his stuff. But I have all of Billie Holiday's stuff too. I am a collector. Aren't we all. :)

Ken Armstrong said...

Susan: Yes, I love him too. I love Jacques Brel even more. I think I have a weakspot for people singing well in a language I can't really understand... Seu Jorge anyone?

Laura: I think you'd be extremely high brow of only you took the garbage out - it's all getting a bit 'Alice's Restaurant' now. :)

Hope: I wanted to start the post with 'You Must've Been a Beautiful Baby' which is a better snappier one than 'Splish Splash' but it's very unavailable.

belongum: you touch on something very interesting, namely, how extremely 'uncool' Elvis Presley was when I was growing up in the early Seventies. Anyone in our town who liked Elvis back then was given a hard time over it. I like him now though.

K: I'm not going to 1:14, I'm not... okay, we all know that I am really. :)

Relax Max: you're right, it does suck. YouTube didn't have great options for me. The sound is crap but there's something maniacal about the 45 goin' round and round...

Reese said...

I tried leaving a comment on this last night--must be challenged! I had no idea that Bobby Darin sang that song. My mom used to play it for us as kids. I think I've been confusing Bobby Darin and Frankie Avalon! Oh well, not my genre!

Anonymous said...

You're right about the first song. when I feel melancholic, and i hear the song, it brightens my mood . lol..but I don't have a copy. The second song, I'm not familiar with it, but it has a nice tempo too...lively. Do you listen to the platters, Ken? "Only You" and the Stylistics "You make me feel brand new." I like to listen to these songs too. All the best,.

Laura Brown said...

The dumb little things I write always come back to haunt me. :)

Anonymous said...

In all honesty I have never heard of Bobby Darin before today. I had my PC on with your article showing about a half an hour ago when my Dad came for a visit. He wanted to know what I know about this kind of music and then promptly gave me a full lecture on the music from that era. When he left I heard him telling my Mom that the kids are actually learning something on the Internet. Thanks (Ithink).

Ken Armstrong said...

Reese: I could see how Bobby Darin and Frankie Avalon might be confused. I best recall Frankie doing Beauty School Dropout in Grease though.

Jena: I can't imagine you being melancholic. Don't be. Come and listen to Bobby Darin here any old time, I will leave a light on for you.

Laura: I like to note comments that I can later haunt people with. It's a smile. :)

Lyndi: Ha! This is Great! Tell Dad to come by more often, I bet we could compare some notes. :)

Tam said...

Have you seen the movie about Bobby Darin staring Kenin Spacey? It's good ~ you'd enjoy it. Kevin Spacdy is a huge Darrin fan & tried for years to get the film about his life made. It came out a few years ago.

Tam

Anonymous said...

No, No -- you don't HAVE to like him for me! I ALREADY like him -- a LOT as a matter of fact.

Thanks for posting a couple of my favorites :)

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Anonymous said...

Bless you Ken, "Beyond the Sea" is one of my all-time favorite songs. Bobby Darin is wonderful. How do you feel about "As Long As I'm Singing"? :)

Henson Ray said...

How can you not like Bobby Darin? I had a greatest hits CD of his that I used to play all the time (maybe the same one you have)...in the car, when I was cleaning, when I was working out...his music/songs are so fun to sing along to...and he has that kind of lounge singer voice that gives a sense of style, time and place like no other...A genuine classic!

Ken Armstrong said...

Tam: (Hi) I haven't seen it - I want to - I've included a sneaky link in the post to the bit where he sings 'Mack The Knife' and it's really good.

Margaret: Calm down woman, I'll let you like him too... now, can I interest you in Westlife? :)

Beth: Bless you right back! I don't believe I know 'I Am singing' will have to look/listen it up.

Henson Ray: Okay, you're in too. Me, Margaret and you, the BD Club.
"know, you knowww, you knowww, you know-you know-you musta bin a bootiful baybe...

Rachel Fox said...

This doesn't even make it close to that Jukebox of Cringe compilation. Your Westlife moment on the other hand was classic cringe!
x

Jon said...

He's one of those icons that everyone has heard of, but knows very little about. Great tunes though.

Ken Armstrong said...

Rachel: (smiling) Westlife was my most successful excursion into the realms of 'Liking it So You don't Have To'. Bobby has failed miserably cos lots of people like him. I'm glad. I'll have to try harder to shock and alienate next time. :)

Jon: (Hi mate!) Great songs indeed although, oddly, the tune I replayed most on this post was 'La Mer'. I love that song. :)