The Bobby Darin Story – BOBBY DARIN****

Splish Splash/Early In The Morning/Queen Of The Hop/Plain Jane/Dream Lover/Mack The Knife/Beyond The Sea/Clementine/Bill Bailey/Artificial Flowers/Somebody To Love/Lazy River

The Bobby Darin Story was a premature best of release spoilt by the inclusion of an irritating narrative by Darin between tracks. A special mention should be made in praise of his evocative interpretation of Beyond The Sea. (US:18)

“Bobby Darin was a major contemporary music icon in his day. His career is amply represented here, starting with the early pop light heartedness of Splish Splash. You can hear Darin's maturity as a singer develop with Mack The Knife, a masterpiece of swing/pop interpretation. The inflections and fills that Darin adds make it an enduring classic. The real gem is the unbeatable Beyond The Sea. For an idea of just how perfect a pop song and its arrangement can be, listen to this cut a few times. The rest of the songs are not as well known, but are highly listenable and masterfully arranged."

“This would have been a great album without the narration and reminiscences.”

“Bobby Darin could sing any kind of song and nail it. This is a brief collection of his first few years, and includes his own commentary on his career to that point. From the rockabilly teen hit Splish Splash to the wonderfully moving way he croons Beyond The Sea the disc always satisfies.”

“Bobby Darin spent much of his career finding his own unique voice, veering between bubblegum At The Hop type pop and derivative Tin Pan Alley toss-offs until he passed magnificently Beyond The Sea."

“Bobby Darin had a wonderful voice, he sounds like he was one hip, cool guy. Though these days people no longer use the word, I think groovy would be an excellent way to describe him. My favourites on this LP are Mack The Knife, and Beyond The Sea, very groovy songs indeed.”

“It includes his best songs of his early period, the brilliant Mack The Knife and Beyond The Sea. What sets it apart is his commentary in between. Initially it annoyed me and I can't blame people who don't like it.”