I have indeed seen two or three quotes in which he mentions Peggy Lee among his favorites. There is one in which he lists her, along with Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis, Jr., as artists whose sound or style he loves. The most incisive of such quotes is the following one, though: There are only three singers who move me emotionally: Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles. If I want to be lullabied, I listen to Peggy Lee, I don't care what the tempo is. That's the boss lady. If I want to think about lost love – or any kind of love, for that matter – I listen to Frank. If I want to be thrown into a primitive, wild kind of emotional involvement, I listen to Ray Charles. I can't think of anything else I want satisfied. These three people are the Rock of Gibraltar. You can gather that Bobby had been listening to Peggy's records from the fact that he sang numbers as unlikely as "Golden Earrings" and "Similau", which I doubt any record producer would have proposed to him. "Golden Earrings" and "Similau" were hits for Peggy in the 1940s, and they were rarely recorded in the USA after that decade. Hence, when he tackled them, those were almost forgotten, over-a-decade-old pieces. (I'm not including standards like "Black Coffee" because those obviously were still current when Bobby did them. Besides, a song such as "Black Coffee" is identified not only with Peggy but also with other singers. ) Embracing new talent: we could actually say that Bobby Darin and Peggy Lee were already doing so in the 1950s. Both of them were hugely enthusiastic about Ray Charles before he made it really big in the music world. They not only recorded Ray's numbers but also overtly paid tribute to him on record.
BD was one of the few whites who were embraced at The Apollo... and he hadn't even truly hit it yet. Loved Ray Charles - recorded the LP Sings Ray Charles in '62 for ATCO and "What'd I Say (Part I)", a LONG single at the time (over 4 mins!), went Top 40 in the US and UK... Jeff
Jeff -- Just catching up on this thread now...what a wealth of great BD info! Especially as it relates to unreleased titles in the Capitol and Atlantic vaults... I'm relieved to hear that a lot of those '66 onwards recordings during his 2nd tenure at Atlantic still survive in some form (in spite of the fire). One track that all Darin fans have been eagerly waiting for is from the Vegas session that also produced 'Rainin'' -- Bobby's 2nd original from that date, "Weeping Willow". Do you know anything about this track and it's whereabouts/availability? Supposedly, Jimmy Scalia (the archivist for the BD estate) will be including this on the next compilation...they supposedly found it "on a little reel" when they discovered the 'Milk Shows' back in 2002. There's obviously studio footage of 'Weeping Willow' from the unfinished documentary from '66 that Darin was producing for his grand return to the nightclub circuit -- but that has incredibly poor sound (at least on the section we're privvy to). It's a shame Darin's legacy hasn't been better represented -- I realize the difficulties of putting out particular collections given the number of genres he crossed -- but there's such a wealth of material both from the recording studio and on television that's just sitting there unreleased. It apparently took 12 years to get the Milk Shows from the vaults to commercial release, so I fear how long we might have to wait for the next compilation... My fingers remain crossed, in any event!
You will love "Weepin' Willow" - that was intended for Atlantic as a b-side. I am lucky enough to have heard it, complete, but it's not available, not released, and in the vaults. So catchy and very upbeat. What I find a bit odd, is that the UK seems to really love Darin (the only labels now that get excited about Darin are in the UK because they sell well there), but apparently didn't make it too far East... Bear Family has zero interest. So strange to me, but true. Hopefully, things are being assembled correctly now. I can't say too much about what may be in the works, but I personally feel there is a nice amount of music that should be out - because current fans will love some of this stuff, and Darin can easily make new ones with other funkier and swinging unreleased stuff! And yes - you mention Capitol, but those are owned by Capitol. So we got three "new" unreleased takes via MP3 about 2 years ago... even after I would assume they had released everything at this point on "The Unreleased Capitol Sides" but wouldn't you know it? Another one or two popped on "Swingin'" comp that came out in 2005. So Capitol keeps surprising and is a mystery to all of us. So compiling a "Complete" Darin would take massive amounts of effort, confusion, and ultimately, a ton of cash even if approved. But you dig Atlantic/Direction? Keep your ears open! Bobby Darin is one of the few artists completely unrepresented in the HD market, too, and that in itself is a crime! Jeff
"The Milk Shows" collection was worth the wait. However I wish Jimmy Scalia would stop focusing on Darin's "protest" phase and get out "Weepin' Willow" and whatever other standards they have from the second period at Atlantic. Scalia has always been evasive about what they have. When I asked him if he or Dodd had this material he wouldn't give a straight answer.
That's amazing news to hear, Jeff! I had heard it was intended as a B-side but never made the cut -- a shame as it's another Darin original in a completely different vein (given its Dixie/New Orleans feel with the smaller combo) I imagine this might actually be in the estate's vault, no? (Given that BD owned his masters from that '66 Atlantic period onward and certainly anything out under Direction...) A 'Complete Darin' could definitely prove as problematic as a Complete Sinatra was to assemble, given the different labels/rights owners. Now UME, Warners and Sony managed to get their act together this past year for the Ultimate Sinatra release -- but I wouldn't expect we'd be able to do the same with Darin. Unfortunately, there's just not the same awareness or demand (especially here in the US/Canada) to justify the costs and hassle involved. However, it would be great to hear those unreleased Atlantic masters, like Weepin' Willow and even the studio version 'A Quarter To Nine' he recorded. There was a hint that 'AQTN' might be another unreleased gem that will appear on Scalia's 'From Bronx to Broadway' compilation he's working on -- which would be great. This would be just one of the dozen or so tracks he did from around August 1966 (including his later take of 'Danke Schoen' you spoke to) -- which includes the other tune Scalia said would appear, 'Manhattan in My Heart'. It's good to know these later Atlantic masters were spared from the fire! What many of us have been curious about is whether any of those early session tapes from 'That's All" or "This is Darin" still exist. There's that unreleased version of 'Some Of These Days' from '58 that would be great to hear, but I fear it -- along with all session tapes from the aforementioned LPs -- might've been lost in the big fire. Have you heard anything to the contrary on this early material? Obviously, we have that great collection of "Rare, Rockin and Unreleased" with great takes of Mack and others, but someone suggested those were likely smuggled out well before the fire occured... I agree that Darin is overdue in the HD market -- some of the overblown stereo mixes we have on iTunes from 'That's All' would surely benefit from finding alternate sources (or going to the mono mixes, even if they lack some of the punch of the stereo, due to the different set up). The mono 'Beyond the Sea' that Steve Hoffman did is SUPERB!
I love your passion for Bobby! I wish he had the status of a Sinatra. To me, he was faaaar more talented. Yes, demand is low. That's the whole issue. But people will be buying "Mack the Knife" and "Splish Splash" for years to come. His first residency at Atlantic (ATCO)... don't know exactly what exists still, if anything. I've held onto a mint unplayed "Rock Island Line" [Decca] just because I feel it is the best source of his first single if ever needed transferring. It's locked away and untouched. I can't speak on behalf of what is exactly "in the vaults" but you'd be surprised what you find on "safety reels" that artist sometimes brought home for one reason or another. In some cases, it may be the only reel left of a specific recording. I'll keep you posted on what I know - and yes, "Manhattan in my Heart" is gorgeous, complete and for an album that never came out around '66... Jeff
From Atco: "A Sunday Kind Of Love" an outtake from "This Is Darin" was released in 1974? on the "The Original Bobby Darin" 3 LP set from Warner Special Products.
I love me some Sinatra (and in many ways, there'd be no Bobby without Frank) but would have to agree that on the whole, Bobby surpassed him in terms of sheer talent and versatility as an entertainer. Bringing youth, rock 'n roll (and even early R&B) to the genre of traditional standards, he really evolved the form that Frank had evolved from Bing. I think had he lived, he would've easily surpassed Sinatra in many people's eyes. Unlike Frank, Bobby had the facility to change with the times and adapt (and evolve) his style -- I'd be fascinated to know what he'd be doing now, as compared to Tony Bennett -- who's very talented but has basically never changed his tune in 60+ years. Lady Gaga and Bobby Darin...now THAT would be a show! I appreciate your keeping us up to date on all this stuff -- you do never know what might be sitting in the vaults on a safety reel, so time will tell! Sadly, generating interest in a lot of this stuff really falls solely on marketing and branding. If Tony Bennett didn't have the genius management of his son, Danny, constantly promoting (and very carefully shaping) his legacy -- Tony Bennett's catalogue might have wound up in a similar state as Darin's. I'm sure the BD estate is doing as much as they can to promote him, but I just wish there was a little more cohesiveness and polish to their efforts. The Darin FB fanpage feels very unofficial (and there are at least 2 other official-looking Darin Facebook fan pages to confuse matters) and the Official Bobby Darin website feels like a remnant from 1998. Incredibly well-intentioned to be sure, but not necessarily helping his brand as one of the hippest and most sophisticated entertainers of the 20th century. The late, great Steve Blauner was a tremendous advocate (and protector) for Bobby and his legacy right up to the end -- but it was my sense that the estate simply might not have the monetary resources to do all they want and need to do, to keep Darin's legacy front of mind. And to Ron Sarbo's point, for whatever reason, Jimmy Scalia has gotten increasingly evasive when it comes to any inquiries or suggestions relating to the estate. Again, I sense only good intentions there, but without Blauner in the picture, I think we're all a little curious as to how things will be managed go forward.
They said they had "Weeping Willow" and "Manhattan In My Heart" in 2006! The relative failure of the movie bio certainly slowed down the release of new product but Scalia can't be blamed for this. The DVD set of "The Bobby Darin Show" was a major disappointment. So much was missing...the shows were heavily edited. This travesty can certainly be laid at Scalia's doorstep.
Totally agree, Ronald. The Bobby Darin Show DVD set was a bit of a disaster. I was amazed at how many key songs and sequences were missing. I can only imagine this had to do with mechanical and sync license costs...at a certain point, perhaps the estate just wasn't able to cover the costs of having everything on there. But it's a shame, as several key tunes like "Once Upon A Time" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You" (which Darin never recorded) are nowhere to be found. Luckily you can at least see the former at the Paley Center -- but this set deserved a lot more, that's for sure. I don't think Jimmy has ever spoken to exactly what went wrong -- except that he too was disappointed... And yes, "Weepin' Willow" and "Manhattan in My Heart" have been dangling before us for quite some time, it seems. I half wonder if the estate would be better off trying to just release digital media (via iTunes/Amazon/HDTracks/etc) rather than attempt to jump through the brutal hoops that come with securing physical manufacturing and distribution. As we saw with Capitol, who released those 3 'new' tracks digitally, this might be our best (and quickest) bet to get a hold of that unreleased Darin material in a timely manner...
http://www.elusivedisc.com/Bobby-Darin-Thats-All-180g-LP-Mono/productinfo/BSRLP3008/ A great buy for those that haven't seen this sale.
Scalia promoted the set on Darin's Facebook page. He said he SAW it. Didn't he think that Darin fans would notice what was missing. All anyone had to do was compare to the descriptions of the shows in Jeff Bleil's book. Is "Captain Groovy" Jeff...Bleil?
Ha - no, but, his discography (and stage and screen) book was the bible for awhile... still great but needs an update. Jeff
What's wrong with the biopic? I thought it was great. Not only does Kevin Spacey resemble Darin, but he sings well too.
The whole "Film within a Film" treatment made the movie difficult to follow. Not using Darin's recordings was WRONG. That's only my opinion but the general consensus was that the film flopped. Especially when compared to the Ray Charles and Johnny Cash film-bios. It's failure stopped the flow of Darin CD releases dead in it's tracks. One project that was under discussion was a Motown box set which would have included whatever unreleased recordings they had from the end of Darin's career. Hopefully Universal may come back to it. They own the 2 bookends of his career: The Decca recordings and the Motown recordings. They could do a box including both.
It wasn't a Darin bio in my mind at all - it was The Kevin Spacey Celebration Society Presents the Kevin Spacey Showcase starring Kevin Spacey. He used "Bobby Darin" as a showcase for himself - that's what happened. I have worked with, and friends with two of the Producers of what would have been a real bio-pic in the early 90s and who owned the rights. Amazing script by Paul Attanasio. Unfortunately, the gang was making Oscar winning movies like Quiz Show at the time and their resources (and time) was limited. It almost happened. They loved Darin and wanted to make a movie about the real story. It was very close (you can read a bit about it in the '95 Darin Box Set). Just two weeks ago I asked the main Producer of it Paul A. would consider releasing "his final draft" as a never-made-movie Script book. Both producers can't find their copies of the script at this point, but I've held onto the most recent copy I received in '98/99 when I was first working with them. I promised to never share, and I haven't. This Spacey film only happened because Levinson and co. didn't get it off the ground (not due to lack of quality of movie - just other projects were in play and they are very-on set active Producers - not just "Exec"). So when it didn't happen and years later there was an offer from Kevin Spacey... the Darin Estate took it. I met with Kevin at the time specifically about Darin at the Chateau Marmont before he made the film and it was crystal clear to me the movie was about Spacey, not Darin. He didn't care to discuss the details of his life - he had already set how he wanted to "do it". All the "praise" about his singing and performance being "just like Bobby" from those involved was pure PR for the film at the time. Shame the Spacey Showcase film was made. Jeff
Steve Blauner always wanted to use Darin's recordings. However he left the ultimate decision to Dodd. A movie with Spacey singing or no movie. Dodd wanted a movie. I can't blame Darin's son for wanting a movie about his parents. Afterwards Blauner disowned the movie and Dodd just doesn't say anything.
From what people have said about Darin's personality, especially his arrogance and the way he set about doing things, the two men don't sound all that different from my perspective. Perhaps it was a suitable choice, personality-wise. I don't think Spacey is "just like Bobby", but he resembles him and doesn't sing bad. I think it's a shame that record companies bank the probability of releases upon the success of a film. Say what you will about the film, but the fact remains that biopics always introduce artists to new generations of fans, no matter how poor, ill-timed, or how much better some believe the film could be. A lack of demand for Bobby's complete catalogue today is not something that the film can be blamed for. If anything, it will keep people buying copies of "Splish Splash" and "Beyond The Sea" from the iTunes Store for years to come; a behavior that supports the estate.
I think your best bet for the real Bobby story at this time is the PBS documentary, Bobby Darin: Beyond the Song. If you haven't seen it, you must check it out. IMO best to date and addresses plenty of the personality "issues" from the people who were there! Jeff
Still can't believe the s/t Motown album hasn't ever been released on CD. Does anyone know why? Are the tapes gone? Hip O Select could have put this out back in the day. Real Gone maybe still could.
Thanks for sharing your great insights on the development of the earlier Darin biopic -- it would be AMAZING to see that Paul Attanasio draft come to light... With Levinson attached, I'm sure it could've been a remarkable film. While Spacey's BTS no doubt introduced a lot of people to Darin, I have an incredibly difficult time sitting through it. It's funny -- I get the impulse to put it on every once in a while and think I'll somehow like it better than I did a decade ago -- but no such luck. It's so self-indulgent and distractingly 'on the nose', it's impossible to sit through. On a separate note, Jeff -- I was wondering if you ever came across any greater info on the incomplete BD documentary Darin himself was shooting in '66. We've seen clips from it over the years, but do you know anything more about this coveted treasure trove of live Darin footage? I've always been curious if unedited reels of footage still exist (perhaps they were in the late great Steve Blauner's possesion?)
The doc. was another question I posed to Scalia when I met him years ago. He just grinned and said nothing. Scalia loves to take pictures of himself in the vault holding cans and reels of tape but reveals NOTHING about what the Estate has or doesn't have.
Here's Bill Murray singing "Let it Snow" a la Bobby Darin for his upcoming Netflix Christmas special Jeff
