BOBBY DARIN
SEEING IS BELIEVING
20 Classic Performances of the Legendary Entertainer
Available for the First Time Ever on DVD
Featuring His Biggest Hits Like:
"Mack The Knife," "Dream Lover," "Splish Splash" and "Beyond The Sea"
Plus Duets With Connie Francis and Bobbie Gentry
"Of the handful of people who could do it all, nobody did it all the way Bobby Darin did. And when it came to singing, any kind of song he wanted to sing, he could sing."
- Seeing Is Believing producer, Joel Dorn
Bobby Darin--Seeing Is Believing collects 20 video performances of the legendary entertainer for the first time ever on commercial DVD release. Drawing from various television shows over the years, including The Ed Sullivan Show and Darin’s own popular variety show, Seeing Is Believing features his biggest hits including "Mack The Knife," "Splish Splash," "Beyond The Sea," "Dream Lover," "Artificial Flowers" and "If I Were A Carpenter." Also included is rare footage of Darin performing songs such as "Cry Me A River," "Work Song," "Got My Mojo Working" and "Caravan," plus duets with Connie Francis and Bobbie Gentry.
Presented at the height of his career, Darin is captured as the ever multi-dimensional artist he was: singing his heart out, playing multiple instruments, dancing, cracking jokes, covering a repertoire that ranged from Broadway to Blues to Pop hits of the day and ultimately entertaining like only he could. Sanctioned by the Bobby Darin Estate and compiled by the official Bobby Darin archivist, Jimmy Scalia, and Grammy Award-winning record producer, Joel Dorn, this second Bobby Darin installment from HYENA Records follows up the label's hugely-popular and much-acclaimed Aces Back To Back. In its sum, it achieves exactly what the title proclaims. When it comes to Bobby Darin, Seeing Is Believing producer Joel Dorn shares a few thoughts with a track by track break down of the songs:
"Work Song"
"This was a hit jazz instrumental for the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. When the great Oscar Brown Jr. added lyrics, dozens of top singers added it to their repertoires. Bobby's bare bones version is just him with a bass player and a drummer a la Peggy Lee's version of 'Fever.'"
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
"Take a Vegas big band, add a Motown rhythm feel and you've got a stunning version of Cole Porter's 'I've Got You Under My Skin.' That's some combination: Vegas, Motown and the Sultan of Sophistication--Cole Porter. Only Bobby Darin could come up with that combo, let alone pull it off."
"Mame"
"If you're dumb enough to think that songs like 'Hello Dolly' or 'Mame' are corny, you're way off base. These seemingly simple ditties are not only hard to write, they're even harder to sing. Picasso said that 'great art is the act of dealing with simplicity.' Jolson would have been proud of the way Bobby strutted this one."
"Cry Me A River"
"From Carol Channing to Julie London, Bobby goes from the ghost of the old Palace Theater into one of the great torch songs of the 1950's."
"Dream Lover"
"One of the quintessential pop records of his time and his own composition."
Duet With Bobbie Gentry: "Proud Mary," "Polk Salad Annie," and "Never Ending Song of Love"
"A long lost gem of a duet between Bobby and the extremely under-rated Bobbie Gentry. She's so much more than just the 'Ode To Billy Joe' girl. They almost melt into each other vocally. This is real singing."
"Sweet Caroline"
"Another thing Darin could do was take a song that belonged to someone else and make it his own."
"Higher & Higher"
"Nobody is ever going to be Jackie Wilson. When he did what he did, he was in a class of his own. But just like Darin did with the Neil Diamond song, here he takes Jackie's show-stopper and makes it into one for himself. Not easy to do."
"Happy"
"The next song confused me at first. It's a good song, not a great song. It's a Michel Legrand melody with Smokey Robinson lyric. What makes this so memorable is not the song, but how Bobby sang it. For me, he sang the 'blank' out of it. You can fill in the 'blank' with your own word."
"Got My Mojo Working"
"Just when you think you have him pegged, he shows you another piece of his magical puzzle. On Muddy Waters' 'Got My Mojo Working,' we get to hear Bobby Darin the musician. Real blues harmonica a la Sonny Terry and the kind of vibe playing any jazz musician would dig. Once again, only Bobby Darin could add that combo to the existing mix."
Duet With Connie Francis: "You Make Me Feel So Young"
"Another duet, this time with Connie Francis. Making goo-goo eyes at Bobbie Gentry is one thing, but with Connie Francis you could tell something was really going on. They were perfect together."
"Artificial Flowers" / "If I Were A Carpenter" / "Beyond The Sea" / "Mack The Knife"
"As the last third of the DVD come into focus, we get the hits. Each one is a fresh new version of records that remain his signature songs. Vintage wine in brand new bottles."
"Caravan"
"He takes the Duke Ellington classic to a place it'd never been before. In my thousand or so years in the music business, I've found very few singers who can sing any kind of song there is. Bobby Darin is one of those very few."
"If"
"A Bread classic and a pivotal song of the 1970's. Listen, any good singer can sing a pop song, a Broadway ballad, a blues and a country song back to back. What Darin did that separated him from the pack was that he became the songs he was singing. If he did a rock and roll song, he was a rock and roller; same with folk rock, blues, big band, show tunes or any of the other musical genres he conquered. This is another example of just how wide a path he cut in his short time on earth."
"Come Rain Or Come Shine"
"Bobby Darin's respectful bow to Ray Charles. And it's just that: a bow not a cop."
"Splish Splash"
"The version of 'Splish Splash' that ends the DVD was the final song he sang at the last taping of his TV series. Unless someone who was there told you, like Steve Blauner (Bobby's longtime manager and friend) told me, you'd never know he was at the last stages of his life. When he came off the stage that night, he was given oxygen and rushed to the hospital. But in the best tradition of 'the show must go on,' he gave that performance every last ounce of strength he had. If you watch carefully, every once in awhile you can see him shake his hands. He did it because he had very little feeling in them. That's the kind of performer he was. Call me when anyone even close to another Bobby Darin, comes down the pike. I'll be by the phone."
The Legacy of BOBBY DARIN Celebrated on ACES BACK TO BACK
A CD/DVD SET FEATURING LONG LOST CONCERT PERFORMANCES, NEVER BEFORE HEARD RADIO BROADCASTS, RARE & OUT OF PRINT STUDIO RECORDINGS AND DOCUMENTARY FILM & TELEVISION FOOTAGE
“I used to be pissed off at Bobby Darin because he changed styles so much. Now I look at him and think he was a genius.”
– Neil Young
“Darin didn't emerge from a cookie cutter mold like so many other '50s idols. He reached down inside, grabbed it, and laid it on the table. Yeah, Bobby was way real. I think he kinda slipped through the cracks though, like an autumn New York City thunderstorm that rocks the town, then slowly passes and leaves everything clean and new.”
– Brian Setzer
Teen idol, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, singer/songwriter, Vegas entertainer, multi-instrumentalist, Grammy Award-winner, comedian, Academy Award-nominated actor and television variety show host; Bobby Darin did it all. He was the consummate American artist. Only 37 when he passed away, Darin left behind a body of work that most performers could only hope to accomplish in a full lifetime. On September 14th, HYENA Records will celebrate Bobby Darin’s legacy with the release of Aces Back To Back. The CD/DVD set will include Darin performing his biggest hits along with the most comprehensive collection of Darin rarities ever released. Included are long lost concert recordings, previously unreleased radio broadcasts, out-of-print studio sessions and vintage film and television footage.
Aces Back To Back was compiled in conjunction with The Bobby Darin Estate. It is produced by Grammy Award-winning record producer, Joel Dorn, co-produced by Bobby Darin’s official archivist, Jimmy Scalia, and executive produced by Darin’s longtime manager, Steve Blauner. Together, they’ve mined countless hours of Darin material in hopes of presenting a definitive overview of the artist’s one-of-a-kind, iconic talent. In doing so, they’ve also written a timeless love letter to a musical hero, offering the opportunity for Darin’s legacy to be rediscovered by a new generation of music lovers.
“This is the first time that all the different pieces that made Bobby Darin who and what he was have been put together in one package,” states Dorn. “Not only do you get to hear him, but you get to see him, as well. The title says it all. It’s aces back to back, all left hooks and no filler.”
Aces Back To Back begins with seven songs from Bobby Darin’s television variety series that first hit airwaves in July 1972. Darin is captured in classic showbiz mode performing a combination of his own hits such as “Beyond The Sea,” along with the pop music of the day, including “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” “Alone Again Naturally” and “Dream,” sung as a duet with Petula Clark.
Darin’s introspective side as both a singer/songwriter and a folk rock stylist is captured with “live” versions of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,”Tim Hardin’s “If I Were A Carpenter” and his own “Simple Song of Freedom,” culled from a long out-of-print 1971 “live” album.
Among the rare studio recordings featured, “Jive” and “Long Time Movin’” stem from Darin’s Big Sur sessions in the late ‘60s that only momentarily saw the light of day on his own short lived Direction record label. They’re instant classics based on easy swinging country grooves, with simple but brilliant lyrics, which encompass the outsider spirit of the day. Another standout is the inclusion of the rare studio demo of “Dream Lover” that would go on to become a smash hit for Darin.
Last, but not least, are the storied “Milk Recordings.” They are among the only known Bobby Darin performances in a traditional jazz vocal setting. Originally broadcast as a five minute, five day a week radio series for the American Dairy Association, Darin is spellbinding as he sings “Blue Skies,” “Moon River” and “All The Way.” They're just one more example on Aces Back To Back of Darin at the absolute height of his powers, showcasing an unlimited ability as a singer in any musical setting.
The DVD component of Aces Back To Back includes segments from the aforementioned Bobby Darin television variety show that aired in the early ‘70s. The highlight, however, is raw, black and white footage from a never before seen documentary that Darin was making about his own life. It’s narrated by George Burns and chronicles Darin’s comeback from a three year self-imposed exile from performing. The story is compelling as Darin, the multi-faceted, multi-talented captain of his own ship, comes to grips with his fears.
Aces Back To Back signals the rediscovery of Bobby Darin, one of the most underrated artists of the 20th century. Presenting his vast artistry in stunning clarity, with not only the hits, but lesser known yet equally brilliant material, it’s clear that the magnitude of Darin’s legacy is worthy of renewed celebration. Quotes from Neil Young, Johnny Depp, Doc Pomus, Dion, Roger McGuinn, Danny Aiello, Tim Rice and Brian Setzer make perfectly clear just how influential his life’s work truly was. In addition, Beyond The Sea: The Bobby Darin Story, a full-length feature film biopic on Darin, produced, directed and starring Kevin Spacey, hit movie theaters nationwide on November 24th, 2004. As Darin convincingly sings on Aces Back To Back’s opening number, “This Could Be the Start of Something Big.”
"At the end of it, there's just one point I wanted to get across," concludes Dorn. "Bobby Darin was one of the greatest entertainers and singers of the 20th century. He's never gotten even close to his due. I hope in some way, Aces Back To Back, helps move the process along."
