ALBUM: Bobby Darin, ‘Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years’
Bobby Darin may have only lived for 37 years, but in that short lifespan, he managed to cram as many musical genres as possible into his catalog. He began his career during the bee-bop, bobby-sox period of rock ‘n’ roll in the late ‘50s, then became a smooth Sinatra-esque crooner of big-band compositions. He recorded country and folk albums, and then — inspired by the free-love movement of the late ‘60s (as well as the assassination of his good friend, Bobby Kennedy) — he reinvented himself as somewhat of a hippie, clad in denim and performing self-composed songs that spoke of social justice and peace. As a naturally gifted musical chameleon, Darin wasn’t trying to “find himself” or be a show-off like so many other artists often do; he simply lived and breathed music.
Thanks to the evolving nature of his career, Darin fans like myself have a satisfying amount of material to savor. But the one period of his musical legacy that had previously been a little difficult for us to gain full access to was the work he recorded for Berry Gordy’s Motown Records. The one and only album Darin recorded for the label was the self-titled 1972 LP Bobby Darin, which was previously never issued on CD. Now, with the release earlier this year of Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years, that oversight has been rectified.
With this double CD set from Real Gone Music, we’re also treated to all of the songs from a posthumous album that music producer Bob Crewe issued after Darin’s that was simply titled Bobby Darin: 1936-1973. All of the singles that Darin released at the time for Motown are also included. Darin would have celebrated his 80th birthday this month, but its his fans who that are receiving the present.
At the time the songs on Another Song on My Mind were recorded, Darin had changed course in his professional direction once again and had ditched the jeans and mustache that had brought him boos of disapproval during his concert performances of the late ’60s in favor of his old tux. He met audiences in the middle by including his trademark hits such as “Mack the Knife,” “Beyond the Sea,” “Splish Splash,” and more in sets while also keeping abreast of the latest songwriters and chart-toppers. During this time, he also was headlining his own TV variety show, often performing the latest hits.
Another Song on My Mind shows that Darin appreciated some of the best songwriters who defined the early ‘70s: Paul Williams, Cat Stevens, and Randy Newman are covered here. The first CD opens with the Newman composition “Sail Away,” which is sung from the point of view of a slave trader tricking people into sailing to America with the promises of a land where “every man is free” and there’s plenty of “watermelon and buckwheat” to eat. Darin was no stranger to Newman’s often sarcastic, humorous style, having collaborated with him before in the mid ’60s. On “Sail Away,” however, Darin makes the song his own and convincingly sells it — or maybe he’s convincingly singing the part of the slaver.
Another gem on this CD set is “Happy,” or the love theme to the 1972 Billie Holliday biopic Lady Sings the Blues, which starred Diana Ross. What makes this track so bittersweet is that it was Darin’s last-issued single before his death. Film composer Michel LeGrand wrote the melody, which Smokey Robinson then set to music. Speaking of Robinson, the liner notes from the CD set’s booklet include a substantial interview with Robinson about his working relationship with Darin. Interestingly, in 1973, Darin planned on recording a few of Robinson’s songs, but sadly, that didn’t happen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io3Hh2y6JLY
With his signature versatile style, Darin navigates easily through the ballads and more upbeat tempos: “I’ve Already Stayed Too Long,” “Something In Her Love,” and John Denver’s country-twinged “Shipmates in Cheyenne” attest to this on the first disc, as does the somber tale of “Average People,” written by George S. Clinton about what often becomes of a lot of married people.
The rollicking Fats Domino tune “Blue Monday” is also nicely covered here, with Darin putting his own enthusiastic stamp on it. Another treat is a dreamy, slowed-down, slightly psychedelic-sounding version of the Box Tops’ hit “The Letter.” Meanwhile, the Everly Brothers’ “Let It Be Me” gets a sweeping, trumpet-punctuated backdrop. For those seeking a few of Darin’s hits, there’s a few included on disc two: “Moritat (Mack the Knife),” “Simple Song of Freedom,” and Tim Hardin’s “If I Were A Carpenter.”
Despite many of the tracks on this set having been recorded in between Darin’s health problems and subsequent heart surgeries (the result of being battered by rheumatic fever as a child), his vocals throughout the CDs are as magnificent as ever. In fact, a listener unfamiliar with Darin’s physical struggles would be blissfully unaware that there was ever anything wrong with him — right up until near death, it seems, he was still turning out strong performances.
My only complaint with this compilation is the repetition of songs on the two discs — “Sail Away” accounts for three tracks because it originally appeared on both Bobby Darin and Bobby Darin: 1936-1973, plus the original single version is included in this set. This happens with “I Won’t Last A Day Without You” and “Happy” as well. Even for a diehard Darin fan such as myself, I felt it was overkill for the sake of providing the two complete albums.
But that’s a minor complaint for a double CD set that proves that right up until the last few months of his life, Darin’s moxie was still well intact. He may have been young when he left us, but his body of work he created in his lifetime never fails to delight his fans.
Get your copy of Another Song on My Mind from the Real Gone Music online shop!
