Various - Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:07
Size: 135.4 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Bobby Darin - Hello, Young Lovers
[3:11] 2. Jo Stafford - Some Enchanted Evening
[3:07] 3. Ray Anthony - The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[3:12] 4. Peggy Lee - Something Wonderful
[2:57] 5. Jeff Alexander Singers - Medley Happy Talk-Honey Bun
[2:56] 6. Helen O'connell - No Other Love
[2:44] 7. Al Martino - If I Loved You
[1:56] 8. Nancy Wilson - People Will Say We're In Love
[3:09] 9. The Andrews Sisters - Younger Than Springtime
[1:59] 10. Bobby Darin - Love Look Away
[2:49] 11. Jo Stafford - The Gentleman Is A Dope
[2:45] 12. The Starlighters - I Whistle A Happy Tune
[2:11] 13. Peggy Lee - I Enjoy Being A Girl
[1:58] 14. Tennessee Ernie Ford - My Favorite Things
[2:46] 15. Margaret Whiting - A Wonderful Guy
[3:06] 16. Dick Haymes - It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:32] 17. Nancy Wilson - Getting To Know You
[3:30] 18. Vic Damone - The Sound Of Music
[4:06] 19. Judy Garland - You'll Never Walk Alone
[5:12] 20. Sinfonia Of London - The Carousel Waltz

For nostalgia buffs and fans of the American popular song hit parade, here's a blast directly out of "this was your life": 20 tracks from the good old days of pop-cum-jazz via the Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein songbook bring you such talented -- but ultimately soft-soap -- singers as Peggy Lee, Al Martino, Vic Damone, and Judy Garland, vocal groups the Andrews Sisters and the Starlighters, a jazzier young Nancy Wilson, and the much hipper Bobby Darin. The funniest number is Jo Stafford's "The Gentleman Is a Dope," the weirdest is Tennessee Ernie Ford doing "My Favorite Things," and the most out-of-context cut is the finale by the Sinfonia of London? Quaintness and reverence for the old days does have an appeal, albeit limited in modern times, so if you wax poetic for this type of show tunes and don't have these artists in your home, this could fill the bill. ~Michael G. Nastos

Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

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Bobby Darin - The Legendary Bobby Darin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:30
Size: 150.0 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock/Jazz vocals
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[2:06] 1. Once In A Lifetime
[2:24] 2. More
[1:46] 3. Charade
[4:23] 4. Beyond The Sea
[1:33] 5. As Long As I'm Singing
[3:32] 6. Mack The Knife
[2:06] 7. On The Street Where You Live
[3:13] 8. Hello, Dolly!
[3:00] 9. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[2:23] 10. The Good Life
[1:55] 11. I Got Rhythm
[2:43] 12. Oh! Look At Me Now
[2:48] 13. Moon River
[2:24] 14. You're The Reason I'm Living
[2:03] 15. Call Me Irresponsible
[2:22] 16. Goodbye, Charlie
[2:54] 17. Softly, As I Leave You
[2:33] 18. Venice Blue
[2:20] 19. If A Man Answers
[2:17] 20. 18 Yellow Roses
[2:19] 21. If I Were A Carpenter
[3:11] 22. Hits Medley Splish Splash 22. Beyond The Sea Artificial Flowers Clementine
[5:00] 23. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher
[4:03] 24. The Curtain Falls

In a recording career lasting 17 years, Bobby Darin spent only three of those years, 1962-1965, signed to Capitol Records. They were busy years for him in the recording studio: he released seven Capitol LPs, five of which made the charts, and 11 Capitol singles, eight of which entered the Billboard Hot 100, two of those, the self-written, country-styled "You're the Reason I'm Living" and "18 Yellow Roses," reaching the Top Ten. Still, his relatively brief Capitol sojourn was not as memorable as his two stints at Atlantic Records, 1958-1961 (on the Atco subsidiary) and 1966-1967, which accounted for his eight other Top Ten hits, including the chart-topping "Mack the Knife." Naturally, however, Capitol has re-compiled its Darin catalog several times over the years, starting with 1966's deceptively titled The Best of Bobby Darin. In 2004, with a film biography and two book biographies imminent, Capitol tried again, and The Legendary Bobby Darin is the label's longest and most comprehensive attempt at a Darin compilation yet, topping out at 70-plus minutes and covering the stylistic bases of the singer's eclectic dabbling in rock & roll (the title song from his 1962 movie If a Man Answers), country (the hits noted above), folk-rock (the Atlantic recording of the Top Ten hit "If I Were a Carpenter"), and, of course, traditional pop. The last actually dominates the collection, with Darin, employing such arrangers as Frank Sinatra stalwart Billy May, turning in his versions of early-'60s show tunes and movie themes like "Once in a Lifetime," "Moon River," and "Hello, Dolly!" To give the collection the appearance of a more complete hits set, live versions of the Atco hits "Beyond the Sea" and "Mack the Knife" have been included, and the album concludes with two previously unreleased live cuts, both recorded in Las Vegas in 1963, the first a hits medley and the other a version of "The Curtain Falls." The result is a respectable effort that still represents only a slice of Darin's recording career.~William Ruhlmann

The Legendary Bobby Darin       

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Bobby Darin - Things: The Bobby Darin Singles Collection 1956-1962

Size: 181,8+188,0 MB
Time: 76:38+79:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Rock Island Line (2:52)
02. Timber (2:10)
03. Silly Willy (2:26)
04. Blue-Eyed Mermaid (2:13)
05. Hear Them Bells (2:25)
06. The Greatest Builder (2:44)
07. Dealer In Dreams (2:54)
08. Help Me (2:38)
09. I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store) (2:01)
10. Talk To Me Something (2:16)
11. Don't Call My Name (2:00)
12. Pretty Betty (1:54)
13. Just In Case You Change Your Mind (2:06)
14. So Mean (2:36)
15. Splish Splash (2:11)
16. Judy, Don't Be Moody (2:15)
17. Early In The Morning (2:15)
18. Now We're One (2:12)
19. Queen Of The Hop (2:09)
20. Lost Love (2:22)
21. Mighty, Mighty Man (1:37)
22. You're Mine (2:06)
23. Plain Jane (1:53)
24. While I'm Gone (1:54)
25. Dream Lover (2:30)
26. Bullmoose (2:27)
27. Mack The Knife (3:06)
28. Was There A Call For Me (3:06)
29. La Mer (Beyond The Sea) (2:53)
30. That's The Way Love Is (2:59)
31. Clementine (3:12)
32. Tall Story (2:00)

CD 2:
01. She's Tanfastic! (2:14)
02. Moment Of Love (2:19)
03. Down With Love (2:55)
04. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (2:04)
05. I'll Be There (2:07)
06. Beachcomber (2:21)
07. Autumn Blues (2:13)
08. That's How It Went, All Right (3:32)
09. Artificial Flowers (3:23)
10. Somebody To Love (2:15)
11. Christmas Auld Lang Syne (2:42)
12. Child Of God (1:59)
13. Lazy River (2:39)
14. Oo-Ee Train (2:12)
15. Nature Boy (2:32)
16. Look For My True Love (1:56)
17. Come September (2:41)
18. Walk Bach To Me (2:34)
19. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby (2:13)
20. Sorrow Tomorrow (2:28)
21. Irresistible You (2:39)
22. Multiplication (2:15)
23. What'd I Say, Pt.1 & Pt. 2 (4:04)
24. Ain't That Love (3:02)
25. Things (2:32)
26. Jailer, Bring Me Water (2:28)
27. If A Man Answers (2:20)
28. A True, True, Love (2:25)
29. Baby Face (2:05)
30. You Know How (2:04)
31. I Found A New Baby (2:08)
32. Keep-A-Walking (1:47)

This 2CD set anthologises Bobby Darin's singles releases between 1956-1962, and includes two rare-as-hens-teeth promo's, and a couple of equally rare UK-only B-sides.

Darin was by far the classiest, most versatile singer of his era, and carved out parallel careers as an R&R singer, a teen idol and an interpreter/updater of show tunes, and what is now referred to as The Great American Songbook. 30 of the titles on this 64-track compilation were major US and/or UK chart records.

Includes R&R hits like 'Splish Splash', 'Early In The Morning', 'Queen Of The Hop', 'Mighty, Mighty Man', 'Plain Jane' and 'Dream Lover', alongside finger-snapping hit revivals of 'Mack The Knife', 'La Mer', 'Clementine', 'Bill Bailey', 'Lazy River', 'Nature Boy', 'You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby', and 'Baby Face'.

Plus classy mainstream Pop hits like 'I'll Be There', 'Artificial Flowers', 'Somebody To Love', 'Sorrow Tomorrow', 'Irresistible You', 'Multiplication', 'Things' and 'If A Man Answers', and finally, even R&B, viz his cover of Ray Charles' 'What'd I Say'.

The promo's and many of the rarer B-sides on this collection are exceptionally hard to find elsewhere on CD.

Things CD 1
Things CD 2

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Bobby Darin - Darin 1936-1973 (Expanded Edition)

Size: 168,4 MB
Time: 71:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1974/2017
Styles: Pop Rock
Art: Front

01. I Won't Last A Day Without You (3:55)
02. Wonderin' Where It's Gonna End (2:29)
03. Sail Away (3:35)
04. Another Song On My Mind (4:36)
05. Happy (Love Theme From Lady Sings The Blues) (5:33)
06. Blue Monday (2:21)
07. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (3:32)
08. The Letter (2:26)
09. If I Were A Carpenter (Live From The Desert Inn 1971) (3:24)
10. Moritat (Mack The Knife) (Live From The Desert Inn 1971) (3:27)
11. Happy (Love Theme From Lady Sings The Blues) (4:08)
12. Simple Song Of Freedom (Alternate Mix) (4:11)
13. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Alternate Mix) (3:32)
14. I Won't Last A Day Without You (Alternate Version) (3:42)
15. Wonderin' Where It's Gonna End (Alternate Version) (2:34)
16. Happy (Love Theme From Lady Sings The Blues Single Version) (6:03)
17. Blue Monday (Alternate Version) (2:33)
18. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Alternate Version) (3:38)
19. Melodie (2:48)
20. Someday We'll Be Together (2:59)

Motown released Darin 1936-1973 two months after the future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's death in December of 1973. The ten-track LP (and second on Motown) contains some rare Bobby Darin material. Because of its purpose (grieving), this is one of the few depressing Bobby Darin records, lacking the hopeful romance and joyful concepts that characterized his other releases. Darin 1936-1973 also takes on a haunting, biographical depth, beginning with the heartbreaking "I Won't Last a Day Without You." Its sentiment runs though the LP: "When there is no getting over that rainbow/when my smallest of dreams won't come true/I can take all the madness the world has to give/but I won't last a day without you." Darin 1936-1973 celebrates the artist's life and love of music, especially its ability to convey emotion and connect with a listener. Highlights include "Happy" (the love theme from Lady Sings the Blues), "The Letter," and Randy Newman's "Sail Away." The only Darin original is the folky "Another Song on My Mind." Darin 1936-1973 reflects some of Bobby Darin's most important influences: R&B (Fats Domino's "Blue Monday") and politics (Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright"). Collectors should take note that the live versions of "Mack the Knife" and "If I Were a Carpenter" from the Desert Inn are different than those on the Live at the Desert Inn release. Overall, because the material here is largely non-hit covers, this is a record for the die-hard fans. While Darin 1936-1973 is the most somber Bobby Darin LP, it is also a fitting end to his career, focusing on the singer/songwriter he became late in his life.

Darin 1936-1973

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Various - Capitol Sings Hollywood

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:43
Size: 134.4 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[2:57] 1. Betty Hutton - Stuff Like That There
[2:56] 2. Bob Manning - That Old Feeling
[2:41] 3. Bobby Darin - There's A Rainbow 'round My Shoulder
[1:53] 4. Dakota Staton - On Green Dolphin Street
[2:17] 5. Dean Martin - Louise
[3:01] 6. Ethel Ennis - My Foolish Heart
[3:04] 7. Johnny Mercer - If I Had A Talking Picture Of You
[3:13] 8. Julie London - It Could Happen To You
[2:39] 9. June Christy - They Can't Take That Away From Me
[3:29] 10. June Hutton - My Baby Just Cares For Me
[3:12] 11. Keely Smith - When Your Lover Has Gone
[2:48] 12. Lena Horne - Singin' In The Rain
[2:46] 13. Mark Murphy - Put The Blame On Mame
[3:11] 14. Mel Tormé - Again
[4:02] 15. Nancy Wilson - But Beautiful
[2:54] 16. Nat King Cole - Smile
[3:07] 17. Peggy Lee - Stormy Weather
[4:17] 18. Sue Raney - I Remember You
[2:06] 19. Trudy Richards - You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
[2:00] 20. Vic Damone - Stella By Starlight

Capitol Records has one of the most distinctive buildings in Los Angeles and if a movie shows the city begin destroyed by aliens or tornadoes it usually involves the destruction of the round building that bears the company's name. Capitol was founded by songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, the first major label on the West Coast competing with New York City's Columbia, Decca and RCA-Victor. Starting with artists like Paul Whiteman and Martha Tilton, by the end of the decade the label was recording Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Les Brown, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra. While the works of Crosby and Sinatra are exempt from the Capitol Sings series, you will always find familiar singers singing familiar songs, as with the title track sung by Lena Horne, as often as you hear unfamiliar songs sung by forgotten singers, such as Ethel Ennis singing "My Foolish Heart."

"Captiol Sings Hollywood" is Volume 20 in the series and one brings together twenty tracks representing a particular venue (e.g., Broadway) instead of a specific songwriter (e.g., Irving Berlin). Just be aware that if a song originated in a Broadway show that was made into a Hollywood musical then it is exempt from being included in this collection. That would explain why you may well be unfamiliar with most of these twenty songs. "Singin' in the Rain" and "Stormy Weather" are recognizable classics, and the same should be said for Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," sung here by Nat King Cole in one of the best tracks on the album. and June Christy's swing version of "They Can't Take That Away From Me." But after that you may recognize singers like Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Mel Torme more than "Louise," "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder," and "Again." Still you will find a few new little gems on this album, what with Sarah Vaughn's "I Remember You" and Nancy Murphy's saucy "Put the Blame on Mame." That last is from the movie "Gilda" (I mention this because I was drawing blanks on the vast majority of these tracks as to what movies they were culled from and this one immediately jumped to my mind, as did the fact that Anita Ellis sang it for Rita Haywroth).

Despite the unfamiliar songs this is still an enjoyable album, even if it is a lesser one by the standard of the Capitol Sings series. But if you like one of these albums you will certainly enjoy the rest of them. Final Note: On this album Peggy Lee sings Harold Arlen's "Stormy Weather," but on the "Over the Rainbow: Capitol Sings Harold Arlen" the song is sung by Keely Smith. So even when a song by a particular composer or lyricist shows up on more than one album, you will find different cover versions on each album. Again, this simply reflects how deep the Capitol vault is when it comes to these songs. ~Lawrence Bernabo

Capitol Sings Hollywood

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Various - Capitol Sings Around The World: Far Away Places

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:01
Size: 132.8 MB
Styles: Vocal pop
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. Nat King Cole - Around The World
[3:18] 2. Lena Horne - I Love Paris
[3:08] 3. The Andrews Sisters - Tulip Time
[2:18] 4. Vic Damone - The Moon Of Manakoora
[2:16] 5. Dakota Staton - A Foggy Day
[3:16] 6. Dean Martin - Canadian Sunset
[3:24] 7. Bing Crosby - New Vienna Woods
[2:39] 8. The Dinning Sisters - Brazil
[2:30] 9. Bobby Darin - Sunday In New York
[1:54] 10. Kay Starr - On A Slow Boat To China
[2:11] 11. Nancy Wilson - The Boy From Ipanema
[3:07] 12. Peggy Lee - Bali Ha'i
[2:47] 13. The Four Freshmen - Frenesi
[2:54] 14. Dinah Shore - April In Paris
[3:12] 15. The Andrews Sisters - The Japanese Sandman
[4:45] 16. Nat King Cole - A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[2:49] 17. June Christy - A Night In Tunisia
[2:39] 18. Dean Martin - Arrivederci Roma
[3:13] 19. Margaret Whiting - Far Away Places
[3:01] 20. The King Sisters - Aloha Oe (Hawaiian Farewell Song)

Capitol Sings Around The World: Far Away Places

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Bobby Darin - The Ultimate Bobby Darin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:53
Size: 95.9 MB
Styles: Vocal, Traditional pop
Year: 1988/2004
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. Splish Splash
[2:11] 2. Queen Of The Hop
[1:54] 3. Plain Jane
[2:29] 4. Dream Lover
[3:02] 5. Mack The Knife
[3:12] 6. Clementine
[2:04] 7. Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey
[2:32] 8. Lazy River
[2:08] 9. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
[2:32] 10. Irresistable You
[2:15] 11. Multiplication
[2:30] 12. Things
[2:11] 13. I'll Be There
[2:14] 14. Early In The Morning
[3:17] 15. Artificial Flowers
[2:10] 16. Somebody To Love
[2:54] 17. Beyond The Sea

At the time of its release in 1988, The Ultimate Bobby Darin was arguably the most thorough single-disc compilation available. And for range and selection it remains the most thorough single-disc retrospective of the legendary singer, effectively capturing the stunning range of his unique musical vision. Each of its 17 songs is a gem. Included are "Splish Splash," "Dream Lover," "Mack the Knife," and "Beyond the Sea," as well as "Somebody to Love" and "I'll Be There," which don't appear on The Hit Singles Collection. For sound quality, however, both this release and the early-'90s retrospectives Splish Splash: The Best of Bobby Darin, Vol. 1 and Mack the Knife: The Best of Bobby Darin, Vol. 2 have been supplanted by the more recent Hit Singles Collection and other post-2000 releases of his Atlantic catalog. ~Bruce Eder

The Ultimate Bobby Darin

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Bobby Darin - The Swinging Side Of Bobby Darin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 31:02

Size: 71.1 MB

Styles: Vocal pop

Year: 2005

Art: Front

[1:56] 1. I Got Rhythm

[2:19] 2. I'm Beginning To See The Light

[1:47] 3. I'm Sitting On Top Of The World

[2:44] 4. There's A Rainbow 'round My Shoulder

[2:56] 5. Fly Me To The Moon

[1:56] 6. All Of You

[2:54] 7. Hello, Young Lovers

[2:42] 8. Just In Time

[2:07] 9. This Nearly Was Mine

[2:49] 10. Make Someone Happy

[2:11] 11. I Wanna Be Around

[2:09] 12. On The Street Where You Live

[2:26] 13. The Good Life

During the early '60s, the Capitol Tower had begun to lose its luster as the home of traditional pop. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin had departed for Reprise, which soon became the home of pop with recordings from Sinatra and Martin plus Sammy Davis, Jr. One of Capitol's counter moves was to sign Atco's Bobby Darin, who had started as a teen idol but, thanks to his smashes "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea," crossed over to adult audiences. Darin boasted additional appeal thanks to his knockout club act and a series of film appearances (five in 1962 alone) that eventually earned him an Academy Award nomination. It seemed like a natural fit. Unfortunately, Darin never filled the shoes of Sinatra or even Martin. As his Atco period displayed, he was much better when he introduced material. Unlike most jazz singers, he wasn't a standards singer at heart and couldn't bring anything fresh to his readings of "Fly Me to the Moon," "All of You," or "I Got Rhythm." The Swinging Side of Bobby Darin, released to coincide with the 2004 Darin bio-pic Beyond the Sea, presents a short program of Darin's jazz sides recorded at Capitol. (Since Darin was even then moving into folk-pop, few of these songs were even released at the time.) Capitol initially paired him with Billy May, an obvious choice for arranger, and the results certainly fit the bill for swinging in the '60s. Before long, however, Darin had left behind the world of traditional pop, and Capitol never recouped its investment. ~John Bush

The Swingin' Side Of Bobby Darin   

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Bobby Darin - That's All

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:16
Size: 78.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1959/2007
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Mack The Knife
[2:52] 2. Beyond The Sea
[2:35] 3. Through A Long And Sleepless Night
[2:30] 4. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[3:27] 5. She Needs Me
[3:18] 6. It Ain't Necessarily So
[2:19] 7. I'll Remember April
[2:59] 8. That's The Way Love Is
[3:06] 9. Was There A Call For Me
[2:39] 10. Some Of These Days
[3:25] 11. Where Is The One
[2:00] 12. That's All

That's All, Bobby Darin's second LP, is his most important record. Darin's reputation as a teen idol was established in 1958 and 1959 with the Top Ten hits "Splish Splash," "Dream Lover," and "Queen of the Hop." Later in 1959, That's All broadened his appeal and secured his immortality. The LP begins with Darin's trademark song, Threepenny Opera's "Mack the Knife" which was number one for an impressive nine weeks. That's All won Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Best New Singer. In his first attempt to select more mature material, Darin chose songs like Ira and George Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" from Porgy and Bess and the Hammerstein song "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise." That's All is an album of pop standards but also includes the Top Ten hit "Beyond the Sea." Much is made of Frank Sinatra's band leader Billy May, but Richard Wess shines on Darin's early LPs. His orchestration in "I'll Remember April" is a brassy and swinging success. That's All might not be a new fan's first Darin purchase. However, it is an important release in the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's career. This LP proves that not every rocker suffers the "sophomore slump." [That's All was on the Billboard charts for 52 weeks and peaked at number seven.] ~JT Griffith

That's All

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Bobby Darin - Twist With Bobby Darin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:00
Size: 59.5 MB
Styles: Pop-rock
Year: 1961/2004
Art: Front

[2:28] 1. Bullmoose
[2:14] 2. Early In The Morning
[1:37] 3. Mighty Mighty Man
[2:04] 4. You Know How
[2:16] 5. Somebody To Love
[2:15] 6. Multiplication
[2:31] 7. Irresistible You
[2:10] 8. Queen Of The Hop
[2:08] 9. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
[1:56] 10. Keep A Walkin'
[2:05] 11. Pity Miss Kitty
[2:10] 12. I Ain't Sharin' Sharon

Twist with Bobby Darin was released in mono and stereo in December of 1961 and peaked at number 48 on the Billboard charts, remaining there for 31 weeks. The dance album is a collection of rock songs, all of which have backbeat suitable for, obviously, twisting. An amazing seven of the twelve songs from Twist with Bobby Darin were included on The Best of Bobby Darin, Vol. 1 and the remaining five are on Rare Rockin' & Unreleased. That so many of the songs from this record are part of Darin's "best" does not mean that this is his best album. In fact, Twist with Bobby Darin was something of a stop-gap album. For Teenagers Only was released in September of 1960 and failed to chart. Five of the songs from that LP ("Keep a Walkin," "You Know How," "Somebody to Love," "I Ain't Sharin Sharon," "Pity Miss Kitty") were included on Twist for some reason, meaning that only seven of the songs were new. The new tunes, however, were among his strongest. The entire first side (and first six songs) are all Bobby Darin compositions. Darin had not released his own songs in a few years and maybe Atco was not sure they would sell records themselves. Side two included the hit "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" which was written by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren. ~JT Griffith

Twist With Bobby Darin

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Various - Puttin' On The Ritz: Capitol Sings Irving Berlin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:03
Size: 158.1 MB
Styles: Vocal, Traditional pop, Easy Listening
Year: 1992/2007
Art: Front

[1:11] 1. Mary Martin, John Raitt - There's No Business Like Show Business
[1:47] 2. Judy Garland - Puttin' On The Ritz
[1:59] 3. Vic Damone - Marie
[3:19] 4. Dinah Shore - The Song Is Ended
[2:31] 5. Crew Chiefs - Heat Wave
[2:32] 6. Dick Haymes - Isn't This A Lovely Day
[2:31] 7. The Starlighters - Play A Simple Melody
[3:01] 8. Nat King Cole - What'll I Do
[3:07] 9. Bobby Darin - All By Myself
[4:39] 10. Nancy Wilson - You Can Have Him
[2:27] 11. Gordon MacRae - Steppin' Out With My Baby
[3:23] 12. Kay Starr - You're Just In Love
[3:08] 13. Andy Russell - Easter Parade
[2:30] 14. Johnny Mercer - Alexander's Ragtime Band
[2:44] 15. Peggy Lee - Cheek To Cheek
[2:37] 16. The Four Freshmen - Be Careful, It's My Heart
[2:50] 17. Betty Hutton - Blue Skies
[3:23] 18. Ian Bernard - How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:23] 19. Nat King Cole - Let's Face The Music And Dance
[3:27] 20. Sue Raney - How About Me
[2:25] 21. Vic Damone - Change Partners
[2:41] 22. Dean Martin - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
[3:00] 23. Jo Stafford - White Christmas
[2:33] 24. Gordon MacRae - Always
[2:43] 25. Margaret Whiting - God Bless America

The songs of Irving Berlin are I-beams in the towering edifice of 20th century popular music. This sampler of predominately pop recordings from the Capitol catalog may serve as both a grab bag of enjoyable entertainments and a useful introduction to some of this composer's nicest tunes. Each of the 25 tracks perfectly illustrates the essence of a given song, and would be especially useful for anyone seeking to learn the rudimentary contours. Jazz is only marginally represented here, in spite of the fact that jazz grew up on Irving Berlin's often jazz-inspired melodies, many of which survive today primarily as jazz standards. Certainly jazz is manifested in Nat King Cole (with both trio and big band), Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mercer and bandleaders Red Norvo and Billy May. Several ex-big-band singers are in the mix, including Peggy Lee and Kay Starr. Jo Stafford sings like an angel, Dinah Shore's gentle rendering of "The Song Is Ended" comes across as a marvel of sensitivity, and Betty Hutton's handling of "Blue Skies" is among her prettiest performances on record. The timeline represented here (1944-1963) almost exactly traces the golden age of the post-WWII, pre-Beatles star pop vocalists. The core sample contains measurable amounts of Judy Garland, Mary Martin, Margaret Whiting, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Gordon MacRae, Dick Haymes and Vic Damone, as well as pearly white group vocals by the Starlighters, the Crew Chiefs, the Pied Pipers and the Four Freshmen. ~arwulf arwulf

Puttin' On The Ritz: Capitol Sings Irving Berlin

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Bobby Darin - It's You Or No One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:00
Size: 75.5 MB
Styles: Pop-rock, Vocal
Year: 1963/2004
Art: Front

[3:20] 1. It's You Or No One
[2:36] 2. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
[2:06] 3. Not Mine
[2:21] 4. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
[1:57] 5. I've Never Been In Love Before
[2:12] 6. All Or Nothing At All
[3:55] 7. Only One Little Item
[2:47] 8. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[2:54] 9. How About Me
[2:44] 10. I'll Be Around
[2:40] 11. All I Do Is Cry
[3:24] 12. I Guess I'm Good For Nothing But The Blues

It's You or No One is a strange album in Bobby Darin's catalog. For some reason, the record was recorded in 1960 but held for three years before its June 1963 release. It is another concept record for Darin, with one side filled with upbeat songs arranged by Torrie Zito and the other with more moody tunes done by Bobby Scott. The "up" side contains tracks written by Johnny Mercer and Frank Loesser, while the "down" side has tunes by Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, and Libby Holden. Like Love Swings, It's You or No One is upbeat first and melancholy "the morning after." This record was actually recorded before Love Swings but released after it, making it a follow-up to its own follow-up. Either way, the two make a great pair of conceptual love albums. Six songs from It's You or No One are unavailable on CD, and most of the ones that are can only be found on the hard-to-find Readers Digest CD box bet. Thus, It's You or No One is a must own for collectors. Standout tracks include "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," and "I've Never Been in Love Before" (which will excite fans of "More"). Familiar territory for Darin, but filled with moving, solid interpretations. ~JT Griffifth

It's You Or No One

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Bobby Darin - Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 35:57
Size: 82.3 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962/2004
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. What'd I Say
[6:31] 2. I Got A Woman
[1:51] 3. Tell All The World About You
[2:47] 4. Tell Me How Do You Feel
[2:34] 5. My Bonnie
[3:25] 6. The Right Time
[2:49] 7. Hallelujah I Lover Her So
[3:13] 8. Leave My Woman Alone
[2:55] 9. Ain't That Love
[3:20] 10. Drown In My Own Tears
[2:23] 11. That's Enough

`I'm proud to say that I was on the Ray Charles bandwagon when it was just a baby-carriage; even before the first album came out I was listening to his single releases. ~B. Darin

Released in March of 1962, Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles was his second-to-last for Atco. The tribute to one of the musicians who had most influenced him included 11 solid covers. The album peaked at number 96 and stayed on Billboard's charts for 11 weeks. The opening song, "What'd I Say," earned Darin a Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. In addition to the rocking "What'd I Say," standouts include the swinging testament to love, "I Got a Woman," "Ain't That Love," and "Hallelujah I Love Her So." The original liner note to Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles declares that "from the first plangent phrases by Darin, you realize that this will be no Broadway blues pastiche, no Waldorf-Astoria silk blouse folk-music." This album highlights both the depths of Darin's talents and the depth of his love for rhythm and blues. In fact, Darin once said, "I'm proud to say that I was on the Ray Charles bandwagon when it was jut a baby carriage. In fact, two singers -- Fats Domino and Ray Charles -- opened up my ears to a whole new world, different from anything I'd heard until then. They both became major influences when I realized these are the roots." A listener can debate if these covers are as good as the originals (could they be?) but not the authenticity that jumps off the turntable. All of the small details are here: the simple beauty of Jimmy Haskell's arrangements, the sax solos by Plas Johnson and Nnino Tempo, and even the backup vocals of the Blossoms, who were the mid-1950s version of the Raylettes. Eight of the 11 songs are Charles originals, and all are from his early career, before he evolved from the blues to the Tin Pan Alley sounds. Darin, reflecting on Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles, said "Making this album was one of the biggest kicks of my life." With one listen to this you will feel the same. ~JT Griffith

Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles

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