Bobby Darin, Jack Lawrence, and Beyond The Sea (new interview)

Bobby Darin Song File: Lyricist Jack Lawrence goes "Beyond The Sea"
"One day at the publisher's offices I ran into a new young singer with a distinctive style," explains Lawrence. "He was brash and a bit cocky, but rather refreshing, and his name was Bobby Darin..." READ MORE

Bobby Darin, Jamie Coe and Addison Records

There's a new article up on DarinLand.com. Use this link to see it...

Bobby Darin, Jamie Coe and Addison Records: An Interview with Marilyn Bond

Jamie Coe's manager Marilyn Bond talks about her friendship with Bobby Darin and about Jamie Coe's signing with Bobby Darin's Addison Records Label in 1959.

Interview: Bobby Darin arranger Perry Botkin

When you hear Bobby Darin swinging Count Basie-style on the "In a Broadway Bag" LP, this is largely thanks to arranger/conductor Perry Botkin. Botkin came into the project in the spring of 1966, with an intense desire to emulate the great Basie recordings he admired so much. One listen to the first five tunes on "Broadway Bag," all Botkin charts, confirms he succeeded beautifully.

"The Basie band always made me smile and often shout out loud," says Botkin. "I think Bobby felt the same way."

Bobby's rousing rendition of the Jerry Herman tune "It's Today" (from the Broadway show "Mame") is a fine example of Botkin's Basie-influenced approach. It is also one of Botkin's personal favorites on the album.

"It was the first song we did on the session," he explains, "and Bobby told me in the recording booth, 'Go out there and get the band swingin'. When you're satisfied with it, I'll come out and fit in.' Fit in? No singer ever told me they'd come out and 'fit in!' I ran the chart down a couple of times while Bobby listened in the booth. When everything was together, out came Bobby. Dave Hassinger said 'take 1,' I counted 8 beats, and off we went. Holy sh--! Bobby sounded like he'd been performing the song in Vegas for two months. He even duplicated what I wrote for the brass on 'Throw confetti, yeah.' Without question this was the highlight of my arranging career."

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW at DarinLand.com