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

Beyond Cool: The Acting Career of Bobby Darin

I justed posted a new article to my Bobby Darin website: "Beyond Cool: The Acting Career of Bobby Darin," a comprehensive overview of Bobby's film and television work from the '50s to the '70s. Here's a sample...

"Imagine for a moment if Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka or even Pat Boone—all of whom had successful film and musical careers—made the kind of films Bobby Darin chose to make. It seems impossible to picture any of Darin’s perceived contemporaries being involved with such maverick filmmakers as John Cassavetes, Don Siegel, Stanley Kramer, or Richard Brooks, and yet Bobby Darin sought out just such controversial filmmakers for his movie projects..."

You can read more at DarinLand.com

Other articles at the site include "Bobby Darin: The Singles (1966)," "Bobby Darin: The Singles (1961)," "The Capitol Years," and interviews with Darin Arranger/Conductor Perry Botkin, and Bobby's High School friend Jazz Vocalist Elli Fordyce.

I'm also always looking for new articles, reviews and contributions to the site. Email me with your ideas!