Walden Robert Cassotto, otherwise known as Bobby Darin, was an award-winning singer, actor, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and one of the most talented rock ‘n’ rollers ever. He performed from 1956 right up until his death in 1973, through four successful stages of his musical career: rock ‘n’ roll, big band, country, and folk. His first big hit, an uptempo number that he wrote in an hour, was released in 1958.
Splish Splash went to number three on Billboard’s Hot 100. It was followed quickly by Early in the Morning, attributed to either the Rinky Dinks or the Ding Dongs after a contract dispute with record labels.
- Early in the Morning, The Rinky-Dinks
Darin made numerous appearances on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. His next single guaranteed future performances on the popular TV show.
Darin was born in New York in 1936. He had rheumatic fever as a child, and later he discovered that the woman who raised him was his grandmother, not his mother as he thought, and learned that the woman he thought was his sister was actually his mother. Both events deeply affected the singer throughout his career. He signed with Decca where he met Don Kirshner, and began writing jingles as well as songs for rising star Connie Francis. In early 1959, he recorded Plain Jane, followed by his biggest rock ballad, reaching number 20.
During this period, Darin (who copped his name from actor Darren McGavin) was bent on becoming the next Sinatra, He recorded a jazzed-up big band version of Kurt Weill’s Three Penny Opera. At first, Darin didn’t want it released as a single, but ATCO Records executives convinced him otherwise, and the tune would be released in August of 1959.
It was a stunning departure and enhanced his career. Mack the Knife went to number one and stayed there for nine weeks, selling two million copies. Darin was named Best New Artist at the 1959 Grammy Awards and the song received Record of the Year. I never understood the lyrics, but I was stunned by its arrangement and that of the single that followed it. Darin continued mining the big band vein, as illustrated by this jazzy English language version of Charles Trenet’s French composition called La Mer.
Darin’s late fifties success set live-show attendance records at the Copa in New York and major casinos in Vegas. While Beyond the Sea was charting, Darin began his acting career, which saw him perform in Come September in 1961 with Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, and his new bride Sandra Dee, to whom he was married from 1960 to 1967. Darin starred in films up to 1973, among them most noticeably Captain Newman, M.D., which resulted in his nomination for an Academy Award. Meanwhile Darin continued his Tin Pan Alley song direction.
Clementine was written in 1884. His next single, Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey, was written in 1902.
It was apparent that Bobby Darin had left the rock and pop field for musical numbers written for anyone except teenagers. But Darin achieved one of his most coveted dreams, that of a distinguished concert performer and entertainer, rivaling the likes of the man he wanted to sound like: Frank Sinatra. Darin was more of a singles seller than an album seller, although he released many LPs that appealed to all age groups. He made a Christmas record in 1960. He was signed to five different record labels; Decca, ATCO, Capitol, Atlantic and Motown. And he formed his own in the late sixties. His last big band jazz-type hit, a tune that Bing Crosby made famous in 1938, hit the charts at number five in 1961.
Darin started going country by 1962, and switched record labels in doing so. Here he was quite successful, and the light pop ditty Things entered Billboard’s Hot 100 in June of that year, and reached number three.
Darin was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, with Paul Anka announcing the honor. Darin’s foray into country and western continued in 1963 with two songs that went Top Ten: 18 Yellow Roses and You’re the Reason I’m Living.
Darin stopped selling hits and started becoming politically active. By 1966 his music of choice was now folk. He had a major hit following a two-year chart absence with a Tim Hardin classic that reached number eight in the Top Ten.
Darin attempted many different styles and genres and he succeeded in all of them. In 1968 Darin was campaigning for Robert Kennedy, and was with him at the Ambassador Hotel when RFK was assassinated. Darin secluded himself in Big Sur for a year, then returned to LA to start his own label, Direction Records, which put out folk and protest music. Darin said the purpose of his label was to seek out “statement makers.” He wrote Simple Song of Freedom, a hit for Tim Harden, and Long Line Rider for himself.
Darin died in December of 1973, failing to recover after heart surgery.