Beyond the Sea and Back Again

How did we get from Meat Loaf to Bobby Darin? Good question! That's the beauty of this blog - you never know what's going to happen next!

First off, let me refer everyone to the 2004 movie, Beyond the Sea, which was directed, co-written and produced by and starred Kevin Spacey. While it is said the movie is not wholly accurate, I suspect Spacey gave a pretty fair account of Walden Robert Cassotto's life. And listening to Spacey croon the tunes - WOW. It's almost scary!

The biographical movie is full of energy and guts and that is wholly accurate of Darin's performances.

Bobby Darin's music evolved - from teen heart throb performing Splish Splash and Queen of the Hop (both 1958), Dream Lover (1959), then taking Mack the Knife (from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera) and giving it a slick, jazzy facelift.

Darin followed that up with Charles Trenet's beautiful yet sleepy La Mer - Beyond the Sea (1960). Beyond the Sea was transformed into a full-out jazzy, upbeat production. (You may want to note Spacey's Beyond the Sea musical sequence in the movie - once again - wow.) After cutting Beyond the Sea, Darin began to set all manner of attendance records at the Copacabana nightclub in NYC. And this made him a hot commodity to headline in Las Vegas.

Later in 60, Darin came out with one of my favorites - Artificial Flowers -another jazzy, fun tune that turns itself into a full-blown mega-performance. By this point, Darin was leaning towards show tunes which fit in well at the time with the Vegas scene.

Later in the 60s, Darin turned to folk music and this was fueled particularly by the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

Darin battled health issues his entire life - a damaged heart as a result of rheumatic fever. Darin passed in 1973.

This week we feature Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea and Kevin Spacey's version of Bobby Darin's Artificial Flowers.

And here's a look at Bobby Darin from Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qrjtr_uFac
as well as a montage of Bobby and wife, Sandra Dee set to the song, More - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B0tiLMhJjo&feature=related.

And a fantasy sequence scene from the movie - Beyond the Sea - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbcjW9SQabc
Enjoy!
Next Time- Ritchie Valens!