One of the most versatile artists in contemporary popular music, Bobby Darin enjoyed top 10 hits with recordings as diverse as swing, jazz, early rock, folk and country. A consummate perfectionist, he mastered all of these art forms during his too-short career and left a rich musical legacy that would be the envy of any artist.

“The Final Curtain” was recorded at the Flamingo Hotel on 9 November 1963 and finds Bobby at the height of his musical powers. In true Darin style, the material performed is staggering in its range. Equally impressive is the Flamingo Orchestra who not only keep up every step of the way but play an integral role in the success of almost every performance.

The Tracks

There are 14 tracks on the collection with a total running time of just under an hour. Whoever was behind the recording mix and mastering deserves the highest of praise as the sound quality is amazing and certainly the equal of any modern recording (there is not even a hint of tape hiss). Further, thanks to an imaginative use of three-track stereo, Bobby’s vocals and the orchestra are beautifully balanced thereby bringing out the best in their fruitful one-off partnership.

My take on the tracks is as follows:

The Hits Medley

Between 1958 and 1960, Bobby was a frequent visitor to the US charts. An original almost from the outset, his hits drew not only from traditional rock and roll but also jazz and swing. The so-called “Hits Medley” showcases some of Bobby’s best single releases from this time.

The track commences with the self-penned novelty rocker “Splish Splash” (1958: US Pop #9, R&B #1). This inane number about some fellow being caught in the bath when a party starts in his lounge room, is given a suitably tongue in cheek fun-filled performance. The advantage of this recording over the original is that we get to hear BD bounce off the band in stereo. This combined with Bobby’s instinctive feel for the unbridled spirit of the early rock sound, makes for magical listening. Unfortunately, like Bobby’s all too brief flirtation with rock and roll, the rendition of this rock classic is over too quickly as we are catapulted into the swing ballad “Beyond the Sea” (1958: US Pop #6; R&B #6).

The remainder of the medley includes healthy snippets of two other hit ventures into the swing medium, namely “Artificial Flowers”(1960: US Pop #20) and “Clementine” (1959: US Pop #21). Both are given superlative performances. Bobby’s chart success with these numbers can largely be attributed to his unique approach of injecting them with a health dose of jazz. This allowed him a wide degree of vocal freedom in his interpretation and the opportunity to sing with wild abandon on their final dramatic verses. The versions here retain the same approach. Unfortunately, like the other two members of this medley these medium tempo examples of artistic brilliance come to end well before you are willing to let go.

Mack the Knife

“Mack the Knife” was a massive hit (1958: US Pop #1; R&B #6) for Bobby Darin and earned him a well-deserved Grammy award. On the original recording Bobby gave this gruesome song about a contract killing, a finger-snapping (bizarrely upbeat) jazz style delivery. If anything, the version here is even looser vocally speaking than the hit song. That being said Bobby’s performance is still masterful (and an absolute pleasure to listen to) with no hint of self-parody.

18 Yellow Roses

I must confess that this top 10 hit has never been one of my favorite BD songs. The original version was too cornball for me and Bobby seemed intent on impersonating country legend Marty Robbins.

On the version here the accompaniment is sparse and is basically an acoustic guitar, a bongo style drumbeat and distant Spanish style guitar. The tempo is also reduced and Bobby sings in his natural voice. The result is a unique Latin folk style number that oozes with charm. I agree with the liner notes – a prime example of the “less is sometimes more” theory.

Bobby verses the Rat Pack

It is sometimes suggested that during the early sixties Bobby was trying to be the next Frank Sinatra. This collection puts the theory to bed once and for all. Bobby would never settle for such a humble goal and as clearly demonstrated on this collection he wanted to outdo Frank, Dino and Sammy combined.

On this set he tackles Sinatra-style saloon numbers like “My Funny Valentine” and “Ace in the Hole”, Dean Martin’s “You’re Nobody ‘Till Somebody Loves You” and a performance comprising of various impressions of the stars of the day (ala Sammy Davis Jr). All are done exceptionally well, although I would not necessarily go as far as to say that he surpasses these legends. His sincere and appropriately dramatic performances do however come close to equaling them, which is impressive enough.

The Folk Songs

A myth that seems to often get churned out is that when Bobby Darin sang folk songs in a tuxedo everyone cheered, but when he did it in denim jeans and without his toupee he was booed. The liner notes on this collection again perpetuate this nonsense and compare the reaction of the audience on this recording to those he would receive with a supposed lesser standard of dress in the late 1960’s when singing folk material.

To set the record straight the reason Bobby’s folk renditions on this collection go over so well is that the material is outstanding and perfectly suited to an in-concert setting. Songs like the sing along ballad “Mary Don’t You Weep”, the well-known “Michael (Row the Boat Ashore)”, the jazz infused “Work Song” and the hand clapping blues-Gospel “I’m on My Way Great God”, will always be embraced by audiences. This is particularly so when you have a talent like Bobby Darin on the other end of the microphone who is letting loose with everything in his vocal armory to carry them across the line.

By comparison, this is a far cry from the hard line folk songs that Bobby was trying to sell to audiences in the late sixties. The concerts in question were almost entirely filled with depressing numbers about Bobby Kennedy’s death, prison cover-ups and anti-establishment themes that were destined to cause disappointment to audiences who were naturally expecting to hear at least “Mack the Knife”.

I Walk the Line

In a lighter moment on this set, Bobby plays the acoustic guitar for a brief send up of “I Walk the Line” (originally a hit for Johnny Cash), which he describes as a “tender old love song”. Although on its face he sings it seriously and the acoustic guitar work is excellent, the lyrics are substantially amended to give a most amusing risqué ending.

The Curtain Falls

Bobby was intending to give up in-concert performances after this engagement. Although he loved live work, his health was suffering (he had a chronic heart problem from birth) and he was often requiring an oxygen tank to just make it through a set.

The ballad “The Curtain Falls” is a moving good-bye and final thank you to all the audiences that he had performed for over the years. The track is beautifully sung and given that Bobby genuinely believed it was to be his last hoorah he goes the extra effort to turn in one of his finest live recordings. Fortunately this moving performance turned out to be “farewell for now” rather than a final curtain.

Liner Notes

The two page liner notes are nothing fancy but do include substantive trivia about the engagement and interesting commentary on some of the tracks.

My Rating

This is a most enjoyable collection by one of the most talented singer songwriters of the fifties and sixties. The vocal performances without exception are outstanding on every track and the material is not only varied but of the highest quality. My only disappointment is the general absence of most of Bobby’s rock and roll hits, particularly the classic “Dream Lover” (1958: US Pop #2; R&B #4). My rating - 4.5 stars.

If you liked this CD, what else would I recommend?

Best of Bobby Darin - Bobby Darin

Epilogue

Bobby Darin died in 1973 of complications following heart surgery. On that fateful day the music world lost one of its most unique and enduring talents. Here’s hoping that he’s up there somewhere still writing great music and having a finger snapping time jamming with Sammy, Frankie, Dino, and his old mate Elvis.


Recommended: Yes