Bobby Darin - Simple Song of Freedom (LIVE version)

Rare political style song written by Darin himself. How many of you guys have heard this side of his music? What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ1ohsissjE

What follows is the record version-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW_Z3X1j ... re=related

I quite like this song -- Darrin was so versatile, and I think he really found himself as an artist later on in his career. But what an artist and a great entertainer! He was quite special, Bobby Darrin.

It beats the Hardin version that's for sure...

Great song. It was his second single for Motown.

I quite like this song -- Darrin was so versatile, and I think he really found himself as an artist later on in his career. But what an artist and a great entertainer! He was quite special, Bobby Darrin.

I avoided what could have been a heated discussion with a friend of mine recently regarding Bobby Darin. I was talking about Sinatra when he stated that he preferred Bobby Darin over Sinatra. I was a bit put off by that. It seemed that Darin dabbled in a lot of different styles and clearly had an appetite for a whole bag of different genres but I'm not sure Darin's catalog can really go up against Frank's.

Any albums you can suggest that can help my opinion of Darin?

One of the CDs of Darin's that I would recommend is Aces Back To Back. It comes with a DVD that gives a hint of Darin's biggest strength, which was his power on a club floor and the CD offers a broad sampling of Darin's wide range of genres. A full length DVD called Mack Is Back is virtually all of Darin's 1973 nightclub act and is terrific, despite the fact that he was very ill and died just a few months later. From all that I've read, Elvis and Darin had a mutual admiration society of two, each recognizing the mastery of the other. Give Aces a go and let us know what you think.

Fitting first post and screen name---thanks Darinfan....welcome!

One of the CDs of Darin's that I would recommend is Aces Back To Back. It comes with a DVD that gives a hint of Darin's biggest strength, which was his power on a club floor and the CD offers a broad sampling of Darin's wide range of genres. A full length DVD called Mack Is Back is virtually all of Darin's 1973 nightclub act and is terrific, despite the fact that he was very ill and died just a few months later. From all that I've read, Elvis and Darin had a mutual admiration society of two, each recognizing the mastery of the other. Give Aces a go and let us know what you think.

Don't know that one. Is the haunting song "I Am" on it ? Wish someone would put it on YT!

Any albums you can suggest that can help my opinion of Darin?

Yes.

IF I WERE A CARPENTER and INSIDE OUT are two amazing folk/country albums.

His 70s motown albums are beautiful productions too.

And my favourite swing albums are HELLO DOLLY and OH! LOOK AT ME NOW

More importantly, I highly reccomend the DVD's MACK IS BACK for the best ever concert, and SEEING IS BELIEVING which has some amazing 1973 performances on it. There's also a CD/DVD combi called ACES BACK TO BACK which features more great footage from the 70s when he was dynamic!

Aces Back to back is something of a mishmash compilation with highs and lows. For swing Darin albums comparable to Sinatra, check out Oh Look At Me Now, Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie and probably the best is In A Broadway Bag from 1966. Darin took more risks with his swinging than Sinatra I think - with rock n roll phrasing mixing with the big band. Such as here on a live version of a track from This Is Darin:

or this track from That's All LP

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We are lucky that virtually all of Darin's albums are out on CD (or have been at one time - the only exception being the first Motown album). Darin recorded two albums of pure protest in 1968/69 called Bobby darin Born Walden Robert Cassotto and Commitment. The latter is probably the better of the two. All else try out the Songs From Big Sur CD which is a compilation of highlights from the two albums plus unreleased live recordings from the period plus singles and bsides:

There's not a swinger alive or dead living today that can touch him!