Bobby Darin had the finest sense of timing in popular music

1965 Rodger Miller/King of the Road

Bobby Darin was magnificent and, for me, has the edge on Sinatra, who was also fabulous. Bobby died young, a childhood illness had left him vulnerable, and that is such a shame. He was not only a great singer, he was a great actor too. His version of Mack the Knife is still my favourite ♥.

1972 Arlo Guthrie/City of New Orleans

One of my favorite songs ever!! Bobby was SO COOL!! Wish you had seen the video, when he did it on The Ed Sullivan Show!! He didn’t just sing it he performed it!!!! This song was made for him, his voice!!

Keep Sinatra (come for me gently), I'll take Bobby any day. Pls check out a live performance of his, one of these days. Great vocalist, great performer 🎶🎵💚

This was one of my Dad's favorites. He sang this to me, nearly daily, and other Bobby Darin songs. What a wonderful song bringing back wonderful memories.

Taken from us way to young. Iconic. Love the big band orchestration of his numbers.

Loved Darin's style of vocals and music. Love this tune plus "Dream Lover" from his musical library...🎤🎶💖

Thumbs up just for doing this one. This guy seemed to be personally a very cool person, a class act. He's kind of a sad figure in a way. He had a TV show in the very late 60s/early 70s, I believe. I never cared for most shows then but I liked his show. He was very entertaining. I recall that the show was short-lived and I wondered why. I found out later that he had passed on. RIP

This song originally comes from Threepenny Opera, one of the most cynical and dark musicals ever staged. This version takes all the violence out of the song.

@netzahuacoyotl

5 ай бұрын

Written by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht in the original German. Another popular song from that show is Alabama Song, which was covered by The Doors.

@deborahdean

5 ай бұрын

I heard the German version many years ago on an old Ernie Kovacs program shown on PBS.

@michaeldowson6988

5 ай бұрын

I read a novelized version they wrote of the tale.@@netzahuacoyotl

@lipby

5 ай бұрын

@@deborahdean I watched the old German movie from the 1930s which was...meh. Best to see Threepenny Opera live. First time I saw it, the director had the beggers come out into the audience.

Bobby Darin was not a member of the Rat Pack, but he was definitely of that era. The Rat Pack were Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. Lawford was married to one of the Kennedy sisters and Sinatra used to jokingly call him the brother-in-Lawford, which is one of my favorite digs of all time.

@kayeruss7313

2 ай бұрын

Apparently, Frank Sinatra was Darin's idol.

1964 Dean Martin/Your Nobody Till Somebody Loves You

This song is a song from the Bertolt Brecht operetta THREEPENNY OPERA the 20s(30s). It was about mobsters.

@netzahuacoyotl

5 ай бұрын

With music by the incomparable Kurt Weill.

@markmurphy558

5 ай бұрын

@@netzahuacoyotl 👍

My parents listened to this tune and others like it when I was a kid, but they never graduated with me to The Beatles.

I grew up in the late 50s and early 60s, and I still have my original copy of his album Thats All that has a copy of a Western Union Telegram from Sammy Davis Jr. on the back, who was one of the three Rat Pack along with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. I have a massive album collection, including music from the late 50s through the mid-70s.

Another great song with Bobby Darin is Beyond the Sea (Sailing). It’s something to listen to in the summertime (or if you are longing for summer).

Try looking up the original version from The Threepenny Opera. You'll be floored at how different it is, and how much Bobby did to it. Such a great voice, so assured. :)

Dean Martin, Ain't That a Kick in the Head! A must listen!!

@kenpatton8761

5 ай бұрын

Dino sings it in the original movie “ Oceans Eleven”. with the rest of the “Rat Pack”. Movies a great watch…check it out! Cheers

I Love how the music is SO upbeat! and the lyrics are so dark!!!! LOL!

1939 Cab Calloway/Minni the Moocher

Bobby Darin was married to actress Sandra Dee. She was the epitome of the sweet girl next door in films. She co-starred with her husband in the rom-com "If a Man Answers." She is referenced in the musical "Grease" during the pajama party scene "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee. "

Always loved this one , Ole Mackies back in town

in the 70s when we were teens n the howard johnson hotel had a piano bar.wed go in with fake ids to drink n the piano player would always do mack the knife for us.good times

You should watch him live singing this song. Its an event.

"If I Were A Carpenter" was a huge hit of his.

Back then, did not understand the lyrics, what the song was about, or its origin, but when it came on the radio, it was this 4-year-old's favorite song. :)

Such an iconic number !!!

My favorite from Bobby Darin was Dream Lover. Another suggestion is Since I Don't Have You, by the Skyliners

You should check out Bobby Darin perform the song Midnight Special live.

Great classic song from a guy who died way too young in his 30s. Actor, singer, a real talent. In this song, he's talking about different Mafia Hitmen, and their funny names. "Mack the knife" obviously stabbed his victims. This is a great song, done by a great artist.

Murder ballads are what they used to call these types of songs. Melody has a happy feeling to it, but the lyrics are the complete opposite.

Enjoyed your reaction very much!!!!!!! 😀❤⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This and 'Stagger Lee' caused a minor fuss even in those days.

Think about this...Brecht and Weill were Leftists during the Weimar years , post WW 1 Germany. Their remaking of the British " Beggars Opera " as a criticism of contemporary Germany got them fame but also a ton of trouble. Both had to get out of Germany once Hitler took power. Incidentally Lotte Lenya, mentioned at the end of this song was Kurt Weill's wife who was also a singer / actress in his productions. She survived him and continued making appearances and albums for many years. Very influential to later artists like Marianne Faithfull, Tom Waits, Scott Walker, Nico and many more including the play and film Cabaret

This was such a big song back in the early sixties.

The Threepenny Opera (1928) was written in Germany by Bertolt Brecht, with music by Kurt Weill. It is set in Victorian London and is a satire of bourgeois society and capitalism. Macheath, an amoral, antiheroic criminal is its main character. It was described by Brecht as a "play with music" and has been performed all over the world. Its most famous songs are 'Mack the Knife' and 'Pirate Jenny'. The modern American jazz version of 'Mack the Knife' by Bobby Darin has a distinctly different flavor than the original, which was performed in a Berlin cabaret style of early jazz.

Still seeing your lovin Bobby Darin there is a big smile on your face

Rat Pack, Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Bishop. Let's not forget Lawford. Love this song!!! Bobby sang it so well. I believe it came from Three Penny Opera? 🙂✌️

You might want to check out Bobby Darin's "Splish Splash" from 1958. It's a proto rock and roll novelty song that is just fun!

Enjoyed this and watching you. So much fun 😊

This was on the jukebox at our favorite hangout in our late teens, early twenties. Brings back a lot of good memories, albeit vague memories. A lot of drinks were consumed on those nights.

There is a video out there showing his performance of Mack the Knife. Awesome ❤

You need to see a clip of Bobby performing. He was something. Beyond the Sea is a great choice! Some of the people mentioned in the song were real people. Lotte Lenya, for example, was a singer, Jenny Diver was a pickpocket/thief, and so on.

Often these singers were booked as a competition to other casinos but they also were "persuaded" to do private shows for special occasions like a mob wife's birthday. Other requests may be to lend their name to another act on the stage to elevate that performer often at the request of "management". There is a movie about Bobby that was pretty good.

Nothing like a song about a serial killer. 😆

Another song with lyrics about murder is Stagger Lee by Lloyd Price.

One of my dad's favorites and one of mine also. Thanks for doing Mac the Knife. I'm sure there's a lot I could learn about Bobby Darin. Going just on what I do know, he is versatile, doing different styles. Plus he was a film actor. First two hits were Splish Splash (I was taking a bath) and Dream Lover, more like pop rock or just early rock. One of his last releases was a country thing. So from Jazz to Rock to Country. Played drums, Sax, piano, harmonica, drums and guitar.

Jimmy Dean/Big Bad John

lol you just gotta snap your fingers through this one!

Great choice and reaction😊 Another song by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht is "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)," which was covered by The Doors and David Bowie...both covers are worth checking out!

@intothesunset3

5 ай бұрын

@@User_vjp_92753 Cool!😊

Saw "Three Penny Opera" in '76. Raul Julia & Patti LaPone

Splish Splash is a cool little tune he did. Peace

I love this ultra-lounge sound. You should check out Ann Margret’s “Thirteen Men”, fun song!

Beyond the Sea 🌊 by Bobby Darin next. The English version of the French classic.

Almost 65 and heard this all my life but never paid attention to the story. Just assumed he was a lady magnet. Didn't know he was a killer.😅 Thanks for showing the lyrics, now I know the story.

I read this song was first offered to Frank Sinatra but he turned it down fearing it would hurt his popularity singing about a murderer. Then offered to Bobby, and he nailed it! Frank recorded it later after Bobby made it a hit, but it never rose to the popularity of Bobby's recording.

I really like your reactions because you not only appreciate music but you look in to the history of the songs. Thank you.

This song was #1 in the US on the day I was born.

There's a nice in-joke in the lyrics : Weill's (pronounced "vile") first wife was Lotte Lenya also in show business. Strangely she is probably best known for playing the villainess who wears shoes that sprout poisonous blades from the toes in the Bond movie "From Russia With Love".

@andrewclayton4181

5 ай бұрын

The Bond villain with knife blades in her shoes, was Rosa Klebb. A nasty piece of wrk.

I always enjoy the 60's music it was so much fun and great to dance to. thanks for sharing this with al of us Shawn.

Beyond The Sea was used in Goodfellas. So I can see your mob point.

Love this song

You should react to Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife live big difference 37 years from complications from heart surgery

Rip Bobby 🙏

Yeah you kind of nailed it with the smoky rooms with a drink in hand and singing with a swing beat. That was Bobby Darin. He was a big part of that early Vegas feel.

Not Rat Pack, that was Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter Lawford , Joey Bishop.

One of the BEST!!

Bobby was a star. ⭐

This comes from Bertolt Brecht's "Three Penny Opera," with music by Kurt Weill. Inspired by Jack the Ripper.

A song when Berlin was the culture capital of the world in the interbellum. Tom Waits drew on Kurt Weil big time.

This song is an adaptation of music from the Three Penny Opera.

The original was from a German musical "Three Penny Opera". Supposedly Mack was a really person I think from the late 1800 hundreds.

This is from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera. In German the lyrics are a lot darker.

I guess those music theory classes that I never ended up using were nice for knowing what's going on in songs. Yeah in this one I do like the key changes upwards that are accompanied each time with more dynamics and instrmention added to increase the tension and dynamic of the song. With of course the giant ending chord. Song of my parents' era, but I was the strange one who got into current and older music. No one in my school could care less about anything before say, 1975. Though the beatles and some other limited 60s songs were recognized, but not a whole lot.

The Three Penny Opera by Kurt Weill and Bertholt Brecht was a very anti-capitalist song. Mack the Knife the killer decides to become a banker at the end, concluding that when he kills people he can only rob them once as they're lying on their back, but as a banker he has people on their knees and he can rob them the rest of their lives. You definitely need to hear Nina Simone's version of Pirate Jenny from the same work--bone chilling!

Arguably the most covered song by lounge singers back in the day.

Bobby Darren has the best version of the song if I were a Carpenter

1957 Jimmy Rodgers/Kisses Sweeter than Wine 1957 Jimmy Rodgers/Honeycomb

The original was German, from The Threepenny Opera (1928) by Kurt Weil, and Bertolt Brecht. This song is based on a set of murders by a Jack the Ripper character. Obviously this makes murder seem "cool"

@jonathanmurphy3141

5 ай бұрын

Shawn, I think many of us want to share our knowledge, while you listen -yet, knowing that you will do your research at the end 😉

Oh please react to King Of The Road by Roger Miller 🙏

Bobby Darin started his career as a songwriter for "Connie Francis". He was a singer, musician & actor. He performed all styles of music such as jazz, pop, rock & roll, folk, swing, & country music. He had many hits from the late 50's-60's such as "Splish Splash", "Dream Lover", "Things", "You're The Reason I'm Living", "18 Yellow Roses", "If I Were A Carpenter" etc. Darin married actress Sandra Dee in 1960 whom he met while filming the movie "Come September". Darin suffered from poor health his entire life & died in 1973 at the age of only 37.

Thanks for sharing all that info on this song. It’s very easy to just enjoy the sound, rhythm and the voice and not pay much attention to the Lyrics talking about a killer lol

In restropect, is it not kind of strange that the most famous versions of this song are sung by men? (Frank Sinatra as well as Bobby Darin.) A song clearly written for a woman to sing. Here is Lotte Lenye, who originally sang it in "The Threepenny Opera" (in the original German): kzread.info/dash/bejne/k4R7m6mcqc62ebw.htmlsi=FFuy1txe6cCcVdb_ And here is Judy Collins singing "Pirate Jenny", also from Brecht/Weill's "The Threepenny Opera": kzread.info/dash/bejne/pp5mp9ardZerhbQ.htmlsi=lUq_fPcKjH4jhn3I

Check out the Ed Sullivan video with Bobby.

Score for the rat pack vibes! 😁

Somebody get me a scotch rocks. lol

It was a mob hit...

You look like Bobby Darin.

I think this song closely references Jack the Ripper.

Ella Fitzgerald does a great version as well, where she kind of makes fun of Bobby Darin, all in good fun.

You MUST WATCH Bobby darin perform this song! The very best video of this song is here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/Zp6XpdmmpLmnebA.html

I would read about it first before I drew conclusions. Just saying.

Lotte Lenya singing the same song in the original German kzread.info/dash/bejne/k4R7m6mcqc62ebw.html

Bobby Darin always wanted to be a big band leader. Unfortunately he came too late to that scene

11th like 31 views posted 11 mins ago

"Gangsta" music didn't start with rap.

I saw Three Penny Opera because of this song, but was disappointed. The play was not good and neither was Mack the Knife - not like this swinging version. As far as some of the names in this song -Lotte Lenya (wife of composer Kurt Weill) played Jenny Diver in the original production. Lucy Brown was another character.

You need to be a little more "well read" LOL! or see a few musicals!

This version is a sugarcoated destruction of the original - lyrics and arrangement. You can hear stuff like this in a big Las Vegas show with tons of glamour and the singer spreading the arms and things. But it is just what the original version totally stands against. Thumbs down for this bs.