Bobby Darin's first local nightclub appearance since his open heart surgery last February was a comfortable 24 hours behind him as he sat in his suite at the Desert Inn. Things, he felt, had gone well opening night and he was looking forward to the rest of his four-week engagement with an enthusiasm and satisfaction that comes from feeling his career was moving in the right direction once again.
Since his first record hit in 1958, Darin has been one of the most colorful, controversial and talented figures in the entertainment world. Though he has made some successful ventures into acting (earning an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Captain Newman, MD), it is music that has always been his prime vehicle.
The color, controversy and, quite likely much of the talent come from a drive that has caused many to label Darin "brash and cocky" over the years. The drive simply was for success and recognition. And he never hid his feelings. He wanted to be different, to be someone special, to be respected. Early in his career, he talked about how he wanted to be a legend by the time he was 25.
After the success of "Splish Splash" in 1958, Darin turned out a series of Rock 'n' Roll hits (such as "Dream Lover," "Early in the Morning" and "Queen of the Hop"). But he always had his eyes on the top of show business and in those days it was nightclubs that represented the top. Rock 'n' Roll sold records, but Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Vic Damone were the names that had respect and recognition. Thus, Darin became the first young entertainer to play the traditional nightclub circuit (from Los Angeles' Cocoanut Grove to New York's Copa). It was "Mack the Knife," of course, that got him started in the adult nightclub market.
But Darin didn't stay in the traditional pop music mold any longer than he did the pure rock field. Rather than play it safe by sticking with the pop sound (which led to nightclub acceptance), he would shift to folk or country or blues styles, whatever interested him at the time.
While he did quality work in each of these areas (writing such songs as "You're the Reason I'm Livin'," "Eighteen Yellow Roses" and "Simple Song of Freedom"), the shifting of styles led many to question Darin's sincerity as an artist. Was he a trend-following opportunist or a serious artist?
"It just reflected my need for mobility," Darin said. "When I hear a good song, I don't reject it because it isn't my 'style.' But that mobility has cost me bundles. The smart thing -- from a purely commercial standpoint -- would have been to stick with one identifiable style."
The most drastic change in Darin's career came in 1968 when, unable to recover from the depression/confusion resulting from the assassination of Robert Kennedy, he went to Big Sur for nearly a year to evaluate his life and think about his future.
After Big Sur, Darin produced two albums of his own social comment compositions. Though he still is very proud of the albums and they were well received by critics, the albums were not commercial successes and Las Vegas audiences didn't appreciate his shift from tuxedo to denims on stage.
One of the troublesome conflicts in Darin's mind in the post-Big Sur period was a belief that artistry (which he feels is reflected in several of his compositions) and the professional demands of being a "show business performer" (such as having to be on stage at a certain time, sing a certain number of songs, wear special clothes) were mutually exclusive.
In recent months, however, he has come to realize that the two concepts can coexist. Thus, he is able to return to the tuxedo, sing "Mack the Knife" and some of the other pop hits and still feel his artistry is intact.
On stage at the Desert Inn, Darin opened with some traditional songs, the kind that Las Vegas nightclub audiences would easily recognize ("For Once in My Life", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "Mack the Knife").
Then he shifted smoothly to tunes that are less predictable. Taking off his tuxedo jacket and tie he went through a long folk-blues treatment of "Midnight Special," and Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter," did his own "Simple Song of Freedom," moved to a blues version of "You Are My Sunshine" and finished with "Splish Splash." It was a bit of something for everyone and it was all done with the excellent vocal styling and arrangement precision that has marked Darin's best works.
At the end of the hour show, Darin got a standing ovation. And he deserved it. Darin is back and, since he is using his full range of skills and styles, he is better than ever. As a songwriter and performer, he deserves the respect he has so long sought. Darin, the boy from the Bronx, has always wanted to be something special. And he is.
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