Bobby Darin: The Ultimate Listener's Guide: Commemorative 50th Anniversary Edition (Listener's Guides)

"A fascinating overview of an intriguing performer" (Record Collector magazine, March 2024)During a career of seventeen years, cut short at the age of thirty-seven, Bobby Darin did it all. He recorded hundreds of songs ranging from jazz and swing through to folk, country, rock 'n' roll, and virtually everything in between; was a composer of dozens of songs and film scores; played piano, guitar, harmonica, drums, and the vibraphone; was a record producer; made over two-hundred television appearances; was an Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor; hosted his own variety show; and was hailed as one of the greatest live performers of his time.Bobby Darin: The Ultimate Listener’s Guide covers all of these facets of Darin's career, but tells its story through his recordings, taking the reader session by session, song by song, on a journey from recently-discovered songwriter demos from late 1955 through to his final recordings in 1973. It provides a commentary on Darin's vast and varied body of work, while also examining in detail how he, his recordings, films, and television and live performances were discussed in newspapers, magazines, and trade publications from the 1950s through to the 1970s. The text draws on nearly 600 contemporary articles and reviews, telling how Bobby's life and career played out in the printed media, and forcing us to question our understanding of both the man and his music.This special edition is being published to mark the 50th anniversary of Bobby Darin’s passing in December 1973. It contains newly-collated session information for approximately 800 recordings, and provides details and analysis of new and important recent finds, including demo recordings, previously-lost studio masters, live recordings, and more. Perfect for both dedicated fans and those approaching Darin's work for the first time, this is the ultimate book on the career of one of the most electrifying performers of his time, and includes over one hundred black and white illustrations.Shane Brown has a PhD in Film, Television and Media, and is the author of Reconsider Baby - Elvis Presley: A Listener's Guide, as well seven novels and two books of short stories. Read more