Will the real Bobby Darin please stand up?

Between his first single in 1956 and his final recordings in 1973, the artist born Walden Robert Cassotto on May 14, 1936 blazed his path through rock-and-roll, big-band swing, jazz, R&B, soul, country, folk, pop, rock, and everything in between.  Yet each reinvention was genuine, and each represented the real Bobby Darin.

The driven artist brought fervor and passion to every style he tackled throughout his tragically-short life.  Tomorrow, Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music finally bring to compact disc the final chapter of Bobby Darin's career in celebration of what would have been his landmark 80th birthday on May 14.  The new 2-CD set Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years captures the late artist, who died at 37 years old on December 20, 1973, as many fans have never heard him.  If you only know the sock-hop swinger of "Splish Splash," the tuxedoed crooner of "Mack the Knife" or even the heartfelt protest singer of "Simple Song of Freedom," there's a new Bobby Darin for you to discover here.

At Motown, Bobby brought together the many strains of his musical DNA in truly remarkable fashion.  He was joined on his Motown journey by a host of illustrious names, among them Smokey Robinson, Bob Crewe, Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson, Joe Porter, Gene Page, James Carmichael, Charles Fox, and more. This 2-CD set includes:

• The original Bobby Darin album (1972), never on CD anywhere in the world;
• The posthumously-released Darin 1936-1973 album (1974) in producer Bob Crewe's original LP mix for the first time ever on CD;
• Every one of Bobby's Motown singles including the super-rare "Melodie" and "Someday We'll Be Together" in both mono and stereo;
• Five alternate Darin 1936-1973 mixes as originally issued on the short-lived 1991 CD release;
• Remastering from the original analog master tapes by acclaimed engineer Kevin Reeves; and
• Detailed liner notes featuring brand-new interviews with Motown legends Smokey Robinson and Jerry Marcellino!

In our exclusive interview, Smokey Robinson observed, "Bobby was, I think, the 'in-between' singer.  Bobby was in between the era of Frank Sinatra and those guys like that, and the new pop culture.  So he was a great mix of that.  The real evidence of that was when he recorded 'Mack the Knife.'"  Indeed, Bobby bridged the generation gap with "Mack the Knife" (recently saluted by Billy Joel onstage in Las Vegas) and continued to do so in his recordings for Motown.  (And there's much more from Smokey in the booklet!)

Another Song on My Mind features Bobby's fresh interpretations of songs by a host of remarkable writers. Bobby had collaborated with Randy Newman on the song "Look at Me" for the 1964 motion picture The Lively Set. Here, he tackles Newman's masterpiece "Sail Away" in majestic style. Bobby also brought new life to tracks by Cat Stevens ("Hard Headed Woman"), Paul Williams and Roger Nichols ("I Won't Last a Day Without You") and Bob Dylan ("I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right") as well as a pair of his own, personal compositions ("Something in Her Love" and our shimmering title track, "Another Song on My Mind"). On Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson and Deke Richards' "Melodie," Darin tapped into The Sound of Young America to create a thrilling slice of Motown soul. His emotional, moving performance of Smokey Robinson and Michel Legrand's "Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues)" is a tour de force. Sizzling renditions of "Mack the Knife" and "If I Were a Carpenter" seal the deal, proving without a doubt that Bobby Darin was still at the top of his game during his time at Berry Gordy's revolutionary record label.

Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years marks the first release in the second year of Second Disc Records, and all of us here at TSD couldn't be more proud or excited to share this release with you.  Tomorrow we celebrate the extraordinary pairing of two American icons, Bobby Darin and Motown Records.  We hope you will check out Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music at the links below!  And don't miss the rest of Real Gone's May 6 slate right here!

Bobby Darin, Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Bobby Darin and bonus material

1. Sail Away
2. I've Already Stayed Too Long
3. Something in Her Love
4. Who Turned the World Around
5. Shipmates in Cheyenne
6. Let It Be Me
7. Hard-Headed Woman
8. Average People
9. I Used to Think It Was Easy
10. My First Night Alone Without You
11. Melodie (Original Single Version) (Mono)
12. Someday We'll Be Together (Original Single Version) (Mono)
13. Simple Song of Freedom (Live) (Original Single Version) (Mono)
14. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Live) (Original Single Version) (Mono)
15. Sail Away (Original Single Version)
16. Hard-Headed Woman (Original Single Version)
17. Average People (Original Single Version)
18. Something in Her Love (Original Single Version)

CD 2: Darin 1936-1973 and bonus material

1. I Won't Last a Day Without You
2. Wonderin' Where It's Gonna End
3. Sail Away
4. Another Song on My Mind
5. Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues)
6. Blue Monday
7. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
8. The Letter
9. If I Were a Carpenter (Live)
10. Moritat (Mack the Knife) (Live)
11. Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues) (Original Single Version)
12. Simple Song of Freedom (Non-LP Single) (Alternate Mix Single Version) (Mono)
13. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Non-LP Single) (Alternate Mix Single Version) (Mono)
14. I Won't Last a Day Without You (Alternate CD Version)
15. Wonderin' Where It's Gonna End (Alternate CD Version)
16. Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues) (Alternate CD Version)
17. Blue Monday (Alternate CD Version)
18. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Alternate CD Version)
19. Melodie (Stereo Single Version)
20. Someday We'll Be Together (Stereo Single Version)

CD 1, Tracks 1-10 from Bobby Darin, Motown LP M753L, rel. August 1972
CD 1, Tracks 11-12 & CD 2, Tracks 19-20 from Motown single M 1183, rel. April 19, 1971
CD 1, Tracks 13-14 from Motown single M 1193F (initial pressing), rel. November 24, 1971
CD 1, Tracks 15-16 from Motown single M 1203F, rel. June 2, 1972
CD 1, Tracks 17-18 from Motown single M 1212F, rel. November 3, 1972
CD 2, Tracks 1-10 from Darin 1936-1973, Motown LP 813V1, rel. 1974
CD 2, Track 11 from Motown single M 1217F, rel. November 20, 1972
CD 2, Tracks 12-13 from Motown single M 1193F (second pressing), rel. November 24, 1971
CD 2, Tracks 14-18 from Darin 1936-1973, Motown CD 3746351852, 1991