Things & Other Things - Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin had left Atco Records by the time Things & Other Things (1962) hit the shelves in mid-1962. But the artist's popularity would turn this seemingly monetarily-motivated odds and sods collection into a relatively successful package for the label. The dozen songs were taken from practically as many different sessions, some of which date back over a four-year span (1958 -- 1961). However, Darin's universal popularity all but guaranteed that almost anything associated with him would be warmly embraced. Although stylistically eclectic, the material hangs together to offer an overview of the musical diversity that had become one of his strongest suits. The upbeat opening title track "Things" charted in the Top Five and was among his signatures. It undoubtedly aided the album, which bubbled briefly under the Top 40. The easygoing tune is efficiently matched to the catchy female backing vocalists, providing a memorable call-and-response chorus. If the orchestrated midtempo "I'll Be There" sounds reminiscent of another Darin classic, "Dream Lover," it is most likely because they both come from the same recording date. While this reading was issued as a single, it paled in comparison to Gerry & the Pacemakers' Top 20 hit. Likewise, it would be the only Darin original ever covered by Elvis Presley, which The King documented during his landmark Memphis era circa 1968/1969. The Caribbean-flavored "Lost Love" is notable in contrast to the brash and brass-intensive "Nature Boy," one of only two pieces not penned by Darin. The other is a rocking version of an obscure Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman cut, titled "Sorrow Tomorrow." Other sides worth a spin are the traditionally derived and folkie "Jailer Bring Me Water," as well as the "Theme from 'Come September'." This slightly mysterious samba is among the later inclusions and comes from the film of the same name, which starred Darin and his future wife Sandra Dee. In 2003, Collectors' Choice Music released Things & Other Things on CD for the first time as part of their multi-volume restoration of Bobby Darin's classic Atco catalog. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide