Happy 55th: Bobby Darin, WINNERS

55 years ago this very month, the late, great Bobby Darin released an album containing a dozen songs, all of which were – wait for it – WINNERS.

You get it? Because that’s what the album was called…? (Hey, is this thing on?)

Produced by Herb Abramson and Ahmet Ertegun, WINNERS is kind of a fascinating LP within the Darin catalog, in that it was actually recorded in February 1960 but didn’t manage to make its way into stores until June 1964. Why? Because Atlantic Records initially deemed it to be unworthy of release, which seems ridiculous when you listen to it. As AllMusic.com wrote of the album, “The remarkable breadth of Darin’s interpretation has rarely been equaled and likewise serves as a personal best.” Thankfully, after Darin departed the label in ’62, his continued success led Atlantic to look and see what other material by Darin was sitting around, hence its eventual release.

Among the songs tackled by Darin on WINNERS are “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” George and Ira Gershwin’s “They All Laughed,” and the Duke Ellington classic, “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me.” With arrangements by the legendary Bobby Scott, WINNERS is an album that handily qualifies as prime Darin. If you’ve never checked it out, now’s your chance.