Customer Reviews

Bobby Darin: Seeing Is Believing

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The producers chose not to give any information about the performances. There are NO dates or locations (I contacted the company that put this out and they said there are no dates, these were in the Darin archives). They told me that they were mostly from Bobby's 70's TV show and there are two performances from the Ed Sullivan show. There is nowhere in the DVD where they identify Bobby Gentry or Connie Francis. That isn't as bad as the weird decision to abruptly end the song Beyond the Sea and tack the ending onto the end of the credits (which is in another menu, I found it by chance). What were these producers thinking??? Give us the unedited songs !
The following information is from another web site and it gives you more information that anything in the DVD:
"What a wonderful holiday surprise ! All previously unreleased live performances of Bobby Darin. See and hear Bobby perform "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Cry Me A River", "Caravan", "Artificial Flowers", "Dream Lover", and of course "Mack The Knife". 19 complete performances in all !
TRACK LIST
1 / Introduction
2 / Work Song
3 / I've Got You Under My Skin
4 / Mame
5 / Cry Me A River
6 / Dream Lover
7 / Medley: Polk Salad Annie, Proud Mary, Never Ending Song of Love (w/ Bobbie Gentry)
8 / Sweet Caroline
9 / Higher and Higher
10 / Happy
11 / I've Got My Mojo Workin'
12 / You Make Me Feel So Young (w/ Connie Francis)
13 / Artificial Flowers
14 / If I Were A Carpenter
15 / Caravan
16 / If
17 / Come Rain or Come Shine
18 / Beyond The Sea
18 / Mack The Knife
20 / Splish Splash"

In conclusion, I am happy to have this but think that the producers should have thought about these things before releasing the DVD. It just makes sense to explain why there are no dates (the performances from the TV shows should easy enough to find), whom he is singing with, and not to split up the performance of Beyond the Sea.

This is a great DVD of a remarkably talented entertainer. Let me say from the start that I am a big Frank Sinatra fan from a family of three generations of Sinatra fans, but I must tell you that Bobby Darin had more stage presence, more rhythm, and tons more magneticism that Sinatra. In the years prior to his tragically untimely death, his voice---though not as powerful as in his youth, was growing deeper and richer (he could sing up a storm, particularly in the lower register) and he could hold a note, despite a terribly diseased heart, longer than any pop/jazz singer I've ever heard. Despite being only months from his death when most of the cuts on this DVD were filmed, his singing looked and sounded effortless---like he was at the top of his game. Listen to him sing the great standard jazz ballads "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Cry Me A River." His sense of timing and drama is unrivaled. On the uptempo tunes like "Artifical Flowers" and "Caravan" he swings like no other singer ever. He sings blues, jazz, pop, country...you name the genre and he sings it like nobody's business. You'll also see him play harmonica, vibraphones, piano, etc. This is a great DVD of a great entertainer whose life was cut far too short. He might have been the best of them all. It has been said by many in the entertainment industry that Darin was the only performer who intimidated Frank. After watching this DVD, you'll understand why. I recommend it with great enthusiasm.

As a kid, I was familiar with Bobby Darin's "Splish, Splash," and I'd even seen him on television a few times. In the 1970s when I was a teen he had a show on and I remember seeing it every now and then. His music is still with us, and every now and then his picture is too.

However, I'd never realized how talented he was until I got this DVD and watched it. Bobby Darin had a gift, not just for music or acting or handling business affairs, but for winning over audiences he played in front of. I watched as he won over the television audiences performance after performance, but he won me over too.

I love live music. There's nothing like it. But with Bobby Darin gone, this is as close as it gets. What I saw in his performances was a man in love with what he was doing. He shines with the zest he has for being in front of those people. I didn't get the impression he was all that aware of the camera, but he knew those people were in the room.

At 37, Bobby Darin succumbed to a diseased heart he'd dealt with all his life. He'd been told since he was a child that he'd have a short life, and he did. But it would have been fascinating to see what he would have been like if he'd had more time.

Kevin Spacey, an ardent admirer of Darin's, helped put together a biopic of Bobby Darin's life. The movie, BEYOND THE SEA, is on DVD now. I wish SEEING IS BELIEVING would have had some interviews, but it's okay because now this DVD has made me curious enough to seek out Spacey's movie.

Get the DVD and sit down with Bobby Darin for an hour. He was an excellent entertainer.

Like every fan I'll enjoy anything Bobby Darin does but the standout numbers for me (that I hadn't seen before)were:

1. Got My Mojo Working. Especially wonderful to see Bobby play vibraphone - and harp.

2. Cry Me A River. Great Passion.

3. Come Rain Or Come Shine. Soulful, bluesy delivery.

4. I've Got You Under My Skin. The best swinging tradition fused with some funky vibes. Love that scatty bit in the intro.

5. Work Song. Bobby sings blues with great authority and credibility. Nothing illustrates this better than this number.

While I was happy to see great swing and blues performances, I was more than a little disappointed that "Carpenter" was the only "folk" song represented. This could be because not many were recorded for the NBC shows, but rather than see the umpteenth version of "If I Were A Carpenter", I would have loved to see "I'll be Your Baby tonight" (aired Jan 26th 1973).

Given the wealth of choice available, I couldn't understand the inclusion of repeat performances (Higher and Higher, we had that on Aces) and some anodyne songs like "Sweet Caroline" and "If" , when great numbers like "You've got a Friend", "Spinning Wheel", "King of the Road" and "Let the Good Times Roll" were on offer. But I guess that's just down to personal taste.

This was a great DVD for FANS to see some of Bobby's NBC performances which have not been seen since the original airing. But not great as an intro to Bobby's range and musical career."Mack Is Back", a DVD which features the unedited footage of Darin's night-club style performance for his final NBC show (plus banter and comedy routines) represents his musical versatility far better. But as a fan, its great to have these performances. I only wish we could see `em all.

Other reviewers have pointed out that it was annoying not to have the dates of the performance (they are readily available in Jeff Bleiel's excellent book "That's All"), the names of the duettists (Bobbie Gentry and Connie Francis) and the source of the clips. I agree. But what I find unforgivable is getting Tim Hardin's name wrong in the sleevenotes: Carpenter is credited to JIM Hardin. (Bobby would have been appalled) and Splish Splash is wrongly credited to MURRAY KAUFFMAN, rather than to his mother JEAN MURRAY who gave Darin the title. What's going on here guys??!!!

I enjoyed every minute of it. I have every DVD and VHS with Bobby Darin, including his movies. This is one of the very best. Right at the top with "Mack is Back". There are many songs on Seeing is Believing that are not on any other DVD. The song with Connie Francis, from the archives is one of them . Hats off to Scalia and Dorn.

Let me short but sweet. This is a very fine and generous collection. Most of the cuts, particularly those from the NBC television program, are clean and clear; could have been done yesterday. The duet with Connie Francis is a kicker.

Why only four stars? As others have pointed out, it is incomprehensible that the producers, especially Jimmy Scalia, who is an archivist who has shown a strong interest in Darin, working with Spacey on the biobic Beyond the Sea (which I also enjoyed), would not take a few minutes to write up some liner notes and identify other singers and, where possible, accompanying musicians. The disc deserves far more. So does Bobby Darin, a magnificent performer and interesting man.

This disc has been playing in my DVD player all day. Bobby was,and is, simply the best. Every song he sang, he made his own. Highlights include his classic hits, "Mack the Knife", "If I were a Carpenter" and "beyond the Sea", but some suprises like the bluesy "Work Song","Sweet Caroline" and "Mame" to name a few. Bobby swings thru many of the hit songs of the time. My favorite "Higher and Higher" is one of Bobby's supercharged songs. You can't help but glide along the stage with him. A superb talent that left us way to soon. I sure miss him. This DVD is a must for anyone who enjoys great music from one of the world's best entertainers.

What a delight to be able to see the performance of these great numbers, thankfully there have been archives to retreive these for posterity. Bobby's movements are such a pleasure to watch you feel like you are in the audience. Get. Mack is back and Beyond the Song also, they are all so fantastic. My husband repeatedy plays Aces back to Back, DvD & CD. We love them all.

I wish more DVD-compilation Producers would do what Mr. Scalia has done with this exquisite "keeper" - the full performances, no tired interviews interspersed with embarrassing glorifications, no unnecessary graphics to crowd the frames. (Though a prefacing or closing statement as to time and place would have been nice).
Talent and showmanship aside, this artist's catalogue can actually overwhlem the senses: it's all first-class and contains an amazing A & R range. '50s Rock and Roll, Pop, Middle-of-the Road, Country, Jazz, standards - I never heard a dud. Darin was in the best tradition of distinguished show people who obviously believed in quality control - just witness the extaordinary show band he had - I gotta "Google" the name and career of his drummer from those '70s-appearing shows.
As everyone knows, Bobby appeared on the Mike Douglas Show as co-host for one week in July of 1970, and I recall the duet he did with Little Richard, on his arrangement of Muddy Waters' "I've Got My Mojo Working" - Bobby actually played piano! I did purchase this DVD hoping that this title would be taken from that telecast, reported as 07-29-70. It is another rendition from that decade, with BD playing vibes. While I witnessed *that* show of genius, I had to say, this is probably the best alternative to the aforementioned event.

After waiting a long time since MACK IS BACK was released, finally more Bobby Darin - new Bobby Darin that most of us haven't seen before. It seems like these songs were recorded just yesterday. They are fresh and so powerful. No one, and I mean absolutely no one, could perform the way Bobby Darin did. He was one of a kind. A true legend. He is sorely missed. In the 33 years since his untimely passing, there has been no one to equal him. I doubt that there ever will be. I can only hope that Joel Dorn and Jimmy Scalia don't wait another 2 years before releasing more Bobby to his devoted fans.