Mame (song)

"Mame"
Single by Bobby Darin
from the album In a Broadway Bag (Mame)
B-side	"Walking In The Shadow Of Love"
Released	April 1966
Genre	Traditional pop, vocal
Length	2:16
Label	Atlantic 45-2329 [1]
Songwriter	Jerry Herman
Bobby Darin singles chronology
"The Breaking Point" (1966) "Mame" (1966) "Merci Cherie" (1966)

"Mame"
Single by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
from the album S.R.O.
B-side	"Our Day Will Come"
Released	November 1966
Genre	Instrumental, Traditional Pop
Length	2:07
Label	A&M 823 [2]
Composer	Jerry Herman
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass singles chronology
"Flamingo" (1966) "Mame" (1966) "Wade in the Water" (1967)

"Mame" is a song written and composed by Jerry Herman, it premiered 1966 in the Broadway musical Mame . It has had many cover versions and was a hit for multiple artists. ^[3] In the musical the song was sung by Beauregard and Company. ^[4]

Bobby Darin version

Release and reception

Bobby Darin released "Mame" as a seven-inch single in April 1966 by Atlantic Records. ^[5] It was backed by slow-weeper song, "Walking In The Shadow Of Love" on the B-side, ^[5] which didn't see an album inclusion. The advertisements for "Mame" noted that "Mame is the name, and Darin's got her". ^{[6] [1]}

The single got a positive reception upon its release. Cashbox reviewed the single in early April and stated "Money making Bobby Darin has come up with a delightful vocal cover of the Al Hirt instrumental, Mame The title tune from the forthcoming Broadway musical, this one is a happy." Noting, "Dixieland side with a wide ranged appeal." ^[7] Record World said that "The Bobby Darin version of the title tune from "Mame" is a lively session and a hit it will turn out to be." Noting, "Charms the husk right off the corn". ^[8]

Chart performance

The single debuted on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart in the issue dated April 30, 1966. It reached No. 53 on the Hot 100 during a seven-week run on the chart. ^[9] It debuted on the Cashbox Top 100 Singles chart on the same date as it did on Billboard, but the single stalled at No. 63 during a shorter six-week run on it. ^[10] "Mame" also peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. ^[11] The single also had success in Canada, quickly reaching No. 18 on the CHUM charts, ^[12] although it was only ranked at No. 50 on the RPM Top Singles chart. ^[13]

Aftermath

With this new success, in the same year he recorded an album with musical, Broadway and film songs songs, and it included the song "Mame", as it's seen in the title and cover of the album, "In a Broadway Bag (Mame)". ^[14] It was his best charting song in almost 2 years, the last one being "Millord". Soon after he had an even bigger hit that year, via "If I Were a Carpenter", which reached the top 10. ^[9]

Notable cover versions

Louis Armstrong version

• Another successful cover version of the song Mame is Louis Armstrong's cover from May 1966. It reached No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the Easy Listening chart. ^[15] On Cashbox it peaked at No. 60 and stayed on the chart for 5 weeks. ^[16]

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' version

• The most successful cover version is a version by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Released as a single it reached No. 19 on the Hot 100 in November 1966 and No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart, ^[17] In Cashbox it reached a peak position of No. 17, staying on the chart for 10 weeks, ^[18] with it also debuting at No. 27 on Record World's newly created Top Non-Rock chart, staying there for a week before dropping out by February 18th of 1967. ^[19] It also peaked at No. 51 in Australia. it was included in their 1966 hit album, S.R.O along with the single's B-side, "Our Day Will Come".

Frankie Vaughan version

• Frankie Vaughan had a minor comeback with the song "There Must Be a Way" in 1967, with that he recorded more charting UK singles. In 1968 he recorded "Mame" (a longer version), paired with "If I Had My Way", but the single didn't chart. ^[20]

Other versions

• The first live performance was on March 27, 1966, by Charles Braswell and All. ^[21]
• Jimmy Durante's version appears on his 1966 album One of Those Songs , arranged and conducted by Ernie Freeman. ^[22]
• Eddie Fisher's cover arranged by Richard Wess appears on his album People Like You and was included as the B-side of his hit song "Games That Lovers Play". Cashbox magazine called the song "Another swingin’ date". ^[23]

Charts

Bobby Darin's version Chart (1966) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 [9] 53 US Billboard Easy Listening [11] 3 US Cashbox Top 100 Singles [10] 63 CAN CHUM Top Singles [12] 18 CAN RPM Singles Survey [13] 50 Louis Armstrong's version Chart (1966) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 81 US Billboard Easy Listening 7 US Cashbox Top 100 Singles 60

Herb Alpert's version Chart (1966-1967) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 [17] 19 US Billboard Easy Listening [17] 2 US Cashbox Top 100 Singles [18] 17 US Record World Top Non-Rock [19] 27 AUS Top Singles 51

References

1. Bobby Darin, "Mame" Single Release Retrieved December 31, 2025
2. Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass, "Mame" Single Release Retrieved December 31, 2025
3. ""Mame" – original and cover versions". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
4. "Mame (Jerry Herman) - the Guide to Musical Theatre".
5. "Mame"/"Walking In The Shadow Of Love" (7" vinyl single) (Media notes). Bobby Darin. Atlantic Records. April 1966. 45-2329.
6. Atlantic Records advertisements
7. Cashbox magazine, April 9, 1966. Record Reviews, Best Bets, page 18.
8. "Record World "Singles of the Week"" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 20, no. 983. April 9, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved December 31, 2025– via worldradiohistory.com.
9. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 502. ISBN   0898201551.
10. Pat Downey (1994). "Cash Box Pop Singles Charts, 1950–1993". Internet Archive. Libraries Unlimited / Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 2024-06-01. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
11. "🎶 Mame (Song by Bobby Darin) – Music VF, US & UK hits charts".
12. Hall, Ron (2007). The CHUM Chart Book 1957–1986.
13. "RPM Weekly - Top Singles Chart Search: Bobby Darin". Library and Archives Canada. Government of Canada. July 17, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2025. Database in transition; page content may be relocated or archived.
14. "Bobby Darin – In A Broadway Bag [Master Release]". Discogs. Archived from the original on 2025-01-01. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
15. "🎶 Mame (Song by Louis Armstrong) – Music VF, US & UK hits charts".
16. Downey, Pat (1994). Cash Box Pop Singles Charts, 1950–1993. Libraries Unlimited. p. 10. ISBN   978-1563081897 . Retrieved 2025-08-05.
17. "🎶 Mame (Song by Herb Alpert) – Music VF, US & UK hits charts".
18. Downey, Pat (1994). Cash Box Pop Singles Charts, 1950–1993. Libraries Unlimited. p. 4. ISBN   978-1563081897 . Retrieved 2025-08-05.
19. Record World Top Non-Rock. February 4, 1967 page 22, retrieved September 24, 2025, via worldradiohistory.com
20. Frankie Vaughan, "Mame" Single Release Retrieved December 31, 2025
21. "Cover versions of Mame written by Jerry Herman | SecondHandSongs". SecondHandSongs.
22. Bakish 1995, p. 241.
23. Cashbox magazine, September 24, 1966. Record Reviews, page 12.

• Bakish, David (1995). Jimmy Durante: His Show Business Career, with an Annotated Filmography and Discography. New York: McFarland. ISBN   978-0-89950-968-6.