Two of a Kind | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 1961 | |||
Recorded | August 13, 14, 17 & 22 1960 | |||
Studio | United (Hollywood) | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 35:19 | |||
Label | Atco | |||
Producer | Ahmet Ertegün | |||
Bobby Darin chronology | ||||
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Two of a Kind is an album by American singer Bobby Darin and singer/composer Johnny Mercer, released in 1961. It was arranged and conducted by Billy May. The LP was recorded over four dates in August 1960, with several songs recorded on more than one occasion, and three songs not released on the album at all. In 2017, the Omnivore label released an extended version of the album, containing five alternate takes and two of the previously-unreleased songs. "Back in Your Own Back Yard" remains unreleased.
Most of the songs recorded were of a novelty nature, although a couple of songs co-authored by Mercer were also included, but even these are not the jazz standards for which Mercer is probably best remembered. The title song was a Johnny Mercer composition that Darin contributed extra lyrics to, prompting Mercer to give him a full co-author credit.
Darin would revive some of the songs from the album later in his career. "Ace in the Hole" was re-recorded by him for the unreleased-at-the-time The Curtain Falls live album, recorded in Las Vegas in 1963. A solo studio version of the song was recorded in late 1965, but it went unreleased at the time and is now thought to be lost. Both the "Paddlin' Madelin Home/Row, Row, Row" medley and the title song were performed by Darin on TV in the early 1970s. [1]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Variety wrote that "Johnny Mercer, who is 27 years older than Bobby Darin, has got a vocal verve that excellently complements the youngster's piping pyrotechnics. Together they bring an unusual bounce and delightful casual flavour to a snappy disc production. The mood is jovial and bright and the sock standard repertoire has appeal for adult as well as juves." [4]
In his Allmusic review, critic Richard S. Ginell wrote "Give a pair of medals and hefty raises to the two fellows at Atlantic who thought of pairing Bobby Darin—then 24—and Johnny Mercer—then 51—and backing them with the charts of Billy May... The music world hadn't heard this brand of impeccably timed, back-and-forth joshing since the heyday of Hope and Crosby (or perhaps Mercer and Crosby)—or the inspired Nashville rivalry of Red Foley and Ernest Tubb. Don't miss it." [2]
The 2017 reissue has the following track listing:
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1962.
The Song Is You is a 1994 box set by American singer Frank Sinatra.
Sarah Sings Soulfully is a 1965 studio album by the American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, arranged by Gerald Wilson.
Penthouse Serenade is an instrumental jazz quartet album by Nat King Cole. It was released initially as a 10-inch LP in September, 1952, on Capitol Records. An expanded version was reissued in 1955 and a 19 track version was reissued in 1998.
Plas John Johnson Jr. is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and baritone sax as well as various flutes and clarinets.
Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics is a 1962 studio album by Carmen McRae, recorded in tribute to McRae's idol, Billie Holiday, who had died two years previously.
Concepts is a 1992 sixteen-disc box set compilation of the U.S. singer Frank Sinatra.
That's All! is a 1967 live album by Sammy Davis Jr., recorded at the Sands Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
"Mississippi Mud" is a 1927 song written by Harry Barris, first sung by Bing Crosby as a member of Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys. Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023.
California Here I Come is a live album by jazz pianist Bill Evans. It was recorded in 1967, but not released on the Verve label until 1982 as a double LP. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Jazz Album charts in 1983 and was reissued on CD in 2004. The pieces were recorded at the Village Vanguard, where Evans had previously recorded the sets that appeared on the highly influential Waltz for Debby and Sunday at the Village Vanguard, both later comprised on the definitive collection The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961.
Jazz at the Philharmonic – Yoyogi National Stadium, Tokyo 1983: Return to Happiness is a live album that was released in 1983. The album includes Louie Bellson, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Ella Fitzgerald, Al Grey, J. J. Johnson, Joe Pass, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Oscar Peterson, Zoot Sims, and Clark Terry.
Close Enough for Love is the thirty-ninth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams, released in 1986 by Atco Records. Williams writes in the liner notes: "This is essentially a ‘live’ album. Our objective was to get real performances from both the orchestra and myself, as opposed to the sometimes sterile perfection of countless overdubs and tracking sessions. To my amazement, we used the first takes on most of the songs. The excitement of first hearing Jeremy's arrangements affected me so, that I found a quality in my singing that wasn't there in later takes."
Judy Garland at Home at the Palace: Opening Night is the sixth live album by Judy Garland, released on August 15, 1967 by ABC Records. The album peaked at number 174 on the Billboard 200.
Sinatra: London is a 3CD & 1DVD Frank Sinatra box set released on November 25, 2014. It is the third in a series of city-themed box sets following Vegas and New York. The set includes the 1962 album Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain as recorded in London, as well as unreleased outtake material from those sessions and spoken introductions for each song intended for a BBC radio special. The live material consists of a 1953 session from BBC Radio's The Show Band Show, a full concert recorded in 1984 at the Royal Albert Hall, and two concerts on the DVD, both recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in 1962 and 1970. The liner notes are written by Ken Barnes.
Love Swings is an album of standards by American singer Bobby Darin, released in 1961. It remained on the charts for only ten weeks and peaked at number 92.
It's You or No One is an album by American singer Bobby Darin, released in 1963.
Birds of a Feather is a 1958 album by Carmen McRae. The album was arranged by Ralph Burns, and features the saxophonist Ben Webster. All the songs on the album reference birds in some way.
Losers, Weepers is a studio album by Kay Starr. It was released in 1960 by Capitol Records. It was produced by Dave Cavanaugh. She is backed on the album by Van Alexander and his band. The album's liner notes state: "Kay Starr, working closely and skillfully with the musicians, so that each nuance of lyric, melody, and mood is carried out with full beauty and meaning."