Venice Blue

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Venice Blue
VeniceBlueBobbyDarin.jpg
Studio album LPby
Bobby Darin
ReleasedMay 1965
Recorded1964–1965
Genre Pop
Length29:20
Label Capitol
Producer Steve Douglas
Bobby Darin chronology
From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie
(1964)		Venice Blue
(1965)		 Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile
(1966)
Singles from Venice Blue
  1. "Venice Blue"
    Released: March 1965 [1]

Venice Blue is a studio album by American singer Bobby Darin, released in May 1965 by Capitol Records. [2] This was his final LP for the label. [3] The album was arranged and conducted by Richard Wess. [2] The album featured a number of arrangements by Ernie Freeman, including two Darin compositions. [2]

Contents

The album debuted on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the issue dated July 10, 1965, and remained on the chart for four weeks, peaking at number 132. [4]

The single from the album, "Venice Blue" bubbled under" Billboard's Hot 100, for its sole week that began in the issue dated April 23, 1965, and peaked at number 130. [5] and number 94 on the Cashbox singles chart and stayed on the chart for three weeks. [6]

Venice Blue was released in the United Kingdom as I Wanna Be Around with a slightly altered cover using the same photo. A compilation CD was released by Capitol's parent company EMI in 1999 including You're the Reason I'm Living and I Wanna Be Around. [7] It was released as one of two albums on one CD also by EMI in 2002, along with Darin's 1964 album, From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie . [8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]

In his AllMusic review, critic JT Griffith wrote "Venice Blue is not a dramatic departure for Bobby Darin, but a solid collection nonetheless. Really of interest to fans looking to complete their collection. Well-arranged and well-sung, but not the most accessible album for the neo-swing set." [9]

Billboard notes "Darin sings and swings his heart out and proves there are future standards being written" [12]

Cashbox said the album "includes a hand-picked batch of goodies from the recent vintage crop of pop hits, handled in the traditional Darin style." [13]

Record World notes "Redoubtable Bobby gives his easy once-over-lightly to this set of tunes." [14]

In its review of the album from November 1965 as IWanna Be Around, Record Mirror noted that "His own "You Just Don't Know" is, surprisingly, a stand-out track." [11]

Track listing

  1. "Venice Blue" (Bobby Darin, Charles Aznavour, Gene Lees) – 2:36
  2. "I Wanna Be Around" (Johnny Mercer, Sadie Vimmerstadt) – 2:12
  3. "Somewhere" (Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim) – 2:34
  4. "The Good Life" (Sacha Distel, Jack Reardon) – 2:25
  5. "Dear Heart" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston, Henry Mancini) – 3:14
  6. "Softly, As I Leave You" (Giorgio Calabrese, Hal Shaper, Tony De Vita) – 2:57
  7. "You Just Don't Know" (Darin) – 2:25
  8. "There Ain't No Sweet Gal Worth the Salt of My Tears" (Fred Fisher) – 3:03
  9. "Who Can I Turn To?" (Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley) – 2:39
  10. "A Taste of Honey" (Ric Marlow, Bobby Scott) – 2:36
  11. "In a World Without You" (Rudy Clark, Darin) – 3:11

Charts

Chart (1965)Peak
position
U.S. Top LPs (Billboard) [4] 132

Singles

YearTitleU.S. Hot 100 [5] U.S. Cashbox [6]
1965"Venice Blue"13394

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Bleiel, Jeff (2004). That's All: Bobby Darin On Record, Stage & Screen, Revised and Expanded Second Edition. Tiny Ripple Books. pp. 296–297. ISBN   9-7809-6759-7348.
  2. 1 2 3 Bleiel, Jeff (2004). That's All: Bobby Darin On Record, Stage & Screen, Revised and Expanded Second Edition. Tiny Ripple Books. pp. 286–287. ISBN   9-7809-6759-7348.
  3. ↑ Starr, Michael (2004). Bobby Darin : a life. Dallas: Taylor Trade Pub. p. 144. ISBN   9-7815-8979-1213.
  4. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 198. ISBN   0898201179 . Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 44. ISBN   978-0-8982-0047-8.
  6. 1 2 Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. pp. 84–85. ISBN   1-56308-316-7.
  7. ↑ "You're the Reason I'm Living/I Wanna Be Around". AllMusic. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  8. ↑ From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie/Venice Blu... | AllMusic , retrieved February 25, 2025
  9. 1 2 Griffith, JT. "Venice Blue > Review". Allmusic . Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 394. ISBN   9781846098567 . Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Jopling, Norman; Jones, Peter (November 27, 1965). "New albums reviewed by Norman Jopling and Peter Jones, Joan sings Dylan and Donovan on her new album "Farewell, Angelina"- one of her best yet" (PDF). Record Mirror . No. 246. p. 8. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Billboard Spotlight Pick: Venice Blue". Billboard . Vol. 77, no. 23. June 5, 1965. p. 52.
  13. ↑ "Cashbox Album Pop Picks Reviews: Venice Blue". Cash Box . Vol. 26, no. 36. May 29, 1965. p. 22.
  14. ↑ "Album Reviews: Pick Hits" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 18, no. 914. December 12, 1964. p. 8. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
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