Venice Blue

Venice Blue
Studio album LP by
Bobby Darin
ReleasedMay 1965
Recorded1964–1965
GenrePop
Length29:20
LabelCapitol
ProducerSteve Douglas
Bobby Darin chronology
From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie
(1964) 		Venice Blue
(1965) 		Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile
(1966)

Venice Blue is a studio album by American singer Bobby Darin, released in May 1965 by Capitol Records.[1] This was his final LP for the label.[2] The album was arranged and conducted by Richard Wess.[1] The album featured a number of arrangements by Ernie Freeman, inculding two Darin compostions.[1]

The album debuted on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the issue dated July 10, 1965, and remained on the chart for 4 weeks, peaking at number 132.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[7]

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."[6]

Billboard notes "Darin sings and swings his heart out and proves there are furture standards being written"[8]

Track listing

[edit]
  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) – 2:39

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1965) Peak
position
U.S. Top LPs (Billboard)[3] 132

Singles

[edit]
Year Title U.S. Cashbox

[9]

1965 "Venice Blue" 94

Personnel

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c 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.
  2. ^ Starr, Michael (2004). Bobby Darin : a life. Dallas: Taylor Trade Pub. p. 144. ISBN 9-7815-8979-1213.
  3. ^ a b 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.
  4. ^ "You're the Reason I'm Living/I Wanna Be Around". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  5. ^ From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie/Venice Blu... | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-02-25
  6. ^ a b Griffith, JT. "Venice Blue > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  7. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 394. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Billboard Spotlight Pick: Venice Blue". Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 23. June 5, 1965. p. 52.
  9. ^ Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. pp. 84–85. ISBN 1-56308-316-7.
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