Falling For Make Believe
It happened one night nearly 50 years ago.
March 2, 1967. Bobby Darin, the artist who gave us “Mack the Knife” and so many other fabulous recordings, took to the stage to perform a number with…the Supremes.
Yes, you read that right. One of my favorite singers teamed up with the greatest girl group of all time. And it was incredible.
Bobby Darin was hosting an NBC show called “Rodgers and Hart Today” aka “The Kraft Music Hall” and he joined the Supremes to sing “Falling in Love With Love” from the show “The Boys From Syracuse.”
And if that somehow isn’t enough for you, then consider this: backing up this incredible ensemble was-oh, God help me-Count Basie and his Orchestra.
Are you freaking out yet? Are you jumping up and down in unrestrained ecstasy? If you’re not doing these things, have you checked your pulse recently?
I found this recording on YouTube when I should’ve been doing something else.
I spend far too much time on this site checking out miles of mindless footage, much to the dismay of my kvetching conscience, which constantly orders me to cease and desist.
I always promise myself that, yes, I’ll get straight back to my very important duties. But right now I just have to watch this video of a chimpanzee playing “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” on the bagpipes.
In my own defense, I have found some nice videos on meditation and exercise. And I also use the site to track down old songs. It’s great to dig up a song you haven’t heard in years and try to remember what you were doing when you first heard it.
Once I find something I like, YouTube does its level best to keep me welded to the site by suggesting other songs I might enjoy.
I’m a huge fan of Motown and I also love the old standards, so I guess that’s how the Bobby Darin-Supremes video popped up.
I’m sure music aficionados have know about this recording for a long time, but when I first saw it I felt like I had stumbled upon the Rosetta Stone.
It’s hard to imagine such seemingly disparate artists joining forces to do such fine work.
The fact that you have united great singers on the same stage doesn’t guarantee that they’ll make beautiful music together. Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson collaborated on a song in the Eighties appropriately called "State of Shock."
It was a huge hit, as I recall, but I always hated the damn thing. The two voices did not blend well at all and, aside from a nice opening, the song itself just wasn't that good.
“Falling in Love with Love,” however, is another story.
The Supremes start things off, while Bobby Darin, looking so incredibly cool, stands with his back to the audience and sways with the music.
This goes on for just over a minute and then Bobby takes center stage and the Supremes sing back-up.
The song is set to a waltz, but the lyrics are bittersweet, as they talk about the pain of loving something that isn’t real. If you've ever had your heart broken, you'll know exactly what the song is saying.
“Falling in love with love is falling for make believe,” the song goes, “falling in love with love is playing the fool.”
Bobby, who signed with Motown, joins arms with the ladies to beautifully close out the song. It’s so painful to think that he would be dead just six years later at the age of 37.
So, yes, I do waste a lot time on YouTube. But I won’t feel so badly about that as long as I keep finding gems like this.
March 2, 1967. Bobby Darin, the artist who gave us “Mack the Knife” and so many other fabulous recordings, took to the stage to perform a number with…the Supremes.
Yes, you read that right. One of my favorite singers teamed up with the greatest girl group of all time. And it was incredible.
Bobby Darin was hosting an NBC show called “Rodgers and Hart Today” aka “The Kraft Music Hall” and he joined the Supremes to sing “Falling in Love With Love” from the show “The Boys From Syracuse.”
And if that somehow isn’t enough for you, then consider this: backing up this incredible ensemble was-oh, God help me-Count Basie and his Orchestra.
Are you freaking out yet? Are you jumping up and down in unrestrained ecstasy? If you’re not doing these things, have you checked your pulse recently?
I found this recording on YouTube when I should’ve been doing something else.
I spend far too much time on this site checking out miles of mindless footage, much to the dismay of my kvetching conscience, which constantly orders me to cease and desist.
I always promise myself that, yes, I’ll get straight back to my very important duties. But right now I just have to watch this video of a chimpanzee playing “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” on the bagpipes.
In my own defense, I have found some nice videos on meditation and exercise. And I also use the site to track down old songs. It’s great to dig up a song you haven’t heard in years and try to remember what you were doing when you first heard it.
Once I find something I like, YouTube does its level best to keep me welded to the site by suggesting other songs I might enjoy.
I’m a huge fan of Motown and I also love the old standards, so I guess that’s how the Bobby Darin-Supremes video popped up.
I’m sure music aficionados have know about this recording for a long time, but when I first saw it I felt like I had stumbled upon the Rosetta Stone.
It’s hard to imagine such seemingly disparate artists joining forces to do such fine work.
The fact that you have united great singers on the same stage doesn’t guarantee that they’ll make beautiful music together. Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson collaborated on a song in the Eighties appropriately called "State of Shock."
It was a huge hit, as I recall, but I always hated the damn thing. The two voices did not blend well at all and, aside from a nice opening, the song itself just wasn't that good.
“Falling in Love with Love,” however, is another story.
The Supremes start things off, while Bobby Darin, looking so incredibly cool, stands with his back to the audience and sways with the music.
This goes on for just over a minute and then Bobby takes center stage and the Supremes sing back-up.
The song is set to a waltz, but the lyrics are bittersweet, as they talk about the pain of loving something that isn’t real. If you've ever had your heart broken, you'll know exactly what the song is saying.
“Falling in love with love is falling for make believe,” the song goes, “falling in love with love is playing the fool.”
Bobby, who signed with Motown, joins arms with the ladies to beautifully close out the song. It’s so painful to think that he would be dead just six years later at the age of 37.
So, yes, I do waste a lot time on YouTube. But I won’t feel so badly about that as long as I keep finding gems like this.
Comments
YES! YES! I AM!!!!!!!!!
Rob, this post ROCKS! I too loved both Bobby Darin and The Supremes!
OMG...I'm such a MOTOWN freak!
And my two favorite songs of Darin's are Mack The Knife and Beyond The Sea.
Btw, I clicked over to You Tube and watched the video clip of Darin and The Supremes and LOVED it!
Have you ever seen the movie Beyond The Sea with Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin? He's BRILLIANT!
Yeah, I also spend way too much time on You Tube. In fact, this weekend I watched several documentaries on Marlene Dietrich.
Grrrreat post, buddy!
Have a super-supreme week!
You know I actually haven't seen the Kevin Spacey movie, but it's definitely on my list.
And now I'll be checking out those Marlene Dietrich documentaries as well. There's no escaping YouTube, I guess!
Thanks for stopping by, buddy, and have a great week!
I did look up the Michael Jackson video and I must be losing it because I do not remember it at all! I did turn 21 that year, so maybe it has to do with the bottle?
Have a super week, Rob!
I usually don't watch the music videos I play--I just listen to the song.
I don't think the bottle had anything to do with forgetting that Jackson video. It just wasn't that good!
Have a great week!