Earthy!

1963 studio album LP by Bobby Darin

Earthy!

Studio album LP by

Bobby Darin

Released| July 1963
Recorded| July 1962
Genre| Pop
Length| 39:21
Label| Capitol
Producer| Tom Morgan
Bobby Darin chronology
| 18 Yellow Roses
(1963)  | Earthy!
(1963)  | Golden Folk Hits
(1963)

|
|

Earthy! is an album of folk songs by American singer Bobby Darin, released in July 1963, and arranged by Walter Raim.[1] The album was released on compact disc by EMI in 2002 as tracks 13 through 24 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 1 through 12 containing of Darin's 1963 album, Golden Folk Hits.[2]

Earthy! was recorded on July 24, 28, 30 and 31, 1962, and was Darin's first album of folk material,[3] although he had recorded and performed songs in the genre before, from "Timber", recorded at his first professional recording session, through to his self-penned "Jailer Bring Me Water". Darin had also performed "I'm Just a Country Boy" on his 1960 UK TV special."[1]

Darin had told columnist Hedda Hopper in December 1961 that "I believe there's a field for folk songs now and will do some of them."[4] When Darin recorded the album less than a year later, he chose his material from a wide range of sources, including spirituals, songs by the current crop of folk singer-songwriters, the jazz number "Work Song", a country song by Hank Williams, a faux sea shanty, and a number of traditional songs from around the world.

Darin incorporated some of the songs into his live act around this time, including adding a folk section into his Las Vegas shows. "Work Song" and "I'm on My Way Great God" were both recorded live in Las Vegas in November 1963 and included on The Curtain Falls: Live at the Flamingo posthumous release in 2000. A 1971 live version of Work Song was issued as a bonus track on the 2005 reissue of the Live at the Desert Inn album.[1] Bobby also sang songs recorded for Earthy! on a number of TV appearances, including The Judy Garland Show and The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.[1]

Earthy! was due to be released in February 1963, but was pushed back until the middle of the year due to the success of the "You're the Reason I'm Living" single and the decision to build an album around that to capitalise on that success.

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [6]
New Record Mirror| [7]
Disc| [8]

Earthy! made little sales impact at the time of its release,[3] but Darin still went ahead with a follow-up entitled Golden Folk Hits.

On release, New Record Mirror enjoyed "Bobby's own particular swinging style of Folk Music."[7]

Hunter Nigel of Disc said the album showed "Bobby moves through gospel, spirituals, and latin territory for the set."[8]

Billboard notes "Darin sings them with the excitment he always bring to his material."[9]

Cashbox stated that "Darin comes up with a program of folk and country tunes to give further evidence of his versatility."[10]

Variety wrote in their review that "Bobby Darin's vocal versatility is spotlighted again in this all-folksong roundup. With the help of arranger-conductor Walter Raim, Darin's folk fling emerges as a standout package that's not limited to the folknik circuit alone."[11]

In his Allmusic review, critic Richie Unterberger wrote “It's a solid folk-pop effort, though the arrangements and singing can get a little hokey at times.”[5]

## Track listing

[edit]

1. "Long Time Man" (Ian Tyson, Sylvia Fricker) – 3:30
2. "Work Song" (Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown, Jr.) – 3:36
3. "La Bamba" (Hector Acosta, Harry Belafonte) – 3:14
4. "I'm on My Way Great God" (Traditional) – 4:35
5. "The Sermon of Samson" (Bobby Darin, Walter Raim) – 2:40
6. "Strange Rain" (Tom Paxton) – 3:04
7. "Why Don't You Swing Down" (Darin, Raim) – 1:51
8. "Everything's Okay" (Hank Williams) – 2:23
9. "Guantanamera" (Ramon Espigul) – 4:03
10. "When Their Mama is Gone" (Darin, Raim) – 4:32
11. "Fay-O" (Raim) – 3:09
12. "The Er-I-Ee Was A’rising" (Darin, Raim) – 2:44

## Personnel

[edit]

* Bobby Darin – vocals
* Walter Raim – arrangements
* Tom Morgan - producer

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Bleiel, Jeff (2004). That's All: Bobby Darin On Record, Stage & Screen, Revised and Expanded Second Edition. Tiny Ripple Books. pp. 310–311\. ISBN 9-7809-6759-7348.
2. ^ "Earthy!/Golden Folk Hits". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
3. ^ a b Starr, Michael (2004). Bobby Darin : a life. Dallas: Taylor Trade Pub. p. 132\. ISBN 9-7815-8979-1213.
4. ^ Hopper, Hedda (December 24, 1961). "Bobby Darin - He Sang Mack the Knife". Chicago Tribune: 17.
5. ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "Earthy! > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
6. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 394\. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
7. ^ a b "NEW COCHRAN, VEE, SINATRA EPs, LP REVIEWS by JIMMYY WATSON" (PDF). Record Mirror. No. 120\. June 22, 1963. p. 10.
8. ^ a b Hunter, Nigel (June 29, 1963). "Bobby Darin: Earthy!" (PDF). Disc. No. 275\. p. 10. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
9. ^ "Late Pop Spotlight: Earthy!". Billboard. Vol. 75, no. 31\. August 3, 1963. p. 27.
10. ^ "Cashbox Album Popular Picks Of The Week Reviews: Earthy!". Cash Box. Vol. 24, no. 48\. July 27, 1963. p. 22.
11. ^ "Charles 'Soul,' Darin's 'Earthy,' Hirt's 'Honey,' Mathis 'Johnny,' Light's 'Themes' Top New Albums". Variety: 52. August 14, 1963.

* v
* t
* e

Bobby Darin

Discography

Studio albums|

* Bobby Darin
* That's All
* This Is Darin
* For Teenagers Only
* The 25th Day of December
* Two of a Kind
* Love Swings
* Twist with Bobby Darin
* Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles
* Things and Other Things
* Oh! Look at Me Now
* You're the Reason I'm Living
* It's You or No One
* 18 Yellow Roses
* Earthy!
* Golden Folk Hits
* Winners
* From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie
* Venice Blue
* Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile
* In a Broadway Bag (Mame)
* If I Were a Carpenter
* Inside Out
* Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Dolittle
* Bobby Darin Born Walden Robert Cassotto
* Commitment

Live albums|

* Darin at the Copa
* Live at the Desert Inn

Compilations|

* The Bobby Darin Story
* Aces Back to Back

Singles|

* "Splish Splash"
* "Early in the Morning"
* "Queen of the Hop"
* "Dream Lover"
* "Mack the Knife"
* "Beyond the Sea"
* "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey"
* "Beachcomber"
* "Artificial Flowers"
* "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby"
* "Multiplication"
* "What'd I Say"
* "Things"
* "You're the Reason I'm Living"
* "18 Yellow Roses"
* "If I Were a Carpenter"
* "Darlin' Be Home Soon"
* "Mame"
* "Happy"

Depictions|

* Beyond the Sea (film)
* Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin Musical
* Just in Time (musical)

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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