James Darren
Even more than the typical teen idol, James Darren's roots in authentic rock & roll were tenuous. Darren began recording for Colpix in the late '50s at the beginning of a screen career that saw him star in numerous films, most notably Gidget. More at home with standard MOR, show tune-like material than rock, and not much of a singer in any case, Darren was nonetheless marketed as a pop/rock performer to his predominantly young female constituency. He ran off quite a few novelty-tinged hit singles in the early '60s, of which "Goodbye Cruel World," which made number three, was the biggest and best. Top Brill Building pop songwriters -- including the Goffin-King, Mann-Weil, and Pomus-Shuman teams, as well as Bob Crewe, Gloria Shayne, and Howard Greenfield -- gave Darren material, albeit material that was well below their usual standards. He recorded quite a bit after his early-'60s heyday, reaching the Top 40 in 1967 with "All" and charting as late as 1977 with "You Take My Heart Away." During the '90s, Darren co-starred on the Star Trek spin-off Deep Space Nine as hologram crooner Vic Fontaine, reprising songs from the series on the 1999 album This One's From the Heart.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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This One's From The Heart (Album Version)
Jazz - Released by Concord Records on 1 Jan 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Because Of You (Album Version)
Pop - Released by Concord Records on 1 Jan 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mammy Blue (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Essential Media Group on 1 Jan 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Goodbye Cruel World
Jazz - Released by Black Sheep Music on 13 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Anthology: The Deluxe Collection (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Master Tape Records on 9 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
James Darren Live! For the First Time
Blues - Released by James Darren Corporation on 29 Jul 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Goodbye Cruel World
Pop - Released by Starsound Records on 11 Oct 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Teenage Years - The Best Of
Pop - Released by Vintage Masters Inc. on 1 Nov 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bubbles (Atlantis Soundtrack)
Soundtracks - Released by 3659507 Records DK on 6 Feb 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Songs from the Movies (Digitally Remastered)
Film Soundtracks - Released by Essential Media Group on 24 Jun 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emaline
Jazz - Released by Black & Partner Licenses LLC on 5 May 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
It's Nice to Go Trav'ling
Jazz - Released by James Darren Corporation on 9 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dominic The Lobster
Dance - Released by Attic Recordings on 11 Jul 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Among the Young
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 4 Feb 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hidden Universe
Alternative & Indie - Released by Sondar Records on 6 Oct 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best of James Darren
Rock - Released by Classic Music International on 15 Feb 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Dreamy Dream (Collection of Greatest Hits)
Electronic - Released by Beach View Records on 19 Aug 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Goodbye Cruel World the First Four Albums, 1959 - 1962
Pop - Released by Jasmine Records on 13 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -