Search - James Darrin :: James Darren Album No. 1 / Love Among the Young

Vaulting to fame in such fare as the Gidget movies of the late 1950s and early '60s, James Darren capitalized on his teen-idol status to launch his singing career. His first album, James Darren No. 1 (1960), follows the pop-crooner model rather than rock singer, pulling in such crack arrangers as Billy May and including such swingers as "Let's Fall in Love" alongside the inevitable "Gidget." (His timbre may remind you of a squarish Mel Torme.) One of the songs, "Love Among the Young," became the title tune of (and was re-recorded on) his third album, a concept recording that thematically draws inevitable comparisons to Sinatra's brilliant Songs for Swingin' Lovers. It can't compare, of course, but it's still an enjoyable listen. Almost four decades later, Darren played Vic Fontaine, the holodeck crooner on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the subsequent recording revitalized his career. Also available: his second and fourth albums, Gidget Goes Hawaiian and James Darren Sings for All Sizes. --David Horiuchi