Beyond the Sea (song)

"Beyond the Sea"
"Beyond the Sea"
Single by Bobby Darin
from the album That's All
B-side	"That's the Way Love Is"
Released	October 1959
Recorded	August 24, 1958
Genre	Big band
Length	2:48
Label	Atco 6158
Songwriter(s)	Jack Lawrence/Charles Trenet
Bobby Darin singles chronology
Audio
	"Beyond the Sea" on YouTube

"La Mer"
"La Mer"
	Cover of musical score published in France in 1946
Song by Charles Trenet
Published	1946 by Les Editions Raoul Breton
Songwriter(s)	Charles Trenet
Composer(s)	Charles Trenet, Albert Lasry
Audio
	"Beyond the Sea" on YouTube

"Beyond the Sea" is the English-language version of the French song "La Mer" by Charles Trenet, popularized by Bobby Darin in 1959. While the French original was an ode to the sea, Jack Lawrence – who composed the English lyrics – turned it into a love song.^[1]

Versions[]

"Beyond the Sea" has been recorded by many artists, but Bobby Darin's version released in late 1959 is the best known by many, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 15 on the US R&B Chart, and No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart.^[2] in early 1960.

Before Bobby Darin's version, two instrumental recordings reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Benny Goodman's version charted in 1948, and was featured in the Cary Grant/Betsy Drake romantic comedy Every Girl Should Be Married. Roger Williams' recording reached No. 37 in 1955.^[3]

Deana Martin recorded Beyond the Sea in 2013. The song was released on her album Destination Moon in 2013 by Big Fish Records.

American R&B singer George Benson recorded an R&B version of the song under the title "Beyond The Sea (La Mer)." It was released on Warner Bros. This version entered the UK Singles Chart on 20 April 1985. It peaked at no. 60 and remained on the chart for three weeks.^[4]

The first recording of "Beyond the Sea" was by Harry James and His Orchestra on December 22, 1947, and the first recording of "La Mer" was by French jazz musician in December 1945.

Other versions[]

Acker Bilk
Dalida
Django Reinhardt
Gisele MacKenzie
Harry James – Columbia 38134 (1948)
James Melton (1952)
Mantovani
Ray Conniff (1962)
Helen Shapiro on her album A Teenager in Love (1963)
The Sandpipers (on the album Guantanamera as "La Mer (Beyond the Sea)", 1965)
Françoise Hardy (1965)
George Benson (1984)^[5]
We Five released a version in 1965 as the B-side of the no. 1 hit "You Were on My Mind".
Royal Crown Revue recorded it in 1998 on the Mugsy's Move album.
Robbie Williams released a version of the song on his album Swing When You're Winning in 2001, which was used in the end credits in the 2003 Disney·Pixar animated film Finding Nemo. In 2016, Patrick Stump performed a Navajo-language version of Williams' cover to play over the end credits of the Navajo dubbing of the same Disney movie.^[6]
Will Young, winner of Pop Idol, performed the song in the semi-final in 2002. Young also recorded the song for the Pop Idol: The Big Band Album featuring The Big Blue.
Kevin Spacey recorded this for the 2004 biopic of Bobby Darin, Beyond the Sea, in which he played the lead role.
Westlife released a version of the song as a digital download in the UK in 2004.
Barry Manilow released a version on his 2006 album, The Greatest Songs of the Fifties.
Beegie Adair released a version on her 2009 album, Parisian Cafe with David Davidson, violin.
Rod Stewart released a version on his 2010 album, Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V.
Celtic Woman released a version on two of their albums, A New Journey and The Greatest Journey: Essential Collection.
Kathryn Williams sang it as the title song for the BBC television series The Café, first screened on Sky 1 in 2011.
Damian McGinty sang his version on the final episode of The Glee Project in August 2011, thus winning a 17-episode arc on the television show Glee.
Jeff Lynne recorded a version for his solo album Long Wave in 2012.
Bobby Caldwell
Pablo Bubar^[7] reintroduced "Beyond the Sea" in one of the musical romance sketches of "Pablo the Romantic" from Boom Town, broadcast by BBC Three (UK, 2013). This version included the piano music of Ross Leadbeater.^[8]
Deana Martin recorded "Beyond the Sea" on her 2013 album Destination Moon.
Matt Belsante released a version on his 2008 album Blame It on My Youth.
Anthony Russell, who came third on series 15 of The X Factor UK in 2018, performed the song in the Quarter-Finals in Week 5. (Big Band week)

In popular culture[]

Versions of the song have appeared frequently in films and television shows. The song features during the ending credits of the 2003 Animated film “Finding Nemo.”

The song is played prominently in the 2007 video game BioShock.

The X-Files episode "Beyond the Sea" is named for the song, which is playing on the boat owned by Dana Scully's father.

The song plays in the background during a scene in the 1990 film Goodfellas while the characters are preparing food in prison.

In the 2020 horror film A Quiet Place Part II, the song is played on loop over the radio as a signal to guide survivors to an island.

Cameron Diaz and Ewan McGregor sing it during a dram sequence in the movie A Life Less Ordinary.

References[]

^ Schudel, Matt (March 18, 2009). - "Composer's Hits Helped Singers Such as Sinatra". - The Washington Post.
^ "Beyond the Sea (La Mer) (song by Bobby Darin) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
^ "Beyond the Sea (La Mer) (song by Roger Williams) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
^ Rice, Tim; Rice, Jonathan; Gambaccini, Paul (1990), Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, Enfield, Middlesex, United Kingdom: Guinness World Records and Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-398-8
^ "20/20 - George Benson | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
^ "Making Movie Magic in Any Language". D23. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
^ "Pablo Bubar". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
^ "London-based Musical Director, Conductor, Pianist, Singer and Vocal Coach". Ross Leadbeater. Retrieved 2014-01-29.

External links[]

"Beyond The Sea". - Jack Lawrence Website.
Official Bobby Darin fansite
Second Hand Songs: La Mer / Beyond the Sea page
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

[1] Schudel, Matt (March 18, 2009). - "Composer's Hits Helped Singers Such as Sinatra". - The Washington Post.

[2] "Beyond the Sea (La Mer) (song by Bobby Darin) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.

[3] "Beyond the Sea (La Mer) (song by Roger Williams) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.

[4] Rice, Tim; Rice, Jonathan; Gambaccini, Paul (1990), Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, Enfield, Middlesex, United Kingdom: Guinness World Records and Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-398-8

[5] "20/20 - George Benson | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-29.

[6] "Making Movie Magic in Any Language". D23. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2020-12-06.

[7] "Pablo Bubar". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.

[8] "London-based Musical Director, Conductor, Pianist, Singer and Vocal Coach". Ross Leadbeater. Retrieved 2014-01-29.

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show v t George Benson
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Studio albums	The New Boss Guitar of George Benson It's Uptown The George Benson Cookbook Giblet Gravy Shape of Things to Come Goodies Tell It Like It Is The Other Side of Abbey Road Beyond the Blue Horizon White Rabbit Body Talk Bad Benson Good King Bad Benson & Farrell Breezin' In Flight Livin' Inside Your Love Give Me the Night In Your Eyes Pacific Fire I Got a Woman and Some Blues 20/20 While the City Sleeps... Collaboration Twice the Love Big Boss Band That's Right Standing Together Absolute Benson Irreplaceable Givin' It Up Songs and Stories Guitar Man Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole
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Compilations	Space The George Benson Collection The Greatest Hits of All The Very Best of George Benson: The Greatest Hits of All The Essential George Benson
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show v t Bobby Darin
Discography
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Live albums	Darin at the Copa (1960) Live at the Desert Inn (1987)
Compilation albums	The Bobby Darin Story (1961) Aces Back to Back (2004)
Singles	"Splish Splash" "Early in the Morning" "Queen of the Hop" "Dream Lover" "Mack the Knife" "Beyond the Sea" "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" "Things" "You're the Reason I'm Living" "If I Were a Carpenter" "Darlin' Be Home Soon"
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Sing When You're Winning	"Rock DJ" "Kids" "Supreme" "Let Love Be Your Energy" "Eternity/The Road to Mandalay" "Better Man"
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Escapology	"Feel" "Come Undone" "Something Beautiful" "Sexed Up"
Greatest Hits	"Radio" "Misunderstood"
Intensive Care	"Tripping" "Make Me Pure" "Advertising Space" "Sin Sin Sin"
Rudebox	"Rudebox" "Kiss Me" "Lovelight" "Bongo Bong and Je ne t'aime plus" "She's Madonna"
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In and Out of Consciousness	"Shame"
Take the Crown	"Candy" "Different" "Be a Boy"
Swings Both Ways	"Go Gentle" "Dream a Little Dream" "Shine My Shoes"
The Heavy Entertainment Show	"Party Like a Russian" "Love My Life" "Mixed Signals"
The Christmas Present	"Time for Change" "Can't Stop Christmas"
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B-Sides	"Cast Your Fate to the Wind" "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" "Somewhere" "The First Time" "Here Comes the Sun" "Oh Lonesome Me"
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Turnaround	"Hey Whatever" "Mandy" "Obvious" "To Be with You" "Lost in You"
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