A DJ’s mother, a silly idea about bath time, and a bet. The story behind a 1958 smash.
In 1958, Bobby Darin was a 22-year-old singer in New York whose first few records had gone nowhere. Then a popular disc jockey, Murray “the K” Kaufman, passed along an idea from his own mother, Jean: a song that would begin with a line about splashing around in the bathtub.
Kaufman bet Darin that he could not write it. Darin took the bet, and by most accounts he had the whole song finished in about twelve minutes. It was “Splish Splash.”
Bubbles in the Studio
Darin recorded it on April 10, 1958, at Atlantic Records’ studio in New York, complete with bubbling water sound effects at the start. It was meant to be fun, and it was.
A Million Copies
The record took off that summer, climbing to No. 3 in the nation and selling more than a million copies. It put Darin on American Bandstand and made him a star almost overnight.
He shared the songwriting credit with Kaufman and his mother, using a name made from both of their first names: “Jean Murray.”
Why It Still Matters
That silly little bet launched one of the great careers of the era. Darin followed it with “Dream Lover” and went on to become one of the most admired singers of his generation.
Did you ever sing this one in the bathtub? Tell us in the comments on Facebook. We read every one.