Al was one of the only good things about Godfather III
Posted on 10/14/2009 9:09:01 AM PDT by GOPsterinMA
SPRINGFIELD, Pa. - Singer Al Martino, who played the Frank Sinatra-type role of Johnny Fontane in "The Godfather" and recorded hits including "Spanish Eyes" and the Italian ballad "Volare" in a 50-year musical career, died Tuesday. He was 82.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...
Frank would send somebody over to see you about that lead, reporter boy.
He sang at our St. Rocco Feast five years ago. The streets were packed for blocks. And our neighborhood isn’t that big.
That’s awesome! Could he still sing well?
That’s AWESOME - Thank you!!!
No kidding. It’s not Volare, it’s Nel Bleu de pintino bleu. Mamaluke.
5 years ago? How did he look and sound? I think the best male vocalist voice was Vic Damone’s.
He did the second one in The Godfather. Thanks!
Smooth as silk.
Tom Hagen: Mr Corleone is Johnny Fontane’s godfather. Now Italians regard that as a very close, a very sacred religious relationship.
Jack Woltz: Tell your boss he can ask for anything else, but this is one favour I can’t grant him.
Tom Hagen: Mr. Corleone never asks a second favor once he’s refused the first, understood?
Great! That performance doesn’t look too old, looks like he could still sing well.
How about Jerry Vale in Goodfellas?
Nice! Great memories! Was the feast in the North End?
Good stuff!!!
Here’s Al in 2007:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvyW906123Y&feature=related
I’m not sure if he made it this year but he made a live visit to Providence last August.
You can ACT LIKE A MAN! Whassa matta witchoo? Is this how you show me, a man who cries like a woman?
I didn’t see your post, & added a link to another performance of “Come Share the Wine” amazing that he recorded it in 2000 at 73.
Al was one of the only good things about Godfather III
Well let’s throw it out there. Several years ago someone polled all the Italian male vocalists, asking who did they think had the best voice, and Vic Dimone won.
My choices, now we’re talking about the voice, are:
Vic Dimone
Jerry Vale (whatever happened to Jerry?)
Perry Como
Al Martino
Frank Sinatra
Boy George (just kidding)
10-4! Him and Andy Garcia.
Godfather III could have been such a better film.
He’s just lip sincking. He’s not actually singing is he?
No Tony Bennett?
I’m not sure but he recorded the song in the 2000 / 2001 timeframe (73?), I’ll give him a break for just being able to travel and stand for a performance at that age.
:(
What am I gonna do, Godfather? What am I gonna do???
Jack Woltz: You don’t understand. Johnny Fontane never gets that movie. That part is perfect for him. It’ll make him a big star. I’m gonna run him out of the movies. And let me tell you why. Johnny Fontane ruined one of Woltz International’s most valuable proteges. For three years we had her under contract, singing lessons, dancing lessons, acting lessons. I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was gonna make her a big star. And let me be even more frank, just to show you that I’m not a hard-hearted man, that it’s not all dollars and cents. She was beautiful, she was innocent, she was the greatest piece of ass I’ve ever had, and I’ve had it all over the world. And then Johnny Fontane comes along with his olive oil voice and guinea charm and she runs off. She threw it all away just to make me look ridiculous. And a man in my position can’t afford to be made to look ridiculous. Now you get the hell out of here. And you tell that gumba that if he wants to try any rough stuff that I ain’t no band leader. Yeah, I heard that story.
Tom Hagen: Thank you for the dinner and a very pleasant evening. Have your car take me to the airport. Mr Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news at once.
You can ACT LIKE A MAN!
“SLAP”
Don Corleone: What’s the matter with you? Is this what you’ve become, a Hollywood ** finocchio ** who cries like a woman? “Oh, what do I do? What do I do?” What is that nonsense? Ridiculous!
I think when you’re talking just the sound of the voice...listen to Vic Damone... Sinatra and Bennett can carry a tune, and have the beat, but DAmone was smooth as silk. He had the silkiest voice of them all. I wouldn’t classify Tony has silky nor Sinatra.
Jerry Vale yes. Como yes. Al Martino yes. Johnny Mathis yes but he ain’t Italian.
You're really kind. The only good about Godfather III was that it FINALLY ended and I never have to watch it again.
RIP Al Martino
Honestly, I listed to him at the behest of my old man when I was a long-haired teenage punk and even then I could appreciate how good he was, even if I didn't quite dig the subject matter; in truth I didn't really understand what he was singing about except in the abstract sense. Now, I'm over 50 and I get it, big time.
bttt
Let’s not forget Dino as well.
“At least you can act like a man” < SLAP ! >
You’re right on. He had an inherent rhythm. Some of his material from the 60s is good. I think he did a record with Willima Carlos Jobeem? (spelling?) And of course he could keep up with Ella and Count Basie and the others.
In fact, I had signed up for Netflix and was watching the old Frank Sinatra shows in B/W TV. He had all the best on there. The show with Ella was great.
Silky voices..
The first time I saw that scene I cracked up laughing! I don’t know if it was supposed to be funny, but it was.
Three-Stoogesque.
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