Posted on 12/13/2015 3:21:25 PM PST by Bratch
My introduction to Frank Sinatra came by way of “New York, New York” (1979) and “My Way” (1969). Needless to say, I was not a fan. Even as a pre-teen, the over-produced bombast came across as someone, dare I say an old man, trying too hard. Besides, I was born in 1966 and came of age in the early 80s. By law, I was required to worship Springsteen, Seger, Zeppelin, Petty, Van Halen, Def Leppard, and AC/DC, not some crooner belting out anthems about how it’s up to you my way.
With a memory as bad as mine, I don’t have many memories. Flipping through a family photo album can sometimes feel like flipping through someone else’s family photo album. No joke, I have forgotten entire vacations. What I have never forgotten, though, is the moment I fell in love with “The Voice.”
The year was 1985, I was 19 and working in the maintenance department at a nursing home. The radio in the shop was always tuned to WOKY, a station that played only adult standards for folks over the age of a million: Dean Martin, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Julie London, Vic Damone, Glenn Miller, Peggy Lee, and of course Francis Albert.
To a kid my age, the music played like background music, elevator music. It neither grabbed nor annoyed me. It was just there. That all changed the afternoon Johnny Mercer’s “Summer Wind” came on.
[...] .
Sinatra is our Bach, our Beethoven, our Shakespeare, the artist of our time who will be remembered 500 years from now, 10,000 years from now, for as long as Western Civilization survives.
My list of Sinatra’s 11 greatest songs (other than “Summer Wind”) can be found here.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
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| "If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy." |
Sinatra did host the inauguration. It was about 2 years into the JFK presidency that Bobby and Joe Kennedy made JFK cut all ties with Sinatra because JFK was getting entangled with a Mafia girlfriend Sinatra introduced him to.
Sinatra did Summer Wind in ONE take only!!!
Sinatra HATED Paul Anka’s My Way!!!
Sinatra’s legend is cemented in his Capitol Records concept albums!!!
Sinatra’s Ol Blue Eyes period from 1970’s till his death kept him in the public eye!!!
If you played Vegas in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s you knew mobsters. Hell, if you went to the shows you would very often see the mobsters make a grand and showy entrance as they were escorted to their tables. Vegas was something special in those days.
As for Sinatra, he was part of the soundtrack of America’s post WWII heyday. What a fantastic time it was what with the great crooners, modern jazz, the birth of rock ‘n roll, and the purest country & western ever played and sung.
Contrary to the propaganda, the ‘50’s and early ‘60’s were a wonderful time to be alive.
This cover by Sinatra sums it all up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gab2Vuz2Nk
Agree! I was born in 63 “discover: Frank when I was 10!
No question.
I fell in love with his music about 11 years ago, while listening to a greatest hits type sampling of his on a business trip. What followed has been 11 years of listening and discovering the vast and deep treasure of the man's musical legacy.
No one -- no one -- could so interpret a song so deeply and convincingly. When he sang, particularly the torch songs, it was as if he became the song itself. It was a type of empathy which is exceedingly rare among performers. It's a type of genius.
Anyone who has SiriusXM should do themselves a favor and tune into Channel 71 on Sunday afternoons to hear Nancy Sinatra's superb "Nancy For Frank" show. She plays a little of everything of his and it is wonderful.
Also, take a gander at this, one of my favorite songs ever:
I read that Sinatra was once a Democrat, but he switched to the Republican Party. He campaigned for Ronald Reagan.
His daughter Nancy had a song out “These Boots Are Made For Walking”. I was listening to it and wrecked my dad’s car. I thought for sure the boots I had on would do nothing but walking after that.
My dad never said a word, and I went on to wreck his pickup a couple months later.
Fast forward to this era, my daughter just wrecked my pickup. She called, once I found out she was OK I laughed and made jokes of it. She was as surprised as I was when I wrecked my dad’s car that I was not PO’d over it.
Sinatra was a good actor as well as a good singer.
My mother loved him. He was a teen idol in her day. She was 16 when an older cousin sneaked her out of the house to see Sinatra perform. Unfortunately, my ultra strict grandfather found out and my mother was punished. But she always said it was worth it just to see Sinatra.
My folks had an extensive record collection of Sinatra and other artists of their day. I grew up with their music and much of the time, I prefer the old standards to the rock n roll popular in my youth. And most of today’s artists, I wouldn’t give a plug nickel to see.
Excellent post! Frank’s phrasing is second to no one - simply amazing.
I created a business in high-end audio and have a longtime friend who remasters classic albums for better sound quality - on CD, SACD and vinyl. From the jazz classics to Beach Boys to Nat King Cole to Peggy Lee to Sinatra.
My friend has been very kind to me and gifted me with CDR copies from the raw, studio master tapes of those artists...and so many more.
The Sinatra gifts have included all of his hits and are “dry” - before the dreaded echo/reverb was added. Some tracks include the studio chatter before they started playing. Sinatra was quite the cut-up when he got into his Jimmy Cagney “you dirty rats” routine.
Needless to say, the sound quality from CDRs burned direct from the master tapes is extraordinary.
Sinatra liked to keep his voice out front and the orchestra waaay back in the mix.
Bottom line - I never tire of Sinatra. My favotites - whioch are hard to do - will always include “The Way You Look Tonight” and his signature song, “One For My Baby” - especially the live version at the Sands. Even though Count Basie was providing the orchestra, Sinatra ALWAYS had his personal pianist (Bill Miller) to ALWAYS play the piano on THAT song.
I laughed the first time I heard a music critic proclaim that Sinatra was a master of phrasing.
Phrasing?
Wth is phrasing?
But when I listened to some of his performances and the way he could ‘dance’ those lyrics around a beat, I began to understand what the critic meant.
And nowadays, I concur: Sinatra was a master of phrasing.
It was his way of giving the finger to the Kennedy’s for using him and dumping him.
“Don’t Worry ‘bout Me” is my favorite cut from that album. I get the chills every time I listen to it. What he does with the word “yourself” is amazing.
He is one of the few singers who can be better live then in the studio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Rz6ZHvbKw
I listened to the whole album on the 12th....with the Sennheisers. Magnificent. ;)
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