jakeem Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Is anyone else observing Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday today? I'm planning to listen to his greatest hits. Anyway, here are several reasons to celebrate the life and career of Ol' Blue Eyes -- and new books and music now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJimkJIPqhQ http://www.today.com/popculture/100-years-frank-sinatra-5-reasons-his-birthday-still-something-t60611 http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/12/12/sinatra-gift-guide-new-books-music-his-100th/76992308/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Is anyone else observing Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday today? I'm planning to listen to his greatest hits. Anyway, here are several reasons to celebrate the life and career of Ol' Blue Eyes -- and new books and music now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJimkJIPqhQ http://www.today.com/popculture/100-years-frank-sinatra-5-reasons-his-birthday-still-something-t60611 http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/12/12/sinatra-gift-guide-new-books-music-his-100th/76992308/ He seems to have a ridiculous expression on his face here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 He seems to have a ridiculous expression on his face here. But he was ultracool no matter the expression! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Tell ya what jakeem------ I DON'T have much(if any) a collection of Frank Sinatra "hits". But I DO have a CD reissue of a Christmas album he once recorded, and in fitting both the season AND his birthday, (and our "tradition") I'll play it while putting up and decorating my tree today! Good 'nuff? Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 Tell ya what jakeem------ I DON'T have much(if any) a collection of Frank Sinatra "hits". But I DO have a CD reissue of a Christmas album he once recorded, and in fitting both the season AND his birthday, (and our "tradition") I'll play it while putting up and decorating my tree today! Good 'nuff? Sepiatone Sounds great! Actually, many Sinatra greatest hits compilations include his Christmas songs. My favorite is his version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." By the way, my tree goes up immediately after Thanksgiving and gets taken down on January 6th -- the traditional 12th day of Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Yeah, due to health issues concernng both me AND my wife, we're behind our usual schedule of decorating and shopping this year. We usually also have our tree up by now. Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 Yeah, due to health issues concernng both me AND my wife, we're behind our usual schedule of decorating and shopping this year. We usually also have our tree up by now. Sepiatone Well, it's so nice to know that you're able to do it now -- with The Chairman of the Board in your corner! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmmk83nWm6g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedracer5 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I'm thinking tonight, I'll try to watch a couple of the Sinatra films I recorded: The Detective and A Hole in the Head. Since I purchased it, I've been listening to the 4-disc Sinatra Centennial collection. It covers Sinatra's songs chronologically. Disc one has some very late 1930s-early 1940s recordings and Disc four concludes with some late 1970s recordings. All in all, there are 100 songs featured on this collection. I've been watching the Sinatra concerts each week. They're nice to watch/listen to while I'm making dinner. I remember when Sinatra died. He died at the very end of eighth grade. Between Sinatra dying and the last episode of Seinfeld, May 14th, 1998 was a very sad day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr6666 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 one of my fav of Sinatra's, though I've read where he didn't like it.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E2hYDIFDIU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Be sure to read this legendary 1966 profile of Sinatra written for Esquire magazine by Gay Talese of The New York Times. It was an early example of the New Journalism in which the writer put himself in the story. Talese went on to write the non-fiction best sellers "The Power and the Glory" (1969, about The Times), "Honor Thy Father" (1971, about the Bonanno crime family) and "Thy Neighbor's Wife" (1981, about sex in America). http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a638/esq1003-oct-sinatra-rev/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedracer5 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Be sure to read this legendary 1966 profile of Sinatra written for Esquire magazine by Gay Talese of The New York Times. It was an early example of the New Journalism in which the writer put himself in the story. Talese went on to write the non-fiction best sellers "The Power and the Glory" (1969, about The Times), "Honor Thy Father" (1971, about the Bonanno crime family) and "Thy Neighbor's Wife" (1981, about sex in America). http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a638/esq1003-oct-sinatra-rev/ What a bizarre illustration of Sinatra. At first, I thought it was Gollum smoking a cigarette. I'll definitely have to read the article to see if it hints as to why Sinatra was drawn in this fashion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 What a bizarre illustration of Sinatra. At first, I thought it was Gollum smoking a cigarette. I'll definitely have to read the article to see if it hints as to why Sinatra was drawn in this fashion. Well, I suppose the New Journalism brought with it Modern Art! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedracer5 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Well, I suppose the New Journalism brought with it Modern Art! Lol. I just realized that those are hands wanting to light Sinatra's cigarette. When I first glanced at it, I thought that the hands were all rippling muscles and I was trying to figure out why Sinatra was being portrayed as this tough, muscle man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Lol. I just realized that those are hands wanting to light Sinatra's cigarette. When I first glanced at it, I thought that the hands were all rippling muscles and I was trying to figure out why Sinatra was being portrayed as this tough, muscle man. When you read the Esquire piece, you'll find that the cover imagery was right on target! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
film lover 293 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I just found a buried treat on YouTube, 11 pages in;a deleted song from "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (1949), "Boys and Girls Like You And Me. I successfully downloaded it above, so you no longer have to search The clip is in pristine shape, except for the missed chit-chat; (there have only been 33 views in five months!) A forgotten gem. The last of the four results of this search brings up a deleted duet between Judy Garland and John Hodiak; "My Intuition", from "The Harvey Girls" (1946). It's easy to hear why this was cut: MGM's orchestra overwhelms Hodiak's and Garlands voices. Hodiak had a thin baritone, & Garland is keeping her voice in check so she doesn't overwhelm her co-star. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr6666 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 last one, I swear, but it also had some nice photo editing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gorman Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I like Sinatra's 1968 movie 'THE DETECTIVE'. I've seen it several times. It's basically a movie in two parts. Not a 'politically correct' movie, either. HERE BE A SPOILER of sorts: One thing that dates the movie is note how quickly it is between when Tony Musante is convicted and then sent to the electric chair. These days it takes 10 years it seems for someone convicted of 1st degree murder to actually be executed (except in Texas, I reckon). If memory serves from reading about this incident: In 1901 when President William McKinley was shot (September 6) and died 8 days later (Sept. 14) it was only some 45 days after that his assassin Leon Czolgosz was hanged. (At least I think he was hanged instead of being dispatched via firing squad). He was French-fried in the electric chair Oct. 29, 1901. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I'm not surprised reading here that Frank didn't like "My Way." And I'm a bit pleased. This song is not worthy of him. He's capable of so much more nuance. The song has a macho, pop appeal. More a Tom Jones vehicle, all that power. It reminds me of Nat's big hit "Ramblin' Rose." Not sure if that his best seller but it probably is, and yet vastly inferior to most of his other output (compare "Sweet Lorraine" for instance, a classy, jazz offering, though that was a hit too). That second vid was terrific. Thanks, Sixes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
film lover 293 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Sinatra & Betty Garrett were inspired clowns when they worked together. She made only 4 films at MGM before being blacklisted along with her husband , Larry Parks star of "The Jolson Story" (1946) because he admitted before the House of UnAmerican Activities Committee that he at one time had belonged to the Communist Party. Here's my favorite number from "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (1949), "It's Fate, Baby, It's Fate" where they play off each other & reverse gender roles, just to make it funnier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I'm not surprised reading here that Frank didn't like "My Way." And I'm a bit pleased. This song is not worthy of him. He's capable of so much more nuance. The song has a macho, pop appeal. More a Tom Jones vehicle, all that power. It reminds me of Nat's big hit "Ramblin' Rose." Not sure if that his best seller but it probably is, and yet vastly inferior to most of his other output (compare "Sweet Lorraine" for instance, a classy, jazz offering, though that was a hit too). That second vid was terrific. Thanks, Sixes. Agree with you about both Frank and 'My Way' and Nat and "Ramblin Rose'. When discussing music and singers if someone mentions how much they love "My Way' I know instantly we have different musical taste, in that I like interpretations of standards that have more or a swing jazz feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I'm not surprised reading here that Frank didn't like "My Way." And I'm a bit pleased. This song is not worthy of him. He's capable of so much more nuance. The song has a macho, pop appeal. More a Tom Jones vehicle, all that power. It reminds me of Nat's big hit "Ramblin' Rose." Not sure if that his best seller but it probably is, and yet vastly inferior to most of his other output (compare "Sweet Lorraine" for instance, a classy, jazz offering, though that was a hit too). That second vid was terrific. Thanks, Sixes. "My Way" is an inferior song. So is "That's Life" and "New York New York" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 "My Way" is an inferior song. So is "That's Life" and "New York New York" How funny is it that they all were considered signature Sinatra songs? Any problems with "Strangers in the Night," which inspired the name of the cartoon canine Scooby-Doo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 How funny is it that they all were considered signature Sinatra songs? Any problems with "Strangers in the Night," which inspired the name of the cartoon canine Scooby-Doo? It's OK, but not great. The only latter-day signature Sinatra record which really WAS great was "It was a Very Good Year". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 It's OK, but not great. The only latter-day signature Sinatra record which really WAS great was "It was a Very Good Year". Don't underestimate "Summer Wind," with a killer arrangement by Nelson Riddle. It was used to great effect in the 1984 movie "The Pope of Greenwich Village." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 How funny is it that they all were considered signature Sinatra songs? Any problems with "Strangers in the Night," which inspired the name of the cartoon canine Scooby-Doo? From a jazz musician POV I agree with DGF that the songs he listed were inferior songs as it relates to their melodies and harmonic construction. e.g. I have never heard any jazz musicians record or play those songs. They are not in the same league as songs written by master likes Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Jimmy Van Heusen, and Jerome Kern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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