First there was this which was, and I don't use the word lightly, perfection (even the sleeve notes). So they decided to work together again, but the sessions only made one side of an album, a few more songs overspilling onto an 8-track cartridge that soon became unavailable.
I knew this one though from an early age - not because at 10 I was an obsessive collector of Sinatra rarities, but because it cropped up against all odds on a mid-70s mega-seller called A Portrait Of Sinatra, which the Aged Ps kept always near the front of their little row of LPs and which got a lot of spins on the radiogram, some of them by me.
My future with Frank was sealed.
Frank Sinatra (with Antônio Carlos Jobim) - 'Bonita' (1969)
Frank's been there for me at several key moments. One of my earliest memories was a trip the local music shop Hodges and Johnson (sold instruments and records) with my dad to buy My Way, playing Someone To Watch Over Me when we brought the just-born, first mini-mondo home from the hospital, sending dad off with My Way at his funeral in 2001 and his Ring-A-Ding-Ding album being my getting ready music on our wedding day. Although my favourite Frank album will aways be Cycles.
ReplyDeletePS - Piley saw him live once..
I blogged about the Sinatra/Jobim album as one of my mother's records and she had Portrait of Sinatra too (I have her copy of it now) which got constant play on the old music centre.
ReplyDeleteI remember that post! It's one of the reasons I didn't witter on about that record here.
ReplyDeleteI had a chance to see him live once Mond, but didn't take it - it was very expensive (and I was very poor) and very late in his career (indeed, his life) - I thought 'No, remember him like the records'. Hmmm. Regrets, I've had a few.
The wife and mine's first dance at the wedding was All The Way. Always had a soft spot for the mafia friendly singer until he performed that duet with Bonzo.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which Q's top frontmen 1 - Gallagher 2 - Bonzo & 3 - Freddie Mercury. Elvis # thirty fucking four, I can't believe how many fuckwits there are out there.
Ohohoho, thanks for the Frank. Mucho appreciated. Between you and the Frank and Ally posting that methtastic Sammy Davis, Jr. song, I have an embarrassment of addictive Rat Pack riches this week.
ReplyDeletethere's frank for every occassion every weather every heartbeat ain't there... lovely
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Bonita is pretty good but Wave - now that is the song.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, that's brill.
ReplyDeleteFrank update: since posting I've read that the complete Sinatra - Jobim sessions are going to be re-released later this year. Beautiful music.
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