NOTE: Warner Brothers has been especially diligent about releasing
Frank's many TV specials and concerts onto DVD, although they are
bare-bones releases, with no extra features to speak of, and most of them
run less than an hour, there is still much good to be found on Frank's
many appearances during the 1960s and 70s. Also, other DVDs
featuring Frank, from his historic meetings with Elvis and Ella, to
Christmastime with Bing Crosby have found their way to the marketplace,
hopefully this guide will help you decide what's worth seeing.
The Frank Sinatra Show: "High Hopes" Special
Guest Stars: Bing Crosby and Dean Martin; with Mitzi Gaynor, Jimmy
Durante, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra (1957) Music Video Distribution; DVD Release
Date: October 25, 2005, 60 min.
High
Hopes - Dean Martin, Mitzi Gaynor and Bing Crosby with Frank
Sinatra Day In and Day Out - Frank Sinatra Timex Promotional
Segment Together - Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Dean
Martin Hurricane - Mitzi Gaynor Talk to Me - Frank Sinatra,
Mitzi Gaynor Dancing Cheek to Cheek - Dean Martin, Mitzi Gaynor,
Bing Crosby Timex Promotional Segment Wrap Up Your Troubles in
Dreams - Dean Martin Give Us The Old Songs (Medley) - Frank
Sinatra, Dean Martin & Bing Crosby Old Man River - Frank
Sinatra, Dean Martin & Bing Crosby High Hopes - Frank Sinatra
& Kids Timex Promotional Segment It Was Just One of Those
Things - Frank SInatra Angel Eyes - Frank SInatra The Lady is
a Tramp - Frank SInatra Medley - Start Each Day With A Song/Ink A
Doo/So Baby Won't You Please Come Home - Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby,
Dean Martin with Jimmy
Durante
The earliest commerically-released television
program of Frank's is this October 19, 1957 Timex-sponsored program which
featured a powerhouse quartet of performers in the form of sparkly
Mitzi Gaynor, swoozy Dean Martin, and legendary Bing Crosby, to say
nothing of Frank Sinatra, who's in his prime at this time. Moments
from this DVD have circulated on various compilations for years now, so
it's nice to have the entire program on disc, including the sponsor shots,
which were performed "live" - as was the entire program. Dean and
Mitzi both get chances to shine in solo and group spots, with Mitzi doing
a wonderfully rhythic dance number in "Hurricane" and Dean putting in a
shameless promotion for his restaurant during "Wrap Up Your Troubles In
Dreams." Frank has many solo moments, from the discotech
lighting on "Day In and Day Out" to the small jazz combo set that winds
down the program at the end. Strangely, Bing doesn't get any solo
time, being confined to group numbers, most of which are novelty tunes
paring him with the others, and being ribbed for his age. Frank is
truly in his prime here, with phrasing which comes dangerously close to
being lazy, and a screen presence which presages his Rat Pack days,
careless, occasionally brilliant, but with a detachment that doesn't quite
connect with the TV cameras. I wish I could say that this print is a
vast improvement over previous clips, but despite being "remastered" from
original sources, the picture and sound are far below modern standards,
with lots of video artifacts finding their way into the print, and despite
the DVD packaging trumpeting 5.1 surround sound, you get nothing more than
a very hissy mono mix, no fidelity at all. Still, unless
somebody decides to do a very expensive and time-consuming full resoration
of the material, this is the best this print is going to look and sound,
and you may find it a worthwhile purchase to see these incredible
performers hoofing it in the golden age of television.
The Frank Sinatra
Show: Sinatra's Christmas Show (aka Happy Holidays With Frank and Bing)
(December 20, 1957) Hart Sharp Video LLC; DVD Released July 20, 2004, 60 min.
Medley: It
Came Upon A Midnight Clear Away In A
Manger O Little Town Of Bethlehem -
Sinatra
Medley: Deck
The Halls God Rest Ye Merry,
Gentlemen Hark! The Herald Angels
Sing Adeste Fidelis - Sinatra, Crosby
& Chorus
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town - Sinatra
Medley: The
Christmas Song White Christmas - Sinatra
&
Crosby
Chronologically, this is the tenth program that was
broadcast as part of the Timex-sponsored The Frank Sinatra Show,
and it's also the only one which was taped in color. In the
thirty-minute segement that follows the show, Nancy claims that she
found the segments, and though the film stock is not prisitine
quality, with some of the colors shifted, this brief holiday show
certainly make for interesting watching for those who love these
entertainers. Taking the conceit that Frank has invited Bing over to
his house to celebrate the holidays, these two trade off on singing
Christmas songs, and Bing easily comes off the winner between the two,
radiating a homey warmth and charm that outstrips Frank's more studied
demeanor. After this initial segment, there is a somewhat laughable
skit where the two supposedly go Christmas caroling, but the obvious set
pieces and ill-placed camera shots make it look more amateurish than I'm
sure was intended. But I still enjoy hearing Frank sing
Christmas hymns like "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear", "Away In A Manger"
and "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" so reverently (won't find that on TV
today!), or to have the two join with the all-too-obvious show chorus in a
second medley which finishes with a bombastic "Adeste Fidelis".
Thankfully, the carolling segment ends and the two old friends return to
the original set piece, where Frank goes through the motions of "Santa
Claus Is Comin' To Town" and a final, brief medley, in which the show
finishes with Crosby's smash hit single "White Christmas". The bonus
features following the program include an interview with Sinatra's
daughters Tina and Nancy discussing the creation of the show, as well as
some joint public service announcements by Frank and Bing; as well as
several photographs of Christmas cards which Frank designed. The
colors, though softened and occasionally grainy, are still rich, and the
sound, which has been remixed into Dolby 5.1 is very good indeed.
Worth getting for fine 50s nostalgia. The Frank
Sinatra Show: An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra (December 13, 1959)
Quantum Leap; DVD
Released November 16, 2004, 50 min.
Songs include: You're Invited to Spend
the Afternoon - Sinatra I've Got the World on a String -
Sinatra Lazy Afternoon - Hi-Lo's It's Alright
with Me - Sinatra Don't Fence Me In - Sinatra &
Prowse Too Darn Hot - Prowse Here's That Rainy
Day - Sinatra & Norvo Love is Here to Stay -
Sinatra Too Marvelous for Words - Sinatra I'll
Never Smile Again - Sinatra & Hi-Lo's There's a Lull
in My Life - Fitzgerald Just You, Just Me -
Fitzgerald How High the Moon - Sinatra &
Fitzgerald Can't We Be Friends - Sinatra &
Fitzgerald Comes to Love, Nothing Can Be Done - Gingold
& Lawford Puttin' on the Ritz - Lawford, Gingold &
Prowse Love is Sweeping the Country/Gershwin Medley -
Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Lawford, Prowse &
Gingold
An unfortunately poor-quality release of one of
Sinatra's most sought-after shows, with Frank hosting what was supposed to
be an open air event in Palm Springs, but when the show was rained out, it
was quickly relocated indoors with makeshift sets. Guests for this
hour-long special, sponsored by Timex, included Juliet Prowse, whom
Sinatra was appearing with in Can-Can, and romantically involved
with at the time; Red Norvo and his Jazz combo, The Hi-Lo's, Peter
Lawford, and comedienne Hermione Gingold. This was the second show
of the second season, and after having done half-hour shows for most of
the first season, the producers sought to boost the flagging ratings and
create sixty-minute "event" shows. Its a great lineup, with
Sinatra given ample backup by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, and
bouncing through great Capitol era-hits like "I've Got The World On A
String", "Love Is Here To Stay" and "Too Marvelous For Words",
while Sinatra gets loose and free with Red Norvo on "Here's That
Rainy Day" (Frank the butt of repeated ribbing by the cast thorughout the
show for filming in 'sunny' Palm Springs). Frank
also looks back to his Dorsey days by singing "I'll Never Smile
Again" with the Hi-Lo's in a wiser, more mature performance than he gave
in the 40s. Ella Fitzgerald is in top form here, singing "There's A
Lull In My Life" and "Just You, Just Me" with her customary aplomb,
singing with a brightness and ease that is nicely complimented by Frank's
darker tones in their two duets: "Can't We Be Friends" and "How High
The Moon". Lesser lights Juliet Prowse and Peter Lawford get to sing
as well, though neither of thier numbers is comparable to Frank &
Ella, and the whole gang gets together at the end for an extended
medley of Gerswin tunes, pinned by Strike Up The
Band's "Love Is Sweeping The Country". Taken from a
kinescope of the original show, it's a shame that a better print
couldn't be used for this release, since it severely hampers the
overall quality, but for now, it's all we have.
The Frank Sinatra Show: Welcome Home Elvis (May 12,
1960) Quantum Leap; DVD
Released February 10, 2004; 95 min.
Songs include: It's Nice to Go Traveling
- Sinatra Witchcraft - Sinatra Gone With the Wind -
Sinatra Fame and Fortune - Elvis Stuck On You - Elvis
Love Me Tender - Sinatra Witchcraft - Elvis Celebrity
impressions - Sammy Davis Jr. When Somebody Loves You - Sammy
Davis Jr. Young At Heart - Frank and Nancy
Sinatra
A second release by Quantum Leap on DVD, and again taken from a
poorer-quality kinescope print (apparently the orignal tape has been
destroyed), this 1960 Timex-sponsored show, the final in this
series, is full of fun and interesting performances, especially the
"King-Kong vs. Godzilla" matchup of old-school hipster Sinatra with fresh
from the armed forces rock 'n' roller Presley. It's fun to see
these two huge stars of different eras verbally spar with each
other and try each other's songs on for size, with neither one really
scoring a knockout. Nearly the entire Rat Pack is also present,
with Sammy Davis Jr. tackling music from Porgy and Bess, and doing
his celebrity impersonations, including Nat King Cole and Cary Grant, and
having a dancing contest with Peter Lawford (guess who wins?),
while Joey Bishop also is here slumming it up. Sinatra's in
prime form here, confident and on top of the mountain while he
sings his opening trio of songs, all accomanied by the mass forces of
Nelson Riddle's orchestra. Presley is only on screen for all of
about fifteen minutes of the hour-long show, but his charisma and
off-the-cuff humor make him a welcome presence. In
hindsight, this must have seemed like high times for both of these
performers, with Frank starting fresh on
his newly-formed Reprise label, and Presley looking to
become an even bigger star in films; little did either of them
know that in a few years both of them would be overshadowed by an
upstart group known as The Beatles. The DVD is accompanied by a
shoddy 45-minute long documentary "The Story Of Elvis Presley" which is,
if anything, of even poorer picture quality than the kinescope that
precedes it.
Sinatra: The Classic Duets (1957-1960) Hart Sharp Video LLC; DVD
Released July 20, 2004, 60 min.
1. Main
Title 2. Frank Sinatra with Elle Fitzgerald - Moonlight in
Vermont 3. Mini Documentary 4. Frank Sinatra with Dinah Shore
- Medley 5. Frank Sinatra with Peggy Lee - Nice Work if You Can
Get It 6. Frank Sinatra with The Hi Lo's - I'll Never Smile
Again 7. Frank Sinatra with Louis Armstrong - The Birth of the
Blues 8. Frank Sinatra with Ethel Merman - You're the Top 9.
Frank Sinatra with Whole Bunch of Kids - High Hopes 10. Frank
Sinatra with Bing Crosby & Dean Martin - Together Wherever We
Go 11. Frank Sinatra with Bing Crosby - September Song 12.
Frank Sinatra with Shirley Jones - If I Loved You 13. Frank
Sinatra with Ella Fitzgerald - Can't We Be Friends 14. Frank
Sinatra with Lena Horne - Medley 15. Frank Sinatra with Louis
Prima & Keely Smith - I Can't Believe You're in Love With
Me 16. Frank Sinatra with Nancy Sinatra - You Make Me Feel so
Young 17. Frank Sinatra with Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender and
Witchcraft 18. Frank Sinatra with Sammy Davis, Jr. - Me and My
Shadow 19. Dean Martin - Medley 20. Frank Sinatra - Put Your
Dreams Away 21. Closing
Credits
Frank Sinatra never seemed comfortable on the small screen; it's as
if he knew that the small, square box was too confining, and that he was
too brash to be welcome into the living rooms of America. And
this half-and-half DVD proves that Frank wasn't comfortable with just
anyone at his side, either - sure, he could pal around with his buddies,
but put him in front of the cameras with a very young Shirley
Jones (with whom he was to star in the screen adaption of
Carousel before he bailed), or the raw rock 'n' roll greasiness
of Elvis Presley, and he seemed lost at sea. Frank here is shown
both in and out of his element, in these clips all taken from his
1957-1960 Timex weekly series The Frank Sinatra Show. The guest
artists sometimes click: as with him and Peggy Lee on a sizzling "Nice
Work If You Can Get It" or even with a brassy (was she ever
otherwise?) Ethel Merman in a crackling take of Cole Porter's
"You're The Top" - and he could croon with the best of them,
as shown in clips of him and Bing Crosby singing "September
Song". But he could also be lazy on-screen, especially with his Rat
Pack pals, as they giggle and guffaw their way through "Together Wherever
We Go" or the aside-laden "Me And My Shadow". There are even some
real groaners, like when Frank sings "with a whole bunch of kids" on
"High Hopes" or the twilight-zone weirdness of Frank and Elvis
trading songs. Sinatra was pure class, and he worked best
with similar elements: Lena Horne, Louis Prima & Keely
Smith; Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. And so this DVD is a
mixed bag, with extra features by family members Nancy, Tina and
Frank Jr. which don't shed any fresh light on these performances, a trivia
text commentary track, and an original promo spot; but the sound, picture
and content about as good as I could hope for, and the good
performances are very good indeed. A Man And
His Music (1965) WEA/Warner Brothers; DVD Released March 9, 1999, 50
min.
Songs include: I've Got You
Under My Skin, Without A Song, Don't Worry 'Bout Me, I
Get A Kick Out Of You, Nancy, My Kind Of Town, Medley:
It Was A Very Good
Year Young At
Heart The Girl Next
Door Last Night When We Were
Young, This Is All I Ask, Come Fly With Me, The Lady Is A
Tramp, I've Got The World On A String, Witchcraft, You
Make Me Feel So Young, Put Your Dreams Away
An absolutely electrifying set, the first in a series of A Man
and his Music showcases for Sinatra, with the singer and the showman
up to full force in this hour-long concert in front of a live
audience. The opening is perhaps the most suprising, with a gritty,
noir-ish sky shot of a limousine pulling up to a building and a shady
figure emerging. We see him enter a side doorway and walk through
empty, silent hallways, finally coming to a darkened room with a single
chair and a microphone. Frank sits down and acapella begins to sing
"I've Got You Under My Skin" and then the orchestra *Bam!* cuts in.
It's a thrilling moment, and Sinatra uses the drama of his entrance to
full effect. Taped when he was 50 years old, he sings like he's
twenty years younger, with punch and pizazz, ripping through a set of
standards from the 50's ("I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Young At Heart",
"Come Fly With Me", "The Lady Is A Tramp" "I've Got The World On A
String", "Witchcraft" and "You Make Me Feel So Young") bookended with
songs from his big band years, "Without A Song" and "Put Your Dreams
Away", which were Frank's big hits with the Dorsey orchestra.
Accompanied here by Nelson Riddle, Sinatra is astoundingly loose and in
terrific voice as his phrasing slips and bounces all over the place; the
few songs from his Reprise years which he slips in ("My Kind Of Town", "It
Was A Very Good Year", "Last Night When We Were Young") shows him as a
complete master of his music, and the choices he makes for this special,
and the remarkable backing he recieves from Riddle & Co., make this a
one-of-a-kind performance. The only downsides: a picture that seems
to have degraded a bit, making the picture a bit soft, and the mono sound,
which is still very punchy. Also check out the wild set pieces built
for this production... pure 60s kitsch. Highly recommended.
A Man And His Music, Part II (1966) Wea/Warner Brothers; DVD Released
September 21, 1999, 50 min.
Songs Include: Fly Me to the Moon,
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Moonlight in Vermont,
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You, Bang Bang (My Baby
Shot Me Down) [Nancy Sinatra], On Broadway [Nancy], Yes Sir
That's My Baby [Frank & Nancy], Medley With Nancy Sinatra:
Downtown/These Boots Were Made for
Walkin', Medley: Just One of Those
Things/ My Heart Stood
Still/ But
Beautiful/ When Your Lover Has Gone,
Luck Be a Lady, That's Life, Granada, My Kind of
Town, Put Your Dreams
Away
The law of diminishing returns applies to Frank's second
Man and His Music television special, this time with daughter
Nancy in tow, and Gordon Jenkins sharing the baton with Nelson
Riddle. The most interesting part of the show, which unfortunately
features canned laughter on Sinatra's opening monologue and some laughless
skits with Nancy, is the presence of the original Nelson Riddle
orchtrations for "That's Life". Apparently, Nelson's arrangement was
the one slated to appear on the LP of the same name, and as this
television special was taped before the LP was in the can, it was the
arrangement they used. But later, Frank had the song re-arranged by
Ernie Freeman into the punchy chart we know and love today - so this DVD
is the only place to hear the original Riddle charts. Nancy gets
alot of screen time in the special, showing off her new-found independent
popularity; and she puts out good renditions of "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot
Me Down)" and "On Broadway", and does an extended medley of "Downtown"
paried with her big hit "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'." Frank
has a sit-down section where he 'looks back' at songs in his career, which
is a very nice touch - but this special pales somewhat in comparison with
the previous television event; it lacks the sense of style and daring the
first Man and His Music had, and feels more rushed in its
production, and the picture as well isn't as pristine as I would have
liked. But it's still prime Sinatra, giving an essentially live
concert in the studio - and it's worth seeing for fans who love this
particular era.
A Man And His
Music + Ella + Jobim (1967) Wea/Warner Brothers; DVD Released March 9, 1999, 50
min.
Songs include: Day In Day Out, Get Me To The Church On Time, What Now
My Love?, Ol' Man River, Body & Soul (Ella), It's
Alright With Me (Ella),
Medley (With Ella): How High The
Moon/ Up Up & Away/ Look Out for Jimmy Valentine/ Theme
to "Tony Rome"/ Goody Goody/ Don't Cry Joe/ Ode to Billie
Joe/ Goin' Out of My Head,
Medley (With Jobim): Change
Partners/ I Concentrate on You/ The Girl from Ipanema,
Medley (With Ella): The Song is
You/ They Can't Take That Away from Me/ Stompin' at the
Savoy/ At Long Last Love,
Don't Be That Way (Ella), The Lady Is
A Tramp (Frank & Ella), Put Your Dreams
Away
The third entry in A Man and His Music has Frank bringing
in the big guns as guest stars, with Ella Fitzgerald making one of her
rare appearances with Frank, and Carlos Antonio Jobim joining Frank for a
short, smoky (literally) set of four songs, and the rest of the show
hanging loosely of the theme of rhythms. While I'm generally of the
opinion that Frank doesn't need guest stars to put on a show (he's the
biggest star of them all), he's equalled in star power by Ella, who
matches Frank note for note in their fun and fiery set. Their medley
together is hampered by the choice of adding contemporary songs to the set
list; I mean, did anyone really want to hear these two great interpreters
of the American Songbook bleat their way through "Up, Up and Away" or
"Goin' Out Of My Head"? Of course, later they set it all to right, and
then some, with their explosive rendition of "The Lady Is A Tramp", which
has poor Nelson Riddle trying his best to keep the brass up to the
challenge. And their later medley is much better, pulling
in several solid songs from their respective repetoires. Jobim's set with
Frank is also a nice change of pace, with Carlos lending soft piano and
whispered vocals to Frank's bossa-nova interpretations of "Change
Partners", "I Concentrate On You" and "The Girl From Ipanema". I'm
such a big fan of all these performers that I'd probably tune in to watch
them whatever they did, but take my word for it, this is a great show,
with Frank & Co. obviously having a wonderful time. The sound
and video quality is on par with previous releases, which means
although it's not pristine, it's worth seeing.
Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Own Thing (1968) Wea/Warner Brothers; DVD Released
June 9, 1999, 50 min.
Songs Include: Hello Young Lovers, Baubles Bangles and Beads, Cycles,
[It's the] Music That Makes Me Dance
(Diahann), Where Am I Going (Diahann);
Medley (Frank & Diahann):
Diane/ Deep
River/ Sometimes I Feel Like a
Motherless Child/ Lonesome
Road/ Nobody Knows the Trouble I've
Seen/ Amen,
Medley: Glad to Be
Unhappy/ Here's That Rainy
Day/ It Never Entered My
Mind/ Gone with the Wind,
It's a Great Life (5th Dimension),
Stoned Soul Picnic (5th Dimension), Sweet Blindness (Frank
& the 5th Dimension),
Nice and Easy, [How Little It
Matters] How Little We Know, Lost in the Stars, Angel Eyes,
Put Your Dreams
Away
Ouch! Frank lands right
on his caboose with this astoundingly mismatched TV special featuring
Diahann Carroll and The 5th Dimension. Built around a theme of
"Black and White Americans Getting Together", Franks tries to get hip with
the soul crowd, even donning a beaded nehru jacket and becoming
the "6th member" of 5D. As I said, ouch! I'm giving this
special two-and-a-half stars for a couple of reasons: 1.)For kitsch value,
it's a scream, and 2.)Diahann Carroll is smooth as silk in her numbers,
from the divine "Where Am I Going" to the plaintive "Sometimes I Feel Like
A Motherless Child", even though she looks like she's scoping out the
nearest exit during she and Frank's awkward duet sequence. Frank
starts out the show is so-so form, giving 'modern' readings of "Hello
Young Lovers," "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" (obviously referring to
his wardrobe change later on), and debuting the detestable "Cycles", and
singing it absolutely straight. He also runs through a smoky
bar medley of his blue songs: "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Here's That Rainy
Day", "It Never Entered My Mind", and "Gone With The Wind" - which seems
completely out of place in context with the other numbers. Other
high points include the 5th Dimension's set, which is all smooth
elegance and tight harmonies. But then things get really psychedelic
with Frank coming out and joining 5D for a rendition of "Sweet
Blindness", and it just has to be seen to be believed - Frank has never
seemed more out of place, even when he was swapping songs with
Elvis Presley. The final medley by Frank manages to bring
things back to reality, but he's still wearing the beads during his
final run through of "Nice and Easy", and by then, I'm about ready to give
it up as hopeless. The 40-piece orchestra is great, using
arrangements by Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins, but as a side note -
it's reported that this tape is actually the dress rehearsal of the show,
and that Frank walked out before the final taping could occur.
Perhaps a premonition kicked in, and he was heading for the nearest
lifeboat. Whatever the reason, this program shouldn't be the first
you seek out, but is interesting as a time-capsule view of the late 60s.
Frank Sinatra: Sinatra
(1969) Wea/Warner
Brothers; DVD Released September 21, 1999, 50
min.
Songs Include: For Once in My Life, Please Be Kind, My Way,
Film Clip Medley:
I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last
Night/ You're
Sensational/ All the Way,
The Tender Trap, Little Green Apples,
Out Beyond the Window, A Man Alone, Didn't We,
Forget to Remember, Fly Me to the Moon, Street of
Dreams, Love's Been Good To Me, Goin' Out of My Head, My
Kind of Town
After the flame-out of his previous special, Sinatra apparently
decided to eschew having any guest stars to compete with, and presented an
entire concert with himself as his own guest star. I completely
agree with this strategy, at least in theory, but this concert is
definitely hit and miss, both in song selection and performance.
Frank was battling his voice during this performance, and while
some numbers come off triumphantly, with just Sinatra alone on
stage in black tie, singing zingy new Don Costa arrangements of some of
his classic songs: "Fly Me To The Moon", "My Kind Of
Town", and "Please Be Kind" others fall flat. This is
the Sinatra that knows how to sell a song, and he also manages to get in
some scripted laughs from the live audience by poking fun at some of his
old film roles. He brings the lights down for the tender ballads:
"Didn't We," "Forget To Remember", and a mostly on-target belting of "My
Way" - which is beginning to sound like the show-stopper it
would become during Frank's concerts in the 70s.
But Frank seems disconnected from his singing several times
during the show, giving rote renditions of songs that he's sung too many
times, and the inclusion of weaker contemporary material ("Little
Green Apples", "Goin' Out Of My Head") only point out the strengths of the
classic songs. In that way, this special points out how
tired Frank was getting of trying to stay relevant during this
period; and unintentionally reveals why Frank decided to retire soon after
this show aired.
