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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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
REVIEW: 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.
