Hey did anyone catch the special they did on Frank called "duets" on PBS? They had interviews with all of the Sinatra children about many of Frank's friends and the people that he sang with. I found it extremely interesting and fun to watch. My favorite part is in the very beginning when he sings with Dinah Shore and he starts cracking jokes while they are both trying to sing, which results in Dinah laughing so hard she can't even get the words out. It was such an aweosme special and I hope they put out something like that on television again!!! P.S Nancy, if you happen to read this: Have any of the talented people your dad sang with, impact your singing career in a significant way?

Hi Mallory! It's a great special, and you can buy it from PBS on VHS or DVD. They put it together perfectly. My favorite part would have to be the duet with Dino. Although I love the entire show, I look forward to the end... I can't help but smile and sing along when they perform together.

NO! I missed it. Thanks Bonni for letting me know I can buy it.

[Lourdes]

Frank Sinatra sings with:
Ella Fitzgerald
Dinah Shore
Peggy Lee
The Hi Lo's
Louis Armstrong
Ethel Merman
Whole Bunch of Kids
Bing Crosby & Dean Martin
Bing Crosby
Shirley Jones
Ella Fitzgerald
Lena Horne
Louis Prima & Keely Smith
Nancy Sinatra
Elvis Presley
Sammy Davis Jr.
Dean Martin

With commentary/stories from Frank Sinatra Jr, Nancy Sinatra and Tina Sinatra.

A MUST FOR ANY SINATRA FAN!

I love it!

Liebchen,

Don't know how it is in sunny California, but here in STL the only way you can obtain that DUETS is by pledging $150.00 during the pledge drive.

They're having a pledge drive now, but unfortunately, it's pretty dull. Wish they've have it back on again, as it was extremely successful, money wise!

[Rhodalee]

This is not the first time it has aired in New York, I'm quite sure. However, I missed it this time -- I didn't know it was on. We have several PBS channels here, so I'm sure I'll catch it again soon.

Rhodalee

[Adam]

I've merged the two classic duets threads.

Adam

[midnitemind]

I just received and watched "Sinatra: The Classic Duets" DVD. The special Commentary/Stories and the Sinatra Trivia alone were worth the price of admission. Get it if you can.

Gary

This DVD seems to have been neglected somewhat, so I thought I’d expand the information base here.

DVD Title: SINATRA: THE CLASSIC DUETS
Released (in USA): June 10, 2003.
A Sinatra Enterprises production; packaged by Hart Sharp Video.
Catalog No. 29567 0001-2
Running Time (Default Play): 63 minutes
Running Time (Duets Only): 47 minutes

This is a collection of clips from Frank Sinatra’s television shows in the period of October 1957 to May 1960. Featuring newly remastered sound and enhanced video, many of these had not been seen or heard since their original broadcast. These (black-and-white) TV segments are interspersed with modern-day (color) commentary and stories by Nancy Sinatra, Tina Sinatra, and Frank Sinatra, Jr., plus a “Mini Documentary” short. A “Duets Only” play sequence may be selected to bypass the extra commentary. A “Trivia” (subtitles) track may be enabled to provide on-screen song origin, broadcast information, and Sinatra recording history for each song. Bonus material includes Sinatra guest intros and banter, original TV network promos, and a colorized version of his duet medley with Dinah Shore.

Originally broadcast as a PBS television special. There is also a companion CD release on Capitol Records with most of the same (plus additional) material; see the corresponding thread in Frank’s Recordings: CLASSIC DUETS (2002).

The following song numbers correspond to the chapter sequence on the “Duets Only” track (DVD title 2):

1. Ella Fitzgerald – “Moonlight In Vermont”
The Frank Sinatra Show, May 9, 1958

2. Dinah Shore – Medley
Some of Manie’s Friends, Mar. 3, 1959 (taped Feb. 22, 1959)
“A Foggy Day” (Frank); “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (Dinah); “Taking A Chance On Love” (Frank); “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” (Dinah); “All Of Me” (Frank); “Daddy” (Dinah); “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (Frank); “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby” (Dinah and Frank).

3. Peggy Lee – “Nice Work If You Can Get It”
The Frank Sinatra Show, Nov. 8, 1957

4. The Hi-Lo’s – “I’ll Never Smile Again”
An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra, Dec. 13, 1959 (taped Dec. 10, 1959)

5. Louis Armstrong – “The Birth Of The Blues”
The Edsel Show, Oct. 13, 1957

6. Ethel Merman – “You’re The Top”
The Frank Sinatra Show, Apr. 25, 1958

7. Whole Bunch of Kids – “High Hopes”
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show, Oct. 19, 1959
(DVD trivia track specifies Oct. 15, 1959)

8. Bing Crosby and Dean Martin – “Together Wherever We Go”
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show, Oct. 19, 1959
(DVD trivia track specifies Oct. 15, 1959)

9. Bing Crosby – “September Song”
The Edsel Show, Oct. 13, 1957

10. Shirley Jones – “If I Loved You”
The Frank Sinatra Show, Feb. 14, 1958

11. Ella Fitzgerald – “Can’t We Be Friends”
An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra, Dec. 13, 1959 (taped Dec. 10, 1959)

12. Lena Horne – Harold Arlen Medley
Here’s To The Ladies, Feb. 15, 1960
“One For My Baby” (Lena); “Accentuate The Positive” (Frank); “Stormy Weather” (Lena); “Get Happy” (Frank); “Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea” (Lena and Frank).

13. Louis Prima and Keely Smith – “I Can’t Believe You’re In Love With Me”
The Frank Sinatra Show, Jan. 17, 1958

14. Nancy Sinatra – “You Make Me Feel So Young (Old)”
Welcome Home, Elvis, May 12, 1960 (taped Mar. 26, 1960)

15. Elvis Presley – “Love Me Tender” / “Witchcraft”
16. Elvis Presley – “Love Me Tender” (finale)
Welcome Home, Elvis, May 12, 1960 (taped Mar. 26, 1960)

17. Sammy Davis, Jr. – “Me And My Shadow”
The Frank Sinatra Show, Jan. 31, 1958

18. Dean Martin – Medley
The Frank Sinatra Show, Nov. 29, 1957
“On A Slow Boat To China” (Dean); “Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week)” (Frank); “Memories Are Made Of This” (Dean); “The Girl That I Marry” (Frank); “Innamorata” (Dean); “I’ve Got A Crush On You” (Frank); “Oh, Marie” (Dean); “Don’t Cry, Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go)” (Frank and Dean).

19. Frank Sinatra (solo) – “Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day)”
The Frank Sinatra Show, Oct. 18, 1957
(DVD trivia track specifies Oct. 13, 1957)

Except for the final entry, the broadcast dates shown in my previous post are those listed in the DVD trivia track. These match the dates listed separately by Bernhard Vogel in the Classic Duets CD thread (here), with the exception of the two entires for The Frank Sinatra Timex Show on Oct. 15, 1959. Bernhard and other sources (e.g. Nancy's book) list the date of this show (the first of four shows Sinatra did for Timex) as Oct. 19, 1959.

The final entry ("Put Your Dreams Away") is unique to the DVD (the CD features a duet with Ella instead), but the date shown on the trivia track for its appearance on The Frank Sinatra Show is Oct. 13, 1957. Since that conflicts with the date of The Edsel Show (with Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong), I assume the DVD-listed date is erroneous. The very first episode of The Frank Sinatra Show was aired on Oct. 18, 1957, so I have suggested that as the possible correct date.

Wow! I had never heard of this special but will look into buying the dvd...I want to get a good collection started of Frank's performances and this will definitely be added to the list!

April

Bumping for Bernhard (or others)...

Can anyone confirm the broadcast date for "Put Your Dreams Away?" (See my post two back.)

[Marty]

I would hazard a guess that it is the duet from the Frank Sinatra Show of 9th May 1958, (same date as "Moonlight In Vermont") I have yet to complete a listing for the 1957/58 shows, but Ella was the only guest on said show and the programme ended with the duet you speak of.

Marty, I guess my question was a bit confusing.

The DVD contains a Frank solo, and that is the date I'm questioning.

The duet with Ella is on the CD; and indeed that is from the May 9, 1958 show, as documented previously by Bernhard in Frank's Recordings (here).

[Marty]

I did misunderstand the question, sorry about that, it's a difficult one to answer without access to all of that season of "The Frank Sinatra" show, an almost impossible task given so many are unavailable for adequate comparison, however it did become quite a regular show-ender between January and June 1958, with Frank performing it at least 6 or 7 times solo as well as the version with Ella, as i'm at work I don't have the dates to hand but once I get home in the morning i'll dig out all the show details i'm certain of for you and it's a take your pick unless someone else can come up with more precise information.

The confusion stems from the fact that the on-screen "trivia track" dated it as October 13, 1957, and that is most definitely a mistake. (I assume that Charles Pignone contributed the trivia details.) It might be just as simple as someone having confused a "3" for an "8."

I'm a real stickler for non-trivial accuracy when it comes to my trivia.

[Marty]

Hopefully it could be that simple, though i'm pretty sure (although not 100%) from the sources I have, that Frank didn't perform the song on his first show of that series (and given the source material for the rest of the duets the performance has to come from a show between 57 and 60?) but performed it first in January '58. In lieu of further information (and I will check..honest ) i'd go with the trivia track data not being a simple transposition error, and i'll do a little more research tomorrow morning just to be sure.

(added : just had a little nose onto Bernie's German Sinatra Website and his TV information seems to bear out what I originally thought regarding show number 1 of the series)

Marty, According to the Where Or When database, FS did sing "Put Your Dreams Away" on the first show. Here's the data:

Date: 10-18-57
Location: Hollywood
Time: 60 minutes
Guests: BOB HOPE, PEGGY LEE & KIM NOVAK
Orchestra: Nelson Riddle
Songs: The Lonesome Road / I Get A Kick Out Of You / Chesterfield / I Could Write A Book / The Lady Is A Tramp / Chesterfield / Autumn Leaves / All The Way / Chesterfield / O Sole Mio (st) / Bewitched / Put Your Dreams Away.

[Added:] I just took a quick peek at Bernhard's site (the English language version), and I don't see "Put Your Dreams Away" on any of the shows. I presume that's because, as his closing theme song, it's just assumed as a given that FS always peformed it.

[Marty]

I think it's safe to assume that you have the right information in the post above Bob, and have therefore found your answer, and I will take the information and amend my post on the show later, however one shouldn't take it as red that "Put Your Dreams Away" was always used as the 57/58 show finale. As several show listings in many sources do not finish on it.

(added : several of the later shows on Bernhard's list do mention it by name btw ... e.g. The Mitchum show entry 10th Jan '58)

(further added : there are several discrepencies in several internet sources I have just found for many of the shows in the 57/58 season, including the first show, as I stated earlier I will have to look at (and identify) print sources as well as other files when I get home and try to identify which sources agree with which and which seem to be totally erroneous, and of course discover also which compare and agree with the actual archive footage I have access too)

Thanks Bob, your initial question has prompted some serious research