Dvd Audio Review
The Rat Pack - ‘The Rat Pack Live at The Villa Venice’
A DVD-Audio review by Stuart M. Robinson
After the overwhelming success of Frank Sinatra’s ‘Sinatra at the Sands’ DVD-Audio disc, Warner’s Reprise label has quickly followed up with a recording that showcases all the members of the legendary 1960’s Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra at their best in a 1962 fundraising cabaret performance captured at The Villa Venice nightclub, located in the outskirts of Chicago.
Both discs are linked via Frank Sinatra, but are also closely related from an historical perspective. I did at first think ol’ blue eyes had included a plug for the ‘Sinatra at the Sands’ title as he mentions his forthcoming “new” album with the Count Basie Orchestra, but that performance was actually recorded four years later in 1966.
The performances on ‘The Rat Pack Live at The Villa Venice’ were recorded during the nights of November 26th to December 2nd 1962 and are brought to us here by the same team as the aforementioned Sinatra DVD-Audio title, mixing engineers (for the surround and stereo versions) Elliot Mazer and Diana Reid Haig together with co-producer Robin Hurley.
To read the complete text, visit High Fidelity Review:
http://www.highfidelityreview.com/reviews/review.asp?reviewnumber=13160962
© Stuart M. Robinson ~ 22/10/03
Tracking After Death
They didn't even get the date right.
Earnings: FRANK SINATRA
$7 million
Occupation: Musician and actor
Date of Death: May 15, 1998
Age: 82
Cause: Heart attack
Survived by: Wife Barbara, two daughters, one son
There's nobody like the Voice. While most people refer to Frank Sinatra's swagger and style, it's his enormous talent that continues to enthrall fans. Need proof? Five years after his death, Sinatra sold 2.million albums in the past year, according to Nielsen/SoundScan. His children, fiercely protective of their father's legacy, have not succumbed to the temptation to merchandise. Rather, Sinatra Enterprises makes careful choices. Last year, the family shared private footage of his performances to produce a PBS special called The Classic Duets, as well as solo performances for a program called Vintage Sinatra.
--Lisa DiCarlo
A crass title but interesting article. A bit of FS at the bottom.
Elvis Rules Forbes List of Top-Earning Dead Celebs
Reuters, October 24, 2003
NEW YORK -- The King still wears the money crown.
Rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley, dead for more than 26 years,
Friday led the Forbes.com list of top-earning deceased celebrities
for the third year in a row, to the tune of $40 million for the year
ending September 2003.
With perennial megahits like "Don't be Cruel," "Jailhouse Rock,"
and "All Shook Up," his "30 #1 hits" CD has sold 9 million copies
since being released in 2002, and a follow-up CD, "Elvis: 2nd to
None," is in the top 10 on Billboard's album chart after coming out
two weeks ago.
Runner-up on the list was Peanuts cartoon creator Charles Schulz,
earning $32 million. Third at $22 million was writer J.R.R. Tolkien,
whose "Lord of the Rings" books have been transformed on screen into
a lucrative movie franchise.
Former Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison earned $19 million and
$16 million, respectively, putting them fourth and fifth on the list,
based on estate earnings.
New to the list this year were Broadway musical composers Richard
Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, with $7 million, as well as song
writers Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, and Dr. Robert Atkins -- whose
popular books and products promoting high-protein, low-carbohydrate
diets are all the rage again -- who all earned about $6 million each.
Rounding out the top 10 were children's book author Dr. Seuss, race
car driver Dale Earnhardt, rapper Tupac Shakur, reggae star Bob
Marley and movie star Marilyn Monroe.
Seuss could make a run for a top 5 spot next year as his "Cat in the
Hat" book will be released as a motion picture starring Mike Myers
next month -- spurring new interest in his works and opening up other
marketing opportunities.
Frank Sinatra and James Dean returned to the list of 19 after falling
off in 2002.
Frank Sinatra
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DOUGofOHIO says:
Oct 28, 2003 4:34 PM
Good evening from TROY, OHIO-USA:
Thanks, Nancy....'gotta print this to keep right with the discs.
Respectfully,