Father's Day with The Rat Pack

Left to right: Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, and Frank Sinatra.

As this is Father's Day Weekend, I tried to think of a way to give a tip of the hat to all the men out there who helped raise their kids. While I was pondering that, the Rat Pack came to mind, and I decided to go with it. For those who may not know, officially, The Rat Pack was made up by Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. They often traveled and performed as a group, causing great joy whenever they got together. The group formed in the mid-1950s, but the name didn't really catch on at first, until after the passing of Bogart in 1957. In truth, it was in the 1960s when the group really become popular, especially in Las Vegas when the trio of Sinatra, Davis, and Martin would pack in the crowds for their performances. They became known for their loose style. I will begin with the 'Chairman of the Board'. I love listening to Frank Sinatra sing his many hits, and "Fly Me To The Moon", written in 1954 by Bart Howard, was definitely one of them. While it was sung by many, it is Sinatra's version that is mostly remembered.

I remember growing up and my parents watching 'The Dean Martin Show', and seeing him on this show, and never seeming to be without a drink and a cigarette in his hand. I instantly get a warm feeling when I hear his voice, especially when he is singing. In 1965, Dean had a bit hit with a song written by Russ Morgan, Larry Stock, and James Cavanaugh. Sometimes, it feels as though "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" was written for Martin, but it wasn't. His version, some 20 years after the song was written, went to #24 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the adult contemporary chart.

I remember seeing Sammy Davis, Jr. appearing on many variety shows, from Dean's show, to 'The Mike Douglas Show'. My mother loved watching those progams, and I can remember seeing one of the few black men I remember seeing regularly performing. Sammy's easy style, never seeming to be trying too hard, but never short-changing the people in the audience, was hard not to love. I hope you enjoy as Sammy sings "That Old Black Magic", the classic song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer.

And, finally,I thought I would bring them all together for you, and you alone. In the next clip, Sammy, Frank, and Dean singing "Birth of the Blues". The song had music by Ray Henderson, the lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown. It was nominated fro an Academy Award for the 1941 debut in 'Birth of the Blues', a film starring Bing Crosby 15 years after the song was first published. The Rat Pack made it famous all over again when they started to perform it in the 1960s. In the following clip, the boys were joined on stage by a very young Johnny Carson.

To have some of the best of the music of these legendary friends, you can purchase 'The Very Best of The Rat Pack' from iTunes and Amazon. Individually, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis, Jr., were very gifted performers, But collectively, they inspired one another to be even better. I hope they have reunited up in heaven, and are singing to all the fathers there this weekend!

Saturday Night with Julie London

Sexy. Sultry. Seductive. Those are just a few of the terms that could be used for the glamorous singer Julie London. Before she became known as an actress, she was quite the jazz singer, often with her husband, jazz musician Bobby Troup. In 1963 she recorded Fly Me To The Moon, a great song by songwriter Bart Howard, sung most famously by Frank Sinatra. However, it was first recorded by singer/actress Kaye Ballard. It was also first known as In Other Words, but the title officially changed because most people called it Fly Me To The Moon! While it was often sung more as a ballad, Julie gave it a bit of octane, just perfect for her smokey stylings.



She also recorded Bye Bye Blackbird, written in 1926 by composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1926, although she took it is a much more jazzy, soulful place.



My Baby Just Cares For Me is a jazz standard written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. It was written for the 1930 film version of the 1928 Ziegfeld musical comedy Whoopee! It is known as the signature tune of singer and pianist Nina Simone. Here, Julie performs it with her trademark style, with plenty of heartache and a bit of flirting as well.



And, finally, You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To was written by the brilliant Noel Coward for the 1943 movie musical, Something To Shout About. She takes it uptempo, and simply shines on the song.



Julie London left us in the year 2000, about a year and a half after the death of Troup. But she sure did leave a wonderful legacy of music, and a delicious catalog at that.

Six New Followers

Top: Sizzlyn & Kathy. Middle: Melony [with Theo Tams] & Miss Holly Housewife. Bottom: Gabrielle & Bjorn.

OK, it has been a buys couple of weeks, and I have been derelict in my duties. Since last reported, there are six new members of the Soundtrack family, and it is way past time I have welcomed them. So, Sizzlyn, Kathy, Melony, Holly, Gabrielle and Bjorn.

Sizzlyn is someone I am familiar with on Twitter and on the blog The Chris Dallman Connection, where she is a host. She is from Singapore, and from what I can tell, is very smart and sweet. Kathy and Melony are two of my Tams-manian devils, sharing my love for the music of Theo Tams. Kathy is an online buddy, as I did not get a chance to meet her on my sojourn in Toronto. Melony, on the other hand, kept me company for all three shows I went to, including the one with the unfortunate view in Oshawa.

I might be mistaken, but I don't think that picture really is Miss Holly Housewife, but I would say the picture captures her thoughts well, as she has a bit of a retro feel, a fondness for the 40s, 50s and 60s. She has two blogs, Being Bree Hodge and Through the Looking Glass... Into Never, Neverland. BBH celebrates housewifery in the style of a Desperate Housewife, while TTLGINN talks about and celebrates vintage Pop culture. Gabrielle does not have a blog of her own, but describes herself as I'm a silly, vegan, gluten free, cancer survivor, 22 year old college student that is addicted to Facebook, Twitter... oh yeah & my Blackberry! so I am sure many can identify! And, finally, there is Bjorn, a blogger in charge of Bjorn's Brutzelbude. Bjorn is German [I believe] and his blog covers anything from cute boys, pop culture, to tidbits of Bjorn's personal life. The blog is written in German, but there is a translate button just below some pictures of Bjorn, so you can read it easily.

And for the traditional greeting, I feel the need to offer a couple of videos, as I was a naughty boy who is a bit tardy, so I have figured out I would go with three videos. First up will be Theo Tams singing Weak In The Knees, because when I check in to find additional followers, I feel just that. This clip of the Serena Ryder song is from the show in Etobicoke I attended last month.



For those liking the mid-century style, I offer you Fly Me To The Moon by one of my favorite groups, Westlife. Yes, they aren't mid-century themselves, but they do a fantastic job with the song, and the Allow Me To Be Frank album is a winner for sure! I used the song in a slide show for my parents 50th anniversary.




And, finally, for those who like their music in the singer/songwriter vein, there is the amazing Christopher Dallman singing Subterranean, a glorious song . The clip is from a show in Los Angeles earlier this year. I love the song, and was going to say it is a favorite from his recent stuff, but all his songs are so good, I can't pick a favorite.



So, here is hoping everyone feels welcome and at home here at Soundtrack to my Day, and we get to know you a bit more and we get a chance to chat!