I love Smokey

[thehefner]

From the ever-awesome little_dinosaur:

Thug Life!

I've been on a Sammy kick lately, especially ever since the otherwise-awesome Nathan Rabin said that he was "nowhere near as talented" as Frank Sinatra. To which I must call bullshit. But then, the more I've been reading about the Rat Pack, I've come to like Sinatra the least, which might color my opinions of his music.

Oh, I love 'im, and the SINATRA: VEGAS box set ran on rotation in my iPod through Big Sur. I dunno, maybe I'm just too drawn to theatrical bombast to appreciate the subtler nuances of Sinatra's brilliance, but... Jesus, guys, watch all of this:

And that's just a couple years before his death too. There's a reason he rocks the Superman bling, pallies.

I have an old tattered used hardcover of YES I CAN in the minivan, one of the too-many books I foolishly brought along on this road trip. Cracking it will be an undertaking, but a very rewarding one, I reckon. Throw Sammy in the same list of people like Dean and Jerry, the Beatles, Elvis, and Oingo Boingo who I'm gonna see live once I invent a time machine. Or steal it from whoever does.

Comments

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

I LOVE SAMMY. And not just because we have the same name either.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I forget, have you read YES I CAN?

Also, I wonder if there's any coincidence between that and Obama's "YES WE CAN"? I'd certainly like to think not, but considering how underappreciated Sammy is today (do people just know him as that one-eyed guy who sang "The Candy Man"?), it might be a somewhat obscure connection.

[american-arcane.livejournal.com]

He'll always be that black Jew who kissed Archie Bunker to me. :)

(And yeah, Sammy rocks... all the Rat Pack were pretty talented fellas, but I think Sammy had a few more things to overcome to be recognized for all of it.)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I recall that episode was named the #3 TV moment of all time (number #1 being the JFK assassination), and I finally saw it not long after. I think it's deserved. It's brilliant. Utterly, utterly brilliant, one of the greatest moments of Sammy's brilliant, underappreciatd career.

You bring up a good point with all the things he had to overcome. At the same time, I wonder if he's considered a bit of an Uncle Tom. He allowed himself to be the butt of so many of Frank and Dino's jokes in shows, wanted to laugh with them even when it felt like they were laughing *at* him. I understand YES I CAN is filled with a great deal of self-loathing in this respect. I really feel for the guy, and would like to learn more.

Robin and the Seven Hoods

[the-mithril-man.livejournal.com]

Ah the movie that introduced me to Frank and The Boys. And count me in on heisting that time machine if that's what you're using it for. In fact I think that's the plot for the next "Oceans" movie. As for the subtle brilliance of Sinatra, well I heard it said of him by Bono "Franks songs are the music of a broken heart, if you've ever had one you can sing Sinatra" Even if you can't sing you know what he's singing about and where the song came from.

Re: Robin and the Seven Hoods

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

And I, shamefully, have never seen it. I must rectify this when I return to my Netflixable home.

Funny story: Peter Lawford was supposed to be in that film, thus making it a true Rat Pack movie, but he fell out of favor with Sinatra early in the process. The reason for this was because JFK wanted to distance himself from Sinatra, who was getting a little too BFF with the President, even starting to design an entire Presidential suite and helicopter landing pad to his mansion! JFK sent Lawford to break Sinatra the bad news that he'd be staying at Sinatra rival Bing Crosby's house instead, and Sinatra took all his fury out on Lawford, cutting him off ever since. So when ROBIN AND THE SEVEN HOODS was made, Peter's part was instead given to... Bing Crosby. Try wrapping your brain around that logic.

But I dig that heartbroken aspect of Sinatra. Guys like him and Tom Waits are classic barroom singers in that respect. I actually need to buy "In The Wee Small Hours" before I can really judge Sinatra as a singer, so I'm gonna get on that before I hit the road again.

[superfan1.livejournal.com]

Oh how I love classic movies and the great sammy davis jr, what't the name of the movie?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS, the last (I believe) of the major Rat Pack movies, though not entirely officially so since Peter Lawford was exiled by that point. So maybe that title goes to OCEAN'S 11.

[american-arcane.livejournal.com]

I bought that movie as part of a set of classics I picked up years ago--with full intent to do a movie night of some sort.

Never did get around to that.

Still haven't watched Robin and the Seven Hoods... but it's there on my shelf... waiting...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Maybe when I get back, we'll have a move night?

[american-arcane.livejournal.com]

That, sir, is a damn fine idea.

Been meaning to have people over to my place since, well, since I moved in more than a year ago. Should happen just in time for me to move out...

Also, in unrelated, though potentially trauma inducing news, have you seen this horrible horrible rumor about Riddler casting? (And also a bit in there about Robin.) I'm pretty sure there's little truth to it, but... gah...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a plan-to-be!

And don't worry, it's total bullshit:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39487

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

YES I CAN was one of the first books I ever read.
True story.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Do you recall how you felt about it?

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Given that it was over thirty years ago, all I remember was liking Sammy and wondering why Frank didn't take better care of his friends. Sorry.