Frankly Speaking … Strangers In The Night
We got some GREAT responses to our three-part mini-series that kicked off the week …
Thoroughly enjoyed the holiday week special, Kent. The depth and breadth of material covered by Forgotten Hits continues to amaze your readers.
David Lewis
I think one of the things I love the most about Forgotten Hits is the way you are able to put into words the exact thoughts I was thinking or feeling at the time – but have not really thought about since.
Your piece on Strangers In The Night is the perfect example.
I, too, couldn’t understand how this song belonged on my top 40 radio station – it just didn’t fit along with all of the other music they were playing at the time.
But as time went by, I grew to be able to tolerate the song and now consider it to be one of the ‘60’s Classics. (Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten older since then, too.)
Thank you for all you do. You keep my memory banks working overtime!
Jill
Another one for me came a year later when Frankie Valli cut “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” … what the heck was THAT?!?! That’s not the way the Four Seasons are supposed to sound! Is this the new path he wants to follow as a solo artist? Give up on the kids and go for the parents instead? I just didn’t get it. (So many other great songs were out at the time … “Windy,” “Little Bit O’Soul,” “Come On Down To My Boat” … THESE were the songs I wanted to hear.)
As such, I tuned Frankie out completely … until I heard the song years later as part of a medley that The Lettermen put together. Then it hit me … what a GREAT song!
Today, I, too, recognize this as the ‘60’s Classic it truly is. (We have since learned that Frankie along with Producer Bob Crewe had a hell of a time getting radio to play this track … but once they did, it shot straight up to #1, gaining momentum in each new market it was featured.)
I think you’re right … part of it is getting older … but an even bigger part is keeping an open mind about what radio is playing. The coolest part of the ‘60’s is that you could have 25 different genres of music in one week’s Top 40 Chart … yet they all seemed to fit because nobody questioned the fact that they were being played side by side. It’s been a LONG time since radio has felt that way … now we have segregated stations that seem driven by songs that all fall into the same beat-pattern … almost like one continuous mega-mix … to the point that the listener often can’t tell one song from another … which, incredibly, seems to be EXACTLY what they’re going for! (kk)
Hi Kent:
What is interesting to me about this is that I, a HUGE Frank Sinatra fan, was 31 in 1966 and thought nothing of Strangers In The Night. At age 83, I STILL think nothing of Strangers In The Night. I didn't think it was bad. I didn't think of it at ALL and still don't. There is nothing of the classic phrasing and rhythmic cool that personified Sinatra to me. Could have been anybody singing it. I have a jillion Sinatra songs on my computer and I still have all those classic CDs. But Sinatra, to me, was in another world of musical royalty that was more than a world of pop hits. My triumvirate was Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Frank. When he had pop hits, I enjoyed most of them, and I can recall them. Why "Strangers" never crosses my mind might be because it is what Frank said it is. Might be that it is a melodic and lyrical blank as far as I am concerned. Oh wait! It does come to mind about every five years or so in movie trivia (my other passion) as a song based on theme music from "A Man Could Get Killed," a James Garner movie, with lyrics added later. Outside of trivia I don't ever think of either the song or the movie.
Hil
I think one of the reasons Sinatra was bored with “Strangers In The Night” was it didn’t have that finger-snappin’ groove that was so prevalent and predominant on his most successful records. As such, you’d think his core audience would have been bored by it, too … but clearly they weren’t if the record topped all three pop charts!
I can appreciate the record more now, with the benefit of 50+ years hindsight … but I’m FAR more likely to put on “That’s Life” today than I am “Strangers In The Night!” (kk)
Great stuff, Kent!
History. Research. Analysis. Opinion.
Keep it coming.
Phil
Kent,
When Mrs. White, my English teacher in 1966 while attending Ritenour High School in Overland MO, was asked by a fellow student how long should an assigned report be, she replied, “Like a ladies dress … long enough to cover the subject, yet short enough to be interesting.”
Mrs. White would have graded your story on Strangers In The Night, an A+! Thanks for sharing!
Jerry Reuss
Hi Kent.
I am 71 years old and one of my biggest regrets in life is NOT seeing Frank Sinatra in concert. My wife and I have probably seen 150+ concerts but missing him was a big mistake. Doo Wop is my first love but I can always find an hour or two to put on a few Sinatra albums and just mellow out.
Mike W.
While I can’t consider myself as ever being much of a fan, there WOULD have been something iconic about seeing Sinatra perform on stage. Shortly before she died, my mom was given some super expensive box set of Sinatra’s collected works … and then went to go see him TWICE. She certainly ranked this experience as amongst the happiest of her life. (kk)
Thanks
Kent,
I really
enjoyed the Frank Sinatra series. I’m amazed at all the facts you had to
share … and the additional interviews were great.
Michele
It wasn't that weird that Frank Sinatra -- a massive album seller in 1966 -- was also on the hit parade of singles that year. Sure, The Beatles, The Monkees and The Rolling Stones were all high on the nation's Top 40 over those 12 months, but so were such rarely rockin' (if ever) MOR favorites as Pet Clark, The Vogues, The Righteous Brothers, Mike Douglas, Roger Williams, Dionne Warwick, Ray Conniff, The Sandpipers, Al Martino, Nancy Sinatra, Vic Dana, Barbra Streisand, Walter Wanderly, Jack Jones, Dean Martin, Neal Hefti, Eddy Arnold and Margaret Whiting. Plus S/Sgt. Barry Sadler!
Gary Theroux
"The History of Rock 'n' Roll"
OMG, you just hit another raw nerve!!! Mike Douglas’ “The Men In My Little Girl’s Life” was like fingernails on the chalkboard for me back then. I mellowed a LITTLE bit when I had daughters of my own … but I can honestly say that if I played this track today, I could happily live the rest of my life without ever hearing it again! (kk)
OK … that’s it … I’m done!!! (kk)
Chuck Buell Here ~
For your early July Daily “Three Will Get Us to Four” Fourth of July Mini-series, you’re off to a “Glorious” start! I really enjoyed and laffed reading your take on Frank Sinatra from your 13-year old Wonder Years perspective. It was interesting stuff, particularly around his song, “Strangers in the Night.”
One standout line to me was when you wrote how you, as a young teen, “didn’t want to hear this crap!” Ah, the generational musical tastes conflict. He probably thought the same and less about the “crap” music YOU, and I, liked then!
CB
Hi Kent –
I forwarded your Frank Sinatra piece to Hal Blaine this morning … I think you will be pleased with his note.
(I remember when Hal told me the story of “Strangers in the Night" when we visited his home.)
Regards -
Geoff
Hal Blaine, Michel Rubini and Carol Kaye are all members of the Forgotten Hits Mailing List so they all received notice of this special mini-series. (Hal and Michel made special comments that you likely saw in Part Three … I never did hear back from Carol.)
Regardless, I’m running Hal’s original comment back to you below as by now he, too, has made his way to the end of the piece. (kk)
IN CASE YOU’RE INTERESTED, I WAS THERE, AND I NEVER SAW ANY SHEET MUSIC FALL OFF OF FRANK’S MUSIC STAND … NOT SURE WHERE THAT CAME FROM (?) AND BY THE WAY, FOR THE RECORD, FRANK’S SHOO BE DOO BE DOO, WAS ACTUALLY “DOO DOO DOO BE DOO"!!!!!
I WAS PROUD TO BE ON THIS HIT AND THAT’S LIFE WITH FRANK AND SOMETHIN’ STUPID WITH FRANK AND NANCY!!! (AMONG MANY OTHERS!!!) THEY CERTAINLY MADE MY LIST OF ALMOST SIX THOUSAND SINGLES, NOT COUNTING COMMERCIALS WITH DON PIESTRUP, BOB THOMPSON AND MANY OTHER PRODUCERS!!! TOSS IN SOME BATMAN, THREE’S COMPANY AND ANY NUMBER OF OTHER T.V. AND MOVIE THEMES (FOUR OF WHICH WERE OSCAR WINNERS).
ANYONE WHO KNEW FRANK RESPECTED THIS “ONE OF A KIND” STAR!!! HE WAS SO WELL RESPECTED, IF NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF HIS FINANCIAL HELP TO MANY DOWN AND OUT FOLKS, EVEN NON SHOWBIZ FOLKS. ONE THING’S FOR SURE … HE WILL NEVER BE TAGGED A ONE HIT WONDER!!!
HIS LOYALTY TO COLUMBIA RECORDS, CAPITOL RECORDS AND FINALLY WARNER - REPRISE RECORDS WILL NEVER EVER BE OUT-MATCHED IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS!!! WHEN YOU TOSS IN SO MANY OF FRANK’S FRIENDS THAT SIGNED WITH REPRISE, THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING AND WILL GROW EVEN MORE IN THE DECADES TO COME!!!
I AM SINCERELY,
HAL BLAINE
As you know by now, we were just having some fun in our first “Strangers In The Night” segment … but various stories that have circulated in the fifty years since this track was recorded have posed every type of scenario possible. (“The Wrecking Crew” film finally put that to rest once and for all, with many of the key players speaking on camera for the first time about this momentous session. I mean, who would know better than these guys??? They were there!!!)
As for “Doo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo” or even “SCOOBY-DOOBY-DOO” (which I ALSO read online somewhere … it may even have been on Songfacts … that the creator of this landmark cartoon took the name from Frank’s bit of scat-singing at the end … I think it is also fair to say that in regards to Sinatra’s brief little throw-away bit at the end that he clearly couldn’t have cared less about it at the time … yet that little off-the-cuff, ad-libbed bit stayed with him for the rest of his career. (Of course today it’s portrayed as part of Frank Sinatra’s genius … when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth! Why he performed it so seldom during the rest of his career is a mystery that only Sinatra himself can answer to … and unfortunately it’s too late for that.) But the fact of the matter is that ANYTIME you saw a tribute or parody of Frank Sinatra, “Doo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo” was worked into the bit somehow!
And, as you ALSO know by now, the memories YOU supplied from this session appeared in Chapter Three … kinda like saving the best for last. (See that, Hal ... you’re the dessert for this three-course Sinatra dinner!) kk
I didn't mind "Strangers in the Night" in 1966 as a 10 year old radio fanatic. It reached #7 on my personal chart then. It's kinda like "if you liked MacArthur's Park" type of thing. I liked both OK. Neither were #1's, but both were top 10s.
Chicago artists were starting to pile it on my charts even at 10 years old with #2 and #13 here. Note my love of apostrophes when words ended with an "S". Nowadays, people complain about my use of extra exclamation points!!!!!
This was about the time my brother had told me to sit by the reel recorder one day and tell me to listen to a song he just taped off Art Roberts' Top 3 requested the night before. It started with a Bob Dylan "Rainy Day Women" drum beat causing me to ask "Why is that song in the Top 3 requests?" Art's Top 3 usually were VERY new releases and Dylan's song was old by then. It was then that I heard the first lyrics of "They’re Coming to Take Me Away" and I was mesmerized! Little did I know then that the Cryan’ Shames were just about to enter my life in a week or so! BTW, THIS was actually a Top 103 … several pages long with most hits being on our tapes (OR old 45s and LP cuts we owned near the bottom).
And then ...
Whatever you thought
of Frank Sinatra over the years, you need to reflect on what the record label
he started in 1960 has done for all of us! He started it in 1960 to give
himself a label to use for his own creative freedom and continued to let his
artists use it that way. It started with LOTS of flops but eventually
became a springboard for many of our fave artists today! He sold the
label to Warners in 1968, but retained 20% interest even then. SURE,
there are plenty of more current artists that Frank had nothing to do with, but
take a look at what happened in just the FIRST decade of the label!
Ol’ Blue Eyes must
have liked comedy records, which seems surprising to me. He had Lou
Monte as one of his artists early on and also had Reprise sign Soupy Sales, Phil
Harris and Tom Lehrer for novelties. Race or nationality were
certainly NO problem at Reprise when it came to signing deserving (and
sometimes, undeserving) talent. Being big band or jazz helped you,
however.
His artist roster was
intriguing. His daughter Nancy was one of the early hit artists, despite
many … probably a DOZEN or more! … early flops that might have had her cast off
by other labels. He also signed artists who had past hits in the 40's / 50's
/ 60's, but had been put aside by the Brit Invasion, such as Tony Williams (The
Platters), Al Hibbler (Duke Ellington vocalist), Wynona Carr, The Hi-Los, Les Baxter,
Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Acker Bilk, Dorsey Burnette, Ral Donner,
Rosemary Clooney, Del Reeves, The Four Lads, Errol Garner, the McGuire Sisters,
Thurston Harris, Donnie Brooks, Bing Crosby, the Rivingtons, Fred Waring, Jerry
Keller, Buddy Knox, Paris Sisters, Guy Mitchell, Lloyd Price, Duane Eddy,
Darlene Love, Donna Loren, Brook Benton, Bobby Rydell, Fats Domino, Frankie
Avalon, Ray Peterson and several others.
He signed up and
comers Neil Hefti, Jimmy Griffin, Trini Lopez, Jack Nitszche, Mike Curb, SONNY
& CHER, Lee Hazlewood, Mike Post, Bill Medley, Don Ho, Tiny Tim, RANDY
NEWMAN, Norman Greenbaum and Paul
Williams, too.
He got some cool folk,
pop and garage artists like Detroit's Underdogs, the Dovers, Riot Squad,
ELECTRIC PRUNES, Mojo Men, West Coast Pop Experimental Band, JIMI HENDRIX
EXPERIENCE!!!!, MC2, The Chad Mitchell Trio (with JOHN DENVER), Noel Harrison, The
First Edition with Kenny Rogers, Arlo Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, the Vogues, NEIL
YOUNG!!!, Sweetwater, Chakras, Alice Cooper, Mothers of Invention with FRANK
ZAPPA!!!! (HOW did Frank want HIM???), the Fugs (Again, HOW?) and Captain
Beefheart!!
He even got on the
British Invasion bandwagon in 64! Reprise grabbed THE KINKS (and Dave
Davies, later), Sandie Shaw, the Rockin’ Berries, The Tony Hatch Orchestra,
François Hardy (French great), Family, JETHRO TULL!!!, Fleetwood Mac and Van
Morrison.
Actors certainly were
a big part of the label by signing Aki Aleong, Danny Kaye, Dennis Day and Buddy
Ebson.
Baseball players, too! Frank signed Don Drysdale!
Relatives? Dino,
Desi & Billy, of course. His Son, Frank, Jr., too.
And as for Frank
Sinatra, himself, he released 100's of forgettable 45s in the 60's on Reprise
before "Strangers" took hold. Many of these songs were likely
backed by the Wrecking Crew, so whether they made hits or not, the Wrecking Crew
got to play behind legends both new and old!
Clark Besch
Again, check out our Tribute to
Reprise Records from back in 2009.
(October 19th – October 26th to be exact!)
We covered LOTS of these artists,
including first-hand commentary from Preston Ritter of The Electric Prunes and
Billy Hinsche of Dino, Desi and Billy!
(kk)
>>> I was one of four guitarists and the only one to play in E-Flat with a capo (Glen Campbell)
I've seen this before, but it strikes me as odd in a few ways:
1. I'd have sworn that he said "without" a capo when I first saw this. (It's not too unusual for some guitarists to use a capo for flat keys, but in my 58 years of gigs, of those who choose to use them, I've never heard of anyone having a problem WITH a capo.
2. It's difficult for me to believe that any guitarist who was at the level of doing a Sinatra session would have any kind of problem playing in any key and would use a capo for anything other than a special situation of wanting "open" strings in a flat key.
3. "Strangers ..." is in F and modulates to G, so it has nothing to do with the key of Eb.
So I can't help but wonder if Campbell was confusing this with some other session.
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem
I dunno … Glen Campbell told this story for YEARS … and he wore it like a badge of honor … but you’re right … the song was copyrighted in the key of F so now I can’t help but wonder about this, too. (The REST of the story is so entertaining, however, that I almost feel like we’ve got to give him this one! Lol) kk
kk:
I always wondered why Frank Sinatra and Connie Francis never recorded together.
According to her autobiography, “Among My Souvenirs," Connie's father hated Frank Sinatra as much as he hated Bobby Darin. He thought both of them were womanizers and didn't want Connie near either one of them.
Connie's MGM contract was running out and they were looking at
other offers. Frank wanted to sign Connie to his Reprise Label. They would record together and make movies together. Connie's father wouldn't even let her go to his meeting with Frank.
The truth is Frank couldn't match the MGM offer. Connie was able to do anything she wanted at MGM and didn't have to pay for her recording sessions. Frank told Connie's father, “I own the label and I have to pay for my recording sessions.”
They did meet years later in Las Vegas.
FB
Hi Kent,
Another great issue. Good reading, as always.
Question: Is there a link to yours and Randy's Super Hits Charts?
Have a terrific 4th.
Cheers,
Ed
Unfortunately, no … we’ve been looking to get these published for years now and find the right way to present this information to all the fans who thrive on this stuff. In today’s Internet World, as soon as you do so, they are duplicated and circulated amongst fans and collectors without any sort of compensation for all the time, effort and research that went into compiling this information. (I’ve even talked to Joel Whitburn about putting out the “definitive charts” to share with his Record Research audience … but nothing has happened yet.)
Since all of this information is now a matter of public record (and has been so for decades) … and since all three major trades used a variety of sources to compile their own charts (record sales, distribution records, radio airplay, etc.) but none of the three used the SAME sources, our Super Charts are more on point than any single publication was at the time … because we have incorporated ALL of this independent research into one master study. (As you study the chart position of many of these hits, you’ll see chart peak discrepancies of 20 places or more … how could this possibly be?) The Super Charts eliminate all of this (along with many other rumors of payola and trade-off favors.) Here you get the benefit of the complete consensus of ALL chart research available at the time.
While Billboard has always been recognized as the Music Industry Bible, The Super Charts were written with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight … and because of this, our statistics are EXACT and therefore more accurate than any single source.
That’s why I’ve always felt they should be regarded as the most comprehensive, encyclopedic record on pop music in the ‘50’s, ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s … the most accurate recap of relative popularity of the music of this era.
All I know is that people love ‘em. (Several years ago, Sirius XM talked to me about possibly putting something together so that they could use our charts exclusively for broadcasting purposes for their Decades Channels Countdowns … but they wanted them for free … and that just wasn’t going to happen!)
That being said, I truly believe there is a market for these … so maybe a partnership between Record Research and Sirius XM and even the Decades Channel and/or PBS could lead to this information finally being published. (We have established contacts with all of these sources through Forgotten Hits … yearly chart volumes could be published and used as fund-raisers or give-aways … or offered for sale to collectors thru mail order … in the old encyclopedic method of “build your collection” along the way … collect each new volume as it becomes available … heck, even Time/Life might go for something like this! Imagine picking up a volume of an entire year’s charts, packaged along with five CD’s offering the Top 100 Hits of that given year! OK, the wheels are turning now!)
And we could release them in random order to hook you in and entice you to build your collection … 1967 would have to be first, of course, because that’s my favorite year in music … and we spent a whole year on it last year … then randomly release a few others to keep things going before launching a major campaign around issues 1964 and 1956, charting the arrival of The Beatles and The British Invasion on the charts here in America … and Elvis’ break-through year. If marketed right, this could make for one hell of a series. Release maybe three or four volumes per year … this campaign could go on for a decade! (And collectors could skip the years that hold no interest to them with a no obligation plan … but I’ll betcha nearly EVERYBODY would want to put together a complete collection. See, now you’ve got me all excited again just thinking about it!!!) kk
YEAH!
Alright!
STOKED to see another Super Hits Chart … Thank you, Kent and Randy! I live for this kinda minuate regarding '60s chart hits / stiffs, etc. I'd LOVE to see every week from the '60s represented; but then again, I wrote and self-published a book that required 20 YEARS of work (75% accomplished pre-internet era), so I understand the time and effort one needs ... in addition to inherent persistent fortitude. My friends preferred to call it insanity.
"Strangers In The Night" certainly is outta place within the Top 40, squaresville EZ listening in July, 1966, most likely if you were a hep, rockin' teenager. As I was but a toddlin' musical minded lad of three in July, 1966, manhandling my parents' 45's on their hi-fi ... well, I dig ol’ Frank's rendition. I don't have a bias against any song except for personal taste ... doesn't matter whether or not it fits into a rockin' Top 40 AM radio playlist via retrospective analysis. I own all of 'em on original 45s, and play them ... except for the almost pukeville, U.S.A resident on the chart, "Girl In Love" by the Outsiders. I have the 45 in the collection for the killer B side, "What Makes You So Bad, You Weren't Brought Up That Way" ... haha!
Once again, thanks to all the Forgotten Hits crew, and especially to my long-time buddy, Clark Besch, for his weekly 1968 radio station survey submissions. Man, all of those surveys and airchecks we traded decades ago!
P.S. The copyright filed for "Strangers In The Night" had to be documented accurately for official registration in the copyright archive. Checking the title, it shows two "Yanks" penned the words to Bert Kaempert's musical score:
STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT;
(a theme from the Universal picture "A Man Could Get Killed")
Words: Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder
Music: Bert Kaempfert
Piano arr. Staff of Champion Music
Corp. Key of F (D - C) Champion
Music Corp. 4 p. NM: arr.
© Champion Music Corp. & Roosevelt Music Co., Inc.;
11May66; EP217595
Mike Markesich
Speaking of The Outsiders, we just received this email from Shelley Sweet-Tufano …
Listening to an interview right now … The Outsiders are getting back together and will be touring. Yes, they have lost two members, including well-loved lead singer, Sonny Geraci. Drummer Ricky Biagiola is putting this together. They are hoping for a fall kick-off.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
They should team up with Dennis Tufano for a Hits of the ‘60’s Tour … that would be a great show to see! They could do The Buckinghams’ Hits, The Outsiders’ Hits (Dennis has filled in for Sonny several times before) and even some Grass Roots Hits (as Sonny covered many dates when Rob Grill wasn’t able to perform!)
Sounds like a hit show to me!!! (kk)
That does sound good! The quiet joke in the northeast … are you are in a musical bind? Call Ron Dante!
I miss Sonny AND Rob, but still want the music to continue.
Dennis … Can we talk?
Shelley
I’ve been saying it for years now … we could make a FORTUNE putting together a band called “The Formerly Ofs”!!! SO many of these major artists aren’t allowed to promote their ties to the hit bands they fronted. Think about it … put together a band of crackerjack musicians to play behind the likes of Dennis Tufano, Chuck Negron, Burton Cummings, Peter Rivera, Mark Lindsay and SO many others … just think of the talent you could include in a format like this! There’d be enough headliners available who qualify to be able to vary the line-up as the show moved across the country, still offering time off to those who wanted it. I’m telling you, this is a GREAT money-making idea that fans from coast to coast would buy tickets to see … but one contingency would be that I still have to be able to attend every show and collect my 15% management fee! (kk)
Damn! I thought you were older than me.
In the summer of '66, I was 17.
Mike Brown
Sorry to burst your bubble … but if it makes you feel any better, I’m still pretty fucking old!!! (kk)
