Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music

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Frank Sinatra had sung on television and even hosted variety specials and series, but when he strutted through the empty hallways of NBC studios, took a stool next to a lonely microphone, and belted out the opening lines to "I've Got You Under My Skin," it was a TV revelation. Here was the mature, confident, at times even swaggering saloon singer and balladeer in a solo showcase: literally, the man and his music. The mix of classic tunes ("I Get a Kick Out of You," "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Witchcraft"), key songs from his 1950s reinvention ("Come Fly with Me," "You Make Me Feel So Young"), and 1960s standards ("My Kind of Town," "This Is All I Ask") is mirrored in an effective medley anchored by "It Was a Very Good Year," giving us a brief tour of his career from the bobby-soxer heartthrob crooning hopeful ditties ("Young at Heart") to the reflective maturity of the artist in 1965 (the melancholy "Last Night When We Were Young"). Vocally, Sinatra is in excellent form--clear and bold, with the dexterity of his 1950s recordings now colored by phrasing at once thoughtful and seemingly spontaneous--and the combination of top-notch arrangements and impeccably chosen material makes this special Sinatra's finest televised hour. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

Francis Albert Sinatra (1915-1998) went a long way for a kid from Hoboken, NJ. This video documentary chronicles the peaks and valleys in the 50-year recording and performing career of one of the 20th century's most admired and influential singers. Highlights include archival interviews and performance footage, as well as an analysis of Sinatra's work with various recording labels, such as Capitol, Reprise, and Columbia. Track listing: I've Got You Under My Skin * Without a Song * Don't Worry 'Bout Me * I Get a Kick Out of You * Nancy * My Kind of Town * It Was a Very Good Year/Young at Heart/ The Girl Next Door/Last Night/When We Were Young * This Is All I Ask * Come Fly with Me * The Lady Is a Tramp * I've Got the World on a String * Witch craft * You Make Me Feel So Young * Put Your Dreams Away. ?

Customer Reviews:

Sinatra's First Special Is A Classic........2007-06-17

"AMan And His Music" was the first of several television specials Frank Sinatra did between 1965 and 1982. Running 50 minutes, this special has Frank in top form. It delivers what the title promises - no gimmicks, no comedy routines, no special guests. Just Frank, his music and his audience.

The show starts off with a rousing rendition of "I've Got You Under My Skin", which sets the mood for the evening quite well. Frank then leads us on a musical journey through his long and happy career. Among, the highlights, "I Get A Kick Out Of You" exudes style and flair, "Nancy" is tender and graceful, and "My Kind Of Town" is a wild good time.

We cut to some lovely autumn scenery, as Frank performs a medley of hits from all different stages of his career built around "It Was A Very Good Year". Featuring haunting renditions of" Young At Heart", "The Girl Next Door" and "Last Night When We Were Young", this is Frank at his finest. He is connected and lost in the music, but at the same time focused and hitting all the right emotions.

After the nice but forgettable "This All I Ask", Frank gets back into his upbeatr mode and does a fantastic runthrough of his biggest hits - "Come Fly With Me", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "I've Got The World On A String", "Witchcraft" and "You Make Me Feel So Young", all performed brilliantly. The show closes with a grogeous rendition of "Put Your Dreams Away", which was Frank's signature tune until "My Way" came out four years later.

Overall, this is a fantastic special. My only complaint is that the sound and picture quality could have been greatly improved. Other than that, I highly recommend this dvd.

Nice overview but... .......2007-03-31

I wish they'd release a DVD of the clips from his shows in the 1950s from the 1950-1952, 1957-1958 and 1958-1960 shows, some of which were used as part of a live concert in recent years. I think "Vintage Sinatra" has been shown on PBS but not released on DVD, and I don't remember how much narration was in that one.

These videos are good "Reprise Era" material.

FRANK REFLECTS ON HIS MUSIC AND CAREER.......2007-01-12

What's interesting about this special is that unlike many singers, Frank didn't have a guest and he sang live as opposed to pre-recording a bunch of big production numbers. After all, it was about him and the music!

A great performance, despite the limitations.......2006-04-28

Many have questioned why this "film" hasn't been remastered. The simple reason is it was shot on videotape, not film. This special, and the ones that followed, were taped at NBC Studios in Burbank(when Frank leaves his car at the beginning of the show, that's the Tonight Show studio on his right!), along with "The Dean Martin Show", "Rowan & Martin's Laugh In", "The Hollywood Squares", and many more. Everything shot at the Burbank complex, up until just a decade or so ago, was done on videotape, not film. Unfortunately even broadcast quality videotape deteriorates over time. My guess is that this special probably wasn't preserved on digital disc, until sometime in the 1980's. If you look at the DVD's of the Dean Martin Show, or "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson", you'll see that some of those master tapes have deteriorated as well. It's a shame, but those were the cost cutting limitations that NBC offered at the time. Also note that this special was shot on three different nights(hence the canned laughter at Sinatra's jokes). The first installment was November 8th, 1965. Sinatra returned at two different days that week to finish off the performance (it took at least a day to tear down and rebuild each of those elaborate sets). It was broadcast on Thanksgiving night of '65. I have read that Frank was suffering from a severe cold the night he taped the "I've Got You Under My Skin" segment, and was very cranky to the directors, producers and everyone else in the studio that night. Despite it all, he turned out a top notch performance, and I for one, am glad we have it, considering what NBC did to the first decade of Johnny Carson's material!

It is what it is ... a great special now on dvd!.......2005-12-13

This is the begining of the Sinatra's Reprise video collection. It is a great dvd! The songs on here are great: Come fly with Me, I've Got You Under My Skin and more. Also, the medley is a welcome part on the early dvd's.

The sound quality could be better. However, I assume the sound is consistent to the way in which it was originally aired. I'd prefer to get the original product vs. an overdone Hollywood reproduction.

This is Frank at his best! I own them all and this is one of the best. For a true fan this is a must. I also suggest Frank with Ella and Carlos Jobim.

Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim

Average customer rating:

Numero Uno
Perfect, but are you aware of the "real" story?
Excellent
GREAT GUESTS AND MUSIC
Yes , it is too short , but it is high on quality

Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim
Starring: Frank Sinatra
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305323550
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Amazon.com

For the second of his 1960s television specials, Frank Sinatra organized the show around the loose theme of "rhythm," and chose for his exploration two artists of impeccable credentials: the scat stylings and jazz-influenced delivery of Ella Fitzgerald and the quiet Latin groove of Brazilian bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim. The program combines beautiful ballads ("Ol' Man River," "Put Your Dreams Away") with brassy up-tempo tunes ("Day In, Day Out," "Get Me to the Church on Time"), though one medley includes some forgivable but hardly memorable attempts at contemporary pop, mixing snatches of "How High the Moon" with "Up, Up and Away," "Don't Cry Joe" with "Ode to Billy Joe." The show slows for a relaxed medley with Jobim, who accompanies a lounging, cigarette-smoking Sinatra with guitar and whispering backing vocals while the Voice drops his volume to an intimate conversational tone for "Change Partners," "I Concentrate on You," and Jobim's own "The Girl from Ipanema." Ella duets with Sinatra on two medleys (contributing a fabulous scat rendition of "Stomping at the Savoy"), solos on "Body and Soul," "It's All Right with Me" and "Don't Be That Way," and finally the two burn up the program with one final duet, a high octane, show-stopping performance of "The Lady Is a Tramp," with Nelson Riddle's orchestra driving the brass to keep up. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Numero Uno .......2007-09-06

What's there to say? He said and did it all. The greatest entertainer of the 20th Century if not all time! I've heard, from people who knew him, that if you were in the same room as Sinatra, he was just another guy. It didn't go to his head like it did for so many lesser talents. Sinatra singing with Jobim and Ella is Classic. True talent like theirs does not exist anymore, at least I don't see it. This DVD is a must buy for any Sinatra fan. Sinatra was the Best.

Perfect, but are you aware of the "real" story?.......2007-01-24

This show with Frank and Ella was simply a perfect and historic one. I cannot emphasize the greatness of this show. Ths music was amazingly well done. Frank Sinatra was in his prime, and he is such a calm, cool, and collected type of performer. He is naturally suave and just too damn cool. His voice is great.

Ella's supreme vocal talent and technique, in my opinion, is what elevated this show to what it is and always will be. Ella performed on this show because Frank made a nasty comment about Ella in a Life Magazine article marking his 50th birthday. Ella appearing on the show was Frank's way of apologizing for hurting her. The horrible comment was that Ella and Julie Garland were technically two of the worst singers!

In all truthfulness, Frank has always loved Ella, but even in all Frank's monumental accomplishments, he was a little jealous of Ella's hard edged creativity, and the imprint she had made and was making on music. Ella wasn't called "The First Lady of Song" for nothing. She was more than a perfect scatting jazz artist. She was also an all-American singer with perfect tone, perfect pitch, creative in her improvisations, and her singing style could not be touched by anyone. Ella was Frank's only real match on American popular music. And the fact she was black makes her achievement even more amazing, thanks to Norman Granz.

Jobim was also wonderful in this show. He is a composer who truly was blessed by God. All those wonderful Bossa Novas, and beautiful Brazilian songs he created elevates him as an all time great. All these artists still influence musicians and singers today! This entire show was just dazzling, especially the performances with Ella.

I bet there are so many fascinating, and disturbing untold stories behind such historical moments.

Excellent.......2007-01-19

Now I know why you could not fall in love with Frank....He's the greatest!
This whole DVD is the Best ever...We need more DVD's like this one......Ana

GREAT GUESTS AND MUSIC.......2007-01-12

The theme or subject of this show is rythym. Frank wisely chose his guests - the greatest female jazz singer and Jobim with whom he had just recorded a terrific album and he was astute to promote it in this way.

Yes , it is too short , but it is high on quality .......2006-02-26

The reason Frank and Ella didn't work together more often is that Frank didn't like Ella's manager ( pick up THE ROUGH GUIDE TO FRANK SINATRA for more background ).

Even though a lot of us wish these 2 could have worked together more , sometimes we forget that there are business considerations behind such decisions .

Both guests on this show work wonderfully well with Frank .
Yes , it could've sounded better .
But really , let's be glad we have what we have .
It is a hefty price , so I would try to pick it up used , though why someone would want to sell this DVD is beyond me !
A fine quality product for fans of any or all of these performers .

Average customer rating:

The Best Special Sinatra Ever Did.
Awsome
SUBLIME SINATRA MUSICAL TREASURE~BRAVO FRANK!!!
sad state of Sinatra on DVD...
Nice And Easy

Frank Sinatra - The Man and His Music
Starring: Frank Sinatra & the Count Basie Orchestra
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000K3V0
Release Date: 1999-09-21

Customer Reviews:

The Best Special Sinatra Ever Did........2007-06-17

Of the many tv speciasl Frank Sinatra did between 1965 and 1982, his last one, "The Man And His Music", is my personal favorite and his best. Older, wiser and as good as ever, this is Frank in top form.

Beginning with an excellent performance of "Nice 'N Easy" (a song trarelt performed outside of his 1960 original recording), Frank is loose, relaxed and energetic. Despite nearing 70, his voice and energy still capture the glory of his younger years.

Frank takes the time in this special to revisit songs that he had not doen in awhile. Among them are a rousing "The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else", a lovly, somber rendition of "The Girl From Ipanema" with the masterful Tony Mottola on guitar), a swingin' "At Long Last Love" and a lovely reworking of "Thanks For The Memory". Count Basie stops by for wonderful versions of "Pennies From Heaven" and "The Best Is Yet To Come", and the version of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" really cooks.

Frank also takes the time to do some new songs. From his then recent release "She Shot Me Down", there's the haunting, moody "I Loved Her", the tener and sad "Monday Morning Quarterback", the remorseful "(We Had) A Thing Going" and the bright and uptempo "Say Hello". And from the previously released "Trilogy" album are Frank's powerful cover of The Beatles' "Something" and a barnstorming "New York, New York".

Other than the usual picture and sound quality probelsm that plague all Siantra dvds, this special is Frank int op form and comes highly recommended.

Awsome.......2007-01-19

I recommend this DVD the quality is great, music is the best ever. Wish there were more like this. Go out and buy it.......Ana

SUBLIME SINATRA MUSICAL TREASURE~BRAVO FRANK!!!.......2006-02-10

...and "Thanks For The Memories" to you Mr. Frank Sinatra! Great production values plus Frank in excellent form make tremendous music event the Ultimate Sinatra performance from his mature years and his last solo Television Special and one of his all-time finest! Having read a few of the really tired reviews about this incredibly great special, I felt it was time...forget those who think that this legend was only great in his early years and open up to one of the most wonderfully soulful performances ever from a major legendary icon...anyone that I have played this wondrous special for has gone out and purchased it! From the opening "Nice "N" Easy", it is clear that Sinatra is in top form vocally and at his soulful best. "The One I Love" is a romp and "Pennies From Heaven" with Count Basie is infectious and has never sounded finer. Deeply emotive in the moody "I Loved Her" mades this classic one to play back over and over again and "The Girl From Ipanema" with Tony Mottola on guitar is so fine and it is fascinating to watch these two masters at the top of their game. Brooding and again deeply soulful in George Harrison's "Something" make this a memorable performance of this classic and "Monday Morning Quarterback" continues this mood and is another great vocal and a beautifully moving performance. A definitive version of the standard "The Best Is Yet To Come" is infectious and a catchy single release "(We Had A) Good Thing Going" would have been a hit in better musical times than the bland mid-eighties, and Sinatra clearly is having the time of his life with the exhuberant "Say Hello". Never has anyone come close to Sinatra's classic reading of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and this stellar version is magnificent as is the soulfully sung "New York, New York" which is also a joy to see Frank sing with Liza and Sammy in the great VHS concert "The Ultimate Event" which is exactly that and this is another masterpiece that should have been released on DVD long ago...makes one wonder where are the heads of these marketing morons...little wonder the music industry is suffering from declining sales and the closing of major chains! Closing this classic and spectacular special is a moving "Thanks For The Memory" and this version is as good as it gets...if you love Sinatra, don't miss this incomparable special! Thank you Ole' Blue Eyes for the best in music and entertainment for so many very good years!!!!!

sad state of Sinatra on DVD..........2005-12-07

I see that a deluxe five DVD set of Barbra Streisand's TV specials has been released recently... So why doesn't Warner/Reprise do the same thing for Frank Sinatra's classic TV specials? Could "The Family" be involved perhaps...? Sure, they can get behind a phony "Sinatra at the Palladium" multi-media extravaganza where you watch 20-foot projected videos of Sinatra singing accompanied by a live orchestra thanks to "unprecedented access to Frank Sinatra's film archives"... but they can't seem to get Sinatra's video performance legacy released appropriately on DVD...

The classic 1960s, 70s, and 80s musical TV specials (A Man and His Music Part I & II, Sinatra+Ella+Jobim, The Main Event, etc...) are still being sold as individual DVDs at full price ($15-$20 each). They are each about 50 minutes long with "stereo" sound (actually "2-channel mono" I think) with no bonus features whatsoever, packaged in flimsy plastic and cardboard cases.

Why don't they compile all 9 of the Reprise Collection Sinatra TV specials in a 3-DVD package with 3 specials per DVD? Price it at about $40-$50, include some bonus goodies (there must be hours of stuff in the vaults... better go with 4 DVDs!) and give this material the deluxe, classy treatment it deserves.

Surely this would sell well enough to justify the minimal investment required (just repackaging/remastering the same old material for the most part). Wouldn't a DVD set like this be a better 90th birthday "limited edition" release than reissuing the sub-standard Duets CDs again? And what about all the amazing unreleased audio that remains stagnating in the vaults...? Get with the program, folks!

I am truly very happy for all you Babs fans though! You're "the luckiest people in the world..."

Nice And Easy.......2004-09-11

Frank looks and sounds great on this one. He starts out with Nice 'N' Easy, and that pretty much sums up this session. He has great musical accompaniment throughout. The Basie Band sounds terrific. He ends with the very old standard, Thanks For The Memory, and does a bang up job on it, with some very nice lyrics. Check this one out. You will dig it.

Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music Part II - With Special Guest Nancy Sinatra

Average customer rating:

sad state of Sinatra on DVD...
Incredible
Solid special.
NOT THE BEST BUT STILL A MUST
worth acquiring, but far from the best

Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music Part II - With Special Guest Nancy Sinatra
Starring: Frank Sinatra , and Nancy Sinatra
Director: Dwight Hemion
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000K3V1
Release Date: 1999-09-21

Customer Reviews:

sad state of Sinatra on DVD..........2005-12-07

Incredible.......2004-02-26

I can't believe some of the criticism. I have most everything Frank recorded and although the sound should be better, you're seeing Frank live with great orchestras (Riddle and Jenkins), and he's wonderful. You see the confidence and the perfection. I wish there were better quality Frank vids, but this is it.

Solid special........2004-02-06

I don't know what to say, it was a pretty good Tv-concert. There might not have been anyone in the room with him, but that was okay, because he hit everything head on.

The Nancy stuff was really not that important, as it seemed like they threw her in just because she had a career at that point and was Frank's daughter. Still, Nancy did two good songs that really sounded cool (Bang Bang & Broadway).

The melody wasn't really a melody, and shockingly Nancy was right when she said she sang lower than Frank on her own.

Except for the Nancy stuff, it was just Frank doing a concert in a Tv studio.

There was a melody, as usual for Frank, telling of his "song for losers -- love lost" songs. The main song, has Sinatra in a chair thinking back. Good direction.

I can't remember all the names, but all these songs were top notch in my opinion. It wasn't his first 1965 special, but it was pretty good. The shows from 1965-67; 1969; 1971 were the best.

NOT THE BEST BUT STILL A MUST.......2003-04-04

Good one to put into Sinatra TV Shows Series in your collection but I guess it is not the best. If you are going to buy only one Sinatra TV Special, try another one. Otherwise, if you are a Sinatra fan like me, don't miss it.. Especially "That's Life" is interesting.. Cool interpretation..

worth acquiring, but far from the best.......2001-08-05

It seems like this show was thrown together haphazardly at the last minute with little or no rehearsal.

I may be wrong, but I think there was no audience. Frank's monologue in the beginning is met with a laugh track.

The picture quality on the VHS is sub-standard; Sinatra's drummer, Irv Cottler, looks black!

The skit with daughter is unmemorable.

There is a good version of "That's Life", better than the studio version, but Frank muffs it at the end of "My Kind Of Town",

Customer Reviews:

sad state of Sinatra on DVD..........2005-12-07

Incredible.......2004-02-26

Solid special........2004-02-06

I don't know what to say, it was a pretty good Tv-concert. There might not have been anyone in the room with him, but that was okay, because he hit everything head on.

The melody wasn't really a melody, and shockingly Nancy was right when she said she sang lower than Frank on her own.

Except for the Nancy stuff, it was just Frank doing a concert in a Tv studio.

There was a melody, as usual for Frank, telling of his "song for losers -- love lost" songs. The main song, has Sinatra in a chair thinking back. Good direction.

I can't remember all the names, but all these songs were top notch in my opinion. It wasn't his first 1965 special, but it was pretty good. The shows from 1965-67; 1969; 1971 were the best.

NOT THE BEST BUT STILL A MUST.......2003-04-04

worth acquiring, but far from the best.......2001-08-05

It seems like this show was thrown together haphazardly at the last minute with little or no rehearsal.

I may be wrong, but I think there was no audience. Frank's monologue in the beginning is met with a laugh track.

The picture quality on the VHS is sub-standard; Sinatra's drummer, Irv Cottler, looks black!

The skit with daughter is unmemorable.

There is a good version of "That's Life", better than the studio version, but Frank muffs it at the end of "My Kind Of Town",

Product Description

Judy, Frank and Dean - The Legendary Concert. Here is the musical event of a lifetime-Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin- performing together in concert, in a program thought "lost" forever. Three of the greatest superstars of all time at their best, singing the songs the audiences love most. This incredible program is available for the first time in brilliant color and stereo.

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