TV Appearances

Frank Sinatra’s career continued to expand with the advent of television and he joined many families in their living rooms over the years. From his appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show to his own TV specials to his guest appearances on the highly popular shows of friends like Dean Martin, Sinatra conquered the small screen as thoroughly the movie houses. In this space, fans can discuss the entertainment medium that Mr. Sinatra helped put on the map.

Topic: Without A Song & The Song Is You

Without A Song & The Song Is You
posted: July 7, 2009 - 8:35pm
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Topic: The Roast Of Frank Sinatra

The Roast Of Frank Sinatra
posted: April 12, 2009 - 8:57am
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Frank's Roast Paraphrased
posted: April 22, 2009 - 6:17pm

Ted deCerchio
I don't remember having seen the Sinatra roast of so many years ago,but we've all heard the characteristic joke told by Buddy Rich & Shecky Greene separately,the same joke,that they knew they were good friends with Frank when as they were getting beat up,he stepped in to stop the beating,saying "OK that's enough."This joke or experience was told by many of Frank's admirers including also Don Rickles recently.It must've become more legend than truth over the years.

Topic: Frank, Joey Bishop, & the Tonight Show

Frank, Joey Bishop, & the Tonight Show
posted: January 28, 2009 - 10:54pm
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Topic: Sinatra-Ella-Jobim 1967

Sinatra-Ella-Jobim 1967
posted: January 3, 2009 - 5:00pm
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Outstanding special indeed -
posted: January 30, 2009 - 11:41am

Outstanding special indeed - five stars plus, and one really never gets tired watching and re-watching this hour of magic. Music really doesn't get better than this... the Ella duets aside, the highlight for me is Frank's rendition of "Ol'Man River", sung every bit as subtle and masterfully as on the 1963 Reprise studio recording.

This special, by the way, was directed by a German, Michael Pfleghar (1933-1991), who was associated with Frank's daughter Tina Sinatra at the time (Tina stayed and worked in Munich for two years in the late 60s). Pfleghar later gained much fame in Germany as TV director and producer in the 70s with the popular comedy series "Klimbim".

Bernhard.
Claus Ogerman
posted: January 30, 2009 - 11:05pm

Ted deCerchio
Don't forget another German, Claus Ogerman,who did the beautiful arrangement with strings & Jobim on the 1st Sinatra-Jobim album. Claus also has worked with Diana Krall on another Bossa Nova-strings album.She was said to be honored to work with Mr. Ogerman.

Topic: It was a very good year video

It was a very good year video
posted: December 28, 2008 - 8:35am
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Topic: Frank,Dean, & Jerry @ 1976 Labor Day Telethon

Frank,Dean, & Jerry @ 1976 Labor Day Telethon
posted: December 14, 2008 - 11:54pm
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Topic: SUPERB TV SPECIALS!!

SUPERB TV SPECIALS!!
posted: August 3, 2008 - 7:14am
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Oh yeah, that's truly a
posted: August 3, 2008 - 6:03pm

Oh yeah, that's truly a great special. And beautifully photographed as well! That long final medley with Ella, taped before a live audience in October 1967, cannot be described as but a master lesson in swing song singing. Watch out for 'em notes, and especially for "The Lady Is A Tramp" - music hardly gets any better than this, folks! The Jobim medley is superb, too. And Sinatra's world-class singing culminates in his (unedited!) rendition of "Ol'Man River" that becomes every bit as stunning as the studio recording he had made in 1963 for his Reprise album "The Concert Sinatra".

Being from that country myself, may I mention in this context that the director of the 1967 special was a German, Michael Pfleghar (1933-1991), who had made the acquaintance of Sinatra's youngest daughter Tina when she was living and working in Munich in the late 60s. Pfleghar also became famous in Germany for producing and/or directing many popular TV shows and series (Germans will remember "Klimbim"). Not being too lucky in his later life, Pfleghar committed suicide in 1991.

The one with
All in all, not counting his regular weekly TV show series (1950/51/52 for two seasons on CBS TV, and 1957/58 for one season on ABC TV, both dubbed "The Frank Sinatra Show") and his numerous prominent guest appearances, Sinatra did the following studio-produced television specials over the years in his own name:

19.Oct.1959 The Frank Sinatra Show (ABC TV) (b/w)
13.Dec.1959 An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra (ABC TV) (b/w)
15.Feb.1960 Here's To The Ladies (ABC TV) (b/w)
12.May 1960 Welcome Home Elvis (ABC TV) (taped in March 1960) (b/w)

24.Nov.1965 A Man And His Music (NBC TV)
07.Dec.1966 A Man And His Music Part 2 (CBS TV)
13.Nov.1967 A Man And His Music + Ella + Jobim (NBC TV)
25.Nov.1968 Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing (CBS TV)
05.Nov.1969 Sinatra (CBS TV)

18.Nov.1973 Ol'Blue Eyes Is Back (NBC TV)
21.Apr.1977 Sinatra And Friends (ABC TV)
22.Nov.1981 The Man And His Music (NBC TV)

(The 1965-81 ones have all been officially released by Warner on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD.)

The 1967 special with Ella aside, it's difficult to pick a favourite - they are all great. Yet I think I'd chose the 1965 one, which indeed is "A Man and His Music" at his powerful best, and the 1981 one, which has the best of "Harvest Sinatra", the grown-old 'Chairman of the Board', through pure music entirely from the studio and without any annoying overdubbed applause as in the other specials. Sinatra's rendition of "Theme from New York New York" in that 1981 special even easily transcends his legendary Reprise studio recording from 1979.

My favourite spots from the 60s and 73 specials are the "Saloon segments", in which Sinatra would always combine several songs into a new separate story, using one song as a frame song, filling in others to tell a coherent storyline, and also doing some 'acting' for the video scenes. Masterfully concepts, musically crafted by the talents of his ballad arranger Gordon Jenkins.
The best I think are the ones from the 1966 show (where he uses Cole Porter's "Just One Of Those Things" as the frame song, which he otherwise usually sang up-tempo only) and the one from 1973, where he combined "Last Night When We Were Young/Violets For Your Furs/Here's That Rainy Day" into a 10-minutes-masterpiece that must count among the most poignant saloon ballad singing Sinatra ever performed on television.

But all of these specials carry the timeless best of Sinatra - a fine mix of moods, tempos and lyrical readings, mostly from the best material the American Songbook has to offer (with occasional diving into the sounds that were contemporary at the times of taping), all done by THE VOICE:
These are the type of programmes that should be shown monthly around the world... and as far as I'm concerned, even daily would get no objection...

What's next to spending an afternoon, or an evening, or both, watching and listening to Frank Sinatra and his music? You've guessed it: Nothing. The end of TV.

Bernhard.

PS: Funny how everyone seems to have jumped on my "hat avatar" idea smile