Singer, actor, Golden Age Vegas hipster. Frank Sinatra is a role model on so many different levels. Let us glory in magnificence.
Baumann “Strangers In The Night” (Frank Sinatra)
Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream put this song out on a solo album he released in the early 80s. This is the extended mix from the 12″ single they sent to the college radio station I worked at. It’s quite the relic of the early MTV disco-tronic synthesizer school of music. Which is why I love it so.
Sid Vicious “My Way” (Frank Sinatra)
This is perhaps my favorite cover of all time. Sinatra hated this song, he found it pretentious to be singing his own praises. Which makes it all the more amusing to hear this doomstruck punk who was thrust into the limelight by Malcom McLaren snarling about how he did it his way. Sid didn’t know the words and really couldn’t relate to the narrative of a person who became famous, fell from grace, and climbed to the mountaintop of fame a second time. But he brings the snotty attitude and makes this a great song.
DJ Boosta “Fly Me To The Moon” (Frank Sinatra)
Of all the Sinatra covers out there, this song seems to have the most interesting arrangements out there. This version features a nice bouncy beat and some good distorted guitar.
The Transitones “New York New York” (Frank Sinatra)
Another 80s relic, this time from the southern Florida lounge scene. It combines Les Paul style guitar with cheesy Casio keyboards.
Frank Sinatra “Yesterday” (The Beatles)
It just sounds to me like Sinatra is gritting his teeth while he sings this song. I can’t imagine that he was happy to be doing a song by those dirty hippies who pushed him from the top of the entertainment heap.
The Transistones’ vocalist sounds a bit like Nico from The Velvet Underground taking the piss.
Love Frank and love the covers. Thankyou!
On the contrary, Sinatra liked the Beatles quite a bit. On several occasions he called George Harrison’s “Something” the “greatest love song ever written.” He not only recorded it, but the song was a concert staple of his for many years. Many fans of the Beatles hated the Sinatra version because of his addition of “Jack” to the lyrics, as in…”You stick around, Jack, it might show.” I kind of like the Sinatra stamp. This was a crackin’ post. Thanks.
I thought the Transitones song sounded like a Magic Organ track with a Mary Carpenter wannabe singing karaoke.
My Way is a cover of a French Song. It’s not originally from Sinatra ;-)
“Comme d’habitude” Claude Francois.
Alex, that may well be true, but Sinatra certainly made the song his own. Nobody who covers My Way thinks that they’re covering a Claude Francois song.
Brian, I’m glad to know Sinatra didn’t hate the Beatles after all. Maybe I’m just projecting because I hate the song Yesterday.