The Sinatra Forum.

[Baz]

I have been a member of Nancy Sinatra's forum for nearly nine years and have posted nearly 10,000 post! She has given my my own personal thread so I thought I would plug Matt in there. I just posted this:-

Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Westerham, Kent, England.
Posts: 9,819

Michele Monro's forum

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just posted this in Michele's forum. They really are a friendly bunch of people in there.
Frank Sinatra
=========
Joined: 24 Jun 2006
Posts: 16
Location: Westerham, Kent, England
Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:02 pm Post subject: Frank Sinatra

Hi
I noticed this thread, so I thought I would add to it.
Frank was a brilliant singer. It's no surprise to me that
he achieved what he did achieve in his lifetime.
I think you either like Frank of you don't. There's no in between with him.
I believe that he rated Matt as one of England's greatest vocalists and when Matt was seriously in a London Hospital, gave him a terriffic boost when he rang him up. I have been a big fan for over 50 years.
Anyone else share my passion?
Cheers,
Barry.
_________________
I am a fan of "real music".
Music performed by Matt Monro, Frank Sinatra and their piers. I once made an album with Humphrey Lyttelton. I play harmonica. The latest CD " Baz with the Jazz legends" is selling well. ( I sell it via my website)

Back to top
__________________
50 plus years a Sinatra fan .
Email:- barry@barrybwm.plus.com

[phyliss]

was a fan of sinatra. was bobby soxer in the 40s seen in the paramont in new york. i thougt he was great. i never heard of matt monro untill 1995 fell in love with his music.to me he matt is the best. read sinatras bio. a compet turn off. sorry matt is the best.

[hodgo]

I share Your passion Barry and like you I'm an SFF member and always enjoy your posts over there, the man was a genius no 2 ways about it.

It seems a little silly that someone can be put off the great man's music after reading a book about them, there are many artists who I know I wouldn't like on a personal level and if I made that part of my decisions I'd have no music in my collection.

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Too true Graham. We don't care too much about their private lives, it doesn't affect us.
We care about the pleasure their talent gives us.

[Baz]

Hello chaps!
Happy new year to everybody.
Frank was a complicated guy. Tony Bennett says that he was missunderstood
and i'm happy to accept that statement. He did raise $billions for all kinds of great causes and didn't want publicity for it. He also helped out a lot of guys who had serious problems,Sammy Davis being one of them. You can't condemn somebody completely until you see the whole picture. He certainly did a lot of great work, both in film and music. He was as good a dad to his kids as he could have been, apart from clearing off with Ava Gardiner in the early days.
Nobody is perfect are they? He was also good to Matt Monro and I bet Matt appreciated it.

[Marian]

Welcome to the forum Graham, and welcome back Barry.
Frank Sinatra never met Matt Monro, but did send him a telegram when Matt was very near the end of his life.
Matt did see Frank in concert though.
Marian

[Baz]

Hi Marian. xxx
One regret I have is never seeing Matt in concert. Having messed in showbiz' for over 30 years, I now know how tough a game it really is and how brilliant singers like Matt and FS were.
I did see Frank live three times in London. The first time at the Albert Hall was the best. He was superb. He loved performing live and had it down to a fine art. Getting back to Matt, I bought the London concert...Matt/ Nelson Riddle
CD from Michele some years ago. If you haven't got it and it's still available...buy it! It's a cracker. It might only be available via this forum?
I remember the days when Matt was out there live and on TV... What a beautiful voice he had. Silky smooth, manly and all the rest. Timing is critical and Matt's was faultless. He shared that with Frank. Frank could mess about with time he was so brilliant. I would have loved to see a concert with both of them together! ps/ I haven't felt excited about much lately, but Michele's book coming out soon has me livened up I have to say! " Oh Yeah".
Happy new year!

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Yes, we also know that he did a hell of a lot of good for charities and fellow artists, even paying for funerals for several. We are both Sinatra fans. Have more music of Sinatra in our home than any other vocalist or musician in the business, plus memorabillia, and his Gold disk New York, New York.
I first saw Frank at the Gaumont State Theatre, 1953 and Three times since including The Ultimate Event.
He wasn't perfect, but boy could he get a song over.

[Baz]

Lena and Harry
Great stuff guys! I have been a member of Nancy Sinatra's forum for over 10 years and have had a lot to do with her. In fact, I have had well over 100 emails from her. My " story of the month" last May is on the Sinatra web site with pictures of Frank here in England with the Queen and a photo of me by Winston Churchill's statue here in his home town of Westermam. I'm currently working for a brilliant composer...Alan Parker who was a top session guitarist years ago and had worked both with Frank and with Nancy on her " Nancy in London" album in the 60's. My Sinatra collection of records, "v" discs, books and all that stuff is mammoth. Yep', FS could warble a bit! LOL
He used to swim underwater to build his lungs up and jog round a track one lap and walk the next to do the same.
The Tommy Dorsey "full flow" breathing technique Frank latched onto also.
You don't just "make it" to the top without a hell of a lot of work.
FS was obsessional...but he made it and that's the bottom line.
Really Glad to have fellow fans in here.
Matt would have liked that I bet.
Barry.

[Sandra]

That is fantastic Lena and Harry that sounds like a collection worth seeing.
We are big Sinatra fans too.We always had his music in our home as children and have continued ever since.
My Dad was a dance band singer in the 40's and 50's singing Franks songs.
My Mum is always playing the tapes I do for her off our CDS (She 'won't risk')
going from a tape recorder to a CD player! and as their aren't many TV programmes to suit her these days she has Sinatra playing most nights.
Some nights she even does a bit of dancing by holding on to the radiator!
He is her idol.
The favourite 'in the car' CD of his at the moment is The Best Is Yet To Come
it is a super CD

[mariana44]

Sandra---I love the sound of your mum-I guess she is quite a character....

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Sandra, we have been members of the Sinatra Music Society for years and although we haven't attended the annual convention for the past Three years due to other commitments it's always a great day.
We loved all the Sinatra eras, The Dorsey years, Columbia, Capitol
You and John and your mum have good taste when it comes to a legend like Frank. Was your dad well known when he was singing Sandra ?
There are some really great singers on both sides of the big pond, but in our opinion, as far as Matt and Sinatra are concerned, it is Matt and only Matt who equalled and could be mentioned in the same vein as Sinatra, even though we never ever thought they sounded alike.

[Sandra]

Yes I suppose she is Marian (hope you are feeling better every day)

Lena and Harry: No Dad was in the Army,he played the French Horn,Trumpet and was a singer too.When he came out of the Army he sang and played with the local bands,although he did win two MELODY MAKER DANCE BAND CHAMPIONSHIP awards in Lincoln. One as BEST FRENCH HORN PLAYER in 1946 and the other
BEST VOCALIST in 1946.On the same bill that night was the fabulous TED HEATH ORCHESTRA it was a wonderful night for all the bands and dancers.
Hope you manage a Sinatra convention again they sound great.

[Baz]

Hi Chaps
Nice to see other Sinatra fans in here.
Mind you...any Matt Monro fan is likely to be a Sinatra fan also. Same era, same style, same or similar songs. The great American songbook has a plethera of musical gems in it.
Good suff!