May 10, 2007

"I See Your Face Before Me"


Here's Sinatra in 1963 performing one of the best songs off of perhaps his best album, In Wee Small Hours.

(1955)

This is from Judy, Frank & Dean - Once in a Lifetime. It has been de-colorized and de-Judy Garlandized.


What's amazing to me is that it is on live television. And it's not a band comprised simply of drums, guitar(s), bass, maybe keyboards, etc. This involves a full, string orchestra. Frank comes in about a bar too early, and yet the orchestra is able to accommodate this mistake. If not for this error, I might have believed he was simply lip syncing to the album track. It sounds that great! Of course, a lot of the credit should go to Nelson Riddle's beautiful arrangement.

"I See Your Face Before Me"
by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz

I see your face before me
Crowding my every dream
There is your face before me
You are my only theme

It doesn't matter where you are
I can see how fair you are
I close my eyes and there you are
Always

If you could share the magic
Yes, if you could see me too
There would be nothing tragic
In all my dreams of you

Would that my love could haunt you so
Knowing I want you so
I can't erase your beautiful face before me

Ava Gardner

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there-
I saw the clip on Twin Palms that you taped for the AMC video. Could you please give me the exact name of the documentary? It seems that AMC has two "Legendary Hollywood Homes" movies and I need to know which one features Twin Palms. Thanks!!

Chris said...

It was Legendary Hollywood Homes II. Hope that helps.

The Stiltwalker said...

I absolutely love Sinatra...

Chris said...

Ok, four.
;)

Anonymous said...

Okay, I am one of your original Sinatra fans, standing up to be counted.

When you post those clips of beautiful Frankie, I can't think for the rest of the day.

Chris said...

There's "my" third Sinatra-phile!

People who don't like him just don't get it, but when he sings, he weaves a spell (as singer Vic Damone once explained).