October 20, 2006

Koo koo, crazy bangles and beads

"Baubles, Bangles and Beads" is from the 1953 musical Kismet and was written by Robert Wright and George Forrest. The best selling version of the song was recorded by Peggy Lee in 1954. Frank Sinatra recorded it at least twice, first, for his 1959 concept album Come Dance with Me!

Come Dance with Me! version

and secondly, the bossa nova version he did with Antônio Carlos Jobim on his 1967 album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim.

bossa nova version with Antônio Carlos Jobim

Here is a live performance of it on the 1968 TV special Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing. This is essentially the Billy May arrangement as used on Come Dance with Me! with a groovy background chorus and walking, electric bass part added to "modernize" it for a 1968 TV audience. My theory is he chose to do this one because of the word "beads" in the title. You know, what with love beads being so popular at the time and all. Koo koo.



Later in the program


Related: Sinatra does his "thing"

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