Come Fly with Me it ain't (although, it does feature "Brazil" and "Isle of Capri," also on the Sinatra album), but I'm sort of enchanted by it. Some of it is very good. My current favorite is "Say 'Si Si' (Para Vigo Me Voy)," near the end of side two, which features a great example of Billy May and Orchestra's "big, brassy sound," and Crosby and Clooney's voices sound really great together. The concept of the album came from Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, two guys who wrote several of Sinatra's best known songs, including "Come Fly with Me." 
back cover detail
Fancy Meeting You Here was conceived as a project for Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, and was recorded in 1958. The arranger/conductor was Billy May, who just so happened to have also done Sinatra's Come Fly with Me (1957), as well as Come Dance with Me! (1959), Swing Along with Me (1961), and Come Swing with Me! (1961).
According to the Wikipedia entry:
In its review, Time magazine called this album, "An infectious musical dialogue between two of the sassiest fancy talkers in the business. C. & C. give slick and witty readings to a selection of retreads — 'On a Slow Boat to China,' 'You Came a Long Way from St. Louis' — and introduce a punchy, potential hit named 'Calcutta.' One of the most intriguing vocal entertainments since Noel Coward had his famous chat with Mary Martin."
Chris,
ReplyDeleteThis has absolutely zero to do with your current post, albeit a good one, but I had to share something with you that I found today. And, I'm at a friends house and the browser won't allow an email directly to your account. Okay, enough already.
My Mother died on Dec. 23, 2006. Over the course of time since then, I've clean out boxes of her "stuff" that date in some cases back to the 40's. Imagine my surprise when I found today a postcard, circa 1968, of the Flagship Hotel in Galveston TX!!! I'll scan and email to you asap. While not at all popular swag for a native like yourself, a small treasure for someone like me who loved Galveston in those days more he does Malibu today!
Hope all is well.
Ed
Hi Ed,
ReplyDeleteYour comment does have something in common with this post, after all. I discovered this album (Fancy Meeting You Here) while going through my grandfather's house, a couple of Saturdays ago. He died last May. It's amazing the amount of "stuff" we leave behind. It's only taken you, what, a year and a half to get through those boxes.
I look forward to seeing that postcard. I love the Galveston of my childhood (which would have just begun around '68), so anything from that era would be a treasure for me too! Galveston has changed so much. it hurts.
Take care, and thanks!