Prom 30: John Wilson Orchestra - Frank Sinatra (7.08.15)

[french frank]

Indeed dover, this was discussed here. We're getting a tribute act. Will Seth Whassisname be wearing a trilby?

The way you get a younger generation interested in Frank Sinatra is to get Seth MacFarlane involved. The late 20s and young 30s who watch BBC Three are hooked on American Dad and Family Guy. And Seth MacFarlane is Going To Be There. In the Alber' Hall!

[gurnemanz]

Indeed dover, this was discussed here. Will Seth Whassisname be wearing a trilby?

Poor Seth gets disparaged before he's even done his thing. I don't know him at all and I'm not a great fan of crooning but I'll give it a go. I'm a Bob Dylan completeist but, remembering his ill-advised Christmas effort a few years ago, I had my doubts about his recent Sinatra album. Some hated it. I rather like it - in a similar way to those superb late Johnny Cash albums.

[David Underdown]

Seth Macfarlane has sung in a couple of the previous John Wilson Orchestra proms, I've quite liked his performances in those.

[Old Grumpy]

Poor Seth gets disparaged before he's even done his thing. I don't know him at all and I'm not a great fan of crooning but I'll give it a go. I'm a Bob Dylan completeist but, remembering his ill-advised Christmas effort a few years ago, I had my doubts about his recent Sinatra album. Some hated it. I rather like it - in a similar way to those superb late Johnny Cash albums.

Hmmm - not sure, not a particular Dylan fan, but thought the album sounded interesting - listened to it twice after purchase, not listened to it much since. Perhaps I should try again.

OG

[Old Grumpy]

Seth Macfarlane has sung in a couple of the previous John Wilson Orchestra proms, I've quite liked his performances in those.

Nothing against him - just never heard of him, not being in the BBC3 target audience!

OG

[french frank]

Poor Seth gets disparaged before he's even done his thing.

I don't think that's accurate. It's the BBC's marketing of the Proms which is 'disparaged'. Endless new ideas in devising Prom concerts to attract non-classical audiences.

[Padraig]

I don't think that's accurate. It's the BBC's marketing of the Proms which is 'disparaged'. Endless new ideas in devising Prom concerts to attract non-classical audiences.

...including the recent showing of episodes of Family Guy on BBC2. Hasn't anyone seen them? I watch Family Guy quite a lot, and I have enjoyed the couple of episodes where big bands and standards feature. I presume one of the vocalists is Seth McF himself, and in the context of the cartoon series his character comes across as a good Sinatra-type performer.

[Quarky]

Sinatra is unusual imv in that his singing talent started high as a young man, :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co2R...9421BFBE80CC35

but then went linearly downward. At the same time his popularity went exponentially upward, for reasons unconnected with voice production. I guess his fan club grew old with him, so the existing fans are probably all middle aged. To get young people interested in him, I would suggest the young Sinatra should be taken as a template by tribute singers.

[Serial_Apologist]

Sinatra is unusual imv in that his singing talent started high as a young man, :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co2R...9421BFBE80CC35

but then went linearly downward.

Only if you think FS should have remained just a crooner...

[Old Grumpy]

Sinatra is unusual imv in that his singing talent started high as a young man, :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co2R...9421BFBE80CC35

but then went linearly downward. At the same time his popularity went exponentially upward, for reasons unconnected with voice production. I guess his fan club grew old with him, so the existing fans are probably all middle aged. To get young people interested in him, I would suggest the young Sinatra should be taken as a template by tribute singers.

Couldn't possibly comment (as I don't know his oevre well enough), but watching this may help me decide.

OG

[Quarky]

Couldn't possibly comment (as I don't know his oevre well enough), but watching this may help me decide.

OG

Many thanks OG. I shall watch with interest.

[doversoul1]

Indeed dover, this was discussed here.

We're getting a tribute act. Will Seth Whassisname be wearing a trilby?

So, is this a posh way of doing a Sinatra Lookalike (Sound-alike) show? And when are we going to have a tribute prom for Elvis Presley?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So, is this a posh way of doing a Sinatra Lookalike (Sound-alike) show? And when are we going to have a tribute prom for Elvis Presley?

Don't go giving them ideas, ds.

[bluestateprommer]

Playlist from the BBC Proms listing, tweaked by BSP (and also in the Forum calendar for the record):

Irving Berlin: "Let's Face the Music and Dance" (Trilogy, arr. Billy May)
George and Ira Gershwin: "A Foggy Day" (arr. Johnny Mandel)
Mabel Wayne: "It Happened in Monterey" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Harold Arlen: "Ill Wind" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Berlin: "Cheek to Cheek" (arr. Billy May)
Jerome Kern: "I Won’t Dance" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Jimmy Campbell: "If I Had You" (arr. Robert Farnon)
Gershwin: Three Preludes (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Jimmy Van Heusen: "Come Fly with Me" (arr. Billy May)
Hoagy Carmichael: "I Get Along Without You Very Well" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Rodgers: "This Can’t Be Love" (arr. Axel Stordahl)
Kern: "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Cole Porter:
(a) High Society – overture (arr. Conrad Salinger and Lloyd ‘Skip’ Martin)
(b) "From This Moment On" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Bob Haggart: "What’s New?" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Frank Loesser: "Guys and Dolls" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Carroll Coates: "No-one Ever Tells You" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Porter: "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Ruth Lowe: "Put Your Dreams Away" (arr. Nelson Riddle)

From the first song, the orchestra sounds really fine, as to be expected. Seth M. sings well enough, even obviously without the individual timbre of Ol' Blue Eyes (not saying much, I know; no one has that unique timbre now that I can tell).

PS: I'll add the encores later to the calendar, assuming there will be encores :) . (PPS: No encores.)

[seabright]

I was wondering who the other male singer who came on was, as he looked familiar, though I didn't catch his name. Anyway, he sang and performed excellently and turns out to be Jamie Parker, the piano-playing, church-going student in 'The History Boys' movie. I hope he reappears in a future John Wilson Prom and that this wasn't a one-off.