Francis Albert Sinatra ( aka OLD BLUE EYES ) may have rekindled a flagging career with a series of NBC Specials in the mid-1960's, but YOUNG BLUE EYES ( aka THE VOICE ) had long been crowned King of the Bobby-Soxers, when he and two other Post WWII singing idols, Perry Como and Frankie Laine, joined together for a 1951 music & comedy special on the nascent CBS-TV network.
These three, storied performers were everything in the era of 45RPM records,sheet music & LIVE stage shows, that Justin Timberlake,Jay-Z & Usher are to the contemporary world of digitally-downloaded music.
Even then, the talented and tempestuous Sinatra was the platinum standard against which all male, pop singers were judged.
Perry Como was introduced to the world as a the singing barber from Cannonsburg,Pennsylvania. By the time this Sinatra show was telecast, he was an established recording, radio & television star. Frankie Laine was a headliner in nightclubs, and a star on radio & records. He would,later, record the hit theme for CBS-TV's RAWHIDE.
The B&W excerpt is sterling example of the primitive, but adventurous nature of early, network television. The premise of the show, like the sets, is a but flimsy, but all in good fun. High spirits and high energy compensate for the austere technology
The rare clip posted below, from the MARKALSON1938, YOU TUBE site, showcases the trio's manifold musical talents , the kind of music that filled the pop charts as Amercians fought in the Korean War and the rowdy dynamic that powered their personal friendships. It's clear they were stars in ascent and that they savored the moments they shared with their fans and with each other. Enjoy!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment