1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: Taking a walk. I remember my father standing in the 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: doorway in my room at one point, which is this 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: is hilariously out of character for him because he's he's 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: such a progressive guy. He said, you like a good 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: rock song now? And then right, what if you. 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 2: Could step inside a time capsule, unlock a vault, have 7 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 2: never heard Sinatra Treasures, and let the golden glow of 8 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: the classic American songbook light the way I'm buzznight and 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,159 Speaker 2: on today's episode had taken a walk. We're doing just that, 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: taking you on a journey into the heart of Lush Life, 11 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 2: the dazzling new project from Seth McFarlane. That's right, that's 12 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 2: Seth McFarlane. What an amazing talent he is. You know 13 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 2: him for so many things, including family guy, But Seth 14 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 2: is resurrecting the lost arrangements of Frank Sinatra. Get ready 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: to stroll down memory lane with unreleased orchestrations and fresh 16 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: stories as we dive into an album that promises to 17 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 2: be as timeless as the chairman of the board himself. 18 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: Taking a walk, Well. 19 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,559 Speaker 2: Seth, that's absolutely joyous having you on taking a walk 20 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 2: discussing your joyous project Lush Life, The Lost Sinatra arrangements. 21 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 2: I have to ask the opening question of my guests, 22 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 2: which normally is who would you take a walk with, 23 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 2: living or dead? And where would you take that walk? 24 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 2: Answers go everywhere Seth, Mothers, Fathers, Bach, McCartney, Harrison, Jesus Christ. 25 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 2: I assume for the purposes of this special episode, it's 26 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: gonna be Francis Albert Sinatra. 27 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, that's probably a good that's probably Carl 28 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: Sagan would be high on that list, but I think 29 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: it would be It would be interesting to ask a 30 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: few questions. I mean, certainly Nelson Riddle would be on 31 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: that list. You know, how how did you do it? 32 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: What were you tapping into that that has somehow been 33 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: lost from our world? But yeah, those those are all 34 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: people who were It would be uh, you know, fun 35 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: to take a walk with on a maybe not too 36 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: hot day. 37 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's normally an impossible question, but that's why that's 38 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 2: why I like it. But what was your first memory 39 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 2: back in the the mean streets of the Waterfall Village 40 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: of Connecticut where music first impacted you? 41 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: Well, music was everywhere in that town. It was a 42 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: very artistic community. There were a lot of people who 43 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: sang a lot of people who played instruments. I was. 44 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: I was in a church choir when I was very young, 45 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: if you can believe that, and that was that was 46 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: kind of my first introduction to what that community had 47 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: to offer musically. And the director of the choir had 48 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: kind of branched out into local theater productions and she 49 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: was really into Gilbert and Sullivan. So I remember doing 50 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 1: a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan in that town from 51 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: about age nine on. We did The Sorcerer when I 52 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: was nine, and then followed up with the HMS Pinafore 53 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: and the Mecado, and so I was exposed to that 54 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: music at a very young age, which is a nice 55 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: way to kind of get a good grounding in the 56 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: origins of what would eventually become show music of the forties, fifties, 57 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: and sixties. 58 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 2: Did your parents have concerns about your early obsession with 59 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: the Great American Songbook and in particular Frank and was 60 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 2: there a support group that they tried to enroll you 61 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 2: in of young kids who were wiser beyond their years. 62 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: Concerns. I remember my father standing in the doorway in 63 00:03:58,160 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: my room at one point, which is this is how 64 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: hilariously out of character for him, because he's such a 65 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: he's such a progressive guy. He said, you like a 66 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: good rock song now? And then right there was just 67 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: just so much subtext there. It doesn't even need to 68 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: be elaborated upon. But no, you know, I listened to 69 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: the music that was popular at the time when I 70 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: was when I was growing up. I listened to what 71 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: we were being fed. The problem that I always had 72 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,679 Speaker 1: was that I could see how they were making the soup. 73 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: I could see how the gears were making the watch 74 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: turn and and it wasn't particularly challenging, And so I 75 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: gravitated to film music. You know, the composers that were 76 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: working regularly at that time, like you know John Williams obviously, 77 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: who's who's still as prolific as ever, Jerry Goldsmith and 78 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: Elmer Bernstein and James Hornered, even Henry Mancini was still 79 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: working then. And that music was was what really grabbed me, 80 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 1: because I I it was so accessible and so impactful, 81 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: and yet at the same time, I couldn't see how 82 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,559 Speaker 1: they were doing it. I couldn't see how these sounds 83 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: were I couldn't hear, rather, how these sounds were being 84 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: made I couldn't see how the soup was being made, 85 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: and that was just kind of magical to me. And 86 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: I found a lot of that when I discovered Sinatra's music, 87 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: that there really are a lot of links between film scoring, 88 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: which is very, you know, closely related to classical music, 89 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: and Sinatra's music, which was related to both. And it 90 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: made sense. Sinatra was a big classical music fan. He 91 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: had a huge record collection, and so it was, you know, 92 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: a natural progression. 93 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 2: I suppose I saw this quote of yours. I love 94 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 2: the lush orchestration in old fashioned melody writing. It just 95 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: gets you excited. That kind of music. It's very optimistic 96 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 2: and it's fun. The one thing that's missing for me 97 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 2: from popular music today is fun guys like being Frank 98 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 2: and Dean and meltor Maade. They sounded like they were 99 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 2: having a great time. 100 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, they weren't. And by the way, it's deceptive, 101 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: because I mean, it's like seeing a stand up comic 102 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 1: who just seems like they're having the time of their 103 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: life and it seems so easy for them. But the 104 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: fact is it's an illusion because that's the result of 105 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: thousands of hours of training and workshopping and it's the 106 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,799 Speaker 1: same thing for Frank and Dean and Sammy and those guys. 107 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: They made it look so easy, but it's because they 108 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: really were just that good. And yeah, I do miss that. 109 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: I do miss that sense of lightness coupled with undeniably 110 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: great musicality. I feel like music now is takes itself 111 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: a lot more seriously and perhaps has less of a 112 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: reason to do. 113 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 2: So that's an understatement. Tell me about the initial interest 114 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 2: in the Lost Arrangements, how the idea for Lush Life 115 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 2: first took shape. I know you previously had connected with 116 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 2: the Frank Sinatra Junior because he was on a few 117 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 2: episodes of Family Guy. 118 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: Yeah he was. I remember seeing him on The Sopranos 119 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: and thinking, gosh, maybe he'll do our show. And so 120 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: we reached out to him and he agreed to come 121 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: on and agreed to sing. And he was just a 122 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: he was just game for anything. He was a real 123 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: true participant in the process of making an episode, and 124 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: he was an encyclopedia of not just great vocalists, but orchestras. 125 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: I had never heard of the Solder Finnegan orchestra, and 126 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: Frank Junior turned me on to those guys. I mean, 127 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: he was just a walking encyclopedia of the most obscure 128 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: but undeniably great arrangers and composers from that era. And yeah, 129 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: we were very sad to lose him. He was he 130 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: was a great friend to the show. And you know, 131 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: I in many ways, I've become even closer with Tina Sinatra, 132 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: who is is just a truly wonderful person and just 133 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: a great hang. She's a magnificent steward of her father's 134 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: legacy and also someone that you just love having a 135 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: drink with. So she's she's been great, and she's been 136 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: such a great partner and supporter in this project and 137 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: in giving us access to all of these charts that 138 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: you know, I've just been a luxury to play. What 139 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: was your first. 140 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: Reaction when you knew you were being given you know 141 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:47,439 Speaker 2: this access to this you know, private group of arrangements, 142 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 2: this collection. 143 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: It was I mean, anyone who loves music would salivate 144 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: over something like this. The biggest question for us was 145 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: what's in there? What? What's what's in these boxes? There 146 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: were a few unplayed gems that we had been alerted 147 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: to by Charlie Pinnon of Sinatra Enterprises, so we knew 148 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: that certain songs like Shadow of Your Smile, which actually 149 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: is not on this record, it'll be on the next one. 150 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: Flying down to Rio, that song in particular, he had 151 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: alerted us was somewhere in the files the song that 152 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: was cut from the Come Fly with Me album, So 153 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: that was really exciting. Really, the most thrilling part was 154 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: hiring an orchestra, going over the Fox lot, setting up 155 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: on the Newman stage and just playing what was in 156 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: these boxes and having no idea in many cases what 157 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: it was we were about to hear. You know, that 158 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: arrangement Woul Give Me the Simple Life, which is the 159 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: first song on the record, was one of the first 160 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: songs that we played, and you know, Joel McNeely raised 161 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: his baton and the orchestra started playing, and instantly you 162 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: know it's Nelson Riddle. Instantly you know it's you. This 163 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: is this is going to be great, and it gives 164 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: you chills because you're you're hearing something that was written, 165 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: I mean, what seventy five years ago and you were 166 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: in that moment hearing it played for the first time 167 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: by one of the greats. 168 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 2: I got chills when I first that, you know, as 169 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: the lead track when I heard that one, but all 170 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 2: of them, I mean, that one just is I can't 171 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 2: get it out of my head. I mean, and I 172 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 2: challenge somebody, if you're in a damn bad mood and 173 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 2: you put on the whole collection, but start right there. 174 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 2: You're not going to be in a bad mood. You're 175 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 2: going to be in a great mood. You're going to be, 176 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 2: you know, just walking with some pep in your step. 177 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: It was very selfless music. It was very That's probably 178 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: the big difference that I encounter, even even in just 179 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: watching these guys perform, like I you watch Sinatra perform live, 180 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: you watch, you know, somebody like Nancy Wilson, who was 181 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: was a phenomenal jazz vocalist. You watch Crosby or or 182 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: Rosemary Clooney or or you know, any of these, any 183 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: of these vocalists performed. They're they're performing for the audience. 184 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:16,680 Speaker 1: There's a very there's a very selfless dynamic too to 185 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: what it is that they're offering up that I don't 186 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: see as much of now. Oftentimes when I when I 187 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: see a live performance, I get the sense that the 188 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: performer is performing for the performer, But there's a little 189 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: bit of kind of musical masturbation going on. That's that's 190 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: that where if the audience were there or not, this 191 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,319 Speaker 1: person would still be loving themselves and I and I 192 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 1: think that's that's a fundamental stylistic difference that has evolved 193 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: and changed over the years. Uh, when it comes to 194 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 1: the art of certainly of of live singing and in 195 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: some cases recording. 196 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 2: I couldn't help but thinking about this and listening to 197 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 2: the collection, you know, Frank and the rest of the 198 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 2: the rat Pack, they had this this unmistakable knack and 199 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 2: art for for breaking balls and you know, it was 200 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 2: an art form, the Don Rickles factor alone, the Dean 201 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 2: Martin factor. Jackie Gleeson, did you channel any of that 202 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 2: vibe when you were in the middle of this work 203 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 2: and are there any favorite Frank moments that you think 204 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 2: of that exemplified his master class and breaking balls? 205 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a you know, it's a good question. 206 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: I was kind of on my own here. It's not 207 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: like I was part of a group I was. I was. 208 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: I mean, I have these magnificent musicians who had each 209 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: one has so much of a history that that is 210 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: unique to them specifically. But uh, it's it's a that's 211 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: a tough one when certainly when I recorded my Christmas 212 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: album with Liz Gillies, it was much more that feel, 213 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: because we're two people who are essentially the same person 214 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: in two different bodies. Yeah, I mean one of my 215 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: favorite stories is you bring up Don Rickles. Is that story? 216 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 1: I'm sure, I'm sure this is the game of telephone 217 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: at work where I'm not going to tell it exactly right, 218 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 1: but it's something to the effect of Don Rickles was 219 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: was out with a woman. He went up to Frank 220 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: Sinatra before and he said, listen, I'm gonna be having 221 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: dinner with this lovely woman to night. You know, would 222 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: you come over and say hi? And just so you know, 223 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: because I feel like if she sees that I know you, 224 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: it's going to make me look really cool, and you know, 225 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: I might have a good night. And so during the 226 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: middle of dinner, Frank walks over and says, Don, Hi, 227 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: how are you? And Don goes, Frank, please, I'm in 228 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 1: the middle of dinner. I can't remember exactly where that 229 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: was or who tells that story, but it's I'm probably 230 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: butchering it, but that's like, that's a great that's probably 231 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: more Rickles breaking balls than Sinatra, but it's balls were broken. 232 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 2: Yes, But you had a lot of work to do, 233 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 2: so there was no time for this. You had to 234 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 2: go about selecting which over the eighteen hundred arrangements in 235 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 2: the archive would be brought to life, so there was 236 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 2: no time for much tomfoolery there. How did you ultimately 237 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 2: decide on what made it? On at least this first collection, 238 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 2: it was really just gut instinct. 239 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: There are only two or three songs that we trimmed, 240 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: just because we had a limit for the LP that 241 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: we were given by the label. But you know, there 242 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: were songs that were very obviously not even in question, 243 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: songs like how did She Look? Or give Me the 244 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:45,119 Speaker 1: Simple Life? Or Who's in Your Arms Tonight? Or even Shadows, 245 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, songs that were just obviously of course flying 246 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: down to rio, songs that were just no brainers. This 247 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: has to be on the album. So it's you want 248 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: a mix of tonality, you want some ballads, you want 249 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: some up tempo tunes. Neely is very good at seeing 250 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: an album and obviously he's a truly great film composer, 251 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: but also a really fantastic producer. He's really great at 252 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: zooming out and seeing an album in its entirety. He's 253 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: always the one that decides the order of the songs 254 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: on the album when we when we released them, because 255 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: he just kind of has the ability to let it 256 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: marinate in his brand, and he always always seems to 257 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: be right. It's just kind of gut instinct, you know. 258 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: To cut a song like Shadow of Your Smile, a 259 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: Nielsen Riddle arrangement of a Johnny Mandel song from an 260 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: album like this, it is certainly difficult, but you know, 261 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: we look at it this way. Look, it can be 262 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: the censor piece in the next record. 263 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 2: I love that now. How important was it for you 264 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 2: to record the album live with the musicians from both 265 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 2: you know, La and London versus any digital or overdubbed methods. 266 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: Impossible to do it any other way with this kind 267 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: of music, Impossible to do any other way. Mainly certainly 268 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: for the up tempost stuff, without question, for the ballads. 269 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: You cannot record a roboto ballad like how did She Look? 270 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: Or even something like Hurry Home or when Joanna Loved Me. 271 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: You can't record those songs in isolation. You have to 272 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: be in the room with the orchestra. The orchestra has 273 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: to be looking at the conductor. The conductor has to 274 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: be looking at the singer. The singer has to be 275 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: looking back at the conductor. It's like trying to shoot 276 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: a movie and shooting your two actors individually in two 277 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: different cities. You will not get a performance. You'll get 278 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: two people delivering lines who have no idea what the 279 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: other person is doing, and a complete inability to make adjustments. 280 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: It's exactly the same. So it was the only way 281 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: to do it. It's how they did it back then, 282 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: and that's how we did it today. 283 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 2: How did you balance sort of honoring you know, Frank's 284 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: classic sound, but putting your twists and your team's twist 285 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 2: on it. 286 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: It's why I'm glad I did this album today and not, 287 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: you know, ten years ago or fifteen years ago when 288 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: I started recording these records, because I've reached a point 289 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 1: where my style is my style. I sound how I sound, 290 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: I interpret lyrics the way I interpret them, and I've 291 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: settled into something that feels comfortable for me. This one, 292 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: there was a little bit of at times putting some 293 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: of that aside, because you are really trying to honor 294 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: the intention of the arranger more than anything else. I mean, 295 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:38,160 Speaker 1: certainly something like Lush Life itself. That was the only 296 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: recording where we had any kind of a guideline. There 297 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: was that half recording of Lush Life from nineteen fifty 298 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:51,680 Speaker 1: eight that Sinatra abandoned, and so certainly his vocal choices 299 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: for the first half of that song. I tried to 300 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: stay pretty faithful too. I didn't. I couldn't think of 301 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: any single reason that I was gonna icond guess what 302 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 1: it was that he was going after, because you know, 303 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: I mean, he was his instincts were that he was 304 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:08,919 Speaker 1: just never wrong. That was sort of a paint by 305 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 1: number part of the record. But once that recording dies off, 306 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: you run out of train tracks and you're kind of 307 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: on your own in the wilderness. The arrangement itself, you know, 308 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: kind of guides you. It's you know, you take something 309 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: like flying down to Rio or any Billy may chart 310 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: where it's you know, he always has those scoopy saxophones. 311 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: It gives you a hint as to what the tempo 312 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: of the song wants to be, and in many cases 313 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: I did choose a tempo that that I felt like 314 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 1: was the most comfortable for me vocally, But I think 315 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: in most cases it's a pretty good guess that that's 316 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 1: where they would have landed back then. As well. 317 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 2: You bring the project to the stage at venues like 318 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 2: the Walt Disney Concert Hall at the Venetian. What can 319 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 2: folks expect when they go to these great, lush life experiences. 320 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: Well, you know, it's well, we'll do some songs from 321 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: the album, but I think it's also a celebration of 322 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: great orchestration period. You know, we'll do some songs from 323 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: the record, but also some classic charts that that people know, 324 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 1: that that you just you just want to hear live. 325 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:25,919 Speaker 1: And that orchestra is I just saw them last night 326 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: actually at Bollywood bull like that. That's that's a world 327 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: class orchestra and I'm very excited to be playing with them. 328 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 2: Are there any other lost projects by Well, you mentioned 329 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: there's going to be a follow up, so there obviously 330 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 2: are by by Frank or any other artists you would 331 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 2: dream of exploring. 332 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: You know, I think at some point I would love 333 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: to record an album of actual stored all arrangements from 334 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: the Columbia years, because there are some stunning and lots 335 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: of them stunning arrange moments from that era. Which was 336 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: obviously the younger Sinatra's career when he was in his 337 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: twenties and maybe you know, early thirties there. You know, 338 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,400 Speaker 1: those charts only exist in old mono recordings that don't 339 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,479 Speaker 1: even you know, they don't have the richness of the 340 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: engineering breakthroughs of the nineteen fifties and early sixties. They're 341 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: very compressed, and it would be nice to hear those 342 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: arrangements in a larger scope. I used to travel to 343 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: London from time to time to record and do live 344 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: shows with the John Wilson Orchestra, which was at the 345 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: time they were specializing in reconstructions of these MGM charts 346 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: that have been lost, you know, from things like Singing 347 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: in the Rain or Brigadoon or with the Wizard of Oz. 348 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: These were orchestrations that were they were gone. You know, 349 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: Hollywood assume that this was always going to be something 350 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,120 Speaker 1: that was going to be part of our culture, and 351 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: I think a lot of these charts were destroyed. The 352 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: building where they were all kept was bulldozed to make 353 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 1: a parking lot, and so what John Wilson and his 354 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: team did was to reconstruct all of these charts from 355 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: existing conductor's fragments of conductor scores that remained in their 356 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: own ears, and they did it. And I remember landing 357 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: in London and going to the sound stage and they 358 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: were right in the middle of playing I think they 359 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: were playing Somewhere over the Rainbow from The Wizard of 360 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 1: Oz and I got chills because I've never heard this 361 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: in any other form than in the film, in its 362 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty nine mono form, and it was just astonishing 363 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,239 Speaker 1: to hear. And that's why I think the stort all 364 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: arrangements would be really interesting to record today, because I 365 00:21:55,280 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: think it's a whole library of music that that was 366 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 1: so beautifully played, but deserves to be played with a 367 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: bit more fidelity behind it. 368 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 2: Seth, it's thirty seven minutes of pure joy on Lush Life. 369 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: Is that right? 370 00:22:12,119 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 2: I think it's thirty seven minutes. 371 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I believe it sounds good to me. 372 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 2: I absolutely love it, and I know the audience loves 373 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,640 Speaker 2: it or those that haven't picked it up will love it. 374 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,359 Speaker 2: I'm so grateful, Seth MacFarland for you giving us this 375 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 2: music and giving us everything that you do. Thanks for 376 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 2: being on taking a. 377 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: Walk, Thanks for having me, Thanks for listening to this 378 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and 379 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,119 Speaker 1: other episodes with your friends and follow us so you 380 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on 381 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.