Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940, in
Jersey City,
New Jersey) is an
American singer and
actress. She is the daughter of the legendary singer
Frank Sinatra and his first wife,
Nancy Barbato.
For her fourth birthday,
Phil Silvers and
Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the song "
Nancy (With the Laughing Face)," which her father recorded.
She began her career as a singer and actress in the early
1960s, initially with little success. In 1960, she married "
teen idol"
Tommy Sands but divorced him in 1965.
Her career peaked in the late 1960s with a string of
pop music hits. Her best-known hit, "
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" â€" which popularized and made her synonymous with
Go-go boots â€" was written by
Lee Hazlewood and included session drummer
Hal Blaine and guitarist
Billy Strange on the recording â€" as did most of her other hits. "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and the
music video featuring shapely, young women in tight sweaters, go-go boots and
mini-skirts is considered a classic example of high
camp. She currently is under the label
Attack Records.
Sinatra was signed to her father's label,
Reprise Records in 1961. Without a hit in the U.S. by 1965, she was on the verge of being dropped.
Lee Hazlewood, whose career up until that point consisted mostly of penning material and producing for
Duane Eddy became Sinatra's Svengali. He had her sing in a lower key and crafted some irresistible
pop songs for her. Along with a complete image overhaul - including dyed-blonde hair, frosted lips, heavy eye makeup, and
Carnaby Street fashions, Sinatra finally made an indeliable mark on the music scene in 1966 with "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." The song has been covered by many artists such as
Geri Halliwell,
Megadeth,
Jessica Simpson,
Lil' Kim,
Little Birdy,
Billy Ray Cyrus, and
KMFDM.
In 1966, Sinatra was nominated for three
Grammy awards for "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." Her album,
Sugar, released in late 1966, was banned in Boston due to its cover image of Sinatra in a bikini. The next year, she recorded the theme song for the
James Bond film
You Only Live Twice, which is often considered one of the better Bond themes. In the liner notes of the CD reissue of Sinatra's 1966 album
Nancy In London, Sinatra said she was "scared to death" of recording the song, and asked the songwriters: "Are you sure you don't want
Shirley Bassey?" There are two versions of the Bond theme. The first is the version featured at the beginning and end credits of the film. The second was a re-recorded version that was released as a single on Reprise in 1967. The flip side, "
Jackson," a duet with
Lee Hazlewood, fared better on the charts.
In 1966 and 1967, Sinatra traveled to
Vietnam to perform for the troops. Many U.S. soldiers at the time adopted her signature song, "
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" as their anthem. Sinatra recorded several anti-war songs in her career, including "
My Buddy," featured on her album
Sugar, "
Home," co-written by
Mac Davis, and "
It's Such A Lonely Time of Year," which was featured on
The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas album in 1968. Today, Sinatra still performs for charitable causes supporting U.S. soldiers who fought in
Vietnam, including
Rolling Thunder.
Sinatra remained with Reprise until 1970. Some of her early Reprise singles (pre-1965, a.k.a. "Before 'Boots'") are available on
iTunes, under the album titles
Bubblegum Girl, Vol. 1 and
Bubblegum Girl, Vol. 2. In 1971, she signed with
RCA and released three albums:
Nancy & Lee Again (1971),
Woman" (1972), and a compilation of some of her Reprise recordings under the title
This Is Nancy Sinatra (1973). A non-LP single, "Sugar Me" b/w "Ain't No Sunshine" was released in 1973. By 1975, she was releasing singles on
Private Stock, which are the most sought-after by collectors. Among those released were: "Kinky Love," "Annabell of Mobile," "It's for My Dad," and "Indian Summer" (with Lee Hazlewood).
Nancy also co-starred in a number of films, including
Roger Corman's
The Wild Angels with
Peter Fonda and
Bruce Dern, and
Speedway with
Elvis Presley. She was the only singer ever to have a solo song appear on an Elvis album or soundtrack while he was still alive. Since his death, several
Ann-Margret songs have appeared on Elvis albums, but Sinatra was the first.
She also made guest appearances on
The Ed Sullivan Show,
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,
Laugh-In, among others, and starred in a number of
television specials. These include the
Emmy-nominated 1966 special
Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music, Part II, and most notable, the 1967
Emmy Award-winning special
Movin' with Nancy, in which she appeared with her father and his
Rat Pack pals
Dean Martin and
Sammy Davis, Jr. In the 1970s, she slowed down her musical activity and ceased acting in order to concentrate on being a wife and mother. She returned to the studio in 1981 to record a country album with
Mel Tillis called,
Mel & Nancy. Two of their songs made the
Billboard Country Singles Chart: "Texas Cowboy Night" (#23) and "Play Me or Trade Me" (#43).
At the age of 54, she posed for
Playboy in their May 1995 issue and made guest appearances on TV shows to promote her new album
One More Time. The
Playboy appearance caused a great deal of controversy and some complaints from her family. Her father Frank reportedly became furious when someone told him that he had, "seen your daughter's
pussy."
She has written two biographies about her father,
Frank Sinatra: My Father and
Frank Sinatra, An American Legend.
In
2004, one of her songs, a cover of the
Sonny Bono-penned hit, "
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" was used in the
Quentin Tarantino film
Kill Bill: Vol. One. In 2005, the same song was sampled separately by the
Audio Bullys and
Radio Slave into dance tracks (renamed into "Shot You Down" and "Bang Bang", respectively) and by a song entitled "Bang Bang" by hip-hop artist
Young Buck. Taking her father's advice when she began her recording career ("Own your own masters"), she owns or holds an interest in most of her material, including videos.
In 2004, she collaborated with
Morrissey, (her former neighbor) recording a version of his top-ten hit, "Let Me Kiss You," which was featured on her critically acclaimed
eponymous album released in the fall of that year. Two years later,
The Essential Nancy Sinatra was releasd; a
U.K.-only best-of collection featuring the previously unreleased track, "
Machine Gun Kelly." The compilation was hand-picked by Sinatra and spans her 40-year career. The record was Sinatra's first to make the U.K. album charts (#73) in 30 years. She also recorded the song "Another Gay Sunshine Day" for
Another Gay Movie.
Nancy Sinatra received her own star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 11, 2006, which was also declared "Nancy Sinatra Day" in Hollywood by Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant.
Family
Married To:
Tommy Sands, 1960-1965 (divorced)
Hugh Lambert, 1970-1985 (his death)
Children:Angela Jennifer Lambert. Amanda Lambert.
Sinatra's Reprise singles - 1961-1965
*"Cuff Links and a Tie Clip"/"Not Just Your Friend"
*"To Know Him Is to Love Him"/"Like I Do"
*"June, July, and August"/"Think of Me"
*"You Can Have Any Boy"/"Tonight You Belong to Me"
*"I See the Moon"/"Put Your Head on My Shoulder"
*"The Cruel War"/"One Way" (Note: "One Way" is the only song ever committed to vinyl that Sinatra wrote and performed)
*"Thanks to You"/"Tammy"
*"Where Do the Lonely Go?"/"Just Think About the Good Times"
*"This Love of Mine"/"There Goes the Bride"
*"True Love"/"The Answer to Everything"
Sinatra's Reprise singles - 1965-1970
21 singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Their chart position and year are noted.
*"So Long, Babe" (1965 - #86)/"If He'd Love Me"
*"
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (1966 - #1)/"The City Never Sleeps At Night"
*"How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?" (1966 - #7)/"The Last of the Secret Agents"
*"Friday's Child" (1966 - #36)/"Hutchinson Jail"
*"In Our Time" (1966 - #46)/"Leave My Dog Alone"
*"
Sugar Town" (1966 - #5)/"Summer Wine" with
Lee Hazlewood (1967 - #49)
*"Love Eyes" (1967 - #15)/"Coastin'"
*"Somethin' Stupid" with
Frank Sinatra (1967 - #1)/(b-side by
Frank Sinatra on U.S. single, b-side on the UK. single was "Call Me" by Nancy)
*"You Only Live Twice" (1967 - #44; re-recorded version of the
James Bond film theme)/"Jackson" with
Lee Hazlewood (1967 - #14)
*"Lightning's Girl" (1967 - #24)/"Until It's Time for You to Go"
*"Lady Bird" with
Lee Hazlewood (1967 - #20)/"Sand" with
Lee Hazlewood*"Tony Rome" (1967 - #83)/"This Town"
*"
Some Velvet Morning" with
Lee Hazlewood (1968 - #24)/"Oh, Lonesome Me" with
Lee Hazlewood*"100 Years" (1968 - #69)/"See the Little Children"
*"Happy" (1968 - #74)/"Nice 'N' Easy"
*"Good Time Girl" (1968 - #65)/"Old Devil Moon"
*"Whatever Happened to Christmas?"/"I Wouldn't Trade Christmas" (both songs sung by the Sinatra family)
*"God Knows I Love You" (1968 - #97)/"Just Bein' Plain Old Me"
*"Here We Go Again" (1969 - #98)/"Memories"
*"Drummer Man" (1969 - #98)/"Home"
*"It's Such a Lonely Time of Year"/"Kids"
*"I Love Them All (The Boys In the Band)"/"Home"
*"Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham"/"White Tattoo"
*"How Are Things In California" (1970 - #17, Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart)/"I'm Not a Girl Anymore"
*"Feelin' Kinda Sunday" with
Frank Sinatra (1970 - #30), Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart)/"Kids"
*"Hook & Ladder"/"Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?"
*"Life's a Trippy Thing" with
Frank Sinatra/b-side by
Frank Sinatra*"Did You Ever?" with
Lee Hazlewood/"Back On the Road" with
Lee Hazlewood*"Glory Road"/"Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?" (b-side was "Flowers In the Rain" in the U.K.)
RCA-Victor singles
*"Kind of a Woman"/"It's the Love (That Keeps It All Together)" (1972)
*"Big Red Balloon" with
Lee Hazlewood/"Down From Dover" with
Lee Hazlewood (U.K.-only single, 1972)
*"Sugar Me"/"Ain't No Sunshine" (1973)
Private Stock singles
*"Annabell of Mobile"/"She Played the Piano and He Beat the Drums" (1975)
*"Kinky Love"/"She Played the Piano and He Beat the Drums" (1976)
*"Indian Summer" with
Lee Hazlewood/"Dolly and Hawkeye" (1976)(
NOTE: There is a discrepancy that Sinatra did not actually record the b-side, "Dolly and Hawkeye." Sinatra, on her web site, claims she never recorded the song. However, the label does list Sinatra as the artist)
*"A Gentle Man Like You"/"It's For My Dad" (1977)
Elektra singles
*"Let's Keep It That Way"/"One Jump Ahead of the Storm" (1980)
*"Texas Cowboy Night" with
Mel Tillis/"After the Lovin'" with
Mel Tillis (1981)
*"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with
Mel Tillis/b-side by
Dave Rowland (1981)
*"Play Me or Trade Me" with
Mel Tillis/"Where Would I Be" with
Mel Tillis (1981)
Notes
10 of her songs cracked the U.K. Singles Chart:
*"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (1966 - #1)
*"How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?" (1966 - #19)
*"Sugar Town" (1967 - #8)
*"Somethin' Stupid" with Frank Sinatra (1967 - #1)
*"You Only Live Twice"/"Jackson" (b-side with Lee Hazlewood) (1967 - #11)
*"Lady Bird" with
Lee Hazlewood (1967 - #47)
*"Highway Song" (1969 - #21)
*"Did You Ever?" with Lee Hazlewood (1971 - #2)
*"Let Me Kiss You" (2004 - #46)
*"Shot You Down" Audio Bullys featuring Nancy Sinatra (2005 - #3, pop; #1, dance)
U.S. albums
Boots (1966, Reprise)
How Does That Grab You? (1966, Reprise)
Nancy in London (1966, Reprise)
Sugar (1966, Reprise)
Country, My Way (1967, Reprise)
Nancy & Lee (1968, Reprise)
Speedway (1968, RCA;
NOTE: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the film starring Sinatra and
Elvis Presley. Sinatra solo "Your Groovy Self" is featured on the album)
Movin' with Nancy (1968, Reprise)
The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas (1968, Reprise)
Nancy (1969, Reprise)
Nancy's Greatest Hits (With a Little Help from Her Friends) (1970, Reprise)
Nancy and Lee - Again (1971, RCA)
Woman (1972, RCA)
This Is Nancy Sinatra (1973, RCA)
Mel & Nancy (1981, Elektra)
Boots: Nancy Sinatra's All-Time Hits (1986, Rhino)
The Hit Years (1986, Rhino)
Fairytales & Fantasies: The Best of Nancy & Lee (1989, Rhino)
One More Time (1995, Cougar)
Sheet Music: A Collection of Her Favorite Love Songs (1998, DCC Compact Classics)
How Does It Feel? (1998, DCC Compact Classics)
For My Dad (1998, DCC Compact Classics;
NOTE: Three-song EP. One Nancy solo, two Frank/Nancy duets)
You Go-Go Girl! (1999, Varese Sarabande)
California Girl (2002, Buena Vista Records)
Nancy Sinatra (2004, Attack)
Bubblegum Girl, Vol. 1 (2005, Boots Enterprises)
Bubblegum Girl, Vol. 2 (2005, Boots Enterprises)
Notable foreign albums
Lightning's Girl (Australia - 1986, Raven; Reissued 2002)
Like I Do (Denmark - 1990, Teenage Records)
Tonight You Belong to Me (Japan - 1994, label unknown)
Nancy & Lee 3 (Australia - 2004, Warner Music)
The Very Best of Nancy Sinatra (Australia - 2005, Warner)
The Essential Nancy Sinatra (U.K. - 2006, EMI/Liberty)
*
Nancy Sinatra official website*
Sinatra family official website
