Frank Sinatra hated Rock & Roll music

[IrishEyes]

I listened intently to a podcast on how much Sinatra hated Rock & Roll,
until he finally listened to a Neil Diamond song.
Here is the podcast on what Sinatra had to say about both.

After that the 2 versions of of the song that caught his superior ego and
Sinatra saw the light. He agreed to record a Rock & Roll Song.

Personally, I think Sinatra mucked it up

Frank Sinatra Called Rock Music 'Garbage' — Until He Heard Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline​

Sinatra's version

 

[Dr.Colosso]

I once heard that he hated that song. I did it my way.

 

[IrishEyes]

I once heard that he hated that song. I did it my way.

It sounds like he let his talent , experience, popularity over inflate his ego when he became challenged by Rock & Roll
and he had to give in or fade away to me.

 

[MACKTEXAS]

He was a part of another era, and an egotist. He had a tremendous following at one time, but I didn't like that style of music. He only did one song that I sort of liked (posted below) and it's not his singing I like, but the words.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I wouldn’t classify sweet Caroline as rock ‘n roll. It’s mainly a pop ballad.

 

[Imogene]

He was a part of another era, and an egotist. He had a tremendous following at one time, but I didn't like that style of music. He only did one song that I sort of liked (posted below) and it's not his singing I like, but the words.

Paul Anka wrote “My Way” for Frank Snotrag, as mom would call him. She didn’t like him but did like some of his music.

She favored Dean Martin, not only for his great singing voice, but also because he was originally from Steubenville, Ohio, which was a pretty rough steel town back in those days.

 

[Nathan]

Back then some viewed Rock & Roll in the same manner as Rap is viewed by certain people in today's world.

My grandmother used to disparagingly refer to Rock & Roll as "hillbilly music", which I thought was ironic as she lived near the hills of North Carolina.

 

[bobcat]

I suppose pretty much everyone has their likes and dislikes.
If he didn't like Rock n' Roll, I'm sure he would've hated Punk Rock and head-banger "music".
(Not my cup of tea either).

 

[Marv Malone]

It shows that Sinatra was not the cool dude he thought he was. Rock fans thought he was very uncool and simply old fashioned. I don't consider Neil Diamond as rock and can't stand him. Yet Sinatra was loved by fans and friends.

 

[JBR]

I consider very little of Neil Diamond's music to be rock'n'roll. But anyway, personal tastes among musicians can be fascinating sometimes.

In the late 1960s, many rock guitarists acknowledged B.B. King's modern blues style guitar playing as something to be revered, and an important influence on their own playing. That influence has continued to some extent. B.B.'s distinguished singing style was definitely solidly within the blues realm. I once read an interview with him (probably mid to late '70s) in which he said that what he liked to listen to at home was Frank Sinatra's recordings!

It's quite possible that B.B.'s enthusiasms regarding music varied over time, as with many of us.

 

[IrishEyes]

In the video of the podcast the narrator said Sinatra kept doing take after take of his recording
of Sweet Caroline, that he wanted to get the right result that the song deserved. I had not heard
his version of it until after.
After hearing what he finally said was perfect I had to wonder what the other
5 or 6 takes sounded like until he got to that one. Because personally, he took it off in a direction that did
not compliment the song at all. I felt Sinatra did the song total injustice to the reason Diamond wrote it.

I have to emotionally take it as: say I wrote an endearing song about my Mom and along comes this other person
to record it. Changes the tempo and instrumentation to give it a strippers sounding theme giving the song a
whole new meaning really, wouldn't it? I am not saying Sinatra's version sounds like a strip song but it sure takes
away the message it was first written for.

I am a lover of looking up why/who/what inspired songs if the wording interests me. One of the most loved songs about
peace/love/brotherhood is really NOT what the song appears to be celebrating. I won't mention the name of it because
so many still count it as one of the greats of all time and I will definitely get backlash over it. It is not a Neil Diamond song
in case you are wondering.

 

[IrishEyes]

I don't consider very little of Neil Diamond's music to be rock'n'roll. But anyway, personal tastes among musicians can be fascinating sometimes.

In the late 1960s, many rock guitarists acknowledged B.B. King's modern blues style guitar playing as something to be revered, and an important influence on their own playing. That influence has continued to some extent. B.B.'s distinguished singing style was definitely solidly within the blues realm. I once read an interview with him (probably mid to late '70s) in which he said that what he liked to listen to at home was Frank Sinatra's recordings!

It's quite possible that B.B.'s enthusiasms regarding music varied over time, as with many of us.

I think during that era we didn't have as many offshoots of categories for music that we have now. Diamond, wasn't country, wasn't big band,
wasn't really rock & Roll so he had to be placed somewhere. I think now he is considered Soft Rock, which they didn't use that term back then.

I listen to all sorts of music and have my preferences, each genre has something that grabs my ear to appreciate. So I get you on that.
My moods set my ears to what I listen to as needed. I guess B.B. King sometimes just liked to just listen and appreciate other sounds too.

 

[JustDave]

Sinatra was a very good singer and had a wonderful voice, but I was seldom caught up in this older generation style. Neil Diamond was pretty much the same. He was also a good singer. But regardless of what either one says, I like the blues, and also hard drivin' rock and roll. Occasionally, some song outside of the genre is just good enough to get my full attention, no matter how it's labeled.

 

[Paladin1950]

Of course Sinatra hated rock and roll. The younger generation no longer cared about his music. They grew up and had kids that listened to rock and roll.

 

[OldFeller]

What I like about Frank Sinatra is that his songs which never really appealed to me when I was young, are very entertaining now that I'm my parents age.

The album Classic Sinatra: His Great Performances 1953-1960 is one of my favorite albums.

Primarily because the orchestra behind him is spectacular and he on many occasions credited that orchestra for his success.



Track listing:
"I've Got the World on a String" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) - 2:10
"I Get a Kick Out of You" (Cole Porter) - 2:54
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 1:58
"My Funny Valentine" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 2:31
"Young at Heart" (Carolyn Leigh, Johnny Richards) - 2:51
"Someone to Watch Over Me" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) - 2:56
"In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" (David Mann, Bob Hilliard) - 3:01
"I've Got You Under My Skin" (Porter) - 3:43
"You Make Me Feel So Young" (Josef Myrow, Mack Gordon) - 2:56
"It Happened in Monterey" (Mabel Wayne, Billy Rose) - 2:36
"Oh! Look at Me Now" (Joe Bushkin, John DeVries) - 2:49
"Night and Day" (Porter) - 4:00
"Witchcraft" (Cy Coleman, Leigh) - 2:53
"The Lady Is a Tramp" (Rodgers, Hart) - 3:16
"All the Way" (Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 2:53
"Come Fly with Me" (Cahn, Van Heusen) - 3:18
"Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day)" (Paul Mann, Stephen Weiss, Ruth Lowe) - 3:13
"One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" (Arlen, Johnny Mercer) - 4:26
"Come Dance with Me" (Cahn, Van Heusen) - 2:31
"Nice 'N' Easy" (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Lew Spence) - 2:44

 

[debodun]

President John F. Kennedy snubbed Frank Sinatra in 1962, ending their close friendship. Sinatra helped JFK's campaign and had invited Kennedy to stay at his Palm Springs resort, but Kennedy was concerned because of Sinatra's alleged mob ties and wanted to distance himself from that connection. The snub culminated in JFK staying with rival Bing Crosby instead of Sinatra, enraging Sinatra, who had built a special helipad for the visit. Sinatra later smashed it with a sledgehammer.

 

[smiley]

He seemed to mix entertainment with politics and crime - not a good mix imo ???

 

[IrishEyes]

President John F. Kennedy snubbed Frank Sinatra in 1962, ending their close friendship. Sinatra helped JFK's campaign and had invited Kennedy to stay at his Palm Springs resort, but Kennedy was concerned because of Sinatra's alleged mob ties and wanted to distance himself from that connection. The snub culminated in JFK staying with rival Bing Crosby instead of Sinatra, enraging Sinatra, who had built a special helipad for the visit. Sinatra later smashed it with a sledgehammer.

Interesting, I wonder if that had cause in why he chose Sweet Caroline to record in such a way.

 

[outlander]

I was never a Frank Sinatra fan, perhaps I was too young to appreciate that genre of music.

If one can believe anything researched online nowadays, despite his immense popularity he was a real @sshole in person.