Bill Courtney

Super Sex Symbols Nancy Sinatra and Tom Jones: True Pop and Cultural Icons

Tuesday, 10. July 2007, 07:03:16

Trailers and Clips, Music Recommendation

No need to tell you who buxom Nancy's daddy was I hope? She grew up around stars like Elvis and the Rat Pack and all sorts of stellar talent and was signed in the early 60’s to Ol’ Blue Eye’s Reprise label. Success eluded her in the states but she gained a popularity in Europe and Japan that is still strong. She struggled for a hit in the USA and Reprise was about to drop her when things began to change for her after she met songwriter, arranger and producer Lee Hazelwood. Svengali and business whiz, Hazelwood redid not only her image into a chic mid-60’sLondon look but even convinced her to change her singing style and in 1965 she hit the American charts with the sexy and catchy These Boots are Made for Walking (a line from a western with her dad and Dean Martin). She went on to have a string of hits all arranged and led by Billy Strange. Another really big hit from this period is the duet with Hazelwood called Some Velvet Morning and it is a truly unique and slightly psychedelic little pop song. It sounds more like something from the Pink Floyd period with Syd Barrett than a top-40's radio hit from Frank Sinatra's little girl.

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING

She went to do the really good Bond theme for You Only Live Twice and it is one of the better Bond scores in my humble opinion, but I have hardly seen any of the Bond movies since Live and Let Die. She did some acting during the late 60s and starred along side her pal Elvis in Speedway. She was only singer to have a song appear on an Elvis album while the King was still alive. She would go onto to typify the look and sound of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Her career continued on and she still tours and performs, and when she was 54 she posed for Playboy and looked pretty good in a still innocent sort of way. She was sexy but in a safe and sweet way. The picture I included of her gazing at her own reflection in her underwear would be utterly different if it were Madonna.

A good fan site based out of the UK is: http://www.movinwithnancy.fsnet.co.uk/contents.htm

Born Thomas Jones Woodward, who later under advise from manager Gordon Mills changed his name to Tom Jones, was born in Wales and had a rough time getting his raunchy, sexy voice heard over the British airwaves in his early career. I remember watching the This Is Tom Jones TV show when I was a wee lad with my mom and he had all these strange stars from the time like Joel Gray and Petula Clark on there. He always opened with his break though hot song It’s Not Unusual and the gals in the audience just went nuts. In the late 60’s he recorded less and performed more and his shows in Las Vegas were famous for having hotel keys and panties thrown up on the stage. He made friends with Elvis while there and the friendship lasted until the King’s death.

WHAT'S NEW PUSSY CAT?

Like Nancy Sinatra he also did a great Bond score for Thunderball. It is my 2nd favotite Bond score after You Only Live Twice. There is no doubt that Jone’s act was head of its time in the sexual tension department, but he retained some style and class in his tuxedo’s and short curly hair style. I recall reading about his studio and TV show guitarist Jim Sullivan. Seems there were two Jims in the mid-sixties doing all the studio work in London really, Big Jim Sullivan and another chap nick named Little Jim to distinguish the two. Little Jimmy Page would give up the safe world of the studio and join The Yardbirds and later form Led Zeppelin. Page was supposed to have sat in some Tom Jones sessions and maybe did some tracks for Its Not Unusual but I am not sure how accurate this is.