The Man from UNCLE,
Lee Hazlewood and the Muppets . . . NANCY SINATRA proves she’s more that just daddy’s little girl. Words: Rodger Evans
orget ()eeun '3‘ II. In the late o()s
the Sinatras really did clean ottt
Vegas. htit of course they did it
their way. A showhi/ heist. Nancy.
Frank Jnr and Dad all tearing tip the place with shows on the same night.
But not content with turning over
the town once. Ms Sinatra came hack
for seconds. this time with a gang of
l‘urry accomplices. Nancy explains: "l‘he Muppets appeared in a liye-week review with me hel'ore anyone really knew who they were} Ah. the element of surprise. I like it. ‘lt was at the heginning ol‘ Sesame Street. and it was fii/m/oml We had
eight frogs on stage. So funny. The audience went crazy. Afterwards they gay'e me a piece Jim Henson designed and he said: “Nancy. this is for you. No one else will ever see this. It's called L'ggawuggahuggymugga.“‘
Now. in an hour-long conyersation with the charming Sinatra. a few names are dropped. l‘rank. lily'is. l)eano. Britney. Twiggy. ()rson. .lagger. Rohhie Williams. Nicole Kidman. Ronnie and Phil Spector. l’eter lionda. Roosey’elt. Darlene l.oye. Phil Silyers. .l lidgar llooyer. Burt Bacharach . . . it‘s a school register ol' the lttllltitls. the inlamotts and the lttttlotls. But neyer haye l heen so impressed as hy' a claim to he on lirst name terms with an l'ggawuggahuggy'mugga . . .
So. what 1.x a Nancy Sinatra'.’ .‘yitisieal partner l.ee lla/lewood posed that question on the hack ol‘ Nancy's Who Sugar alhtnn. 'I don't know that she is a what at all. She‘s a who. I think lirst and l'oreinost nowadays I‘m a mtun and then a musician. I don’t want to he rememheredjust l'or one song and heing l‘rank Sinatra's daughter.‘
She is so much more than that. l‘ilm star. singer of tough-hahe songs. (ills l‘ashion icon. Sl‘t 3m and 'snarky” too. She was (‘oco ('ool in The .llun from ('.V('l.li and lilyis‘ low interest in the NOS lilick’ S/u'erln'uy‘. :\nd l'irank' clearly loyed his eldest daughter. ln ‘Nancy (with the Smiling l‘ace)‘. he sang: “Keep Audrey llephurn and keep l.i/ 'I‘aylor/Nancy ‘s the leature. they 're just a trailer."
‘Now my hrother sings it and he
50 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE -~ ' .'
‘The Muppets appeared in a five week review with me before anyone even knew them’
uses: "Madonna and ('ameron l)ia//they don't hay e w hat she has‘. she laughs. ‘.'\ new twist.'
She is also a huge inlluence on many lemale artists including l)ehhie llarry‘. Kim (iordon. Kim l)eal. (‘ourtney hue and \ladonna. 'l‘hc latter has said: 'l wanted to put on my go-go hoots and
walk all oyer someone.~ ;\ source oi
pride'.’ 'ch indeed. l-‘ortunatcly l hayen't heard any negatiye l'eedhack lrom younger musicians so they’re either heing kind or they really like what I do.‘
Nancy credits lla/lewood with the \ision l'or successl'ully suhyerting her early (ilis huhhlegtun image. ‘l)elinitely. .\ly record company was going to drop me and Ice said: “let
me try one session and ill don’t get her into the charts. you can drop hoth ol‘
us." We did a song called 'So Long Baht“ and it was not a hig hil hut enough to get radio's attention. We had laid a path ha a good song and the choice ol~ ‘liools’ was critical.
.\re you ready. hoots‘.’
'l.ee was right. I was acting like an ostrich. I was only 35 years old hut already I had heen married and diyorccd. l was the kind ol' idiot who helieyed you didnt hay e se\ until you got married so I got married to haye se\. Which is insane..
l‘roin daddy's girl to lighting‘s (iirl~ in the time it took lla/Iew'ood to grow that trademark 'tache. .v\nd the good new s l‘or l'ans ol‘ Nancy and Lee. who last got together l‘or some gigs in 05. is they plan to enter the studio later this year with a tour to l'ollow. llurrahl
.\lltl so li‘olit 'liools' lo Bond. Nancy may haye heen Hie [.uyl o/‘I/ie Set rel .lge/Hy. hut was singing 'You ()1in l.iye lwicc‘ a highlight ol her career'.’ ‘Yeah. I was thrilled and scared. 'l’he song was dil‘licult l‘or me hecause it demanded a lot ol‘hreath and it was slightly out ol‘ my range. But .lolm Harry was e\tremely patient with me and may dear. When he saw I was shaking in lront oi the orchestra he asked il~ I wanted to record my \‘ocal separately. l said: "y es please.“
Did you want to he a Bond girl‘.’ 'I was sell'conscious ahout the way I was photographed. and they do manage to pick the great hcautics ol' the world lor those nioyies. I don‘t think I would haye litted that description. That was so many years ago though. I look at her as a dillerent person. Who is she."
('ue laughter.
Liquid Room, 0870 1690100, 12 Aug, 7.30pm, £9.