By Carlos Passage
Sinatra at the Sands was recorded live in the “Copa Room” of the former Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas during January and February 1966.
Sinatra was accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, with arrangements and musical direction by Quincy Jones.
It was Frank Sinatra’s first live album and originally contained 21 songs.
The new box set now brings together 82 tracks across five CDs, also including monologues and humorous moments featuring Frank Sinatra himself during the concerts.
In his spontaneous exchanges with the audience, Sinatra jokes about various topics—from Dean Martin’s fondness for drinking and late-night parties at his Beverly Hills residence, to his own thin physique. In one such moment, he recalls: “I was so thin that my eyes were lined up one behind the other; between that and my belly button, my old man thought I was a clarinet.”
Although Sinatra was 50 years old in 1966, he used these improvisations to poke fun at his age and at those who brought it up. “A dirty communist lie, straight from Hanoi,” he would say regarding the claim, before asserting—amidst laughter—that he was actually only 28 years old.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS
Sinatra, Basie, and Quincy
“Come Fly With Me”
“Fly Me to the Moon”
“You Make Me Feel So Young”
“The Shadow of Your Smile”
MONOLOGUE
ABOUT THE SANDS
The Sands Hotel and Casino was one of the most famous hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Opened: 1952.
Location: The Las Vegas Strip.
Fame: It was a hub for entertainment, gambling, and nightlife in Las Vegas.
Performers: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and other members of the renowned Rat Pack performed there.
Closure and demolition: 1996.
The site was later incorporated into the development of the new Venetian.
Carlos Passage