My Mother's Records

As I've noted before, I grew up in a Sinatra-loving household, both my parents worshipped the ground he walked on and to this day I can't see a Capitol Records label or one of those Reprise Records labels with Sinatra's photo on it without picturing it on the turntable of our old mono Bush record player.

My mother's favourite Frank Sinatra record has always been the slinky "Witchcraft" while I'm of the rather cliched and uninteresting opinion that "I've Got You Under My Skin" is his the best thing he ever did. But just because it's the conventional view doesn't mean it's wrong, I think it's one of the greatest recordings of 20th century popular music.

So you'd think I wouldn't be inclined to like The Four Seasons smooth, easy listening version of the song from 1966 but it's a record that my mother played to death when I was a kid which gives me a certain rose-tinted view of it and how do you separate pop records from your memories of them? Impossible I think (there's a post idea right there). It lacks the passion and hunger of Sinatra's version and takes a rather more dreamy approach but I still think it's very pretty with a sweet arrangement full of strings and bells, and I love the big drum break after the pause at the end.

Download: I've Got You Under My Skin - The Four Seasons (mp3)