by Tom Smith
SO where was I? The Last Saloon Singer - Sinatra's own preferred nomenclature. The Chairman of the Board and Ol' Blue Eyes were foistered on him, he liked Jack Daniel's Original Test Pilot (as friends sometimes christened him) but he knew what he was - a Saloon Singer; in later life he declared himself The Last Saloon Singer.
I believed him and wanted to reiterate his point of view. Saloons were his natural habitat and he most excelled at performing what he called Drunk Songs - late night tales of loss and hard luck. Never mind how rich, successful, powerful and famous he was in actuality, when he placed himself on a barstool with a tumbler and cigarette and asked listeners to assume the position of a bartender everybody believed the story he told - not least of all Sinatra himself.
Alcohol played an undeniably significant part in his life. Quick story: sometime in the 60's he suffered briefly from erectile dysfunction, his doctor told him his alcohol consumption might be a factor. His reply: Hey, if I gotta choose between gettin' my bird up and drinkin' - fuck it, I'm drinking. The music always came first, but booze was a close second; ahead of his love life.
Gasoline (aka his friend Jackie D) lubricated social situations and was a salve for inevitable heartaches. It was part and parcel of his lifestyle, but it was also an integral part of his art. Impossible (and pointless) to try and ignore the taking of drink as a major factor in his greatest recordings whether it's the swagger and intoxication of a swinging Sinatra, or the quiet desperation of the lone figure in a downtown late night bar.
So - I gathered the recipes, the evidence and put together a defence of his title. I tried agents, lots of literary agents. If there isn't a collective noun for literary agents might I suggest an evasion. Most were at least polite. A few were complimentary. One was even helpful and personally enthusiastic (Hi Luigi). However - even those who liked the idea were reluctant to take it on because they were unconvinced that it was commercial. We don't think we can sell this. I know I'm biased but surely there are people out there, book buyers, who like Sinatra? Aren't cocktails enjoying yet another renaissance? Look, that's two potential markets.
The responses reminded me of an old music industry joke:
Question - How many A&R men does does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer - Mmmm, I don't know; what do you think?
Meantime I'm noticing books like Tequila Mockingbird and The Trip To Echo Spring on tables and charts in shops, London Cocktail week is in the news and (I had to point this out) next year will be the centenary of Sinatra's birth - do you suppose there might be some books on him coming out then?
Head. Brick wall. So I decide to self publish. Create Space - there is now a version out there. If you buy it or have bought it God Love You and thanks. Sorry for the occasional typo, but it's still value for money. I think. I still think this book needs to be taken up by a publisher and I will keep trying. So if anybody out there wants to comment, share recipes, please go ahead; though personally I'm new to blogging and still don't know quite how this works. The first thing I want to ask for help with is the title. I love DRINK UP AND BE SOMEBODY but the nicest agent made a suggestion. He thought that using one of Sinatra's toasts as a title might be a little bit obscure. Thinking about it I sort of eventually thought he probably had a point. His suggestion was ONE FOR MY BABY (you know where it comes from). So WHAT SHOULD THE DEFNITIVE TITLE BE FOR A SINATRA COCKTAIL BOOK?
DRINK UP AND BE SOMEBODY
or
ONE FOR MY BABY
Thoughts, suggestions, preferences please.
