Rat Pack

11-7-08 Great ‘Rat Pack’ Recordings

As requested by reader Jim D.

Actually timed very well – My GF & I are on our way to Las Vegas this weekend! “To check out the lounges, pull a few handles and drink a few beers…” (to paraphrase “Billy The Mountain”). I’ve been to Vegas many times – miraculously starting when I turned 21, in 1979. For most of the 80’s, I wore a suit whenever I got to LV – I wanted to be proper, not attract any attention etc. It got weird when people started coming up to my in casinos, tugging on my jacket, “Sir, there’s a machine over there that isn’t working right!” – (incredulous pause) – “Sorry, mam. I am not an employee of this facility”.

Whaddya mean there aren’t any great legit ‘rat pack’ recordings? Yeah, yeah – I know. It’s not technically a bootleg, it’s…unauthorized. Yeah, that’s it. They are swearing? Telling dirty jokes? Singing and dancing up a storm?

I always wanted ‘in’ on the Sammy Davis Jr. action. I had the good fortune to see Sammy play live 2 or 3 times, while he still walked the Earth; both (all 3?) times in L.A., not Vegas. I had a Beta video from Japan that was a whole Sammy show, from Las Vegas – with the band lead by George Rhodes etc. Sammy’s the sole ‘rat packer’ present, but it rock – or, rather, didn’t ‘rock’. It swung!

I only ever saw Mr. Sinatra once – Greek Theatre, with Sam. Late 80’s? Sammy did his schtick, the ‘chairman’ swaggered a bit, sang his stuff – where’s the zip, the zang? Oh, he’s an old guy now. I get it. Groovy & snotty as a powerful middle-ager, not mellow’d out as an old guy, but…Thank God Don Rickles is still walkin’ around!

And poor old Dino (Dean Martin). So the drunk act wasn’t always an act? What a mellow singer – hard to imagine him ever partnering with Jerry Lewis! He always could pull a great face, whenever something ‘off’ was going on.

Sammy’s got live albums – but they’re not definitive. The “Frank Sinatra At The Sands” is pretty good, the CD even has a bonus track. Good sound, right time – but he’s solo, man. And I’m not sure about anything other than a latter day “Greatest Hits” CD for Dino. And my parents had some Louis Prima & Keely Smith albums, but I never got the joke.

Funny, I have several different CD’s themed as “Las Vegas” on Capitol:

ULTRA LOUNGE - VEGAS BABY! CAPITOL US 39840.2

LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS CAPITOL US 41790.2

CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK CAPITOL US 42210.2

HIGH ROLLERS CAPITOL US 75935.2

As well as the series of “Live From Las Vegas” Capitol CD’s by Wayne Newton, Bobby Darin, Nancy Wilson etc.