[Dixielandjazz] MAY I SPEAK FRANKLY

[Harry Callaghan]

Anyone who has known me for any reasonable period of time knows that I will
always be the first to step to the defense of Frank Sinatra, because of my
long admiration for him as a singer, actor and yes, also as a person.

However, since the death of musical conductor and former A&R man at Columbia
Records, Mitch Miller, there are two things that have been brought to my
attention.

There has been much ballyhoo throughout the years saying that Sinatra went
to his grave hating Miller for forcing him to record "Mama Will Bark" with
then late night TV sensation Dagmar.

The first was that the flip side of the record was "I'm a Fool to Want You"
which gave co-writing credit to Frank himself.  It has generally been
acknowledged to be his personal lament to Ava Gardner, who while he was
still married to at the time, it was a marriage obviously going through some
difficulties, sometimes referred to as being "on the rocks"

So the question arises........Is Mitch Miller to take the rap for this?

Further, around the same time and possibly prior to the recording with
Dagmar, I understand that Miller had offered "My Heart Cries For You" and
"The Roving Kind" to Frank, which he turned down and was subsequently a
double-sided hit for Guy MItchell.

And as in the words of the late Paul Harvey.......that's the rest of the
story, G'day.

HC

-- 
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he
hears a different drummer.  Let him step to
the music which he hears, however measured or far away
   (The story of my life)
                           - Henry David Thoreau
                             (1817-1862)