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Welcome to the second episode of You Must Remember This, the podcast devoted to exploring the secret and or/forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. Today, we look back to 1979, when — while the music world was full of punk and post-disco coke rock, and the movie world was making the transition from the “New Hollywood” of the ’70s into the blockbuster age — Frank Sinatra recorded Trilogy: Past, Present and Future, a triple album with one disc each devoted to big band standards (“The Past”); covers from “the rock era” including Billy Joel and Beatles songs and also “Theme from New York, New York” (“The Present”); and, most amazingly, a 40 minute song cycle about life, love, death and visiting outer space (“The Future”). We’ll take a look at how and why “The Future” was made, and theorize as to why it’s fallen into the dustbin of pop cultural history.
Show Notes
Songs
Tracks from Trilogy: Past, Present and Future, performed by Frank Sinatra:
“Let’s Face The Music and Dance”
“Theme from New York New York”
“Something”
“What Time Does the Next Miracle Leave?”
“World War None!”
“The Future”
“The Future (Continued)”
“The Future (Conclusion)”
“Before the Music Ends”
“Can’t Get Started” performed by Frank Sinatra, from the album No One Cares
“Come Rain or Come Shine” performed by Frank Sinatra, from the album Sinatra and Strings
“New York is My Home” composed by Gordon Jenkins, from Manhattan Tower
“This is It” by Kenny Loggins, from The Essential Kenny Loggins
Other audio
“Jonathan Schwartz’s Good Time” from NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1831872
Bibliography
Sinatra! The Song is You by Will Friedwald
Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill
Goodbye: In Search of Gordon Jenkins by Bruce Jenkins
“Frank Sinatra’s Heat-Seeking Missive Finds Two New Targets: a Columnist and a Deejay” by Cherie Burns, PEOPLE Magazine, May 5, 1980
"Sinatra: The Legend Lives" by Pete Hamill, New York magazine, April 198