#40: French Foreign Legion by Frank Sinatra

City: Hull, QC
Radio Station: CKCH
Peak Month: April 1959
Peak Position in Hull ~ #5
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #44
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #61
YouTube: “French Foreign Legion”
Lyrics: “French Foreign Legion”

Francis Albert Sinatra was born in 1915 in Hoboken, NJ. Sinatra spent much time at his parents’ tavern in Hoboken, working on his homework and occasionally singing for spare change. After leaving school before graduating, Sinatra began performing in local Hoboken social clubs and sang for free on radio stations such as WAAT in Jersey City. In New York, Sinatra found jobs singing for his supper or for cigarettes. He got his first break in 1935 when his mother persuaded a local singing group called the 3 Flashes to let him join. Baritone Fred Tamburro stated that “Frank hung around us like we were gods or something”, admitting that they only took him on board because he owned a car and could chauffeur the group around. Sinatra soon learned they were auditioning for the Major Bowes Amateur Hour show, and “begged” the group to let him in on the act. With Sinatra, the group became known as the Hoboken Four, and passed an audition from Edward Bowes to appear on the show. They each earned $12.50, and ended up attracting 40,000 votes to win first prize—a six-month contract to perform on stage and radio across the U.S. Sinatra quickly became the group’s lead singer, and, much to the jealousy of his fellow group members, garnered most of the attention from girls.

In 1938, Sinatra found employment as a singing waiter at a roadhouse called “The Rustic Cabin” in Englewood Cliffs, on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, facing Manhattan. The roadhouse was connected to WNEW in New York City, and the Dance Parade show was broadcast live on the station from The Rustic Cabin. In 1939, Frank Sinatra had a #21 hit on the US pop charts titled “It’s Funny To Everyone But Me”, backed by the Harry James Orchestra. In 1940, Sinatra recorded his first Top Ten record titled “All or Nothing at All”, which reached #2 in 1943. In 1944, “I’ll Be Seeing You” peaked at #4 on the Billboard pop charts.

During WWII, Frank Sinatra was a regular in the Top Ten. His hits include from 1940: “I’ll Never Smile Again” (#1) with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra; “We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)” (#3), and “Our Love Affair” (#5); From 1941: “Dolores” (#1), “Do I Worry?” (#4) and “This Love Of Mine” (#3); From 1942: “In The Blue Of the Evening” (#1), “There Are Such Things” (#1), and “Take Me” (#5); From 1943: “It’s Always You” (#3),  “You’ll Never Know” (#2), and “People Will Say We’re In Love”; From 1944: “I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night” (#4) and “Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night in the Week)” (#2); And from 1945: “I Dream of You (More Than You Dream I Do)” (#7), “Dream” (#5) and “Nancy (with the Laughing Face)” (#10).

In 1943, Frank Sinatra was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night” from Higher and Higher, but lost to “Swinging On A Star”. The following year, Sinatra was nominated again in the Best Original Song category for “I Fall in Love Too Easily” from the film Anchors Aweigh. 

In the last half of the 1940s, Frank Sinatra continued to be popular on the pop charts. This includes from 1946: “Oh! What it Seemed to Be” (#1), “Day by Day” (#5), “They Say It’s Wonderful” (#2), “The Coffee Song” (#6),  and “Five Minutes More” (#1); From 1947: “Mam’selle” (#1); From 1948: “Nature Boy” (#8); And from 1949: “Some Enchanted Evening” (#6) and “Don’t Cry Joe” (#9). In 1946, Sinatra was awarded an Honorary Award at the Academy Awards for “The House I Live In”, the theme song for The House I Live In.

In 1950, Sinatra had another three Top Ten hits, with his version of “Goodnight Irene” climbing to #5. Into the 1950s, Frank Sinatra’s recordings on Columbia Records became less successful. However, from 1950 to 1952, he hosted The Frank Sinatra Show on CBS. The singer switched labels in early 1953 and he was signed to Capitol Records. His first release was “I’m Walking Behind You” which peaked at #7. In 1954, he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity. In 1954, Sinatra’s “Young At Heart” reached #2, and “Three Coins In The Fountain” made it to #4 in the USA and #1 in the UK. In the case of the latter, his recording was featured in the film Three Coins in the Fountain won him an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

While in 1955, “Learnin’ The Blues” topped the pop charts, and “Love and Marriage” and “(Love is) The Tender Trap” (from the film of the same name) both cracked the Top Ten. That year Sinatra appeared in The Man with the Golden Arm, which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. But he lost out to Ernest Borgnine who won for his role in Marty. Sinatra was also recognized for his role in the film with a Best Actor nomination at the BAFTA (British Academy Film Awards) in 1957. He was also nominated in the Best Actor category for his role in Not as a Stranger in 1956. Sinatra also appeared in the 1955 Academy Award nominated film Guys and Dolls.

Despite the headwinds of rock ‘n roll, Sinatra managed a few more Top Ten hits through the mid-50s including “Hey! Jealous Lover” (#3) in 1956. He also appeared in the Academy Award nominated films High Society and Around the World in 80 Days.

In 1957, All The Way” peaked at #2, a tune from the film The Joker is Wild. The song earned him his second Best Original Song Academy Award. In 2003, he was posthumously awarded a Grammy Award in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in a duet of “All The Way” with Celine Dion.

In 1957, “Witchcraft” climbed to #6 and earned Sinatra a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year, and also for Vocal – Male in 1959. As well, Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. The album won him a Grammy Award in the Best Recording Package category. In 1957, Sinatra won a Golden Globe Award for his role in Pal Joey. As well, Sinatra was on ABC hosting The Frank Sinatra Show from October ’57 to June ’58. In 1958, Frank Sinatra appeared in the Academy Award nominated film Some Came Running. 

In 1959, the singer released the single “French Foreign Legion”.

“French Foreign Legion” was written by Guy Wood and Aaron Schroeder. Born in Brooklyn in 1926, Aaron Schroeder wrote “At a Sidewalk Penny Arcade” for Rosemary Clooney in 1948. Schroeder wrote 17 hit songs for Elvis Presley including five that topped the charts: “A Big Hunk o’ Love”, “Good Luck Charm”, “I Got Stung”, “It’s Now Or Never” and “Stuck On You”. He also wrote songs recorded by Chaka Khan, Roy Orbison, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Nat “King” Cole, Perry Como, Guy Mitchell, The Playmates, Barry White, Tony Bennett, Dionne Warwick, Pat Boone, “Bandit Of My Dreams” for Eddie Hodges, “I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door” for the Isley Brothers in 1959 which was successfully covered by Eddie Hodges, “First Name Initial” for Annette, “Cincinnati Fireball” for Johnny Burnette, “Rubber Ball”” for Bobby Vee, “Because They’re Young” for Duane Eddy, the Staple Singers and Paul McCartney. Schroeder also wrote “French Foreign Legion” for Frank Sinatra. Schroeder also produced numerous hits for Gene Pitney that included “I Wanna Love My Life Away”, “Town Without Pity”, “(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance”, “Only Love Can Break A Heart” and “24 Hours From Tulsa”. Aaron Schroeder later became an international music representative for Hanna-Barbera Productions and provided music, singers and songs for “The Banana Splits” and “Scooby Doo, Where Are You!” Aaron Schroeder had a cameo appearance as a songwriter in the 1957 rock ‘n roll film Jamboree, and once appeared on the TV panel show To Tell The Truth. Aaron Schroeder died at the age of 83 in 2007.

Guy Wood started his career in music playing saxophone in dance bands in England, where he was born (Manchester, England, 1911). He moved to the United States in the 1930s. In New York City, Wood led a band at the Arcadia Ballroom for some three years, and became known as a composer. He wrote “Till Then” which was a #8 hit in 1944 for the Mills Brothers, “Shoo Fly Pie (And Apple Pan Dowdy)” which reached #6 for Stan Kenton in 1946, “Cincinnati Dancing Pig” for Red Foley in 1950 (#7), and “The Wedding” in 1958 for Julie Rogers. He died in 2001 at the age of 89.

In the song “French Foreign Legion” a man is faced with sweetheart who blows hot and cold regarding her affections for him: “First you love me, yes, then you love me, no.” If she won’t walk down the aisle with him, he vows to join the French Foreign Legion and walk that desert sand. He warns his sweetheart that she’s kidding herself if she thinks there won’t be women falling for him once they see him in his uniform. Getting tired of her games, he says “Just one more time are you gonna be mine, or au revoir cheri.”

“French Foreign Legion” peaked at #2 in Schenectady (NY), #5 in Hull (PQ), and #12 in Buffalo.

In late 1959, at the 2nd Grammy Awards, Sinatra won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and in the Vocal – Male categories for Come Dance with Me! In 1960, Frank Sinatra won his third Best Original Song Academy Award for “High Hopes” from the film A Hole in the Head. The song received a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year. It peaked at #6 on the UK Pop Singles chart.

In 1960, Sinatra appeared in the Academy Award nominated film Can-Can. In 1961, Sinatra received four Grammy Award nominations for the single, “Nice ‘n’ Easy”, and one for Album of the Year for Nice ‘n’ Easy. 

In 1962, Sinatra received another Grammy Award for “The Second Time Around” for Record of the Year. That year he appeared in the Academy Award nominated film The Manchurian Candidate. In 1963, Frank Sinatra received a Best Actor nomination at the Golden Globe Awards for his role in the comedy film Come Blow Your Horn. At the April 8, 1963, 35th Academy Awards, Frank Sinatra was the host of the event.

In 1966, Sinatra won a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male for “It Was A Very Good Year”. The song topped the Adult Contemporary chart in the USA. As well, he won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for September of My Years. In 1966, Frank Sinatra had a comeback with “Strangers In The Night” which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1967, he won a Grammy Award for the song in both categories Best Vocal Performance, Male, and Record of the Year. He also won an Album of the year Grammy Award for A Man And His Music.

He followed up with three more Top 30 hits: “Summer Wind” (#25) which was a #1 Adult Contemporary chart hit, “That’s Life” (#4) which was another #1 Adult Contemporary chart hit, and “Something Stupid” in a number-one duet on the Hot 100 with his daughter Nancy Sinatra. The latter recording earned Frank and Nancy Sinatra a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. In 1967, Frank Sinatra had his sixth consecutive number-one hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart with “The World We Knew (Over And Over)”.

In 1968, Sinatra received two Grammy Award nominations for Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim in both categories Best Vocal Performance – Male, and Album of the Year.

In 1970, Frank Sinatra earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance – Male for “My Way”. And in 1997, he received a second Grammy nomination for “My Way” in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in a duet with Luciano Pavarotti.

His final Top 40 hit was in 1980 with “Theme From New York, New York” which peaked at #32 in the USA and #4 in the UK. For the recording, he received two Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, and in the Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male category.

In addition, Frank Sinatra had charted three holiday singles into the Top 20: “Jingle Bells”, “White Christmas” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”.

Over the decades, Sinatra appeared in over sixty films. In 1970 he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy Awards for his “outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes.” And in 1971, Sinatra was honoured at the Golden Globe Awards with a Cecile B. DeMile Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 1975, Frank Sinatra co-hosted the 47th Academy Awards on April 8, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

In 1995, Frank Sinatra won a Grammy Legend Award. That year he received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance category for the album Duets. Then in 1997 he won a Grammy Award in the same category for the album Duets II.

As well, Frank Sinatra has received three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One in the Motion Pictures category (1600 Vine Street), a second in the Recording category (1637 Vine Street), and a third in Television (6538 Hollywood Blvd). Over the decades, Frank Sinatra appeared in concert in Canada on  occasions. This includes appearances in Calgary, Gander (NL), Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Stephenville (NL), Toronto and Vancouver.

Over the decades, Sinatra appeared in over sixty films. In 1998, Frank Sinatra died at the age of 82.

August 22, 2024
Ray McGinnis

References:
“Frank Sinatra Obituary,” BBC, May 16, 1998.
Tony Oppedisano, Sinatra and Me: In the Wee Small Hours, (Scribner, 2021).
Kitty Kelley, His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra, (Bantam, 2010).
Robert Sullivan, Remembering Sinatra: A Life in Pictures, (Time Life Education, 1998).
Charles L. Granata with Nancy Sinatra, Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording(Chicago Review Press, 2003).
Dennis McLellan, “Aaron Schroeder Dies at 83; Prolific Songwriter for Elvis Presley and Others,” Los Angeles Times, December 4, 2009.
“Guy Wood, Composer, 89,” New York Times, February 28, 2001.
“Frank Sinatra – Concert dates – Canada,” setlist.fm.

CKCH 970-AM Hull (QC) Top Ten | April 18, 1959