#31: Witchcraft by Frank Sinatra

City: Hull, QC
Radio Station: CKCH
Peak Month: April 1958
Peak Position in Hull ~ #3
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #20
YouTube: “Witchcraft”
Lyrics: “Witchcraft”

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 late 1957, Sinatra released “Witchcraft”.

“Witchcraft” was composed by Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman. Carolyn Leigh died in 1983 at the age of 57. She was born into a Jewish family in 1926 in New York City. In 1954, Leigh wrote ten of the songs from the Broadway musical, Peter Pan. In 1960, Leigh and Coleman co-wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Wildcat, starring Lucille Ball. From the musical came the song “Hey, Look Me Over”. They received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Original Cast Show Album category.

In 1962, the pair wrote music and lyrics for the Neil Simon Broadway musical Little Me. Leigh and Coleman received a 1963 Tony Award Best Musical nomination for Little Me. They also received 1963 Tony Award Best Composer and Lyricist nomination for the musical. In 1967, Leigh and Coleman wrote the score for the Broadway musical How Now, Dow Jones. Leigh also wrote lyrics for scores for the films The Cardinal (1963) and Father Goose (1964). In 1983, Carolyn Leigh was working on the Marvin Hamlisch musical Smile. She had a heart attack and died at age 57.

Seymour Kaufman was born in 1929 to Jewish parents, also in New York City. Between the ages of six and nine, he gave recitals in Carnegie Hall, Town Hall and Steinway Hall. He formed the Cy Coleman Trio, adopting the name Cy Coleman for the musical stage and publishing credits. In 1966, Coleman wrote the music for the Broadway show Sweet Charity, which featured the song “Big Spender”. He received Tony Award nominations for the musical for both Best Musical, and Best Composer and Lyricist. He also received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Score From An Original Cast Show Album.

In March 1973, Coleman received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Performance By An Arranger, Composer, Orchestra And/Or Choral Leader for “Theme From The Garden Of The Finzi Continis”.

In 1973, Coleman wrote music for the Broadway show Seesaw. He received Tony Award nominations for the musical in the Best Musical and Best Original Score categories. Coleman received a Grammy Award nomination in the category: Best Score From The Original Cast Show Album.

In 1977, Cy Coleman received Tony Award nominations for the musical I Love My Wife, in the Best Musical and Best Original Score categories. He also received a Grammy Award nomination in the category: Best Cast Show Album. The following year, Cy Coleman received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical On the Twentieth Century, and won a Tony Award for Best Original Score. He also received a Grammy Award nomination for the musical in the Best Cast Show Album category.

In 1980, Coleman again received Tony Award nominations for Best Musical and Best Original Score. In 1990, Coleman won two Tony Award nominations for the musical City of Angels in the Best Original Score and Best Musical categories. He also received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Musical Cast Show Album category.

And in 1991, Coleman was again winner of two Tony Award nominations for the musical The Will Rogers Follies in Best Original Score and Best Musical categories. He also won a Grammy Award in the Best Musical Show Album category. Finally, in 1997 Cy Coleman received three Tony Award nominations for the musical The Life. He won in the Best Book of a Musical category. As well, Coleman was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Musical Show Album category.

“Witchcraft: is a song that uses this word as a metaphor for the arousing temptations of a female romantically enticing her love interest. 1) “those fingers in my hair,” and 2) “that sly come hither stare.” This kind of “witchcraft” leaves the guy with “no defense,” since the pitch is “too intense.” This ancient come on works to this day.

“Witchcraft” peaked at #1 in New Orleans, Albany (NY), Burlington (VT), Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Washington DC, and Schenectady (NY), #2 in Rochester (NY), Milwaukee, and Chicago, #3 in Hull (QC) and Bethesda (MD), #4 in Lowell (MA), St. Louis, and Troy (NY), #5 in Los Angeles and Palm Springs (CA), #6 in Denver, #8 in Boston and Indianapolis (IN), #9 in Toronto, La Crosse (WI), and Kansas City (MO), and #12 in New York City. “Witchcraft” climbed to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Sinatra, Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year. Sinatra also received a Grammy Award nomination 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 also released the single “French Foreign Legion”.

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.

September 13, 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).
“Frank Sinatra – Concert dates – Canada,” setlist.fm.
Robert Berkvist, “Cy Coleman, Composer whose jazz fired musicals blazed on Broadway,” New York Times, November 20, 2004.
Grammy Awards, “Cy Coleman,” Grammy.com.

CKCH 970-AM Hull (QC) Top Ten | April 19, 1958