Disco Stu 15,495 Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/arts/music/jack-sheldon-dead.html RIP Jack Sheldon, an inimitable musical performer, best known for singing the Schoolhouse Rock songs “I’m Just a Bill” and “Conjunction Junction.” Given his Williams connections, I thought I’d give him his own thread instead of posting in the catch-all RIP thread. His “Long Goodbye” performance has always been my favorite of the different versions. Sheldon also sang on the John Williams arranged/conducted, Shelley Manne My Fair Lady album SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,467 Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 I was always impressed by his Frank Sinatra soundalike voice in THE LONG GOODBYE (in fact, I thought it was Sinatra for years). Then I was impressed further when I learned that he was also a trumpeteer and entertainer. What a multitalent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 Wait.... you think he sounds like Frank Sinatra in "The Long Goodbye"? That's very strange. The vocal timbres aren't even remotely close to my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,467 Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 I think they're pretty darn close. Not just because it's 'crooning', but because of the timbre. I was actually shocked to find out it was NOT Sinatra when I got the soundtrack all those years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share Posted January 9, 2020 Jack Sheldon is imitating a stereotypically southern black American vocal style with some New Orleans creole thrown in there, not far off from Randy Newman’s singing style but smoother without the frogginess. Sinatra just sounds like an Italian Jersey boy no matter what he sang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,467 Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 9 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: Jack Sheldon is imitating a stereotypically southern black American vocal style with some New Orleans creole thrown in there, not far off from Randy Newman’s singing style at the time but smoother without the frogginess. Sinatra just sounds like an Italian Jersey boy no matter what he sang. Yeah, it's a little rough around the edges compared to the 'smoother' Sinatra. But I think it's something in the 'nasal' quality; which -- to me -- sounded like Sinatra riffing a bit with his usual style. Of course, at the time (in the 90s), I knew vaguely about the Sinatra-Williams connection, but as I only had the THE LONG GOODBYE song on a crummy CD-R, without any extra info to go on, I assumed it was part of that connection, based purely on the nature and sound of the song and singing. When I later got the CD release (coupled with FITZWILLY), and read the credits, I was all like "What? Who? Jack Sheldon?". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Sounds nothing like Sinatra, but definitely a voice with pizzazz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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