I have just been listening to a CD of Sinatra doing some recording sessions in May and November of 1966. A very interesting thing for me to listen to and I'll tell you why.

In my years at the Sands here in Vegas in the Casino I talked to Frank a lot. He was always interested in helping me, as he called it "growing up". Remember I was only 25 or so and he was about 45 or so and he was trying to teach me some things other than the casino world that I knew. He said I needed some "Culture" in my life. He was always trying to get me to understand why he sang and how important the music was. As many of you on the List know, I was too young and too interested in other things to pay attention as I should have. Although I did read the history books he told me to.

So it's all these years later and I'm on these Lists and realizing how so many follow his career and appreciate his music.

I have talked so many times with Ed O'Brien on the phone. I got started by getting his book Sinatra 101 )recommended by Ken Hutchins). I realized early that I may know Frank, but I don't know anything about his music like these people do. Listening to Ed talk about Sinatra is a treat. His encyclopedic knowledge of the music and Frank's recording career is astounding.

And the shame of it all, is I had a chance to witness some of it and was too dumb at the time to appreciate it.

In the middle 60s, Frank has asked me to come to LA and see a recording session. I used to just tell him no "I ain't going to LA and just spend all day watching you sing songs. Shit I do that here at work." Frank would usually laugh at me and say something like "When are you going to grow up? There's a lot more going on outside this casino."

One night, he's with some friends and playing 21. He again asks me to come down to LA and see a recording session. I tell him no. The people around him are trying to convince me to go. Frank's saying "He's too thick - won't listen to anybody." "Young and stupid."

Listening to his friends and how important it would be to go, I start to agree that I would go.

After the second show and he's in the casino again, we talk about it. He says it will take about 2 or 3 days. Now I sure what he is up to. I tell him no and "You're not going to trap me, no way."

Now for you, this might sound crazy and doesn't make sense, I know that, but you should look at it the way I did at the time.

You see Frank has a habit of grabbing people he likes and takes them to places. One casino cocktail waitress went to LA with him for one day and then ended up on his boat for 3 days. One casino boss went with Frank to LA, ended up then in Palm Springs and then to his plane and ended up in New York for something.

So when he mentions 2 or 3 days to me, I figure he's up to something. I even argue with him about it.

I tell Frank, "I know what your up to. I ain't going all over the place with you." He is laughing at me. I tell him "Three days to sing songs is bullshit. You sing 10 songs here every night in a hour." He's trying to get me to realize there's more to it. He says he has to do a song a second time or 3rd time. I tell him "Sing it right the first time." He is just laughing at me.

I ask him what can take so much time and what exactly does he do. He's at the 21 table with some friends so this is interesting to them. I don't let up. "So what do you do? What is it about?"

He leans over, so not to embarrass the ladies and yells at me. "It's about a lot of fucking hard work."

I didn't realize till I heard these session tapes that he is right. All the starting and stopping and getting things right is work. I just thought he went into the studio and recorded the songs. I didn't realize they went over and over songs or parts of them till they got it right.

To people on this List it sounds so foolish to avoid going to hear him record but I guess Frank was right "Young and stupid."

I thank Ed O'Brien for his helping me understand how much work went into these recording session and giving me a chance to understand exactly what went on.

I guess Ed's right "There part of the musical history of out time and will last for all time."