Nancy Sinatra - Boots (1966) plus Bonus Tracks

 (U.S 1961 - Present)

The inspiration for this post came from a 1969 newspaper article that I found tucked away in a Nancy Sinatra LP that I recently bought at my local flee market called 'Nancy In London'. The article was published in the Weekend-Magazine  section of The Herald, on Saturday 15th Feb, 1969. 

The article was entitled "Nancy Owes It All To A Divorce" and was written by Leonard Mosley of the London Daily Express.  It finds Nancy reflecting on her recent divorce from Tommy Sands and how the hit single "These Boots Are Made For Walkin" became her song.   Below is an extract from that article:

Nancy Owes It All To A Divorce
It was 1966, Nancy Sinatra was recovering from a divorce, in a relationship with film director Jack Haley Jr. and she was looking for a song that would give her a real break. One night, she drove over to spend the evening with her mother. Her father, Frank Sinatra (recently divorced) turned up that night also. Despite the divorce, Frank was a regular visitor to his ex-wife's home and knew there was always a door open for him there.

Frank & Nancy Sinatra

Nancy and her mother had only to take one look at his face to know he was lonely and unhappy, and they knew the reason why. They read the gossip columns too. They knew his latest romance with a dancer had just fallen through. He had come home in search of food, drink and comfort.

It so happened that one of the other visitors to Mrs Sinatra's home that night was a young man called Lee Hazelwood , who played the guitar, composed his own songs, and did a night club act. He had also arranged a number tunes for Nancy and they were old friends.

Frank Sinatra was restless. "Play us something" he said to Hazelwood.

"I'd like to" he replied . "I open next month in Las Vegas and I'm working on a new song. I'll try it out on you".

He tuned up his guitar, ran through a few chords, and then he began to sing his new song. Nancy recalled "He had only written one verse so far, but neither Dad nor I needed to hear any more to know this was an absolute winner. There was only one thing amiss. The wrong person was singing it.

It's my song!
It was "Boots", the song destined to go to the top of the charts in practically every country in the world and take Nancy Sinatra with it.

She asked Hazelwood to play it again and again., then rushed over and flung her arms around him. "It's a magnificent tune " she said. But Lee, it isn't for you. You can't possibly sing that song".

Hazelwood looked at her in astonishment, "I don't know what you mean" he said.

Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra

"You can't possibly put it over", said Nancy. "All those words about boots - these boots are going to walk right over you - that sort of thing. It's going to make people uncomfortable and make people hate you when they hear them. "Can't you see, it isn't a man's song. A man will just make it sound nasty. But a girl singing it - that's different".

Hazelwood said: "You mean, you want the song?"

Frank Sinatra broke in "Look Lee, Imagine Nancy on the stage. She's wearing a mini skirt. She's got a pair of boots on - they're just about becoming all the rage for gals. And she starts singing that song.

"Boots!" It'll be the greatest thing since Kipling. She'll have every woman in the audience with her as she sings it, and she'll have every mac chuckling and sympathising. Nancy's right. It's her song, not yours. It's for a gal. Give her the song, baby".

"No" said Hazelwood. "It's my song. I'm going to sing it next month at Vegas". It took them until dawn to persuade him.

"And do you know?" said Nancy. "When we went down to the Reprise Studios a few days later with the song and more verses and Lee's arrangement, and when we played it over to the board, they didn't froth. The might have been listening to 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?' for all the enthusiasm they showed.

Lee had written another song for me which he called 'Good Time Girl' which was to on the flip side. But when they heard it they said: "You're crazy. This is the song we should be boosting. Let's put in on top and make 'Boots' the flip. That's all it's worth"    "Gawd, were they slow!"

But thanks to her father it was "Boots" which was picked as the main side. Nancy said "When I sat back after the recording stint and listened to the number, I knew. I knew. I knew. This was the breakthrough. This was the turning point in my life. This was the hit I needed".

A Life Of Luxury
It is from "Boots" and the numbers which followed that Nancy Sinatra has built up a fortune big enough to keep her in luxury for the rest of her life.

It has also put her in business as a rival to her father. A few months ago she formed her own company, called appropriately 'Boots Incorporated', which is going into the record, television, and film business.

From now on she will no longer rely upon Frank Sinatra's Reprise Company to make her records, though the company will still distribute them. She employs her own own arrangers, has formed her own orchestra, and has her own producer.

One of her future projects is a film to be made from a J.B Priestley novel whose rights she has bought. It will be a musical with both live and animated figures and she will sing in it.

"But the main idea of Boots Inc." she said , "is to put me out out of work rather than give new jobs. It will employ other singers and get them launched."

Nancy On TV Stage Performing Boots

"The general idea is to turn it into a money-making enterprise through other people as well as me, so that when I feel like it I can drop out for a time, have a baby, or go abroad somewhere with Jack where he's making a film."

She curled up in a chair and look content. I said: "Don't stop singing entirely." She shook her head. "Jack wouldn't let me. He likes me to work.

"We both want kids, but he isn't the kind who wants me to be running around the house all the time barefoot and pregnant. And hell, since when has motherhood stopped a girl from singing?"

She turned to her manager, who had just come into the room.

"That reminds me," she said. "Isn't it about time we called up Lee Hazelwood and sked him if he's got any more new songs?" She grinned, "Preferably one he's just written especially for himself."

[extract from newspaper article: 'Nancy owes it all to a divorce', The Herald, Feb 15, 1969. p25. Written by Leonard Mosley of the London Daily Express]

This post consists of MP3 (320kps) ripped from CD and includes full album artwork and label scans for both vinyl and CD formats. Because the feature article on the left (what a rare find hey !) relates to Nancy's 'Boot's album', I choose to post that album rather than the 'Nancy in London' album in which the article was found. I might post that album in the near future if there is interest.

 

Note that the album Boots features no less than 3 Lennon & McCartney tracks and single compositions by Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Of course the hit single These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (written by Lee Hazelwood) is the highlight track but Nancy still does a great job on all other album tracks. So get ya boots out of the closet folks and start grooving to these wonderful sounds of the 60's.

Track Listing

01 As Tears Go By  2:50

02 Day Tripper  3:01

03 I Move Around  2:47

04 It Ain't Me Babe  2:00

05 These Boots Are Made For Walkin'  2:42

06 In My Room  2:37

07 Lies  2:45

08 So Long, Babe  3:04

09 Flowers On The Wall  2:37

10 If He'd Love Me  2:45

11 Run For Your Life  2:39

CD Bonus Tracks

12 The City Never Sleeps  2:50

13 Leave My Dog Alone  2:09

14 In Our Time  2:36

15 These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (Mono Single Version)  2:43

Boots Link (109Mb)  New Link 29/03/2023