Dartblog

In the summer of 1965, Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack organized a benefit concert in St. Louis for the Dismas House, a halfway home for convicts. A “summit,” they called it.

The event itself took place at the Kiel Opera House. The audience packed tightly into both that hall and a dozen others nearby—tickets had been sold for “viewing rooms,” where folks could watch the concert on closed circuit television. It was the only time the Rat Pack’s infamous Sands shtick was televised. We’ve already seen the finale of this concert, where Johnny Carson joins the group for a wrecked but sonorous rendition of “Birth of the Blues,” but Sinatra did get a few numbers to himself. Here, Sinatra sings “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” the iconic Cole Porter tune. Backing Sinatra is Count Basie’s Orchestra, under the swinging baton (the hands, really) of Quincy Jones.