"Well, Did You Evah" by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra

In honour of the birth of Frank Sinatra (on this day in 1915), I can think of no greater tribute than allowing his talent to speak for itself... In this blogger's opinion, the accompanying clip - in which he's singing Well, Did You Evah! alongside 'no slouch in the vocalizing department himself' Bing Crosby, from the 1956 Cole Porter musical High Society - proves that, given even the slightest chance, Sinatra's talent fairly shouts! In fact it's still shouting, more than a decade after his death, in May 1998.

As for the song, it was written by Porter for his 1939 musical Du Barry Was a Lady, where it was introduced by Betty Grable and Charles Walters; it's since been sung by such luminary duos as Deborah Harry and Iggy Pop and Robbie Williams and Jon Lovitz. Alas, the world was deprived of the chance to hear it sung by Lucille Ball and either Red Skelton or Red Skelton in the 1943 film, which contains little of the show's popular score*.

*Despite yet another episode of egregious meddling by studio executives, the film itself is actually quite a charmer!
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