Singer - Music Contractor Frank Lamphere speaks candidly about his music and the music business
If you had your choice, what music would you sing? "This is my choice of music. I sing what I want while on stage. Of course my prerogative is for the audience to enjoy the music as much as possible. It is a great responsibility!"
What is your favorite music and or singer? "As a kid I loved Elvis' music. My grandmother and dad were fans of his and it just rubbed off. I still thoroughly enjoy Elvis. The 50's and 60's recordings, that is. Because of my appreciation for Elvis, I had an ear for other songs and artists from that same time period. Dion, the Platters, Little Richard, Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, Chubby Checker, etc...Somewhere around 12-13 years of age I "graduated" to Sinatra. I'd always liked his movies and knew several of the big hits: Strangers In the Night, My Way, and Something Stupid. I joined the RCA and Columbia House record clubs and ordered a bunch of records. Casual listening became a passion, particularly the songs that featured Nelson Riddle arrangements. Under My Skin, Night and Day, From This Moment On, Witchcraft, I've Got a Crush On You and the like. The desire to listen to this music, just took over. I put away the teen idol records and engrossed myself in the sophisticated sounds of Frank Sinatra. While playing those records to death I branched out into Dean Martin. Once again, I had seen most of Martin's movies, roasts and had always enjoyed his singing in the Martin and Lewis movies. (I was really too young to have seen and remember his television show) However, I could also sing the first eight bars of Everybody Loves Somebody and mimic Dean's slurs at an early age. Eventually I collected all of his LPs, from the many second hand record stores in Chicago. It wasn't long before I discovered Tony Bennett, Jerry Vale, Sammy Davis Jr, Jack Jones, Vic Damone, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck and many other vocalists and bought their records as well. Returning to the question; my sentimental favorite singer is unquestionably Dean Martin. Sinatra is a close second. That being said, my tastes change from time to time but in the last several years I can't hear enough of Jack Jones or Henry Mancini. I could listen to Henry Mancini soundtracks and albums of cover songs, all day. He had such a romantic style of arranging the strings. Also, the percussion he incorporated into his arrangements made his music really unique. The Oscar Peterson Trio is my pick for small group jazz. I suppose I prefer listening to instrumentals most of the time. Hours upon hours of uninterrupted vocals can be torture especially if the mixture includes an inordinate amount of female vocals. It's just me!"
We're thinking of having someone sing at our upcoming baptism party. The room at the restaurant is too small for a band; so do you sing with background tracks? "Absolutely not! My viewpoint is, tracks are lame. I sang at and ran the karaoke entertainment at a bar years ago and had a Iot of fun doing so. I was pretty good, but every so often a pro would come in and "clean my karaoke clock" Bring the house down with his great voice, phrasing and know-how. A singer that sings live is able to do things a guy that sings to tracks can only dream of. Now, I don't knock the person that sings with tracks (a person's got to do whatever it takes to put food on the table) but it's not for me. And what we do (creating music from scratch, with a band) they are rarely capable"
If you and your musicians are so good, why aren't you working in the clubs everyday of the week? "Good question! Here's the short answer. Lack of good venues to play, the lack of a sufficient budget to hire a great band and a high ratio of irresponsible dirtbag owners that bounce checks, or who decide to just not pay. Like the owners of the Chambers in Niles. They are so cheap, they stiffed me for a measly $200.00 eleven years ago and have lost out on thousands of dollars in revenue since then. Professionals get paid well (which of course is subjective) for their services. If they're not paid well, then there needs to be another good reason to work in a club. You'll find less venues for jazz as it continues to get farther away from the mainstream. The classic pop and jazz that I sing, require the right combination of acoustics, seating, and overall atmosphere that is conducive to the music and entertaining. Most clubs today are not suitable for jazz. Also, most people that book my type of music have no clue on how to market it. Therefore most of clubs just don't work out for live jazz! Jazz also requires enough instrumentation to be effective (to hold an audience for any extended period) More often than not, when a jazz group is working a particular club or restaurant, there are few people in attendance. Second, there is good chance that the caliber of musicianship will be sub-par. The really excellent and professional musicians want to sound their best. An out of tune piano, a total budget of $250.00 with eleven television sets illuminating the ceilings (with a different game on each one) is not conducive to jazz. The crappy or desperate musicians fill these gigs and the casual listener thinks that what they're hearing is indicative of all of jazz. Sorry, it's just not the case! I have an obligation to not put myself in these type of environments. Everyone gets short changed!. One more thing, there are many club owners that have a habit of not paying their bills, who bounce checks, or who have to be begged to pay up. Believe me the business is rampant with slimy types. If I even get the slightest uncomfortable vibe from someone, I avoid them."
What is your opinion of the numerous Rat Pack tribute shows that have cropped up in recent years? "In general, I'm not impressed! I am as big of a fan as there is of Frank, Dean and Sammy. Nobody comes close to their talent. They were in a different category all together. Rarely is a guy going to become a "really good" singer going around imitating people that he has no hope at all of replicating, vocally. I wrote about that subject, a few years ago. Here Don't get me wrong, there are certainly some talented individuals out there. Guys that can carry a tune nicely. What annoys me is being subjected to the same old background or karaoke version of Sinatra's "Summer Wind". That thing (track) has been around since the nineties and it's atrocious. Fake electronic horns. yuck! One other thing, many of the tribute shows with re-creations of Las Vegas showrooms of the 60's bring in Marilyn Monroe. What is that about? She was not a part of the Rat Pack. She crashed JFK's birthday party and sang "Happy B-Day Mr. President". It looks as if Marilyn winds up in these tribute performances because the principle players need a "crutch". It's bad history! I enjoy creativity, originality. The humor from back in the 60's no longer works on mainstream audiences. It's offensive, today. If you can show me a Rat Pack tribute show that somehow ties the old with today, modern humor, great singing with a live band, and whose players are charismatic then, I'll be impressed."
What sets you apart musically and makes you better than many of your competitors? "Well first off, as far as being better than someone else, that is totally subjective. There are plenty of successful singers that never appealed to me. Johnny Ray, Vaughn Monroe, Ray Eberly, Andrea Boccelli who has the most boring style I have ever heard. So what! The guy has sold millions of records and is loved around the globe. My opinion doesn't matter. Music is about what the listener finds enjoyable. When it comes to my strengths as an entertainer, the variety of musical styles (jazz ballads, swing, 50's rock, 60's pop, Latin, Broadway, and pre-70's Italian) and big repertoire is hard to find. Where the rule of thumb for a vocalist's repertoire is to have 30-40 songs, my repertoire is in the thousands. I am usually able to keep a listener's attention longer than someone that only knows 20 songs. I also have a firm understanding of music and it's creation. Don't underestimate this one! There is a world of difference between a great musician (instrumentalist) and a mediocre one. I know the difference; most vocalists do not. The bottom line is, the bands that I assemble will sound great. For example, I am not relegated to playing all my songs in the key of "C" because that's the extent of my guitarist's ability. I do believe that whatever band that is working with me on any particular night, (with few exceptions) is as good as there is in the country! No matter how skillful or seasoned, a singer can be destroyed by a bad band. The old adage applies "You're only as good as those around you" or something like that."
What is your favorite aspect of entertaining? I enjoy winning over a room full of strangers. People that entered and have no expectations and then to really get them to respond positively to a set of songs. It means I have done more than my job for that particular time frame. It means I have made an indelible mark on their memory.
