Bolton swings Sinatra one more time

Now Taylor Hicks may be the blue-eyed soul guy of the moment but that does not mean that Michael Bolton, one of the most successful exponents of the genre, is already down and out. The recent Manila visitor who made hits out of How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Go the Distance, I Said I Loved You But I Lied, When a Man Loves a Woman and other tunes is very much on top of his game these days.

For one, Bolton, who now keeps his famous curls shorn very short close to his head is being talked about a lot in the gossip mill. This is thanks to his engagement to Nicollette Sheridan, the Desperate Housewives star who does not play a desperate housewife in the series. She preys on their men! Music-wise, Bolton is also very active. Aside from the constant touring, he has recorded a new exciting album featuring songs popularized by the great Frank Sinatra.

The album is entitled Bolton Swings Sinatra The Second Time Around. Now, I am sure that like me you are all inside your heads asking why he had to have that long title when Bolton Swings Sinatra already says everything. If I remember right, this is also certainly not his second time singing Sinatra tunes. Since that is not the case and because I do watch Inside Edition when I can, my guess is The Second Time Around in the title is sort of dedicated to Nicollette.

As per the showbiz shows, Michael and Nicollette dated seriously some years ago but that relationship came to a parting of ways a short while later. They rediscovered each other recently and are once again engaged. So is it really "love is lovelier the second time around" for these two? That is also why Nicollette, who does not sound like a singer at all, joins Bolton in singing that Sinatra hit in the album. Take note, because of the sweet, simple arrangement, The Second Time Around is one of the CD’s best cuts. Of course, it now follows that the lovely Nicollette is indeed the reason for the long title.

The idea of singing Sinatra hits is nothing new. Barry Manilow did the same as a tribute after Sinatra died in 1998. Besides, recording the swinging ballads of the past has become a sort of alternative concept for established pop stars like Rod Stewart. Bolton is not opening new roads with this one. Then, given the huge number of songs Old Blue Eyes recorded, most of the remake recordings we have been getting these days from Stewart or Carly Simon or Chris Botti can also be described as Sinatra tributes. So what makes this one different is the singer, Michael Bolton.

He does not really swing. Come to think of it, I do not know if Bolton is capable of swinging or even relaxing with his songs. The guy is so intense. I was happy to find out though that he does not oversing anything in the album. This means Hurray for the fluid arrangements. And even if he fails to channel that carefree Sinatra vibe, that little catch in his throat in his long notes suggest intimacy and is very sexy.

Maybe it is also because of this quality in his vocals that the light bossa nova songs like Fly Me to the Moon and The Girl from Ipanema and the Latin-tinged I’ve Got You Under My Skin are the best cuts in the album. The other songs included are You Go to My Head, For Once in My Life, Summer Wind, My Funny Valentine, That’s Life, Night and Day, They Can’t Take That Away from Me and New York New York.

The Top 10 singles, albums in the US

Back to Taylor Hicks. As per Billboard Magazine, the American Idol winner remains on top of the Hot Singles Sales chart in the US this week with runner-up Katharine McPhee in second place with her debut single.

The Top 10 singles are: Do I Make You Proud/Takin’ It to the Streets by Taylor Hicks; Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ My Destiny by Katharine McPhee; Me & U by Cassie; Sister by Scoundrel Squad featuring Bun-B; Get Together by Madonna; Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys; Sweat by JES; Everyday is Exactly the Same by Nine Inch Nails; Do It to It by Cherish featuring Sean Paul of The YoungBloodz and It’s Going Down by Yung Joc.

The top albums in the Billboard 200 are Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship by India Arie; Dusk and Summer by Dashboard Confessional; Loose by Nelly Furtado; Taking the Long Way by the Dixie Chicks; St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley; Me and My Gang by Rascal Flatts; The Big Bang by Busta Rhymes; High School Musical, the original soundtrack by Various Artists and Cars, another movie soundtrack by Various Artists.