- Included among the Record Descriptions of Favorite Albums (Part 1).
- The female-empowerment lyrics and the distinctive bass line in “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” took Nancy Sinatra to the top of the Sixties music scene.
Nancy Sinatra – Sugar (1967): Frank Sinatra had three children, and two of them became successful musicians: Frank Sinatra Jr. and Nancy Sinatra. Nancy Sinatra made her professional debut on her father’s 1960 television special The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis, which celebrated the return of Elvis Presley from Europe following his discharge from military service. When her releases from Frank Sinatra’s record label Reprise Records stalled on the charts, he suggested that Lee Hazlewood be brought in to help boost his daughter’s career. Hazlewood had been writing, arranging and producing records for over 10 years, notably for Duane Eddy. An image makeover for Nancy Sinatra included bleached-blonde hair, heavy makeup, and London fashions, complete with miniskirts and go-go boots.
Lee Hazlewood began writing songs for her, and the second single from her debut album Boots, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” was a worldwide smash hit in early 1966, reaching the top of the charts around the world, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and South Africa. While recording “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ”, Lee Hazlewood reportedly told Nancy Sinatra: “You can’t sing like Nancy Nice Lady anymore. You have to sing for the truckers.” The female-empowerment lyrics, her tough-girl persona, and the distinctive bass line in “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” – not to mention that Sinatra name – brought Nancy Sinatra to the forefront of the Sixties music scene. A television promotional clip was made for “Boots” that features go-go dancers and a period stage set; it functions as one of the earliest music videos. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood worked together for the remainder of the 1960’s and had numerous hit songs, including several duets. Additionally, Nancy Sinatra appeared in many movies and television shows during the 1960’s; and she sang the title theme song “You Only Live Twice” for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967). Frank Sinatra was in the midst of his comeback when “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” became a hit; and he and Nancy Sinatra had a major hit with “Something Stupid” in 1967, the only father-daughter duet ever to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Sugar is Nancy Sinatra’s fifth album and features a beautiful hit song “Sugar Town”, Nancy Sinatra’s second million-selling hit; “Something Stupid” was her third million-seller. The remainder of Sugar includes several other Lee Hazelwood songs and departs from the template of her other albums by including pop standards like “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)”, “What’ll I Do”, and “Button up Your Overcoat”, instead of contemporary hit songs. Nancy Sinatra has continued to record and perform into the 2020’s.