Steve and Eydie counseled Frank that maybe that wasn't the intended Bono.

Which makes it somewhat ironic that our Bono is to meet Frank Sinatra outside his wife Barbara Sinatra's Children's Clinic near Palm Springs, California—the city that elected Sonny Bono, former member of "& Cher," mayor. Mrs. Sinatra's clinic is next to Betty Ford's. Hey— if the wife of an appointed, two-year president of the U.S. should have her own hospital, why should the wife of "the most extraordinary career in the history of popular culture" have less?

Bono has arrived in the California desert to meet up with Sinatra to make the video for "I've Got You Under My Skin." After Martin Scorsese dropped out a number of names of great filmmakers was bandied about. It was decided that characters such as Robert Altman and Wim Wenders might send Frank right out the door. God knew what they'd get if they asked Coppola—and might Frank be offended by the Godfather association? I lobbied hard for Clint Eastwood, but I don't think Bono was ever convinced. Finally afraid that they were loading too much weight onto this fragile alliance, Bono asked Kevin Godley to come out and do it. At least with Kevin they have a relation­ship and he won't be bringing any ego games of his own to the summit.

Just before Bono left Ireland, Principle got a fax from EMI Japan congratulating the singer on recording a duet with Mr. Frank Sinotta of "I've Got You Under My Chicken."

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sinatra arrive and bid Bono welcome. Barbara is wearing a red dress, which inspires Frank to declare, "Barbara! You look like a blood clot!" It's a standard Sinatra line, I've heard him use it onstage with Shirley MacLaine, but Bono and company laugh loudly.

Frank and Bono climb into the back of a limo and head down the highway, the film crew across from them getting shots of the two swingers hanging out in style. Sinatra, the total pro, tells Bono to open the car window to improve the lighting of the shot. They cruise along through Rancho Mirage, Sinatra telling Dean Martin stories, while the cameras whirl.

Bono knows that Sinatra's not going to lip-synch ("Frank doesn't know how to mime and his attitude is, he ain't learning now"), so the plan is to film Bono and Blue Eyes hanging out in a saloon, talking like a rather and son. One of Frank's pals has a bar nearby, and that's where they re heading. Godley will shoot the two greeting each other at the

[398]

door, ordering drinks, and having a heart to heart while "I've Got You Under My Skin" swings along beneath them.

They arrive at the bar, shake hands with a few people, and start filming. First take they come in, sit down, Bono gives Frank a first edition of a Yeats anthology, saying "I know you like a great lyric," and a bottle of Irish whiskey. Frank smiles. He knows this joint well but it looks weird to him today; there are no other customers, and the lamps are all too bright (the video crew has replaced the bulbs with high-watt movie lights). The crew has been told to stay in the shadows, out of Sinatra's sight lines. A message is relayed from Godley, hidden in the kitchen watching on a monitor, for Bono and Frank to do another take —come in, exchange the gifts, pick up drinks. Bono sees that Frank is getting twitchy. He looks upset. "What are we doing?" Sinatra de­mands.

"We're doing another take, Frank."

"What do ya mean, another take? For what?"

"For the video."

"What video?"

"For the duet."

"What duet?"

Frank's losing it. Bono is getting spooked. Someone says, "Hey, Frank, let's get a picture." Anton comes forward out of a dark corner and shoots a photograph of the two of them. Frank is startled and furious. "Who's this?" he demands.

One of Sinatra's people tries to calm him down. He tells him it's a photo for the owner of the bar, Frank's pal, to hang on the wall. "That bum!" Frank snaps. "After all I've done for him.'" Frank seems disori­ented now. "I've gotta go. I got a plane! I've gotta go!"

⇐ Предыдущая105106107108109110111112113114Следующая ⇒

Поделиться: