Saturday 9: Boots

Saturday 9: These Boots Were Made for Walkin' (1966)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

(I remember this from when I was a child. This song and the show The Mod Squad made me want a pair of go-go boots before I even knew what they were.)


1) In this song/video, Ms. Sinatra's boots make a serious fashion statement. Do you choose footwear for comfort or fashion?

A. Comfort. I would like to say I used to wear fashionable shoes but I never have. I was one of those children who went to the special store to buy Stride-Rite Mary Janes because I didn't have arches in my feet. Or at least not well-defined arches. I hated those shoes. However, because of bad feet and bad knees, I never got into fashionable shoes. I was once told when I worked at a law firm that I was passed over for a promotion because I didn't wear heels, only flats. "You're one of the best legal secretaries but you don't look the part," was the take-away from that particular interview. I left not long after.

2) This is by far the biggest hit of Nancy Sinatra's career, which includes 6 top ten hits. Can you name another?

A. Alas, Yorick, I cannot. I even looked them up and don't recognize any of the names.
 
3) Nancy recorded it on Reprise Records, which was founded by her father, Frank. Did your parents give you a leg up in your chosen career?

A. My mother always told me, "Sure, you can try to be a writer, but you better take business courses because you're going to end up as a secretary. There is no money in writing." I sort of proved her wrong - I made decent money writing for quite some time, as a freelancer.

4) Professionally Nancy has been involved in espionage, singing the theme to a James Bond movie and appearing in an episode of The Man from UNCLE. Do you enjoy spy/secret agent stories?

A. I like mysteries, sometimes. I enjoyed those shows with that older woman who fell into stories, the name of which I cannot remember now, it was a long time ago and she had red hair. Darn, I hate when I lose my recall. Jessica Fletcher? Was that it? Murder She Wrote! (Yes, I googled it.) But I don't like shows with a lot of gun violence and/or blood.

5) Nancy maintains the official Sinatra family website, which includes a link to the site of Mia Farrow. Ms. Farrow was, briefly, Nancy's stepmother, and obviously they are still on good terms. Do you have a big, extended family?

A. I suppose I do. I know many of my cousins. I embrace anyone with a family connection, even it goes back to the 1800s. In fact, my husband and I are 5th cousins. But mostly this is on my mother's side; my father's family all live in another state. My immediate family consisted of four people (mom, dad, brother, me), but my mother had 5 siblings. I knew my grandparents and great aunts and uncles. One of my great-great aunts died a few years ago at the age of 107. And my father's mother is still alive, though in California. She is 96.

6) Nancy's music -- and posters -- were very popular with the troops during the Vietnam War. Nancy continues to return their loyalty and affection with her efforts on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Here's your chance to promote a cause that's near and dear to your heart. What charity gets your support?

A. I give to local historic societies and arts groups, The American Cancer Association, the cemetery where my mother is buried, and the local homeless shelter.

7) Nancy hosts a Sirius radio show devoted to her father's music. Do you have a subscription to a satellite radio or podcast network?

A. I'm afraid not. Well, I listen to Amazon music and Pandora. Does that count?

8) Nancy has said that she and her sister Tina had a more comfortable relationship with their famous father than their late brother, Frank, Jr., did. Do you think it's easier for mothers to get along with their sons, while fathers have an easier time with their daughters?

A. That has not been my experience, and I have no further comment on that topic.

9) Random question: Tonight's dinner is on us. Would you prefer to eat at a casual restaurant with exceptional food, or an exclusive restaurant with so-so food but a celebrity clientele?

A. Oh, the causal restaurant with exceptional food, please, with all of the Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealer players filling the tables. We'd have great fun. And I could wear my sneakers and not worry about my feet.

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