“It’s perfect for me”: the Frank Sinatra song Rod Stewart wanted for himself
I find Rod Stewart to be one of the most frustrating artists in all of music because of how good his voice is.
There is no doubting that Stewart had one of the most unique and captivating voices in rock and roll. Even in an era where the grand power of Robert Plant and Freddie Mercury reigned supreme, Stewart still had the ability to capture an audience with his raspy voice that was equal parts menacing and vulnerable.
Stewart’s strained vocal profile would have ordinarily made it a limited entity in the world of rock and roll. But strapped to the charming grin and mischievous disposition of Stewart and it became a playful tool perfect for sound that straddled blues, rock and soul.
It was celebrated in The Faces, charmed on his solo record Every Picture Tells A Story, and welcomed intimacy on A Night On The Town. But then, somewhere along the way, Stewart got lost in the ego-fuelled pursuit of artistic sexuality, and the charm swiftly developed into sleaze, with the musical decisions following in tow.
As the 1980s beckoned, Stewart opted for a misguided evolution and indulged in songs he simply shouldn’t have, allowing for the once elusive vocal rasp to become a caricature of a captivating rock star, sounding a little bit more Butlins red coat than Hollywood fur coat.
In 1977, he sparked the chain with ‘Hot Legs’ and followed it up with ‘D’Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ in 1978, which was quite simply the lowest ebb of his career. There comes a time in any successful artist’s career when they ask, ‘How far down the barrel can I go before the audience realises I am completely taking them for a ride?’, and ‘D’Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ was Stewart’s answer.
At this point, he had completely lost his way, and the musician I think Stewart could have been was simply a figment of my imagination. Nothing in his future hinted towards a triumphant comeback to form, not least his 2010 album Great American Songbook, which featured covers of classic 20th-century pop standards and jazz hits.
While it wasn’t the soulful rock that saw Stewart at his very best in the early days, its swing-like composition had an inherent level of charm that did indeed suit the charisma of Stewart. It was undoubtedly a passion project, sparked by the musician’s love for old-school American and one song in particular that he always thought was perfect for his voice.
“I suddenly had a spasm in the middle of the night, and I thought – God, we haven’t done ‘I Get a Kick Out Of You’ and it’s perfect for me,” he recalled.
The track was one of many Sinatra covers that Stewart performed on the record, displaying his undeniable love for the legendary crooner. And yes, there are elements of Sinatra’s voice that shaped the early style of Stewart’s discography, but where he was a truly great artist in those days was his ability to adapt that into something more individual. A humble cover nearly half a century later isn’t the compliment he might think it is, and just serves as an injustice to his own brilliance.
