Brother Louis could easily carry the show all by himself, but sweet Keely was the icing on the already excellent cake! They sure made one hell of a team!
What immaculate timing - great fun - the Witnesses amazingly tight - musical professionalism of the highest order. And great entertainment. I love 'em.
I’ve been having a ball doing some of these routines for fifteen years with my own band, in hotels and nightclubs around europe, and every time I hear Louis and Keely, I learn something new. They were at the top of their game for a good long while!
can you believe i am a 23 year old black male from Detroit i might add and i love this mans music. Louis Prima is one of the best, if not thee best jazz players of all time. and alotta my elders wonder why i don't likr jazz or bigband....cuz its not like it was back N the 50' and 60's. now all i can find is elevator music lmfao
I can just imagine what it was like to see this act at The Desert Inn. Then after their show you see Sinatra at The Sands, maybe go see Stan Kenton at The Tropicana.....Bobby Darin at The Flamingo. I can go on and on. There is NOBODY out there today that is a MUST SEE
Saw them as a kid on v of course. I use to think they were great. I loved their music and thought Keely Smith was so beautiful. I knew she was American Indian. I love to watch the videos. THANK YOU
Keely Smith and Louis Prima were a brilliant team. These years they had together was not only a stage act but a love match as they loved each other deeply. As I quickly came to realise Louis couldn't capture what he had on stage had recordings with Keely. Only Keely Smith had that spark, that magnimertism no one else possessed. I adored the years they were together. R I P Keely Smith and Louis Prima.
AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THESE COMMENTS - they were over the top and I wish somehow time could have stood still - cause they would be just as popular w a younger audience TODAY! AMAZING TALENT - individually (Keely sang THE BEST & STILL WAS LAST I SAW HER) I am too young to have known them back then - but Keely and Sam (sax) did great shows opposite my hub. Thankful I saw these and knew them!!! Cool people commenting - MOST of them - and I am lovin hip appreciation - they were what we love in retro now!!!
@tweezee Thats awesome. I'm glad to hear that and thanks for not being afraid to be honest. It seems alot of people are afraid to admit that they like certain things because they follow what the media tells them to and are scared of being laughed. I wanna hear this type of real, raw energy in music come back vs. this robot sounding vocals overtop of "bum-cha, Bum-cha, Bum-cha" beats. Spread your love of this music to those that are missing out on it, Grazie --P of NJ
My wife & I were in Las Vegas in the early 1990's,wandered into a casino to see Micky Rooney & noticed a pix of Garth Brooks on wall of showroom entrance. I mentioned that Garth had performed at our KC Opry in 1989,& the folks there thought we were high rollers(we were broke),anyway gave us free meals,told us stories about when Howard hughes bought & lived in Hotel & gave us free tix to Keely Smith.w/Sam Butera & band.WOW!!! Best show I ever saw.Wish Louis was alive then.Can't even imagine
@@dm8553 He cheated on her several times and she eventually sued him for divorce. Her resentment and mockery of him was real and she wouldn't stop doing it, so they incorporated it into the act for laughs.
I remember listening to Keely in the late sixties and I've always thought what a beautiful voice! I've only just found these links about her - so thanks to denteITV2 and others for uploading the tracks
Brilliant just brilliant their timing off of each other is so natural and unrehearsed and what Keely Smith brings to her performance is light years ahead of its time
Keely imitating Louis jumpin and jivin was hilarious. The band always seemed to be enjoying watching them perform. Probably my favorite song, Hey Girl Hey Boy was the title of the movie they starred in. Also, Keely co-starred with Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road in 1957.
I've remember them from when I was a little kid in the 50's when they'd appear on TV - a favorite of my parents. Didn't realize until just now how much at least on this number he riffs like the other Louis and she has a sound a little like Ella. This was a time when the acts really cared about their audiences having a good time. So sorry to hear she passed away.
what a gas....one of a kind....not to be repeated...love these people. my parents loved 'em. they were much more than a novelty act, theirs' was true musicianship.
Too much LOL Can't get through a 10 second stretch without laughing! Beauty and the beast, what a pair those two were, such talent. Great upload, thanks :)
I know it was part of the act but I doubt most any other performer could have managed to sing the song totally straight during the first part without cracking up as Keely Smith did. This is one of the greatest (funniest and joyful) musical groups in all of show business history and it is sad that they are gone and there is nobody even close to this kind of talent these days.
I think that would be because the radio stations in Detroit that play jazz play what I call jazz lite - not this bouncy music that makes you want to dance regardless of your blood alcohol level (meaning most of today's music requires a few drinks before I feel like dancing to it) Aren't you glad we have the internet?
@TheChicagogodfather my grandmother is from Piazza Amerina,Sicily. My grandfather from Naples. They met in America. I remember the big Italian weddings and holidays when every relative came over and the great food. I kinda' miss that... my grandparents were Italian Americans, my parents were American Italians and I'm American...
Louis was the guy who directed the act; Keely was easy to direct in my opinion. she said years later she didn't know where or when Louis began to break away, at least to her remembering. He began to drink, smoke and took on other women. She finally filed for divorce. Louis was not a kind man in having a bitter feeling towards her for divorcing him. In some ways Louis was not a faithful fella. Kelly did say she thought he just couldn't help himself. Shame. I think his ability to put the relationship first was third in his priorities. They were great together.
Hahahaha I can't believe how awesome this is XDXDXD They're messing around and it sounds AMAZING !!!!!! I wish I saw that live XD I would have died of laughter XD That's seriously amazing ... I wish music like that existed today :( Thank you for uploading this :)
@TheChicagogodfather Do you speak Italian at all? Parli italiano? When I was a kid they sent me to visit the relatives back in Napoli. It was great I wish I could do that again...
