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There's a video version of "Bang Bang", sung by Nancy Sinatra. She sings the song while lying/sitting on stage. At the end, she rolls off the stage.

It looks like it may have been for a live-in-studio pop/rock show.

What was the reason for her rolling off the stage? It's very awkward and detracts from the otherwise serene and seductive nature of the song. Did she ever discuss it in an interview?

Note: updated video link to an active version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKDSFYvxKU

Update: It's possible this performance is from 1966, and from "Frank Sinatra’s special A Man And His Music, Part II".

During the 1966 broadcast of Frank Sinatra’s special A Man And His Music, Part II, later issued to VHS and DVD, Nancy Sinatra gathered her wits and launched into a even-keeled, brittle and truly remarkable performance. Her voice goes down smooth, as you’d come to expect from her by then, and backed only with Strange’s measured but loose guitar playing, “Bang Bang” emerges as the timeless classic it was always meant to become.

Source: https://bsidesbadlands.com/nancy-sinatra-bang-bang-my-baby-shot-me-down-throwback-thursday/

(The video link in that source is the original link I posted here, now dead.)

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  • As she sings sitting down and the edge of the stage is just a few steps away, it's just an easy way to go off stage...
    – Bebs
    May 2, 2017 at 7:10
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    Because she's playing dead? (cannot see the video) Jun 4, 2017 at 2:08
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    If the incident was not reported in any news media, then I would agree with the vote to close. @Tim, do you know the year/month of the video or the source ?
    – Angst
    Jan 4, 2020 at 22:10
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    @Angst Sinatra put her cover of the song on her 1966 album How Does That Grab You? This video would be from 1966 or 1967, and probably on one of the live entertainment shows popular at the time. But I can't seem to find information on this particular performance.
    – Tim
    Jan 9, 2020 at 22:21

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She wears a tight mini skirt and sings the song sitting/reclining on a podium. It's hard to imagine how she could stand up and step off the podium elegantly. Rolling is probably the least inelegant way of getting off and fits the theme of the song ("he shot me down") best. I'm surprised that the director didn't think to just cut the shot at the end of the song, or have her play dead and then cut.

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