Song stream: Nancy Sinatra's 'Holly Holy'

• %27Shifting Gears%27 is out Dec. 3
• The album features covers of Johnny Nash%2C Neil Diamond and Cole Porter tracks
• Sinatra is thrilled by her neighbor Adam Lambert%27s recent turn on %27Glee%27

Long before Miley Cyrus straddled a wrecking ball or Katy Perry shot whipped cream from her bra, Nancy Sinatra set hearts aflutter with the sultry video for her 1966 smash These Boots Are Made for Walkin', in which she slinks and shimmies for the camera in a pair of high-heeled go-go boots.

The chart-topping singer and daughter of Frank Sinatra returns to the spotlight next month with her first album in four years, Shifting Gears (out Dec. 3), a collection of classics with her own saucy spin.

"It's big and loud," says Sinatra, 73. "It's different for my fans because they're not used to this type of music from me, but I hope it will be a pleasant surprise."

Trading in the horn and rhythm sections for bold orchestral arrangements, Sinatra recorded the album's 15 tracks over several years on a shoestring budget. Featuring selections by Cole Porter, Rogers & Hammerstein and Johnny Nash, she was delighted to receive Neil Diamond's blessing to record his gospel-infused Holly Holy, which he heard her perform at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

After the show, "He said, 'When you get there, stay there,' and it took me a minute to understand what he was talking about," says Sinatra, referring to the song's crescendo and dramatic climax. "I had the good fortune to play (the song) again for Neil a while back and he gave his seal of approval."

When she's not promoting Shifting Gears, Sinatra is staying occupied with her still-unfinished Christmas and jazz albums, along with a HBO documentary about her father that's due out in 2015 (the 100th anniversary of the year he was born). In the meantime, she's preparing for a relatively quiet and hopefully relaxing holiday season spent with family. "My daughter AJ is cooking for Thanksgiving, so that's a good thing, I won't need to think about that," Sinatra says.

Recently, she's been taken with artists such as Mazzy Star and Avril Lavigne, and was also impressed by her next-door neighbor Adam Lambert's turn on Fox's Glee last week. "He's so talented, and a really nice guy," Sinatra says. "I think it stinks that he didn't win when he was on American Idol, but it doesn't matter. The proof of the pudding is that he's becoming very successful."

Although Sinatra fears she can sound like "a bit of a Pollyanna" sometimes, she is continually thrilled to introduce her work to a younger generation, whether that means Mad Men using her song (and James Bond theme) You Only Live Twice in its Season 5 finale, or Wilco inviting her to perform with them onstage during an August concert.

"It adds to whatever 'cool factor' I have and I appreciate that," Sinatra says. "You don't necessarily get the big bucks, but you reach a group of people that appreciate what you did and what you do now.

"I'm constantly surprised. And it's great fun, even at my age."

Holly Holy is now streaming at usatoday.com.