Frank sinatra in Pop Vocal Music

"The Very Best of Frank Sinatra" (06/10/1997) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, ReprisePersonnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Nancy Sinatra, Count Basie and His Orchestra. Includes liner notes by Stephan Holden and Mo Ostin. Personnel: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Joao Palma (drums). Liner Note Author: Stephen Holden. Recording information: Hollywood, CA (12/19/1960-09/19/1979); Los Angeles, CA (12/19/1960-09/19/1979). Photographer: Ed Thrasher. Arrangers: Deodato; Don Costa; Ernie Freeman; Gordon Jenkins; Johnny Mandel; Neal Hefti; Nelson Riddle; Quincy Jones; Billy May; Billy Strange. The Very Best of Frank Sinatra is a simple double-disc collection of 40 Sinatra classics from his Reprise Recordings. For casual fans wanting something more than the single-disc The Very Good Years but don't want the four-disc The Reprise Collection, The Very Best of Frank Sinatra is ideal, since it contains all of the true essentials he recorded during the '60s and '70s, including "Summer Wind," "Strangers in the Night," "My Way," "It Was a Very Good Year," and "Theme From New York, New York." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

"God's Country" (10/06/2003) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Sony Music Distribution (USA)Recording information: 01/29/1945-01/12/1950. Arrangers: Axel Stordahl; Alec Wilder. This unusual Frank Sinatra compilation of patriotic songs, sentimental ballads, and gospel music was recorded during the 1940s at the start of the singer's career. Though he was later to become best known for his sophisticated, man-of-the-world persona, here Sinatra convincingly interprets songs like the gospel standard "Jesus Is a Rock in the Weary Land," and the classic anthems "America the Beautiful" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." Always the consummate professional, he sounds as sincere and compelling singing these uncharacteristic songs as when he's performing more typical material like "I've Got You Under My Skin" or "Come Fly With Me."

"Duets/Duets II 90th Birthday Limited Collector's Edition [Box] [Limited]" (11/22/2005) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Capitol/EMI RecordsDUETS AND DUETS II contains a one-hour bonus CD, "Frank Sinatra Duets/The Radio Special." Personnel includes: Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Julio Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Charles Aznavour, Carly Simon, Liza Minnelli, Anita Baker, Bono, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Luis Miguel, Patti Labelle, Jon Secada, Linda Ronstadt, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chrissie Hynde, Willie Nelson, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, Lena Horne, Jimmy Buffett, Lorrie Morgan, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Neil Diamond (vocals); Kenny G (soprano saxophone). Personnel: Paul Viapiano, Ron Anthony (guitar); Michael Melvoin (piano); Chuck Berghofer, Dave Stone (bass instrument); Gregg Field, Jeff Hamilton (drums); Chrissie Hynde, Eydie Gorme, Gloria Estefan, Jimmy Buffett, Jon Secada, Kenny G, Lena Horne, Liza Minnelli, Lorrie Morgan, Luis Miguel, Luther Vandross, Neil Diamond, Patti LaBelle, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Julio Iglesias, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gladys Knight, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Barbra Streisand, Bono , Wille Nelson, Carly Simon, Charles Aznavour. During the 1970s and '80s, Frank Sinatra was so disheartened by the state of pop music and by the deterioration of his voice that he kept canceling album projects and recording sessions. This is a real shame because much of his best material from this same period has turned out to be from the very sessions that he quickly abandoned. This continued on until the early '90s, when Sinatra's wife Barbara persuaded him to record these two duets albums. She wanted to get him energized about his career again and she wanted to have a piece of his recorded legacy to call her own (royalties from Sinatra's Capitol Recordings go to charity, royalties from his Reprise recordings go to his children, while the ones from both of these duets albums mainly go to Barbara). Both of these albums were huge successes and have actually outsold most of his original releases. The only problem is that they shouldn't have been made in the first place. While neither disc is terrible, they are pretty bad when held against most of Sinatra's considerable back catalog. This matter only gets worse when all of the songs heard here are famous Sinatra standards done in the same tempos that everybody knows. So, not only is the 78-year-old Sinatra competing against his younger self, he's also competing against the exact versions of songs that he cut in his prime. This two-disc set is really aimed as a gift purchase during the holidays. If you really want to pick up some Frank Sinatra you'd be better served by getting a two-disc overview of his Capitol or Reprise years than this set. ~ Nick Dedina Capitol repackaged and re-released Frank Sinatra's Duets/Duets II as a slipcased box set to coincide with the singer's 90th birthday. It's not a bad way to acquire the albums if you don't already own them, and it does include one bonus track "My Way" with Willie Nelson, making this version of marginal interest to hardcore collectors. ~ Al Campbell

"Come Swing with Me! [Remaster]" (01/08/2002) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Capitol/EMI RecordsPersonnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Billy May, Nelson Riddle, Skip Martin (arranger, conductor); Heinie Beau (arranger). Recorded between December 8, 1953 and March 6, 1962. Includes liner notes by Pete Welding. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Capitol Records "Entertainer Of The Century" series. The third Sinatra-Billy May album recorded for Capitol continues in the effortlessly swinging vein of its predecessors, COME FLY WITH ME and COME DANCE WITH ME. This period of Sinatra's recording career found him in a particularly nostalgic mood, as he was simultaneously working on I REMEMBER TOMMY, a look back at his days with the Dorsey band. The selections here also hark back to that time, though a bit less specifically. Featured are Sinatra's modernized swing takes on tunes like "Yes, Indeed" and "I've Heard That Song Before," Big Band classics associated respectively with former Sinatra bosses Dorsey and Harry James.

"The Best of the Columbia Years: 1943-1952 [Box]" (06/02/1998) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Legacy RecordingsTHE BEST OF THE COLUMBIA YEARS: 1943-1952 includes several recordings that are previously only available on FRANK SINATRA: THE COLUMBIA YEARS--THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS BOX SET. Personnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Harry James (conductor, trumpet); Axel Stordahl, Mitchell Ayres, Mitch Miller, Percy Faith, Hugo Winterhalter, George Siravo, Jeff Alexander (conductor); Bob Ahern (guitar); Felix Slatkin (violin); Arthur Baker (clarinet); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Herbert Haymer (saxophone); Yank Lawson, Charlie Shavers, Bobby Hackett, Billy Butterfield (trumpet); Will Bradley, Lawrence Brown (trombone); Dave Mann, Nat Cole (piano); Eddie Safransky (bass); Buddy Rich (drums); Bobby Tucker Singers, Ken Lane Singers, Dinah Shore, Jeff Alexander Choir, Doris Day, The Pastels, The Whippoorwills, Ray Charles Singers. Tony Mottola Trio: Tony Mottola (guitar); John Guarnieri (piano); Herman Albert (bass). Includes liner notes by Nancy Sinatra, Daniel Okrent, Roy Hemming, Will Friedwald, Charles Granata. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Essentially a distillation of the mammoth complete Columbia box, this four-disc set still allows ample room for Sinatra's Columbia legacy to be showcased. Like the complete set, this box contains previously unissued songs and alternate takes that are pure gold to Sinatra diehards. The collection is further distinguished by a breathtakingly comprehensive history and technical breakdown of these recordings. Though there are several light-hearted numbers on the order of the previously unreleased "Meet Me At The Copa," or the evergreen "That Old Black Magic," the focus here is on ballads. When it came to love songs, Sinatra was able to play both sides of the fence. He could be the enchanter, spinning a sonic web around his objet d'amour, as on "Body And Soul," or the romantic ne'er-do-well hanging his tears out to dry on the transcendent "A Ghost Of A Chance." Occasionally, he ran a more complex gambit, playing both roles at the same time for maximum efficiency. The luxurious sound of Sinatra's voice meshes with the graceful elegance of the arrangements on these tunes to create pure pop nirvana.

"The Voice" (03/03/1999) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Classic RecordsPersonnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Axel Stordahl, George Siravo (conductor); George Van Epps, Matty Golizio, David Barbour, Allan Reuss (guitar); David Frisina, Mischa Russell, Raoul Polikian, Leonard Posner, Fred Buldrini, Mac Ceppos, Sid Harris, Maurice Hershaft, Harry Katzman, Silvan Kirsner, Leo Kruczek, Felix Orlewitz, Merle Pitt, Zelly Smirnoff, Harry Urbont, Jack Zyde (violin); Samuel Freed , Jr., Sidney Brecher, Soloman Deutch, Harold Furmansky, Allan Harshman, David Sterkin, Garry White (viola); Mitch Miller (oboe); Harold Lawson, Don Logiudice, Babe Russin, Leonard Hartman (saxophone); John Ryan, Frank Siravo, Herman Alpert, Philip Stevens, Arthur Shapiro (bass); Nat Polen, Noris Shawker, Johnny Blowers (drums). Originally released on Columbia (743). Master Sound releases are 24-karat gold CDs remastered from first-generation masters. This process utilizes 20-bit technology and Sony's "Super Bit Mapping" system. Personnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Axel Stordahl, George Siravo (conductor); George Van Epps, Matty Golizio, David Barbour, Allan Reuss (guitar); David Frisina, Mischa Russell, Raoul Polikian, Leonard Posner, Fred Buldrini, Mac Ceppos, Sid Harris, Maurice Hershaft, Harry Katzman, Silvan Kirsner, Leo Kruczek, Felix Orlewitz, Merle Pitt, Zelly Smirnoff, Harry Urbont, Jack Zyde (violin); Samuel Freed , Jr., Sidney Brecher, Soloman Deutch, Harold Furmansky, Allan Harshman, David Sterkin, Garry White (viola); Mitch Miller (oboe); Harold Lawson, Don Logiudice, Babe Russin, Leonard Hartman (saxophone); John Ryan, Frank Siravo, Herman Alpert, Philip Stevens, Arthur Shapiro (bass); Nat Polen, Noris Shawker, Johnny Blowers (drums). Recorded between 1945 & 1950. Originally released on Columbia (743). Most of the Sinatra recordings available during the 1950s consisted of his contemporary work for Capitol Records. But every so often his former label, Columbia Records, would get something together on LP from among his '40s and early-'50s sides. The Voice was one of a handful of '50s long-players showcasing the first phase of Sinatra's solo career, and at the time it wowed listeners -- the focus is on the ballads, and the dozen represented here constitute a bumper crop of classics, all resplendent in the singer's richest, most overpowering intonation and most delicately nuanced work. The sensibilities, from the lushly seductive "Laura" to the gently self-satisfied "(I Got a Woman Crazy for Me) She's Funny That Way," show off a huge emotional range, and the latter song may be the highlight of the album, displaying a soft yet smugly confident brand of machismo, all of it drenched in Axel Stordahl's overflowing string arrangements, yet quietly bold in its emotional content. It's that stretch of subtexts that, coupled with the beauty of Sinatra's instrument and Stordahl's arrangements, make the singer's Columbia material so striking to hear -- his subsequent work on Capitol and Reprise would be defined differently, and usually more directly, along with the texture and range of his singing. The Columbia material tended to get neglected, both in the marketplace and most listeners' minds, as his career extended across the decades, but hearing The Voice anew is a reminder of just how overpowering Sinatra's sound could be, even in the early phase of his solo work. This album -- which was actually a re-editing (and something of a corruption) of his 78 rpm album The Voice of Frank Sinatra -- was a huge seller at the time of its release in 1955, and it's a sign of just how large it loomed in Columbia's history that it was among the earliest releases selected for inclusion in Sony Music's audiophile-oriented Mastersound CD series of the early '90s, deluxe packaging, gold CD and all. ~ Bruce Eder

"In the Wee Small Hours [Remaster]" (05/26/1998) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Capitol Records (USA)Originally issued on CD without the song "Last Night When We Were Young." Personnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Nelson Riddle (arranger). Includes liner notes by Pete Welding. Digitally remastered by Larry Walsh (Capitol Recording Studios). Personnel: Frank Sinatra (vocals). Audio Remasterers: Larry Walsh; Bob Norberg. Liner Note Author: Pete Welding. Recording information: 03/01/1954-03/04/1955. Photographer: William Claxton. Arranger: Nelson Riddle. Recorded in 1955, this superbly arranged and sung set of slow ballads can lay claim to being the world's first "concept album." Of course, in classical music, song cycles had been around since Schubert, but a whole set of pop tunes arranged around a central theme or mood was something new in popular music. With the advent of the LP in 1953, commercial pop music was beginning to take itself seriously. As to be expected, Frank Sinatra did it first and best. Sinatra is in utter command of this material--vocally relaxed yet focused on conveying what these hand-picked "torch" songs still have to say to the modern listener. Throughout he projects his signature manly vulnerability without seeming maudlin or even sentimental. The singer is helped immeasurably in this task by Nelson Riddle's deftly scored chamber arrangements which include brilliant use of celeste and guitar on several tracks (cf. Alec Wilder's "I'll Be Around", Kay Swift's "Can't We Be Friends".) A must for any listener even remotely interested in the Great American Songbook.

"No One Cares [Remaster]" (01/08/2002) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Capitol/EMI RecordsPersonnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Gordon Jenkins, Nelson Riddle (arranger, conductor). Recorded between 1953 and 1959. Includes liner notes by Pete Welding. This is part of Capitol Records "Entertainer Of The Century" series. Personnel: Frank Sinatra (vocals). Liner Note Author: Pete Welding. Unknown Contributor Role: Larry Walsh. Arranger: Gordon Jenkins. This 1959 recording stands with ONLY THE LONELY and IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS as one of Sinatra's premier albums of "saloon songs"--those songs in which he takes the role of the jilted lover drowning his sorrows in drink and telling his sad story to anyone who'll listen (most likely the bartender, as in ONLY THE LONELY's "One For My Baby"). When it comes to elegant displays of heartsick despair, latter-day crooners like Chris Isaak can't hold a candle to the old master. Sinatra inhabits these songs so convincingly it's hard to believe his real life was the lurid, Hefneresque tale that it actually was. On chestnuts like "Stormy Weather" and "I'll Never Smile Again," his is the voice of a man bereft of love and unable to vanquish his obsessions. On the gorgeous ballad "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You," he doesn't even get that far; his character can't even escape the wall of self-doubt that renders his romantic aspirations futile. Gordon Jenkins's orchestrations complement Sinatra's brokenhearted plaints perfectly throughout the proceedings.

"Where Are You? [Remaster]" (01/08/2002) Pop Vocal Sinatra, Frank, Capitol/EMI RecordsPersonnel includes: Frank Sinatra (vocals); Gordon Jenkins, Nelson Riddle (arranger, conductor). Recorded between April and May 1957. Includes liner notes by Pete Welding. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Capitol Records "Entertainer Of The Century" series. Personnel: Frank Sinatra (vocals). Liner Note Author: Pete Welding. Arrangers: Gordon Jenkins; Nelson Riddle. This 1957 recording marks Sinatra's first collaboration with arranger Gordon Jenkins. Jenkins was an innovator whose sympathetic orchestrations for Sinatra, second only to those of Nelson Riddle, would mark a bright period in the singer's long, celestial career. Besides his phenomenal vocal abilities, one of the things that set Sinatra apart from his contemporaries was his conceptual vision. He was one of the first pop singers to release albums that were thematically connected groups of songs, rather than just a haphazard collection of singles (take that, SGT. PEPPER!). The material Sinatra chose for WHERE ARE YOU reflects a mood of wistful regret and romantic longing, a mood the Chairman could mine more effectively than anybody this side of Mark Eitzel. The unadulterated sadness of "Lonely Town" is as beautiful as it is unrelenting. Sinatra sings like a man painted into an emotional corner, powerless to change his predicament, and condemned to watch life and love blossom all around him while he remains isolated. "I'm A Fool To Want You" finds him examining the futility of his desires, backed by an unforgettable minor-key melody and a subtle, ghostly string arrangement. And that's not even mentioning the four bonus tracks.