On this day (January 28th) 1964 in Los Angeles Frank cut 5 of the tracks for the Academy Award Winners disc:

It Might As Well Be Spring
Secret Love
Moon River
Days of Wine & Roses
Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing

Secret Love and Love Is.... find Frank in bel canto voice (the latter is a song that Francis turned down when it was offered to him). It Might As Well be Spring is delivered with a winning wistful charm. The two beauties, to my ears, are Moon River and Days of Wine and Roses. Moon River is rendered with a wit and care that lingers on the beautiful Mercer lyrics in a way that is unmatched in other interpretations of the song. Days of Wine & Roses is delivered as a tight swinger in a too neglected Riddle arrangement. The FS vocal here is a joy - reinventing the broody sentiments of the song into the insouciant wisdom of the bruised troubador.
This, then, was Frank's gift to the world on this day 41 years ago.

[MAP 55]

....Nelson Riddle ?

All five arrangements were, indubitably, scored by Nelson Riddle. Costa did the chart for an earlier outing of 'It Might As Well be Spring' for the Sinatra & Strings disc (recorded November 21st 1961).

-Vance

Nels it was and a great album it is... Done in conjunction with Sinatra's appearance as host of that year's ACADEMY AWARDS ceremonies in Hollywood.

Those were the days,

Holmes

Those were the days

My friend, we thought they'd never end. . . . .

Amen, TTT! Not only is this a memorable day for FAS, but also for AL, as his venture went well into the city!

Hugs,

Lux

60 years ago today in Hollywood Francis recorded the following songs arranged by Axel Stordahl:

My Melancholy Baby
Where or When
All The Things You Are
Mighty Lak' A Rose

.....and what a marvellous job the tender young baritone did, even though tune number 4 was never likely to make its way into the pantheon of the great American songbook.

-Vance

The beginning of a very good year. Sinatra was in top form and recorded 40 songs in 1945. Joe..

Always one of my favorite Sinatra albums, I love "Secret Love" by Frank, in fact, I think I'll play it now to start my day.. Joe.

My apologies folks - the thread should have had today's date - January 29th - which is the date that the songs were recorded, of course.

-V