[Nancy]

I really LOVE this thread!

Your approval and encouragement makes it worthwhile!

[davidoro]

I'm really enjoying this. When did he do "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink" on the Close To You album? His voice is just beautiful on that one. This one is sentimental to me as it reminds me of my Mom.
David.

There would be one final session to complete the Close To You album, for "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night," "It's Easy To Remember," and the title song. However, that wouldn't happen until November.

In fact, this thread will become dormant for quite a while soon, because no recordings were done from May through September. During the spring and summer of 1956, I believe FS was occupied with TV and film work (High Society, Johnny Concho, Meet Me In Las Vegas), as well as performances at the Sands in Vegas, and political efforts in support of Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson's second failed presidential bid against Eisenhower in the fall.

Trivial thought: I wonder if the Capitol Tower had air conditioning at this early date?

[Canela]

Having been a fan for so many years...I find this thread absolutely wonderful and so informative....its great to go back in time and learn how this beautiful music came to be!
And I thank you..for giving us this information...Its my favorite read on the Forum....Thank you!
Elba

Thank you, Elba.

It is fascinating to go back in time, especially for those of us who may have been around ('tho very young) and have some recollection of historical events during the times these recordings were made. (I mentioned the Eisenhower vs. Stevenson campaigns of 1956 in my last post, which is the first US presidential election which I personally recall.)

I'm sure it needs no promotion on this site, but I would remind all that Nancy's book, Frank Sinatra: An American Legend, offers an excellent and authoritative chronological narrative. It does not go into the detailed song-related information I've provided, but it makes for some interesting reading to accompany this thread. (The link is always available on the Forum News page.)

Also (since I was recently accused of not revealing my "sources"), I should mention that most of these recording session details come from the excellent reference, Put Your Dreams Away: A Frank Sinatra Discography (Greenwood Press: 2000; 620 pages), compiled by Brazilian researcher Luiz Carlos do Nascimento Silva from the original studio session sheets.

I notice that our resident historian, Bernhard Vogel (bvo35), has been absent of late. I hope he has a chance to "weigh in" here at some point, since I believe he has copies of the original session documentation also.

Bob in Boston

[MMM]

Originally posted by Bob in Boston
By virtue of its having been recorded at MGM, that album, to be released in June, was the first STEREO LP containing Sinatra vocals. However, because Capitol did not adopt stereo technology until the following year, this one mono track was issued in "pseudo" rechanneled stereo.

Bob, they couldn't issue a stereo LP of High Society in 1956 since they didn't exist yet - they would in a couple of years though. However, the High Society soundtrack didn't come out on a stereo LP until around 1960. I'm not sure if there was a reel-to-reel tape of this album, and if so, if it came out before the stereo LP. It could have...

Echoing the others, I love this thread too...

Martin: The release date for the soundtrack LP of High Society was June 1956. (I've never found the exact day of month.) I presume this was the mono-only issue (Capitol #W750). Do you have any idea of the release date for the stereo LP version (#SW750)?

I know that—when Where Are You? was released in September 1957—it was mono only. That was Sinatra's first complete concept album recorded in stereo, but the stereo issue did not appear until a year-and-a-half later (February 1959)!

I remember those days when stereo LPs first came on the market. There was a fair amount of consumer inertia before the product took hold. For my thirteenth birthday (November 1960), I received a gift of a 4-track reel-to-reel stereo tape recorder. It came with a stereo demonstration tape which included a Count Basie/Neal Hefti album. My Dad and I were absolutely bowled over by the stereo sound. I used to listen to that Basie tape for hours on end.

[Added:] I see that you added to your message while I was typing, and answered my question with the "around 1960" date. Thanks for the kind comments, Martin.

[MMM]

I'd guess that the stereo High Society LP was released sometime in 1960-61, judging by the CAPITOL FULL DIMENSIONAL STEREO banner (and it's "look") on the cover.

On this date fifty years ago, Frank Sinatra recorded several new songs at a night session (9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.) in the Capitol Tower in Hollywood. These were all intended for release as singles (although one made it onto a concept album). Arrangements were by Nelson Riddle, who conducted the orchestra.


Something Wonderful Happens In Summer
(Music by Joe Bushkin; lyrics by Johnny DeVries)

This attempt at a new ballad by the 1940's songwriting team (of "Oh! Look At Me Now" fame) was unreleased. It would be re-recorded for use as a single the following year (May 20, 1957).


Five Hundred Guys - Take 14
(Written by Ira Kosloff and Don Canton)
With a vocal chorus

This obscure B-side single reached #73 and lasted only three weeks on the Billboard chart. It was first issued on LP in the 1973 Longines Symphonette mail-order collection, Sinatra Like Never Before. On CD, it is available only in The Complete Capitol Singles Collection.


Hey! Jealous Lover - Take 6
(Music by Kay Twomey and Bea Walker; lyrics by Sammy Cahn)
With a vocal chorus

This would be a big hit for Sinatra upon its release in October, reaching #6 and remaining for 19 weeks on the Billboard singles chart. It was subsequently issued on the 1958 compilation LP, This Is Sinatra, Volume Two. The song appears today on a number of CD compilations, notably The Capitol Collector's Series, which includes some unedited studio session "chatter." It can also be found on The Capitol Years, Sinatra 80th: All The Best, and The Complete Capitol Singles Collection.


No One Ever Tells You
(Music by Hub Atwood; lyrics by Carroll Coates)
Features baritone sax by Chuck Gentry

This song wound up on the following year's concept album, A Swingin' Affair, where it replaced "The Lady Is A Tramp" (when "Tramp" was bumped for inclusion on the Pal Joey soundtrack LP.) This was also issued as a B-side single in late 1958, which makes it somewhat noteworthy as one of the few Capitol concept album songs to be released as a separate single. (It was the only such song before 1960's "Nice 'N' Easy" was inserted as the title song on its album.) On CD, this appears on both the reissue of A Swingin' Affair and The Complete Capitol Singles Collection.


Musicians on this session: Ray Linn, Mannie Klein, Clarence "Shorty" Sherock, Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet); Jimmy Priddy, Milt Bernhart, Ed Kusby (trombone); George Roberts (bass trombone); Willie Schwartz, Harry Klee (alto sax); Warren "Champ" Webb, Babe Russin (tenor sax); Chuck Gentry (baritone sax); Felix Slatkin, Paul Shure, Mischa Russell, Harry Bluestone, Henry Hill, Marshall Sosson, Arnold Belnick, Alex Beller, Victor Bay (violin); Alvin Dinkin, Maxine Johnson (viola); Eleanor Slatkin, Cy Bernard, Ennio Belognini (cello); Helen Hutchinson (harp); Bill Miller (piano); George Van Eps (guitar); Joe Comfort (bass); Alvin Stoller (drums); Marilyn Lewis, Alicia Adams, Allan Davies, Ralph Brewster, John Mann, Lee Gotch (vocal chorus on "Five Hundred Guys" and "Hey! Jealous Lover").
_____

Fifty years ago today, this was Frank Sinatra's last studio recording session until October. As mentioned in a recent post above, FS was likely occupied with film making and other activities during the spring and summer of 1956. Johnny Concho would be released in July, and High Society followed later in the year. In mid-August, Sinatra attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where he sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" following a reception for Eleanor Roosevelt. He campaigned heavily for Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson, whose bid to defeat Ike's reelection failed in November (as it had in 1952). (To quote Stevenson's political advice sometime later: "Never run against a war hero!")

(To be continued in the fall...)

[Nick in Toronto]

An interesting and revealing sidenote to the Competency of Capital record execs is the album "FOREVER FRANK' On the front cover 500 guys is listed yet it appears nowhere on the album! Instead; the waltz 'DON"T MAKE A BEGGAR OF ME" From Frank's first recording session back on April 2nd, 1953 is substituted.

I was lucky enough to get a mono copy (T2602) but did not get a chance to hear 500 Guys until years later when I got a radio station single 45.

On balance, I would say that the waltz lingered longer among my favourites, but I was not to know that at the time I purchased FOREVER FRANK, and this and many more abuses of the original Capital sides contributed to my feeling of being ripped off by a company that formerly had been extremely generous in it's treatment of it's customers.

[MMM]

No One Ever Tells You(Music by Hub Atwood; lyrics by Carroll Coates)
Features baritone sax by Chuck Gentry

This song wound up on the following year's concept album. A Swingin' Affair, where it replaced "The Lady Is A Tramp" (when "Tramp" was bumped for inclusion on the Pal Joey soundtrack LP.) This was also issued as a B-side single in late 1958, which makes it somewhat noteworthy as one of the few Capitol concept album songs to be released as a separate single. (It was the only such song before 1960's "Nice 'N' Easy" was inserted as the title song on its album.) On CD, this appears on both the reissue of A Swingin' Affair and The Complete Capitol Singles Collection

There was also a white label promo 7" 45 of this song, with it on both sides. It has no catalog # on the labels, mentions that the song is from A Swingin' Affair!, W-803. The "dead area" of the record uses the master # as part of the info inscribed there, at least on my copy - 45-E-15333-D1. Both sides have the exact same dead area info, right down to the "D1" (indicating it being sourced from the 1st lacquer cut at the Tower). The info is hand inscribed instead of stamped (this, along with a star in the dead area, indicating the record was pressed in LA), and the handwriting looks identical on each side's dead area to my eye.

[Nick in Toronto]

This is an inspired thread, bringing to mind so many fond memories of time when we FS fans could look forward to a steady stream of tunes, tastefully chosen, beautifully performed, and newly interpreted.

Thanks for the memories.....

[George Lyons]

Great thread - look forward to more in October!

Hey! Jealous Lover - Take 6

I remember reading (or hearing) FAS opining on this track—If memory serves me he didn’t think much of it, primarily because of the backup singers…I think he actually said “I don’t like others singing with me”
Can you corroborate this?

Edited to include: I guess by the close of the 60’s circa “That’s Life” he had modified that view (other singers)…If in fact I’m right about “Jealous Lover”

<< Can you corroborate this? >>

Yes, but not that quote. From Sinatra '57: In Concert (Seattle, June 1957):

FS: "I absolutely and unequivocably [sic] DETEST this song!"

Throughout his career (from the 50's onward, at least), Sinatra made no secret of the fact that the "hit" singles were not his favorite type of music. I've heard him disparage such audience favorites as "Strangers In The Night" and "My Way" many times onstage.

By 1956, popular music tastes were changing big time. "Hey! Jealous Lover" was an attempt to find a presence on the charts along with the likes of Elvis and "doo wop" rock 'n' roll. The vocal group was probably encouraged by Dave Cavanaugh, Sinatra's producer at Capitol, who guided his entrance into the "kiddy pop" market.

I did hear him talk about other people singing with him…might have been a Sid Mark interview somewhere along the way

I've heard him disparage such audience favorites as "Strangers In The Night" and "My Way" many times onstage.

Re “My Way”, I might agree with him…But the “Main Event” performance precludes me from doing so
“Strangers in the Night” was wonderfully significant (to me anyway) in that it proved that FAS could still sell 45’s in a world where the Beatle were running singles like Paperback Writer up the charts.

Just a short note, since I have been away from the SFF for a couple of weeks for a variety of private reasons - as said earlier, this is maybe the best idea for a thread that came along since I joined here. Fine stuff. Possibly I will have some things to add & will do as soon as I return on a regular basis (but who knows/where or wheeeeeeeen ).

[radioman]

Good to see you back my friend. I always enjoy your insight.

All the best,

David

[Ed Potts]

mahvalous, simply mahvalous! And when October comes..