Sorry in advance if this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find it using the "Advanced Search" option. What song holds the record for the greatest number of different recordings by Frank? I know "Day-In, Day-Out" is one he did several times, but my bet is that it is most probably "Night And Day", a song that followed him throughout his career, and was recorded on Columbia, Capitol, and especially Reprise, in both very slow and disco versions. Can someone confirm this?

[Gregory]

I was going to say that it might be Nancy.

[johnofphilly]

Well, I like Frank's "Under my skin", but I don't like Frankie Valli's rendition. Much as I may like Mr. V., in that tune, he sounds like a little twit.

Witchcraft?
Tony

If you talk about commercial record studio recordings, without regard for alternate takes, I believe it is a tie between "Night And Day" and "The Song Is You," with five versions each:

"Night And Day" — Bluebird (1942), Columbia (1947), Capitol (1956), Reprise (1961 & 1977).

"The Song Is You" — Bluebird (1942), Columbia (1946 & 1947), Capitol (1958), Reprise (1979).

There are many additional renditions of both songs, from radio, TV, films, and concerts, which have had official release. ("The Song Is You" also had a 1946 V-Disc version, but that was from a radio dress rehearsal.)

If you include a special V-Disc recording session, the following also has five record studio versions:

"Nancy (With The Laughing Face)" — V-Disc (1944), Columbia (1944 & 1945), Reprise (1963 & 1977).

Contenders for runner-up, with four studio versions each, include "All Of Me," "All Or Nothing At All," "Everything Happens To Me," and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

[ARIES3032]

I have a CD that has Night & Day in all the phrases of his life--from very young until a mature singer.

[Maureen]

What about One for my baby (and one more for the road)

Thank you so much Bob for proving once again you are a bottomless pit of Sinatra knowledge!!!

Originally Posted by maureen

What about One for my baby (and one more for the road)

Four studio versions—Columbia (1947), Capitol (1958) with solo piano, Capitol (1958) with orchestra, and Capitol (1993) on the "duet" with Kenny G doing "All The Way" [if that counts]. Again, the live versions are numerous, but I'm not including those.

[Edwin]

They're not studio versions, but there are three more comercially released versions of "Night and Day."

"Frank Sinatra and the Red Norvo Qiintet Live in Australia" 1959. A killer performance with a fun intro.
"Frank Sinatra and Sextet Live in Paris" 1962. Al Viola on guitar.
"Sinatra Vegas" Disc #3 1982. I believe this adds up to 8 versions of "Night and Day" for Frank.

Also, there is the radio air check of "The Song Is You" (1942) first released on "the Sentimental Gentleman" LP box in the '50's and now on the five disc "Sinatra Dorsey" box, as recorded on the air on Sinatra's farewell to the Dorsey band when Dick Haymes was introduced as Frank's replacement.

All available on commercial releases.

[Nick in Toronto]

If you were to change the parameters slightly, and consider the most often sung tune, it would have to be Night and Day as FS used it for years on his radio programs as his opening theme.

Even though these partial takes were usually incomplete, there is the recently released version from the Colgate Martin and Lewis show from the early 1950s that Charles Granata included on the Columbia Legacy album of Cole Porter songs.

Later, on his radio show of the early 1950s, FS recorded a LATIN version of the tune. While these radio performances may not qualify as "studio" recordings, they were pre-recorded in NY with The Sinatra Symphonette; and should the masters ever surface officially, there is an entire library of songs, all recorded under "Studio" conditions, waiting for official release, and done at the peak of his singing career.

But it is my contention that Night and Day far outdistances any other tune used in FS's Repetoire. This is the record breaker - by a long shot.

BTW, Disco? I couldn't believe it when I got the 45 single promo from Holland.

<<BTW, Disco? I couldn't believe it when I got the 45 single promo from Holland.>>


Nick , wasn't it cool that he tried it though?

Originally Posted by Edwin

I believe this adds up to 8 versions of "Night and Day" for Frank.

There are more than that, Edwin! Counting only authorized issues:

There's the 1942 film version from Reveille With Beverly, which appears in the Frank Sinatra In Hollywood box set (disc 1 of 6).

There are two versions in the Radio Spirits box set, 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows Starring Frank Sinatra and Friends—from 1945 on "A Date With Judy" (disc 9) and 1944 on the Screen Guild Theatre production of "The Gay Divorcee" (disc 28 of 30).

There is the Old Gold Songs By Sinatra opening radio theme heard on Walter Cronkite Selects The 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows That Transitioned To TV (disc 25 of 30) (on a 1945 show where FS talks with Gene Kelly).

Another aircheck recording of the Old Gold theme, this one from 1947, may be heard on Sinatra Sings Gershwin.

There is an alternate take of the 1947 Columbia recording on Portrait Of Sinatra: Columbia Classics (disc 1 of 2) and Sinatra Sings Cole Porter.

Also on the Sinatra Sings Cole Porter CD is an aircheck from a 1950 Light Up Time radio broadcast.

Then we have a "Night And Day" with Bill Miller piano solo, from a 1953 Italian "Radioclub" broadcast, on the CD The Voice in Via Asiago distributed by EMI Music.

There is another Al Viola guitar version from 1962 on Royal Festival Hall (disc 2 of 2).

So that makes at least 17 versions on available authorized releases. If one were to count unofficial releases (such as the CD mentioned above by Lee) there are DOZENS more recorded instances of "Night And Day."

[Nick in Toronto]

it may have been couragous, even groundbreaking, but the results of these later versions of Night and Day, and All or Nothing at All, were insults to the composers, much like the H.B. Barnum recording of Some Enchanted Evening.

I don't think the Capitol FS would have done them.

Thank you so much, Bob and Nick, for this remarkable roundup of all these versions . It boggles the mind, doesn't it?