[Copied from the Introductions forum]

Originally posted by Leebert Japanese Releases

Hi,

I was wondering whether anyone had information about the Japanese CBS/SONY compact disc releases of some of Frank Sinatra's Columbia albums. I think they came out in the early 1990s. I know the releases included the lps, "Put Your Dreams Away" and "Reflections". The cds are in jewell cases and do have the original cover art, but not back cover art. Unforunately, they are not the Japanese mini lps, like the Capitol ones (e.g., "Only the Lonely", "Wee Small Hours"). But, they still are pretty cool, and, like with most Japanese releases, the lyrics are included in English.

I would like to know which other albums they reissued?

I assume all these reissues are of the Coumbia compliations of his 78 recordings that were put out to compete with the Capitol lps. I found the sound on the one I have to be interesting, but not authentic. I'm not a technical expert like some here (especially Mr. Granata) but it seems like Columbia goosed the sound on the original lps and the Japanese releases are straight reissues of the lps. The one thing I noticed is that Sinatra's voice is deepen as compared to what you hear on current reissues of the material. A lot of the fifities releases of older material has this deepening such as the original issue of Benny Goodman's Carnegie Hall Concert. It's not as bad as such things as "Duophonic", but it's not as good as the sound of the newer reissues.

I will appreciate any information anyone proviedes. Thank you.

I have one such Japanese CBS/Sony CD, a reissue of the 1955 LP, Frankie (Columbia CL 606). I haven't listened to the vinyl in decades, but I'm quite familiar with it. It was the first Frank Sinatra LP I ever listened to, and I have every note and nuance of every song indelibly imprinted in my memory.

The Japanese CD issue (CBS/Sony 25DP 5319) is very true to the original: exactly as I remember the sound. Both front and back LP cover art (including liner notes) are reproduced accurately in the CD cover insert. My copy does not have an OBI strip, but it does have a foldout sheet with Japanese liner notes and session details, plus full English language lyrics. I believe the release date was December 21, 1988.

The sound compares favorably to that of The Columbia Years 1943-1952: The Complete Recordings box set. I have read reports of Columbia having "slowed down" the playback in order to deepen Sinatra's voice during his Capitol years, but I can detect none of that. The song timings are almost identical between this CD and the blue box.

I hope this is of some help. This is the only such Japanese import I own, but there are other members here who may know more about these issues.

[Ronald Sarbo]

"Come Back To Sorrento" and "Reflections" were also issued by the Japanese on CD.

In the insert for this particular CD (Frankie), there is an advertisement listing other CDs in this CBS "Adventures of Jazz" series. Artists include Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Bill Evans, Mel Tormé, Sarah Vaughan, and many others. All appear to be straight reissues of US Columbia LPs.

Part I (Dec. 1, 1988 releases) includes catalog nos. 25DP 5301 to 5310. Part III (Jan. 21, 1989) has nos. 5321 to 5330, and includes one other Frank Sinatra title, The Voice, as the last in the list. Presumably, my CD is in Part II (Dec. 21, 1988) with nos. 5311 to 5320, which are not listed individually.

A database search, for similar CBS/SONY releases on Compact Disc, produces the following list:

25DP 5319 - Frankie
25DP 5330 - The Voice
25DP 5370 - Adventures Of The Heart
25DP 5371 - Put Your Dreams Away
25DP 5372 - Come Back To Sorrento
25DP 5373 - Reflections
28DP 5287 - Christmas Dreaming

There was also a 6-CD box set (two 3-CD jewel cases in a slip case), containing the six LPs which comprised the US box set, The Voice: The Columbia Years 1943-1952. This packaging was different than the US 4-CD set:

00DP 630 - Saloon Songs
00DP 631 - Love Songs
00DP 632 - Standards
00DP 633 - Swings
00DP 634 - Screen
00DP 635 - Stage

Wow,

Thanks for the great information! I certainly know where to go now for my questions about Sinatra releases. It's nice to know what other titles were reissued. I have all the songs, becuase I have the complete columbia blue box. Of course there could be some alternates on these reissues.

Even though these were not concept ablums per se, it is nice to have orignial albums in cd format. I guess over the years my mind got accustomed to the 12 cut album and it's nice to get a break after 12 tunes.

Thanks again, I'll keep posting. It's nice to have a place to discuss Sinatra's music and recordings.

You've come to the right place, Lee. It's nice to know there are those who do not find such details boring.

Perhaps Chuck Granata will find his way to this thread and weigh in on the subject of artificial pitch alteration to deepen the Voice.

Bob

[Edwin]

I have a Japanese LP (remember LP's?) of "Songs for Swingin' Lovers" that has the elusive 16th song recorded at the sessions for the album: the January 9, 1956, Sinatra-Riddle "Memories of You." It's a great performance and belongs on the album.

Ed Spiegel

There was also a 16-track Japanese CD of SFSL. For some earlier discussion of these Japanese Capitol issues, see these thread segments in Frank's Recordings:

"Memories Of You" from 1956 (in Songs For Swingin' Lovers)
"Memories Of You" from 1956 (in Point Of No Return)

[Ronald Sarbo]

Many of the "First Generation" Sinatra collectors preferred the sound of their 78's to the sound of the first Columbia LP's.

They maintain that Columbia slowed down the speed of their recordings slightly so that Sinatra would sound more like he was "currently" sounding on Capitol.

They may have been "conditioned" to the sound of their 78's just as many of us were "conditioned" to the sound of records when CDs first appeared.

Columbia also used "current" pictures of Sinatra on their LPs of the mid to late 50's which they maintain was also part of the "deception".

I just did an A/B comparison through headphones of various tracks on the Frankie CD against the blue box, and I'm hard-pressed to discern any difference in the pitch of Sinatra's voice. Since Chuck has stated on many occasions that they strove for accurate, unenhanced audio reproduction on the remasters in the box set, I'm inclined to believe the "conditioning" theory regarding the perceptions of old-time collectors.

I can see how people thought the "deepening" was on purpose because the 'violin" tone of Sinatra's voice from the 40s does become more "viola" as it was in the 50s on these Columiba reissues. But, I don't think it was necessarily to make Sinatra sound in these 40s recordings like he did in the 50s records. The "deepening" of sound is apparent on most of the 50s reissues of 30s and 40s material. My guess (and this is just me thinking, not knowing in any educated way) that the sound resulted from a concern, in general, that all of the "older" music from the 40s needed to be up-dated to the sound of the new technology from the 50s. Also, it may have been that the enigneers were just playing with the new equipment at hand and just liked to juice up the sound.

As for the photo's used, that may be a direct competion with Capitol. Or, it may be that a nostalgic mood about the previous decades had not entered the picture and the companies were just being comtemporary whene they reissued material. For example, the reissue of Goodman's Carnegie Hall Concert as current photo Goodman, not one of him or the band from the 30s.

[MMM]

I don't have any of these discs, but Chuck Granata does. I heard a few by his house once. I can't remember how the mastering compared to the LP's Columbia issued back in the day. They just seemed to be "warts and all" type issues of these albums, from I'd guess the Japanese tapes. Bongo drums drenched in echo on the Columbia version of "Day In, Day Out", sheesh!

[Edwin]

There is no Columbia version of "Day In, Day Out." Frank recorded it three times, all on Capitol, with Stordahl, Riddle and May.

Ed Spiegel

Martin is thinking of "Day By Day." Mitch Miller overdubbed the 1945 Columbia recording with bongos for the 45 reissue and 1959 compilation LP, Come Back To Sorrento.

[MMM]

Yes, sorry! If I had another drink before I posted that, I might have said Mitch Miller also overdubbed Doris Day on there with the bongos!

[Chuck Granata]

The CBS/Sony (Japanese) CDs were mastered from copies of the LP master tapes. There was no pitch alteration - not ever at Columbia, as far as I've found. There was, however, a lot of equalization, reverb and phasing used when they transferred the 1940s masters to LP. Some of the Columbia Sinatra LPs had very little enhancement - I believe that "Frankie" (CL 606) is one that always sounded fairly natural. Others, like "Come Back to Sorrento" were drenched in reverb. It wasn't until the 1960s that Columbia and Capitol began using phase shifting to simulate stereo, which made matter even worse. The CBS/Sony CDs replicate what the American LPs sounded like - for better and for worse.

Thanks, Chuck. That's how it sounded to me.

BTW, Your avatar was a victim of the recent server upgrade. Just upload a new copy of your photo:

Thanks for all the great responses.

Is anyone aware of more Columbia Sinatra releases coming in the future. The Legacy cite, with the official Sinatra press release from when he passed away, still lists a 2 cd set of radio broadcasts to be released in the Fall of 1998.

Mr Granata, I read over your Sinatra's sessions book frequently. It's a great read and I pick up new information and prespectives on Sinatra's art each read through. Anymore books or project on the horizon for you? I really love alot of the new rematering jobs done on the Columbia issues. I'm big Mosaic records collector. I'm really enjoying the new Sidney Bechet and can't wait for the Chu Berry. I once had a conversation with some at Sony who said that they stilll needed to go back to the Sinatra Columbia's using the new techniques and that improvements could be made to the sound on side from the blue box. Does anyone here have an opinion?
Thanks.

[Chuck Granata]

Hi,

Thanks for your kind words about my book. It's gratifying to know that it's helpful. I too love the Mosaic box sets - I just wish I could afford each and every one of them. Michael Cuscuna and his team does a fabulous job; everything from the remastering to the annotations are impeccable.

Nothing on the horizon as of this moment at Columbia/Legacy. The Radio Years set has been on hold for quite a while. We definitely could improve the sound of the Blue Box - the reasons why have been discussed at length in other threads (which should be somewhere on the forum.) In a nutshell, the equipment available to us has improved dramatically. Someday Didier and I hope to re-remaster the box...