[Josh]

Originally Posted by jtsjc1

Its nice that people will be able to obtain the deleted Reprise cds.

Exactly! What adds to the exciment of these reissues that more and more people will be exposed to Frank the proper way, through the original, great stuido works!

[Edwin]

Originally Posted by jtsjc1

At least now I can have a disc of "She Shot Me Down" I can play without being paranoid. Since the price of this disc skyrocketed I've been very careful the way I handle it! Its nice that people will be able to obtain the deleted Reprise cds.

Amen. Would be great if the reissue of "She Shot Me Down" included the recording of "Everything Happens to Me" that Frank recorded for the album but was omitted from the release. It's the title song of the wonderful Reprise collection CD that was released in 1996.

I have the original CD of "She Shot Me Down" but would buy it again if the omiited song was included. Typical? Probably not.

Originally Posted by Edwin

Would be great if the reissue of "She Shot Me Down" included the recording of "Everything Happens to Me" that Frank recorded for the album but was not omitted from the release.

I agree it would be nice, but, as I've said several times before in this thread, these Universal releases have all been straight reissues of the earlier Reprise CDs. Unless they do something special with this one, it won't include the extra track.

People should view these as a return to stock of the out-of-print CDs, which in turn, for the most part, were true to the original LPs. I.e., no bonus tracks. Only the issues which have appeared simultaneously on the Concord label in the US have contained new tracks (My Way and Strangers In The Night, so far).

[Nick_Bradley78]

I've never understood why a handful of the first reprise CD's (Ring a Ding Ding and Swingin' Brass most notably) included bonuses while all subsequent reissues didn't. Bonuses work if its material from the same sessions rather than (Capitol style) random tracks stuck on to make up the length. I suppose with that in mind LA is My Lady deserves to have Body and Soul on it to. Its surprising Frank vetoed that from the original album as he sounds in strong enough voice, and its a hard song to sing well.

Pointer to discussion thread: The Bonus Track Sinatra

[William]

Originally Posted by Bob

She Shot Me Down should be significant, because it has one track which is different than the version in the suitcase. ("Hey Look, No Crying")

From your lips to God's ears.

From the thread for the Concert for the Americas DVD, from Michael in Holland:

Originally Posted by ceruleus

My copy has arrived this morning and I can confirm it's region 0 (worldwide).

Originally Posted by ceruleus

Here's an oddity - inside the DVD case is a small leaflet advertising, amongst other releases, the expanded My Way and Strangers In The Night CDs along with the forthcoming Sinatra - Jobim and September of My Years expanded editions. As far as I know, these haven't been released at all in Europe?

They're coming in May and September, respectively. They'll be released in Europe by Universal at the same time as in the USA by Concord: Newly Announced Concord Releases.

Originally Posted by Nick_Bradley78

Sinatra '65 [...] Maybe Concord or Universal have plans for the Reprise singles/odds and ends albums like this, Softly, My Kind of Broadway etc?

I doubt that Sinatra '65 will be issued. There is past discussion of this in the Frank's Recordings thread.

I would expect Softly, As I Leave You and My Kind of Broadway to be reissued by UMG, as these were available previously on Reprise CDs.

[David M Bond]

Anyone happen to know why the albums are being re- released in this particular order?

Does it match their intial cd release order or are they just random?

As I have stated I have the complete reprise box, I am probably not going to re buy ALL of the albums separately again.

I wondered what other peoples views were, is anyone else contemplating double or triple ups.

If I were to rebuy any it would be for the artwork and to have all the tracks from one album on one cd, does anyone have the same reasons for buying?

What are your reasons for buying these?

[Francisx]

I agree David. I have all of the original releases from the late 80's early 90's. I think it's great that they are being released again for those who do not have the original "solo" cd's. It would have been nice to release each individual Reprise CD with remastering and additional tracks from the sessions. Why not release each individual album as a DELUXE edition such as "My Way" & SITN.?

F.X.

Originally Posted by David M Bond

Does it match their intial cd release order or are they just random?

Random.

Originally Posted by Francisx

Why not release each individual album as a DELUXE edition such as "My Way" & SITN.?

Cost, I'm sure. It's considerably less expensive to simply reproduce the old digital masters and artwork than to remaster and design a new package. Sales projections for most of these titles are small, particularly in the US. That's why only a select few have been chosen for the deluxe treatment by Concord Records. Note that they are ALL available in downloadable digital form, and that seems to be the wave of the future for the record industry.

(Before we get too far off topic, there was a lengthy earlier discussion thread here: The Reprise Catalog.)

The release date for the next set of reissues (including the much sought after She Shot Me Down) is March 22nd in the UK, just two weeks away. (See: March '10 UMG releases with catalog nos. & Amazon links.)

Note that the list price at Amazon UK is currently £7.99 each for these six titles. For US customers, that equates to £6.80 (no VAT tax), or approximately $10.20 each. (Compare to $16.49 if ordered from Amazon.com in the US.) Furthermore, pre-order price drops are likely before the release date. (Amazon will refund any difference from the time you place a pre-order and the lowest price before release.)

Tip: Even with the shipping charges (£2.09 plus £0.99 per disc) and foreign currency fees (typically 3%), it pays US buyers to order directly from Amazon.co.uk instead of from Amazon.com.

[Nancy]

I just received this email

Frank Sinatra, “Strangers in the Night” (Concord). 4 stars.

Rarities and Reissues
Frank Sinatra, “Strangers in the Night” (Concord). 4 stars.

The big hit on this 1966 album was the title track, which Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Jack Jones were in a three-way race to record. The liner notes to this re-issue vividly detail how Sinatra – thanks primarily to his producer Jimmy Bowen - beat them to the punch. His version subsequently knocked the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” from No. 1 and became one of the Chairman of the Board’s mainstays the rest of his career.

Yes “Strangers in the Night” had a whole lot more than just one song, which is why the album also became Sinatra’s most commercially successful effort. “Summer Wind,” the evocative piece that endures brilliantly to this day, was the other hit from the set. Elsewhere, Sinatra mixed modern songs of the era like covers of Petula Clark’s “Downtown,” and “Call Me,” with songs from his own young years, like “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby.”

This album marked the final full set that Sinatra worked on with the great Nelson Riddle as his arranger, and those musical settings provided “The Voice” with the perfect accompaniment. Three bonus tracks are featured in the reissue including a live version of “Strangers in the Night” recorded at Budokan Hall in Tokyo on April 18, 1985.

Cary Baker

[Barry]

Isn't it amazing how a song can bring back memories about what you have going on in your life at the time it hits the charts. It puts me in mind of a great guy I was working with at the time...Kenny Walker. As soon as FS's version hit the airways over here in England, Kenny said to me " I bet you serious money that song will be a big hit". We all knew it would be. When something is right, you just know.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by David M Bond

What are your reasons for buying these?

I'm just beginning my "Reprise" (Universal) collection from scratch. It's great I have the chance to do this.

[Nick_Bradley78]

Originally Posted by David M Bond

If I were to rebuy any it would be for the artwork and to have all the tracks from one album on one cd, does anyone have the same reasons for buying?

What are your reasons for buying these?

2 primary reasons; while the Reprise Trunk is an incredible piece of musical history gathering all the work of 28 years in 1 place, I prefer having Frank in single album form; that is after all what they were released as and meant to sound like.
Secondly, I have all the original (and the EOTC) Reprise, but the originals are getting old, so it is a safety net to have the new catalogue to, and the CD's themselves are smarter!

Originally Posted by Ronald Sarbo

We do not know yet if they will sound better or not. In any event, as we have seen, how something sounds is a matter of opinion.

The audio on the Japanese SHM-CDs is identical to that of the versions produced in Europe and the US. Not only can't I hear any difference, but my computer is of the same opinion: They are bit-for-bit digitally identical in all respects.

The only difference is in the packaging. These come in mini LP-style cardboard sleeves which are faithful reproductions of the original Reprise album covers, front and back (and inside, for those with gatefold covers, such as Sinatra and Swingin' Brass). The OBI strips and lyric sheets (folded sheets of paper inside the sleeves) credit the Sinatra Society of Japan for the reissue artwork and Japanese language liner notes.

The attention to detail is evident. For example, the color correction is better: less green on the Strangers in the Night cover; purple and blue hues on Great Songs from Great Britain. However, if it's just the sound you're interested in, save your money; the EU Universal and US Concord CDs are exactly the same. These limited-edition Japanese issues are for die-hard collectors like Ron.

[Nick_Bradley78]

I would happily get them, and I've been known to spend a bit (!) on my collection but the prices seem to me excessive, making getting the whole series a serious outlay.At least with the MFSL CD's (and LP's) you are getting, usually anyway, the best possible sound improvements, with these I can't help but feel Im paying for some card which has been printed well. I'm inclined to purchase a couple for the less well known albums like She Shot Me Down if they become available but can't see myself getting the whole set.

[David M Bond]

They do look quite nice, but they are missing the reprise logo on the covers at least.

So they are not exact replicas but as Bob has stated the colour reproduction is better. Still all seem a bit pricey, so I don't know I might get one but only if I can get it at a reduced price.

I have noticed some sellers on ebay are selling them in batches of 5 and 9 if anyone is interested.

Originally Posted by David M Bond

They do look quite nice, but they are missing the reprise logo on the covers at least.

The logos are missing, but the word "Reprise" and the original catalog numbers are shown in various places.

In the case of Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain, small stickers were placed on the cover to add the word "Stereo" and the original R9 prefix to the catalog no. (Apparently, they used the Mono LP cover for that one.) The Warner CD bonus track "Roses of Picardy" is included, but it's not listed on the historically-accurate cover.