CLOSE TO YOU AND MORE (Capitol) 1956 Riddle

1. Close to You
2. P.S. I Love You
3. Love Locked Out
4. Everything Happens to Me
5. It's Easy to Remember
6. Don't Like Goodbyes
7. With Every Breath I Take
8. Blame It on My Youth
9. It Could Happen to You
10. I've Had My Moments
11. I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night
12. End of a Love Affair
13. If It's the Last Thing I Do *
14. There's a Flaw in My Flue *
15. Wait Till You See Her *

....with The Hollywood String Quartet

* Bonus Tracks not on original LP CLOSE TO YOU

[vinvictory]

i would have to say that Blame it on my Youth is one of the greatest songs and performances on the subject of lost love ever made. we never forget our first love and this is the song that tells it all. impeccable lyrics...if i expected love when first we kissed blame it on my youth
if only for your love i did exist, blame it on my youth. and it goes on describing every heartwrenching part of the story climaxing in total heartbreak when he sings...
and if i cried a little bit when first i learned the truth, don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth.

[russkish3]

This album I consider the by-product of Frank Sinatra's great respect for instrumental musicians. He was known for being generous in his praise for his supporting players. I have memories of Frank Sinatra having great praise in this case for Felix and Eleanor Slatkin, half of the Hollywood String Quartet. Their highbrow recordings of chamber music brought great renown to Capitol. The Quartet's greatest recordings for Capitol have been reissued by EMI in both vinyl and CD and have earned international acclaim. Their son Leonard has carved out quite a career in his own right as director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

It doesn't take any more than a quartet and Frank Sinatra to turn out a memorable recording. One of his underappreciated titles from the greatness of the Capitol era.

Best regards,

Russell Kishi
Glendale, California

[S V PELUZIO JR]

Fortunatelly i found and bought this album in Paris last week, at Virgin Megastore.
In fact, it is very difficult to find it.
I couldn't believe when i saw the CD.
I'll listen tomorrow.
Regards,
Jr.

Quite honestly, "Close To You" was not one of Frank's best-selling albums at Capitol. While critics and most fans liked it, many were disappointed because it has a "chamber music" sound, rather then the lush strings of Nelson or Gordon. In many ways it harks back to Alex's small group settings at Columbia.
Turn the lights down low and snuggle on the couch with your better half or girl or boy friend, pour some fine wine and enjoy!

***Turn the lights down low and snuggle on the couch with your better half or girl or boy friend, pour some fine wine and enjoy!***

Exactly Peter - that's the setting, and as the setting is timeless, so becomes the album. And it was also Nelson who did the charts on this marvelous chestnut - and the Slatkins left there mark on the poignant violins. What a most beautiful album.

It was re-released on CD in January 2002 by Capitol as part of the "Entertainer Of The Century" series, so it shouldn't be too hard to find these days. Over here, most stores carry it.

Bernhard.


PS: Just to be sure - the title song of this album and the song also titled "Close To You" that Sinatra recorded in 1970 (as released on Reprise "Sinatra & Company") are DIFFERENT songs.
The one heard on the Capitol album, Sinatra had already sung in the early 40s.

[Ronald Sarbo]

Close To You came out sandwiched between Sinatra's 2 blockbusters: Swingin Lovers and Swingin Affair.

1956 one of his greatest years for making records.

[Ronald Sarbo]

Lp of Close To You was always very rare here in NYC.

Then in mid-80s it was issued by Japan and France.

One of Sinatra's most sought after Lps.

Ron, there also was an LP reissue by Capitol/EMI (UK) in the late 80s, in the "Capitol digitally remastered" series. That was when I started buying Sinatra music and those d-r EMI LPs were my first intro to the Capitol albums. They were selling at only 10-15 DM in the stores (about 8-10 Dollars in today's value) and have liner notes by the late Alan Dell (English music critic/personality). Back then I put the album aside quickly after I bought it because I was always only wanting to have "swing tracks" by Sinatra. Of course sooner or later that changed substantially... and I wore out the LP in later years. Great album.

Bernhard.

"Close to You" is quite frankly Frank's least regarded album and i find that to be very sad. I love the arangements in this album with the Hollywood Strongs Quartet. "Love Locked Out"and "Blame in on my Youth" are great songs and performed so well here. Levant's music is great. I have a great love for "P.S I Love You". It's a magnificent song and it is the stand out song for me on this album.

I, for some reason have the idea that Sinatra should have performed "Night and Day" for this album. I would love to hear this done, with such a lovely intamacey not seen in any of his studio recordings.

pkradd compared this records arrangements to the old Columbia days. I can't agree. Here the strings aren't as lush. in fact, I think the great part about this album is the fact that the strings are sparse. That isn't a bad thing at all. They are there when they were needed but I think the standout here is Sinatra's voice.

[Edwin]

Bennett, I don't agree that Close to You is Frank's "least regarded" album, but I do think it does not get the credit it deserves.

"Close to You" is one of his best albums, easily in the top five. The settings and song choices wee not as commercially high a concept as his other albums of the period, but none are more musical and alll involved took special care and came close to perfection.

Stordahl? No, it is not like his work with Axel at all. His voice had matured and the small group arrangements, while soft and low key, are not like Stordah's lovely but very different sound.

"Close to You" is an album of ballads and Axel Stordahl specialzed in ballads. That of course is a similarity, but the sound is very different.

If you're a fan of Sinatra music, you should have "Close to You." Listen. It will grow on you.

Ed Spiegel

[victor m.]

You write Beautifully, You should work for Downbeat Magazine.

For a recording studio photograph of Sinatra singing the title song, see this thread:

Sinatra, His Collection II

A post there mentions the existence of unedited studio chatter in the version of "Close To You" which appears in The Capitol Years (US) box set.

"Close To You" is definitely one of the most under-rated albums. Fantastic phrasing and beautiful arrangements. Perhaps the reason it's not too highly thought of is because it contains few really 'big' songs. Instead, it is a more intimate album. Just listen to how sweet "I couldn't sleep a wink last night" is. "Blame it on my youth" has such a lovely verse. In all, it is my 3rd. favourite after "Swingin' Lovers" and "In the wee small hours".

[Ronald Sarbo]

"Close To You" has "Don't Like Goodbyes" from "House Of Flowers" music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Truman Capote.

I'm saddened that Capote didn't try to do another Broadway production. I know that this play wasn't much of a hit, but still, I think he had promise as a lyricist. But of course, the really beautiful portion of the song belongs to the Harold Arlen melody. It really is a beautiful piece.

[ Following is a reply to a question raised in the main Frank Sinatra room by Mark Blackburn, in a thread titled Sammy Cahn. ]

<< Does anyone here know WHY this one [song “If It’s the Last Thing I Do”] was dropped from the “Close to You” album? >>

It was simply a matter of time. The twelve tracks which made it onto the album totaled more than 45 minutes, which was about the limit for mono LPs of the day.

In comparison, the preceding and following Capitol concept albums, Songs For Swingin' Lovers and A Swingin' Affair, each were issued with 15 tracks. However, the string quartet arrangements on Close To You were longer than Sinatra's typical songs. The 15 tracks intended for this album needed roughly 55 minutes, which would not fit on two sides.

"If It's The Last Thing I Do," "Wait Till You See Her," and "There's A Flaw In My Flue" remained unissued until compilation LPs released after Sinatra's departure from Capitol—Forever Frank (1966), Sings Rodgers And Hart (1963), and Sinatra Like Never Before (1973), respectively. (Some say "Flaw" was a joke and never intended for release at all.) All three tracks were reunited on the Close To You and More CD.

[Nancy]

Yes. Flaw was a joke and the execs missed it. FS knew they would.