Yes, This Is Sinatra, Volume Two came out later: March 31, 1958 vs. January 6, 1958 for Come Fly With Me.

While most of Sinatra's Capitol concept albums were bound together by a unifying mood and style, Come Fly With Me flies all over the map, soaring wildly through the uptempo rhythmic swingers found in Brazil, Mandalay and the Isle of Capri, and then detouring unexpectedly to the romantic ballads of Around the World, London by Night, Moonlight in Vermont and Autumn in New York.

Maybe that's why I never tire of this album. But even though I love nearly every track, my heart belongs to the beautiful ballads, and I nominate Around the World as one of the loveliest melodies and most exquisite pieces of singing on any Sinatra CD. It is such a beautifully affecting love song and Sinatra explores the subtle depths of Victor Young's melody as perhaps no other singer ever has. Even though several other singers recorded Around the World, Sinatra brings it to life with an intensity that is breathtaking.

The entire record offers a remarkable showcase of how Sinatra could literally travel around the world stylistically. How can songs as wildly diverse as Blue Hawaii, Moonlight in Vermont, and Road to Mandalay receive such definitive performances by the same singer? And the same unbelievable diversity is also displayed by Billy May's orchestra. May rightly praised Sinatra's singing on Around the World, but May's arrangements are also praiseworthy.

Originally Posted by TerryM

But even though I love nearly every track, my heart belongs to the beautiful ballads

I'm with you, Terry. Nice post.

Originally Posted by Bob

Yes, it seems to have escaped much attention, but Capitol just re-released three classic Sinatra vinyl LPs in limited editions. These are the Amazon links:

In The Wee Small Hours
Come Fly With Me
Come Dance With Me!

Prompted by the new Capitol LP issue, and similar to his work with In The Wee Small Hours (see here), Matt Lutthans has posted some interesting sound comparisons of different versions of Come Fly With Me on his website here:

Come Fly with Me - 1958

[David M Bond]

Interesting again, I have most of the various incarnations of Come Fly With Me on the CDs mentioned and I tend to go for the Larry Walsh mix.

If you listen to something like "Moonlight In Vermont" I find that it seems less harsh with the Larry Walsh mix than the UK Capitol Years box. If you listen to the opening 30 seconds I think the LW mix sounds better, I actually went and bought the original Come Fly With Me CD after I purchased the UK box because it sounded better. I don't even want to talk about the EOTC release.

One thing I might add, the uk MFP cd Release 20 classic tracks is also worth mentioning it combines Come FLy with Come Dance, the audio on here is very similar if not identical to the LW mix cd, I think its very slightly quieter but it definitely sounds like the LW mix.

Quick update:
I have noticed that some tracks are louder and some are quieter. Come Fly With Me is higher on the LW album, but Moonlight In Vermont is higher on the Classic Tracks album, weird, I haven't checked all songs but I noticed these two.

[SinatraFan]

These comparisons really are interesting. My first copy of this album was the EOTC CD back when I became a fan. Now I listen mostly to the Larry Walsh CD and I have a yellow label stereo LP which sounds very good.

[Lourdes]

It's one of my favorites Albums.
Love each track. I have the original Capitol's album.

[mlutthans]

I bought the new 180-gram LP from Capitol in the USA, and it is the MONO mix, not stereo! (All the text is "stereo, stereo, stereo," but the mix that's actually on the record is mono. Oops.)

You can hear a clip at the bottom of the second page of this site.

I'll be updating that page again within the next day or so, but there's at least a little tidbit there for you to sample.

Matt Lutthans

[DJ Wilbur]

Originally Posted by mlutthans

I bought the new 180-gram LP from Capitol in the USA, and it is the MONO mix, not stereo! (All the text is "stereo, stereo, stereo," but the mix that's actually on the record is mono. Oops.)

You can hear a clip at the bottom of the second page of this site.

I'll be updating that page again within the next day or so, but there's at least a little tidbit there for you to sample.

Matt Lutthans

wow, you mean they reissued a Sinatra title and used the wrong master? shocking...but wow, a score and a win for the fans!!!

[mlutthans]

Here are photos of the outer sleeve and label for the new COME FLY WITH ME. Everything points to stereo, but the disc is mono.

By the way, the label includes an Essex Production credit, and the UPC symbol is on the cellophane, not on the sleeve itself.

Matt

[MMM]

I can't get over how they'd get all the artwork right, and then not have the mix match what it says. It's fine that they issued the mono, but then use appropriate the gray label, covers, and inner sleeve...

[SinatraFan]

Yeah, that's a big mix up by Capitol. But if it's in mono, I may think about getting the LP. I wonder if the same thing happened on Come Dance With Me?

Originally Posted by MMM

I can't get over how they'd get all the artwork right, and then not have the mix match what it says. It's fine that they issued the mono, but then use appropriate the gray label, covers, and inner sleeve...

And the SW prefix on the catalog number will cause much future confusion. They should have called it W 920. Capitol is still clueless about their own catalog.

Note that the original mono LP had different back cover artwork, and the woman's hand was not cut off at the bottom of the front cover.

Originally Posted by mlutthans

Here are photos of the outer sleeve and label for the new COME FLY WITH ME. Everything points to stereo, but the disc is mono.

Matt, my old eyes can't tell from your photo, but did they leave in the product endorsement for TWA on the back of the sleeve?

[See this thread: come fly with me cover (post #5).]

[mlutthans]

Originally Posted by Bob

Matt, my old eyes can't tell from your photo, but did they leave in the product endorsement for TWA on the back of the sleeve?

[See this thread: come fly with me cover (post #5).]

Yes. The "restored artwork" is done very well (even though it's wrong for the record that is actually in the sleeve).

Matt

PS - sorry the pictures are so bad. All I had handy was my cameraphone.

Originally Posted by SinatraFan

Yeah, that's a big mix up by Capitol. But if it's in mono, I may think about getting the LP. I wonder if the same thing happened on Come Dance With Me?

Me too Allen, I quite fancy hearing it in MONO.

I especially love on this album "On The Road To Mandalay" and "It's Nice To Go Trav'ling".."And The Hudson River Makes You Start To Quiver....." It sure does..

Originally Posted by Tina

I especially love on this album "On The Road To Mandalay"

Rudyard Kipling's family did not share your enthusiasm. I'm not sure when the legal injunction expired, but for many years you couldn't hear it in the British Empire.

Yes, I do remember reading about that Bob, maybe here or elsewhere.

I obtained " Come Fly With Me" in the Capitol Box Set , so this would have been the first time I'd heard "Road To Mandalay " And I think probably for the first time I actually heard an accent in Franks' voice, I suppose with English ears I would pick up on words like " Chunkin ' and " Broad"

Frank has many tones to his voice, but this one sounds different somehow.....

I can imagine looking Eastward to the sea, the Burma broad.... and a cat raising a thirst..I know not a real cat LOL!

And although not a happy thought my Uncle was a P.O.W in Burma, but he lived to tell the tale...

Originally Posted by Tina

Yes, I do remember reading about that Bob, maybe here or elsewhere.

See Replacements for "On The Road To Mandalay" and post #7 in this thread.

[David M Bond]

On my UK Grey Label mono version I have "It Happened In Monterey" instead of Chicago, was it because FS hadn't recorded Chicago yet when Capitol first released Come Fly With Me?

I just had a quick look back through the thread, question answered. My UK LP does have TWA on the front of it, looking at the different covers I guess they just cropped the right handside a bit so TWA wasn't so obvious.

Also Bob I sent you a PM, any thoughts?