DUETS
1993 Capitol CD
Frank Sinatra's best-ever seller - charted at # 2. Issued with different versions of cover art, as a Gold CD Edition and packaged with "Duets 11" as a double CD in some regions.

DCC Compact Classics issued DUETS as a Gold CD in 1994

DUETS 11

1994Capitol CD
Musical Director / Conductor for Duets 1 & 2 - Patrick Williams

DCC Compact Classics issued DUETS 11 as a Gold CD in 1995

DUETS

1. The Lady Is A Tramp - Frank Sinatra/Luther Vandross
2. What Now My Love - Frank Sinatra/Aretha Franklin
3. I've Got A Crush On You - Frank Sinatra/Barbra Streisand
4. Summer Wind - Frank Sinatra/Julio Iglesias
5. Come Rain Or Come Shine - Frank Sinatra/Gloria Estefan
6. New York, New York - Frank Sinatra/Tony Bennett
7. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Frank Sinatra/Natalie Cole
8. You Make Me Feel So Young - Frank Sinatra/Charles Aznavour
9. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry/In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning - Frank Sinatra/Carly Simon
10. I've Got The World On A String - Frank Sinatra/Liza Minnelli
11. Witchcraft - Frank Sinatra/Anita Baker
12. I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra/Bono
13. All The Way/One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) - Frank Sinatra/Kenny G

DUETS 11

1. For Once In My Life - Frank Sinatra/Gladys Knight/Stevie Wonder
2. Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra/Luis Miquel
3. Bewitched - Frank Sinatra/Patti Labelle
4. The Best Is Yet To Come - Frank Sinatra/Jon Secada
5. Moonlight In Vermont - Frank Sinatra/Linda Ronstandt
6. Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra/Antonio Carlos Jobim
7. Luck Be A Lady - Frank Sinatra/Chrissie Hynde
8. A Foggy Day - Frank Sinatra/Willie Nelson
9. Where Or When - Frank Sinatra/Steve Lawrence/Eydie Gorme
10. Embraceable You - Frank Sinatra/Lena Horne
11. Mack The Knife - Frank Sinatra/Jimmy Buffett
12. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?/My Funny Valentine - Frank Sinatra/Lorrie Morgan
13. My Kind Of Town - Frank Sinatra/Frank Sinatra, Jr.
14. The House I Live In (That's America To Me) - Frank Sinatra/Neil Diamond

CLASSIC DUETS

Capitol CD of tracks lifted from television specials and shows 1957 - 1960, released in conjunction with 2002 television special and DVD of same title.

CLASSIC DUETS TRACKLIST

1. Birth Of The Blues - (with Louis Armstrong)
2. I'll Never Smile Again - (with The Hi-Lo's)
3. Can't We Be Friends? - (with Ella Fitzgerald)
4. You Make Me Feel So Young / Them There Eyes / Foggy Day, A / I've Got You Under My Skin / Taking A Chance On Love / They Can't Take That Away From Me / All Of Me / Daddy / I Can't Give You Anything But Love / You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby - ...
5. Nice Work If You Can Get It - (with Peggy Lee)
6. Side By Side - (with Nancy Sinatra/Tri-Tones)
7. Something's Gotta Give - (with McGuire Sisters)
8. If I Loved You - (with Shirley Jones)
9. Together - (with Bing Crosby/Dean Martin)
10. High Hopes - (with Kids)
11. Sunday, Monday, Or Always / On A Slow Boat To China / Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week / Memories Are Made Of This / Girl That I Marry, The / Innamorata (Sweetheart) / I've Got A Crush On You / Oh, Marie / Don't Cry, Joe (Let Her ...
12. Me And My Shadow - (with Sammy Davis Jr.)
13. September Song - (with Bing Crosby)
14. You're The Top - (with Ethel Merman)
15. I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me - (with Louis Prima/Keely Smith)
16. Harold Arlen Medley: As Long As I Live / It's Only A Paper Moon / One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) / Ac-Cent-Chu-Ate The Positive / Stormy Weather / Get Happy / Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea - (with Lena Horne)
17. You Make Me Feel So Young (Old) - (with Nancy Sinatra)
18. Witchcraft / Love Me Tender - (with Elvis Presley, reprise)
19. Our Love Is Here To Stay - (with Peggy Lee)
20. Moonlight In Vermont / I May Be Wrong - (with Ella Fitzgerald)
21. Put Your Dreams Away - (with Ella Fitzgerald)

I believe Bernhard posted the dates of the "Classic Duets" tunes a while back on another thread. It would be great if he or someone else could re-post them. I'm sure the Sinatraholics among us would love to know when this stuff was recorded!

PJ

As Rick already stated, "Duets" peaked at #2 on the Billboard album charts. "Duets II" hit #9, and surprisingly, "Classic Duets" didn't chart at all.

PJ

I first posted the below on the forum in last December.
Bernhard.
+++++++

CLASSIC DUETS (Capitol CD)
Released November 5, 2002
Note: The CD booklet provides no information regarding the individual tracks. Whenever information could not be ascertained, it is indicated. All tracks come from television programmes aired between October 1957 and May 1960. In some cases, Sinatra's original introductions from the shows have been edited out.

1. Birth of the Blues – with Louis Armstrong
From „The Edsel Show“ (Ford Motor Company), broadcast Oct. 13, 1957 on CBS
Prerecorded (date and location not documented)
Arrangement by Heinie Beau, Orchestra conducted by Camarata

2. I’ll Never Smile Again – with The Hi-Lo’s
From „An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra“ (Timex), broadcast Dec. 13, 1959 on ABC
Prerecorded Dec. 10, 1959 (location not documented)
Arrangement by Fred Stulce, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

3. Can’t We Be Friends – with Ella Fitzgerald (new special lyrics by Sammy Cahn)
From „An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra“ (Timex), broadcast Dec. 13, 1959 on ABC
Prerecorded Dec. 10, 1959 (location not documented)
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

4. Medley: You Make Me Feel So Young/Them There Eyes/A Foggy Day/I’ve Got You Under My Skin/Taking A Chance On Love/They Can’t Take That Away From Me/All Of Me/Daddy/I Can’t Give You Anything But Love/You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby – with Dinah Shore
From „Some of Manie’s Friends“ (Ligett & Myers), broadcast March 3, 1959 on NBC
Pre-recorded February 22, 1959 (location not documented)
Medley arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

5. Nice Work If You Can Get It – with Peggy Lee
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #4 (Chesterfield), broadcast Nov. 8, 1957 on ABC
Pre-recorded (date not documented) at The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

6. Side By Side – with Nancy Sinatra and The Tri-Tones
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #3 (Bulova), broadcast Nov. 1, 1957 on ABC
Prerecorded (date not documented) at The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

7. Something’s Gotta Give – with The McGuire Sisters
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #5 (Bulova), broadcast Nov. 15, 1957 on ABC
Prerecorded (date not documented) at The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

8. If I Loved You – with Shirley Jones
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #18 (Chesterfield), broadcast Feb. 14, 1958 on ABC
Prerecorded or broadcast live (sources vary) from The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

9. Together – with Bing Crosby and Dean Martin
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ (Timex), broadcast live Oct. 19, 1959 on ABC
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

10. High Hopes – with Kids
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ (Timex), broadcast live Oct. 19, 1959 on ABC
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

11. Medley: Sunday, Monday Or Always/On A Slow Boat To China/Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night of the Week/Memories Are Made Of This/The Girl That I Marry/Innamorata/I’ve Got A Crush On You/Oh, Marie/Don’t Cry, Joe – with Dean Martin
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #7 (Chesterfield), broadcast (live?) Nov. 29, 1957 on ABC
The El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

12. Me And My Shadow – with Sammy Davis, Jr.
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #16 (Chesterfield), broadcast (live?) January 31, 1958 on ABC
The El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

13. September Song – with Bing Crosby
From „The Edsel Show“ (Ford Motor Company), broadcast Oct. 13, 1957 on CBS
Prerecorded (date and location not documented)
Arrangement by N.N., Orchestra conducted by Camarata
NOTE: This is only a segment of an originally longer medley Crosby and Sinatra performed at the show. The medley consisted of the following songs: We're Collegiate (both)/The Whiffenproof Song (Crosby)/The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (Sinatra)/September Song (both)/There's A Long Long Trail (both)

14. You’re The Top – with Ethel Merman
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #27 (Bulova), broadcast April 25, 1958 on ABC
The El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

15. I Can’t Believe that You’re In Love With Me – with Louis Prima and Keely Smith
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #14 (Chesterfield); broadcast Jan. 17, 1958 on ABC
The El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle (?), Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

16. Harold Arlen Medley: As Long As I Live/Paper Moon/One For My Baby/Accentuate The Positive/Stormy Weather/Get Happy/Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea – with Lena Horne
From „Here’s To The Ladies“ (Timex), broadcast live Febr. 15, 1960 on ABC
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

17. You Make Me Feel So Young (Old) – with Nancy Sinatra (special lyrics by Sammy Cahn)
From „Welcome Home Elvis“ (Timex), broadcast May 12, 1960 on ABC
Prerecorded March 26, 1960 at The Fountainbleau in Miami/Florida
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

18. Witchcraft/Love Me Tender – with Elvis Presley
From „Welcome Home Elvis“ (Timex), broadcast May 12, 1960 on ABC
Prerecorded March 26, 1960 at The Fountainbleau in Miami/Florida
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

19. Our Love Is Here To Stay – with Peggy Lee
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #4 (Chesterfield), broadcast Nov. 8, 1957 on ABC
Pre-recorded (date not documented) at The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

20. Moonlight In Vermont/I May Be Wrong – with Ella Fitzgerald
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #29 (Bulova), broadcast live(?) May 9, 1958
The El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

21. Put Your Dreams Away – with Ella Fitzgerald
From „The Frank Sinatra Show“ #29 (Bulova), broadcast live(?) May 9, 1958
The El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
Arrangement by Nelson Riddle, Orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle

When discussing the two "Duets" albums by Capitol on the forum, the question about the track origins arouse now and then, so I tried to combine the information and put it here in the appropiate album thread, since there are no hints in the Capitol CD booklets. Any corrections and additions welcome.

Bernhard.


DUETS (Capitol) track details
released October 25, 1993
Orchestra conducted by Patrick Williams
Note: All selections are electronically made from separate recording tracks. Sinatra did not meet with his duet partners in the same studio .

1. The Lady Is A Tramp (arr. Billy Byers)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 1.7.1993, Hollywood
additional orchestra: 5.8.1993, Hollywood
Luther Vandross: 10.8.1993

2. What Now My Love (arr. Ernie Freeman)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 6.7.1993, Hollywood
Aretha Franklin: 30.7.1993, Detroit
additional orchestra: 5.-6.8.1993, Hollywood

3. I've Got A Crush On You (arr. Patrick Williams)
Frank Sinatra: 6.7.1993, Hollywood
Barbra Streisand & Orchestra: 17.8.1993, Los Angeles
additional FS vocal dub: 26.8.1993, Atlantic City

4. Summer Wind (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 6.7.1993, Hollywood
Julio Iglesias: 19.7.1993, Miami
additional orchestra: 6.8.1993, Hollywood

5. Come Rain Or Come Shine (arr. Don Costa)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 1.7.1993, Hollywood
additional orchestra: 5.-6.8.1993, Hollywood
Gloria Estefan: 11.8.1993, Miami

6. Theme from New York, New York (arr. Don Costa)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 6.7.1993, Hollywood
additional orchestra: 5.-6.8.1993, Hollywood
Tony Bennett: 11.8.1993, New York City

7. They Can't Take That Away From Me (arr. Neil Hefti)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 1.7.1993, Hollywood
Natalie Cole: 26.7.1993, Los Angeles
additional orchestra: 5.8.1993, Hollywood

8. You Make Me Feel So Young (arr. Quincy Jones)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 6.7.1993, Hollywood
Charles Asznavour: 21.8.1993, London

9. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry/In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra ("Guess..."): 9.7.1993, Hollywood
additional orchestra: undocumented date & location
Carly Simon ("Wee Small Hours"): 10.8.1993, Boston

10. I've Got The World On A String (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 1.7.1993, Hollywood
Liza Minnelli: 29.8.1993, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil

11. Witchcraft (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 9.7.1993, Hollywood
Anita Baker: 24.8.1993, Detroit
new orchestral intro: 27.8.1993, Hollywood

12. I've Got You Under My Skin (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 1.7.1993, Hollywood
Bono: 26.8.1993, Dublin
additional orchestra: 27.8.1993, Hollywood

13. All The Way/One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra ("One For My Baby"): 1.7.1993, Hollywood
Kenny G parts: 27.7. and 24.8.1993, undocumented location


DUETS II (Capitol) track details
released November 22, 1993
Orchestra conducted by Patrick Williams
Note: All selections are electronically made from separate recording tracks. Sinatra did not meet with his duet partners in the same studio .

1. For Once In My Life (arr. Don Costa)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 6.7.1993, Hollywood
Gladys Knight: 24.5.1994, undocumented location
Steve Wonder: 4.10.1994, undocumented location

2. Come Fly With Me (arr. Billy May)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 1.7.1993, Hollywood
Luis Miguel: 10.8.1994, undocumented location

3. Bewitched (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Orchestra: 17.-18.5.1994, New York City
Frank Sinatra: taken from live vocals, spring 1994
Patti Labelle: 26.8.1994, undocumented location

4. The Best Is Yet To Come (arr. Quincy Jones)
Orchestra: 11.10.1993, Hollywood
Frank Sinatra: 12.10.1993, Hollywood
Jon Secada: 1.12.1993, undocumented location

5. Moonlight In Vermont (arr. Billy May)
Frank Sinatra: taken from live vocals, spring 1994
Linda Ronstadt: 9.-10.5.1994, undocumented location
Orchestra: 17.-18.5.1994, New York City

6. Fly Me To The Moon (arr. Quincy Jones)**
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 12.10.1993, Hollywood
Antonio Carlos Jobim: 12.8. and 19.-20.9.1994, undocumented location
** NOTE: For "Fly Me To The Moon" (Sinatra & Orchestra track from 12.10.1993), a duet with George Strait (his vocals recorded 24.5.1994) was also made and released on the latter's CD set "Strait Out Of The Box".

7. Luck Be A Lady (arr. Billy May)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 9.7.1993, Hollywood
additional orchestra: 5.8.1993, Hollywood
Chrissie Hynde: 9.9. and 22.9.1994, undocumented location

8. A Foggy Day (arr. Johnny Mandel)
Orchestra: 11.10.1993 Hollywood
Frank Sinatra: 12.10.1993 Hollywood
Willie Nelson: 29.9.1994, undocumented location

9. Where Or When (arr. Billy Byers)
Frank Sinatra & Orchestra: 14.10.1993, Hollywood
Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé: 19.8.1994, undocumented location

10. Embraceable You (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Orchestra: 15.10.1993, Hollywood
Frank Sinatra: taken from live vocals (Dec.1993? spring 1994?)
Lena Horne: 25.8.1994, undocumented location

11. Mack The Knife (arr. Frank Foster)
Orchestra: 17.-18.5.1994, New York City
Frank Sinatra: taken from live vocals (1993/1994)
Jimmy Buffet: undocumented date and location

12. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?/My Funny Valentine
Frank Sinatra ("Valentine"): 14.10.1993, Hollywood
Lorrie Morgan ("How Do You..."): 12.5.1994, undocumented location

13. My Kind Of Town (arr. Nelson Riddle)
Frank Sinatra (sr.) & Orchestra: 9.7.1993, Hollywood
Frank Sinatra jr.: 27.7.1993, undocumented location

14. The House I Live In (arr. Don Costa, vocal arr.: Alan Lindgren, Tom Hensley)
Frank Sinatra: taken from live vocals (1993/1994)
Orchestra and Neil Diamond dates/locations not documented

[steffen]

i remember frank jr beeing on larry king and telling how excited his father was hearing the news of his chart success, calling his son and telling "we are No 1". i think that's what he said.

did duets ever reach No 1?

No it didn't. At the Billboard album charts, Duets reached #2 highest (first time on the November 16, 1993 chart list, and it rocketed there from zero to to speak!). Duets II reached #9 highest.

(I know of course that an entry to the effect that Duets did hit #1 at Billboard appears in Nancy's book "Sinatra An American Legend", but the official Billboard chart archives do not confirm this. #1 remained occupied by Pearl Jam).

Duets (1) did go multiplanimum in 1994, however, and became the biggest selling album of Frank Sinatra's entire career.

Bernhard.

Here's a link for more information / discussion / reviews from older threads for:

CLASSIC DUETS
http://www.sinatrafamily.com/forum/s...&threadid=5235

......The GREATEST thing about Duets I and II is the THRILL you get when YOU HEAR SINATRA'S VOICE in the SONG!!!!....No matter who Frank is singing it with, It's when Sinatra's VOICE KICKS INN you BLOOD RACES!!!!....Thats the MAGIC!!!...THATS the POWER!!!...THATS SINATRA!!!!

[Dougjr]

I remember how exciting the news was that somebody got Frank Sinatra into the recording studio again...and on first listen, they weren't that bad..

But ten years after the first Duets album, I'm of the mind that Capitol/EMI should take the Duets albums out of print, at least for a while, as the effort is underway to keep the flame alive.

I think I go against popular opinion, but I think the Duets projects, while a commercial success, was a creative misstep...Capitol should make more of an effort to push the Classic Sinatra recordings he made for their label...

I have had the great pleasure of hearing the "solos" from this project...they are no less than awesome. Will Friedwald was right...Sinatra was smokin' in those sessions. Why they mutilated these solos with awful duets is now beyond me...

Capitol might be wise at some point to issue those solos commercially...although I have no clue how somebody managed to get these out of the vaults...

[ARIES3032]

Everything from the Duets ! & 2 on cassettes to Duets 1, 2, and classic duets. Love them all.

I hope they do some day release these Duet sessions as solos. When you hear One for My Baby------,that's a good indication on how Frank sounded solo. I really think that was the best song on both albums -1) Because he was solo; and 2) He really was smoking and certainly didn't need anyone's help.

Dennis

I am blown away by the detail sydney rick and bvo35 and others have posted here. I thought I knew a lot about Frank, but.......

very cool to see the classic duets fom the tv shows---This album totally escaped me until I read it here. I have a bunch of old tv stuff on video tape--jumping off the couch to tape when it came on---this discovery puts it all in one place for me-

-How about a "video duets" of this stuff--has that been done? I want to see these performances as I listen to them just as they were meant to be.

thanks guys for the devotion to detail---very helpful.

Thanx 4 the kind words.

Your wish is Hart-Sharp Video's command - CLASSIC DUETS is indeed available on DVD & VHS (An additional DVD feature allows the songs to be played without commentary)

CLASSIC DUETS DVD/VHS
Frank Sinatra: The Classic Duets features Frank Sinatra collaborating with an impressive roster of many of the greatest and most influential jazz and pop singers of all time, providing a unique and entertaining overview of music history.

Frank Sinatra Sings with:


Ella Fitzgerald - "Moonlight in Vermont"
Dinah Shore - Medley
Peggy Lee - "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
The Hi Lo's - "I'll Never Smile Again"
Louis Armstrong - "The Birth of the Blues"
Ethel Merman - "You're the Top"
Whole Bunch of Kids - "High Hopes"
Bing Crosby & Dean Martin - "Together Wherever We Go"
Bing Crosby - "September Song"
Shirley Jones - "If I Loved You"
Ella Fitzgerald - "Can't We Be Friends"
Lena Horne - Medley
Louis Prima & Keely Smith - "I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me"
Nancy Sinatra - "You Make Me Feel So Young"
Elvis Presley - "Love Me Tender" and "Witchcraft"
Sammy Davis, Jr. - "Me and My Shadow"
Dean Martin - Medley
Frank Sinatra - "Put Your Dreams Away"



Features :
Dinah Shore Medley in Color
Newly re-mastered sound and enhanced picture
Original TV Network Promo
Sinatra Trivia
Special commentary/stories from Frank Sinatra, Jr., Nancy Sinatra and Tina Sinatra
Text Commentary Track

This release on DVD was really a treat for FS fans. Got to see highlights from different FS shows - with duets.

Duet with Elvis: I thought FS did Elvis' Love Me Tender great, but Elvis was real flat on Witchcraft. Didn't think he was good at all on that.

I thought the other ones were much better, like with Ella - Moonlight In Vermont. Nice! Peggy Lee was great with Frank. Their voices sounded real good together. I'll Never Smile Again. Done as only FS can do. A little sad, though. Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Lena Horne, made me think back of an era gone by when this caliber of TV was more the norm than the crap you get today.

I loved Frank & Nancy on You Make Me Feel So Young. (Old) Very, very touching.

And finally, High Hopes done with a lot of kids. That got to me a little bit. (Read my post on FS songs that make you cry).

I love Tony Bennett with Frank on NY, NY. When Tony's singing his part, you can feel nothing but the love that Tony has for Frank.