Columbia Legacy CD THE HARRY JAMES ORCHESTRA FEATURING FRANK SINATRA collects all the Frank Sinatra / Harry James recordings from Columbia/Brunswick label plus unreleased alternate takes / radio broadcasts [#]

arr Andy Gibson

Monaural recordings

See also..
THE FIRST (FRANK SINATRA) RECORDING

1. From the Bottom of My Heart
2. Melancholy Mood
3. My Buddy
4. It's Funny to Everyone But Me
5. Here Comes the Night
6. All or Nothing at All
7. On a Little Street in Singapore
8. Who Told You I Cared?
9. Ciribiribin (They're So in Love)
10. Every Day of My Life
11. From the Bottom of My Heart [Alternate Take]
12. Melancholy Mood [Alternate Take][#]
13. It's Funny to Everyone But Me [Alternate Take][#]
14. All or Nothing at All [Alternate Take]
15. Stardust [#]
16. Wishing (Will Make It So) [#]
17. If I Didn't Care [#]
18. Lamp Is Low [#]
19. My Love for You [#]
20. Moon Love [#]
21. This Is No Dream [#]

This is a great CD and essential if you like the early stuff. It contains "All or Nothing at All," the track that made Tommy Dorsey notice him...

[BobbySoxer]

Both were twenty three years old when most of these recordings were new.
Amazing, but I have shoes older than that and the best of them are still stylish and wonderful. The same is true of this CD, nothing dated or tacky about it, just music as it was meant to sound.

My favorite is ON A LITTLE STREET IN SINGAPORE. That exotic bolero beat, with the eucalyptus scented asian setting -the perfume of Shalimar, the lotus covered doors always makes me return to the fantasies that burn in every youthful romantic's imagination.

Eveything here is young and optimistic - full of promises fulfilled - like those amazing timed photos of a butterfly emerging from the crysallis full throated and ready to take on the world.

[Edwin]

My favorite recording on the set is "It's Funny To Everyone But Me" as I've posted elsewhere (underappreciated tracks, I think).

It most clearly previews what was ahead for FS, especially the released track as opposed to the alternate take, although I love them both.

Many of the photos in the booklet, however, are not from that "age 23" period but are later pics when Frank and Harry had achieved superstadrom. I refer to the cover photo and the pics on page 10, 13, 16, 18 and the back cover. Compare them with how FS and HJ looked in the 1939 Atlantic City band photo on page 4.

Ed S.

[ARIES3032]

Can I find Harry James and Frank Sinatra recording?

This CD's still in print: Columbia Legacy 066377 Go to:
http://www.sonymusicstore.com/store/...p?merchId=4531

Your local retailer should be able to obtain it, and online music stores like Amazon usually have it.

Let's hear a rave review right here!

You may also look out for Volume 1 of the French Masters Of Jazz CDs. The covers to this series are white with a little picture of young Frank Sinatra's face in the middle. They are really fine and well researched compilations. These discs were put out between 1992 and 1997. They also contain alternates not available on the RCA The Song Is You box. Sean Francis Keane.

[Rckuy]

There's also a CD on the Hindsight label call ALL OR NOTHING OR ALL that has radio broadcasts of Frank singing "To You" . "I Poured My Heart Into A Song" and "Let's Disappear." These songs are not on the Complete Harry James/FS cd. It's rounded out with several Harry James instrumentals that are very nice. the other FS vocals are on the Legacy cd.

[ARIES3032]

Gentlemen for the information. Rick, I tried to get into Sony, but could not get through.

Isn't it thrilling to be listening to the first recordings Frank ever made? This album was the first of many great albums; a career that spanned over 55 years.

It is with great distress that I report that this historic CD has been DELETED from Columbia's catalog. Get it while you can, folks!

Over a dozen Reprise albums out of print. Then the Reprise 20 CD box. Now this. What is going on here?!

PJ

[shicorp]

Somehow off-topic here, but has anybody any idea, how much the original Columbia pressings from that era are worth today?

Nancy's Memorial Day tribute rendition of "My Buddy" on the Forum opening page provides an opportunity to bump up this thread, which seldom receives much attention.

Frank Sinatra also recorded "My Buddy" — with the Harry James Orchestra on August 17, 1939. It was only his third song and second commercial recording session. In fact, it was the first song recorded by FS for release on the Columbia Records label.

[ Since joining the James band on June 30, 1939, FS had been touring and performing at various East Coast venues. His first New York studio recording session, July 13, 1939, produced two songs — "From The Bottom Of My Heart" and "Melancholy Mood" — which were released together on a 78 rpm single on the Brunswick label. Brunswick was a subsidiary label of ARC, the American Record Corporation, which had recently been acquired by the Columbia Broadcasting System. CBS began to phase out Brunswick in favor of its flagship Columbia label. All subsequent FS recordings with the Harry James Orchestra bore the Columbia logo, including this recording of "My Buddy." ]

FS is known to have begun performing this song about two weeks before the studio recording session, at the Marine Ballroom at Atlantic City's Steel Pier. In addition to the studio version on this album (Harry James and His Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra: The Complete Recordings 1939), an aircheck transcription of a radio broadcast a week earlier, from New York's Roseland Ballroom on August 10, 1939, has survived. This (arguably superior) transcription version of "My Buddy" has been issued on the Hindsight Records CD, All Or Nothing At All, produced by Pete Kline. (Follow the link for additional details about this CD.)

The song itself was composed by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. It was first sung by Al Jolson in 1922. Arranger for the Harry James version was Jack Mathias (although Andy Gibson is commonly credited). Band personnel for both the studio and aircheck recordings are as follows:

Harry James (trumpet) leading: Jack Schaeffer, Claude Bowen, Jack Palmer (trumpet); Russell Brown, Truett Jones, Dalton Rizzotto (trombone); Dave Matthews (alto sax); Claude Lakey (alto sax/tenor sax/trumpet); Drew Page, Bill Luther (tenor sax/baritone sax); Jack Gardner (piano); Brian "Red" Kent (guitar); Thurman Teague (bass); Ralph Hawkins (drums); and Frank Sinatra (vocal).

Thanks Bob I just love the song " My Buddy"

Him and Harry James sound beautiful. When those two play together with the Harry James Orchestra it sounds so lush.. so beautiful. You can tell Frank enjoyed being there.



Melissa

Just to correct an erroneous notice above from a while back: This CD appears to still be available (at Sony's online music store site, linked by Rick In Sydney much earlier in this thread).

It is NOT in Dean's list of Frank Sinatra CD's In Print as of Jan. 2006, but I suspect that is because the catalog artist name is Harry James, not Frank Sinatra.

[ARIES3032]

It is 3 years later and I finally ordered the James/Sinatra album. Also love the song "My Buddy". I always sang it after my Dad passed and still think of him whenever I hear this song.

[Gregory]

I have this collection and I juat love it. I like anything Harry James did.

Melissa, I think I had mentioend to you that you shouls pick up or download from iTunes the soundtrack to "Young Man With the Horn." Since you like Doris Day, it would be perfect for your collection.

Thanks Greg!
I did already!!!!

I am a big fan of the Harry James Orchestra
Melissa

I am listening to this album right now and Frank is singing " My Buddy"

What a great song. Frank sure could go high in those days so cute how he ends the song so high Frank sounds so young and lush.

I don't know if it is just me and my wishful thinking, but whenever I hear Harry play like in this record, it sounds like he is so happy and smiling and that he is so happy playing his trumpet. It makes me smile. It sounds like he is loving what he is doing I can hear it through the music he is playing.

Maybe it's just me but I can feel he loves doing what he is doing.
It is uplifting.

Melissa