CONCEPTS SAMPLER
Capitol #DPRO: 70876-12177-2-8
Promotional-use-only CD (Not for sale)
7 Tracks
Program Time: 21:35

1. Close To You (from Close To You And More)
2. Autumn Leaves (from Where Are You?)
3. Stormy Weather (from No One Cares)
4. I've Got A Crush On You (from Nice 'N' Easy)
5. Almost Like Being In Love (from Come Swing With Me)
6. Somewhere Along The Way (from Point Of No Return)
7. Purple (from Tone Poems Of Color)

On January 8, 2002, Capitol released the final seven titles in their "Entertainer of the Century" series of individual remastered versions of the Sinatra "concept" albums. (These had appeared earlier in the 16-disc box set, Concepts, in 2000.) This promotional CD contained one track from each of those forthcoming album reissues.

THE COMPLETE FRANK SINATRA SAMPLER
Columbia Legacy #CSK-5224 (1993)
Demonstration CD (Not for sale)
12 Tracks
Program Time: 38:24

1. Sweet Lorraine
2. Night And Day
3. Body And Soul
4. The Birth Of The Blues
5. Why Try To Change Me Now?
6. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
7. Over The Rainbow
8. You'll Never Walk Alone
9. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
10. Time After Time
11. American Beauty Rose
12. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

This is the promotional sampler released in advance of the monumental 12-disc box set, The Columbia Years 1943-1952: The Complete Recordings. Columbia/Legacy did as good a job on the sampler as they did on the box set. This disc came with a 12-page booklet (with complete discographical details and notes for the twelve included tracks) and stunning cover art (taken from the original cover of the 1955 Columbia compilation LP, Frankie). Even the CD label artwork is special, containing the original label from a 78 RPM "for radio stations only" promo record, circa 1947.

THE BEST OF THE COLUMBIA YEARS SAMPLER
Columbia Legacy #CSK-7338 (1995)
Demonstration CD (Not for sale)
12 Tracks
Program Time: 37:20

1. Should I (Reveal)
2. The Birth Of The Blues
3. Hello, Young Lovers
4. I Guess I'll Have To Dream The Rest
5. What'll I Do?
6. Body And Soul
7. Sweet Lorraine
8. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week)
9. Dream
10. Night And Day
11. Don't Cry Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go)
12. You Do Something To Me

This is the promotional sampler for the 4-disc box set, The Best Of The Columbia Years 1943-1952. It includes an 8-page booklet of notes and discographical details for the twelve sample tracks.

The previous sampler is dear to my heart, since it revitalized my appreciation of Sinatra's Columbia catalog. I received this disc as a prize for the "best conversation" during an on-air telephone call to a Boston radio talk show. The occasion was Frank Sinatra's 80th birthday, and the talk show guests were radio personalities Sid Mark of Philadelphia and his Boston counterpart, the late Bill Marlowe. I received this "door prize" for my personal reminisces of Sid's jazz programs from the 1950s and '60s in Philly.

This disc is proof of the fact that marketing promotions really do work. Although I had listened to and loved a few of Columbia's Sinatra compilation LPs many years ago, I'd overlooked these in favor of his numerous Capitol and Reprise albums in the ensuing years. However, after listening to this one CD, I was prompted to purchase the four-disc set (which I recommend highly), in order to revisit more of the FS Columbia recordings. Ultimately, I had to have the "big blue" twelve-disc box, plus just about every Columbia Legacy CD that has appeared in print since.

[Karyn]

Excellent thread Bob - thank you! It's really interesting to read about these samplers, I never knew they existed. I expect they are collector's items now aren't they?

Thanks, Karyn. I see them pop up on eBay from time to time.

[Lourdes]

Excellent, Bob!

Thanks a lot.

[MMM]

I have this:


FRANK SINATRA/The Capitol Years
Capitol DPRO-79375 - PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY/NOT FOR SALE

1. I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU
2. LEARNIN' THE BLUES
3. COME FLY WITH ME
4. NICE 'N' EASY
5. ANGEL EYES
6. YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG
7. WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE?
8. IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING
9. I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN
10. THE LADY IS A TRAMP
11. COME DANCE WITH ME

from FRANK SINATRA THE CAPITOL YEARS
A SPECIAL COLLECTORS' EDITION OF 3 COMPACT DISCS, 3 CASSETTES


My copy has no front cover artwork. I don't know if mine is missing this, or they are all this way. Mine was won in a contest/giveaway, and the disc was donated by the producer of the above mentioned set, Ron Furmanek. The back cover is pink with purple writing, with a small green tinted old Capitol Records picture showing the Tower, and a white line/diamond design towards the left. The spine is purple, with white type. Sorry, I don't have a scanner...

BTW - "Come Dance With Me" retains that same bit of session chatter that is also heard before this song begins on the 3CD The Capitol Years set.


EDIT - A scan Bob provided of his copy is now pasted here - thanks Bob!

THE SINATRA MASTERCARD SERIES
EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets (1996)
Promotional CDs for MasterCard/MBNA America Bank
40 Tracks on 4 Discs

VOLUME I: DEEP IN A DREAM (#72438-19004-2)

Dancing On The Ceiling
It's The Same Old Dream
I See Your Face Before Me
Sleep Warm
Dream
I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night
Deep In A Dream
If You Are But A Dream
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
A Million Dreams Ago

VOLUME II: SWINGIN' AROUND THE WORLD (#72438-19162-2)

Come Fly With Me
Sentimental Journey
Around The World
April In Paris
Moonlight In Vermont
Let's Get Away From It All
Autumn In New York
South Of The Border
Brazil
On The Road To Mandalay

VOLUME III: THE MOVIE YEARS (#72438-19163-2)

(Love Is) The Tender Trap
To Love And Be Loved
From Here To Eternity
Look To Your Heart
High Hopes
Young At Heart
Wait For Me ("Johnny Concho" Theme)
Three Coins In The Fountain
Not As A Stranger
They Came To Cordura

VOLUME IV: NICE 'N' EASY (#72438-19164-2)

Love And Marriage
All The Way
How Little We Know
Don't Worry 'Bout Me
Same Old Saturday Night
Hey! Jealous Lover
Witchcraft
Chicago
Nice 'N' Easy
Learnin' The Blues

These four separately-themed Capitol compilations were issued as bonus fulfillment rewards to holders of the Sinatra MasterCard credit card (now discontinued). The first volume was significant for its inclusion of "If You Are But A Dream"—that song's only appearance on a USA-issued compact disc. For earlier discussions of this song and the Sinatra MasterCard, see these threads:

If You Are But A Dream
Sinatra Credit Card Awards
Sinatra Mastercard
Sinatra Card Rewards

[Added:] "If You Are But A Dream" was finally released in the US on the 2007 Capitol CD, Romance: Songs From The Heart.

Sinatra MasterCard Offer

[Dean]

<<My copy has no front cover artwork. I don't know if mine is missing this, or they are all this way. >>

Martin, that is the way it was issued.

Peace, Dean

[MMM]

Thanks Dean. I figured as much, considering where my disc came from, but couldn't say for sure.

TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE
Capitol (EMI Music Special Markets) CD #72435-76991
(Somerset Entertainment/Avalon Music Platinum Legends CD #28096)
Released: 2004
15 Tracks
Program Time: 43:48

Produced by Ed Bonner
Liner Notes by I. J. Schecter

1. Taking A Chance On Love
2. I Get A Kick Out Of You
3. Young At Heart
4. Three Coins In The Fountain
5. All The Way
6. Just In Time
7. Nice 'N' Easy
8. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
9. They Can't Take That Away From Me
10. Time After Time
11. (Love Is) The Tender Trap
12. All My Tomorrows
13. Someone To Watch Over Me
14. My Funny Valentine
15. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

Another compilation of Capitol tracks sold in non-traditional retail outlets such as Hallmark card and gift shops (from the producers of On The Swingin' Side Of The Street, above).

THE HEART OF THE MATTER
Frank Sinatra Sings About Love
HEAR Music (EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets) CD #72435-30872
(Distributed by Starbucks Coffee Company)
Released: 2001
13 Tracks
Program Time: 39:10

Produced by Timothy Jones
Liner Notes by David Legry

1. Blue Moon
2. Dancing In The Dark
3. Blues In The Night
4. I've Got You Under My Skin
5. Old Devil Moon
6. I Love Paris
7. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
8. That Old Black Magic
9. I Thought About You
10. Too Marvelous For Words
11. Let's Get Away From It All
12. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
13. Ebb Tide

This limited-edition compilation of Capitol tracks was issued for Valentine's Day 2001 and sold exclusively in Starbucks Coffee stores while supplies lasted. The Digipak case contains a 10-page booklet with some nice photos. For an earlier forum thread, including discussion of the interesting cover shot, see: here.

[Karyn]

That really is a wonderful cover! I have never seen that shot before. Anyone know where it was taken?

The caption at the MPTV photo archive is "Frank Sinatra in Japan c. 1964" © 1978 by Ted Allan: MPTV Images.

[Correction:] The MPTV info is incorrect. The photo was shot in Hong Kong in April 1962, as explained by Bernhard Vogel here: Romance: Songs From The Heart.

YOu can find that shot inside the booklet available with the Greatest Love Songs compilation album released by Reprise sevral years ago. One of my favorite shots...

For completeness, another Starbucks compilation by HEAR Music (this one with Reprise tracks) was released in 2005. That one has an existing thread in Frank's Recordings: Fly Me To The Moon

FREEDOM TO SWING
A Las Vegas Tribute To Frank Sinatra
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Bristol Productions CD
Released: December 2001
12 Tracks
Program Time: 37:02

1. It's Time For You *
2. Luck Be A Lady +
3. Style
4. Street Of Dreams +
5. Get Me To The Church On Time +
6. Forget Domani
7. I Could Have Danced All Night ++
8. You Make Me Feel So Young +
9. Just One Of Those Things +++
10. My Way
11. Ring-A-Ding Ding
12. Swinging On A Star

* Previously unreleased
+ From Sinatra At The Sands with Count Basie & The Orchestra (Las Vegas 1966)
++ From Royal Festival Hall (London 1962)
+++ From Sinatra '57: In Concert (Seattle 1957)

This limited-edition promotional CD was issued by the City of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. It contains a mix of Reprise studio and live tracks (noted above). Notable is the first official release of a song recorded in 1980 for a Chrysler Corporation commercial; see this earlier thread:

"It's Time For You"

THE VOICE: THE COLUMBIA YEARS 1943-1952 SAMPLER
Columbia/CBS Sampler LP #CAS-2475 (1986)
12 Tracks

SIDE A
Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week) (Standards)
Nancy (With The Laughing Face) (Standards)
One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (Saloon Songs)
Body And Soul (Saloon Songs)
Love Me (Love Songs)
Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You) (Love Songs)

SIDE B
Sweet Lorraine (Swings)
The Birth Of The Blues (Swings)
I've Got A Crush On You (Screen)
Laura (Screen)
Where Or When (Stage)
Ol' Man River (Stage)

This is an LP sampler with two tracks from each of the six LP titles (noted above) in the Columbia box set, The Voice: The Columbia Years 1943-1952.

Thank you to Dean for the above information. In lieu of the sampler artwork, here is the cover of the full CD box set:

[Second image added later with the true sampler LP cover.]