The more I look at this album the more I feel that it is a work of art. Everything about it is mere perfection and I've been able to accept "Ebb Tide", which I used to feel was out-of-place. It breaks none of the pace and I see it more as a recollection of the love which is nessecary so we can identify more with the protagonist.

It litterally has no fault.

[Jake]

but I'll say it again:

"Ebb Tide" is my all time favorite Sinatra interpretation.

I've heard [DELETED] has had an unauthorized released on [DELETED]

Any word on this? It's just the un-completed tracks, mind you.

[Marty]

no disrespect meant at all, however you may wish to edit out the title of the "unauthorised" release from your above post in accord with forum policy on such items.

Thanks

[Edwin]

I've heard that there were album jackets printed that listed "Lush Life" as one of the songs. As you know, the reording of that song was not completed. Has anyone seen one of these album jackets?

The LP originally had 12 songs (the CD has Sleep Warm and Where or When, bonus tracks not recorded for the album). "Lush Life" would have been 13. Did those album jackets list 13 or 12 songs?

If it listed 12 songs, I'm wondering what song replaced "Lush Life" as the 12th song.

Does anyone know? Have any of you seen one of these jackets? Yeah, I know, it's trivia, but I've always been curious.

Edwin

[dfwood]

I've heard that 'Willow Weep for Me' replaced 'Lush Life'.

[Barry]

Hi
I opened up Rick's link from his first post
only to find a picture that I am looking at now!
July on Frank's calendar has "only the lonely"
as it's feature.
I took a picture and here it is.
( Not very big i'm afraid)
Barry.

Originally posted by Marty
no disrespect meant at all, however you may wish to edit out the title of the "unauthorised" release from your above post in accord with forum policy on such items.

Thanks

Thanks for the heads up Marty. Someone did the job for me, naturally. However, I'll continue this conversation in the bootleggers section. How could anyone of gotten this recording, anyhow?

Hi Edwin,

I haven't seen any LP album jackets listing "Lush Life" in the programme. If they do exist, I wonder why they were printed?

Sinatra didn't complete his recording attempt of the song at the May 29, 1958 session, and never came back to it (at the end of the final part take, he quipped "put it aside for about a year"). The final album was released on September 8, 1958.

Given that the final sessions for the album were in late June 1958, that's a rather close timeline, about 2 months for post-production, layout etc etc - perhaps, if such jacket copies exist, they were but drafts, using some line-up of songs from the original plans (and of course, "Lush Life" was originally supposed to be part of the album) that hadn't been reworked yet re the songlist? This was done occasionally with other albums, too, just to "test" the artwork.

I sincerely hope that those few part-takes Sinatra delivered on "Lush Life" might see official light in the future, as an extra on some new release of the album. In many of those "garbage books" out there, you can find the recycled story of how FS stormed out of the studio, slamming doors etc etc out of frustration over the song - that's all (pardon the word) bullshit, nothing of the kind did happen, he simply decided, jokingly and calmly, to pass-by that song and immediately started to work on the next tune scheduled for the session, which was "Willow Weep For Me". So aside from the interesting musical perspective (Nelson Riddle wrote a great chart for "Lush Life"), releasing the surviving open-mike audio from that session could also put to silence all those nonsense stories surrounding it.

Bernhard.

[Ronald Sarbo]

The album when it was released in stereo had to issued with 2 songs missing.

It may have been decided that "Lush Life" was not needed as they had no room for it anyway on the stereo version of the album.

The mono version of the album had ALL the songs.

Nat King Cole had also recorded "Lush Life" for Capitol and that may also have contributed to the decision. Cole would record a stereo version of "Lush Life" for Capitol in 1961.

Originally posted by bvo35
So aside from the interesting musical perspective (Nelson Riddle wrote a great chart for "Lush Life"), releasing the surviving open-mike audio from that session could also put to silence all those nonsense stories surrounding it.

Bernhard.

Perhaps this could all work if Capitol released a CD set of Alternate Tracks and Unreleased takes Frank made at Capitol. I've also read Frank recorded "Memories of You" during the "Songs fro Swingin' Lovers" sessions though it was never released there.

That, along with the Piano only version of "One for My Baby" with Bill Miller are the only songs that come to mind right now that could be released in a set of that kind.

[Edwin]

The Sinatra-Riddle "Memories of You" and "One for My Baby" with Bill Miller piano and no other accompaniment are available on the three disc Capitol set, "The Capitol Years."

"Memories of You" is also on two LP's: the Japanese reissue of "Songs for Swingin' Lovers" that was released in the 80"s and a mid 70's Longines Symphonette album of recordings that were then rare which also included the Riddle Day In, Day Out, Where or When and There's a Flaw in My Flu. Charles Granata has posted here on the Sinatra Family Forum that if he has the opportunity to produce a reissue of Swingin' Lovers, he will include Memories of You since it was recorded for the album. It happens to be a killer recording and belongs on the album.

Riddle said in an interview in the '80's that he was on tour during the session that was to include "Lush Life" and that Felix Slatkin conducted the session. Riddle said that he believed that if he had been there, he and Frank would have solved the problems with the song and that it would have been completed. That session (5/29/58) was an unusually long session. Eight songs inicluding the incomplete Lush Life.

If the reason that it was not included was because of a problem at the session, the fact that Cole had done it or that fewer songs would be used on the stereo version had no bearing. The stereo version came out a few years later, deleting Spring is Here and It's a Lonesome Old Town. The Lush Life problem was already ancient history.

Capitol also deleted one of the songs for the stereo version of Where Are You. I think it was I Cover the Waterfront although I'm not sure.

This still does not answer my original question about whether there were to be 13 songs or what song, if any, was added to replace Lush Life. I don't see how it could be Willow Weep for Me as Dfwood suggests since it was recorded next at the Lush Life session, already set to go with the arrangement complete.

As I posted earlier, it's trivia, but I still wonder.

Edwin

Hi Edwin,

while I don't see it offering any "solution" to this question, it might be of interest in this context what has been documented from the written sheets for the session of May 29.

To be more precise, it was two sessions actually, for four songs each, both arranged by Riddle but conducted by Felix Slatkin, Frank's concertmaster, for the reason you already mentioned. They are sometimes referred to as "one session" probably because Capitol Records, while counting the first session as "E 50", did not assign an extra session number to the second session.

The first one (from 2 to 5 pm) had FS recording Monique, Ebb Tide, Angel Eyes, and Spring Is Here (masters E 19239-19242). The second session (from 8.30 to 11.30 pm) had Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry, Only The Lonely, Lush Life, and Willow Weep For Me (masters E 19255-19258).

Now for master E 19257: The session logs for the second May 29 session have "Lush Life" listed, which as the surviving session outtakes prove, Sinatra did attempt to record (he tried three takes, clocking in at 0'08, 0:33 and 2'07 mins. respectively).

However, the Union contract for that second session, i.e. the sheet which is always made as a basis for paying the musicians and for result summary purposes so to speak, lists the same four songs and master numbers, but the same hand who wrote down everything then crossed out the written title "Lush Life" next to master # E 19257 and wrote "Sleep Warm" in the entry instead.
(This is documented in Nascimento Silva's book, p. 286).

However, there is no further evidence, to my knowledge, that FS might have tried "Sleep Warm" on this date. And when he finally recorded it for Capitol on September 11, 1958 (Capitol master E 30097), the album had already been released three days before.

Yes, trivia - but then again, we are talking about one of the greatest albums in the history of 20th Century Popular Music, and one of Frank's all-time greatest ones for sure, and in that context, I think no detail regarding its conception, its preparation and its "making of" can really be called "trivial".

Bernhard.

[Ronald Sarbo]

I have never seen a jacket of "OTL" with "Lush Life" listed.

I have seen the "Swingin' Affair" jacket with "Tramp".

[Edwin]

Yes, I've seen copies of the LP that listed The Lady is a Tramp.

For you younger posters, the LP of this album did not include The Lady is a Tramp even though it was recorded at the Swingin' Affair sessions. Capitol withheld it for the Pal Joey Soundtrack LP. Of course Frank's version from the movie is quite different from the one that is more commonly heard.

When the CD was released, Tramp was added as a bonus track. The soundtrack version had never been available as far as I know until Charles Granata's Frank Sinatra in Hollywood.

Edwin

[MMM]

Originally posted by Edwin
If the reason that it was not included was because of a problem at the session, the fact that Cole had done it or that fewer songs would be used on the stereo version had no bearing. The stereo version came out a few years later, deleting Spring is Here and It's a Lonesome Old Town. The Lush Life problem was already ancient history.

I agree. The stereo LP version should have come out sometime the next year though, in 1959. Stereo LP's exist of this using the 1st black/rainbow label (with LONG PLAYING HIGH FIDELITY written on the label, and a slightly different colorband from what was later used), of which I (luckily) have one in nice condition.

[Thorsten]

One of the great masterpieces in Sinatras Career, my favorite Songs of this Album are "Willow Weep For Me" and "Blues In The Night".

Does anyone know if its also part of the "Entertainer of the Century"-Collection?

Yes, all of the Capitol Concept albums were remastered for the 1998-2002 "Entertainer of the Century" series and are available on CDs today.

However, many believe the sound quality was better on many of the earlier 1987-1991 CD issues (now out of print). You can find many discussions of this topic elsewhere in the Forum.

I just bought the cd "Only The Lonely" I absolutely love it. It's one of the best Sinatra albums I have ever heard. Is this considered a jazz album? His voice is so clear and so damn beautiful!!!!!!I love each and every song especially EBB TIDE.
If anyone wants to discover Frank I'll buy them this album!!!!!!

This man mystifies me he is just so incredible. I also bought "IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS" I'm in the process of listening to it as we speak so far so good! I like "Only The Lonely" better but I like his version of "Can't We Be Friends" I have only heard his version with Ella before this cd.


Melissa

Here's the link: Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely.

You'll find many who agree, Melissa.