Goddamned Frank Sinatra

Mr PC · Post by **Mr PC** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:14 pm

Man, I'm listening to Frank and am in such awe of the magnificent instrument that is his voice. Damn.

I'm now listening to "I See Your Face Before Me" from the album In the Wee Small Hours. I'm more of a fan of his earlier years.

How his voice anchors a mix is amazing. His phrasing and rhythm are so good, and his voice has such a solid foundation in the low-mid area, he moves the song along like he is his own rhythm section. His voice is half of the fekking mix, for crying out loud.

He is the greatest by far.

PC

John Jeffers · Post by **John Jeffers** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:06 pm

The only Sinatra album I own is "Sinatra at the Sands", and it's amazing. Count Basie's orchestra and Frank...fucking sweet. I'd love to know how it was recorded, what mics, placement, etc.

tfred812 · Post by **tfred812** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:37 am

If you want to learn more, Charles Granata's book Sessions with Sinatra is one of the best books on recording -- given Frank's career, really the history of recording -- and an artist at work that I know of. (Granata's book on Pet Sounds is very good, too.)

There's a lot of product out there, so may I humbly offer a few shortcuts to the best of Frank:

If you haven't heard it yet, find Only the Lonely (1958) pronto-- one of the great works of art of the last century.

Almost as good in a very different mood is Songs for Swingin' Lovers (1956). (His original version of Ive Got You Under My Skin, the highlight for me of At the Sands, is here.)

And in a still different mood, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967) is bombast- and ring-a-ding-free and really, really good. Also a good intro to Jobim's music.

Each is beautifully recorded in very dfferent ways (classic Capitol Tower echo chamber early stereo; crisp mono; and lush state of the art LA studio sound, engineered by Lee Herschberg), respectively.

One of my claims to fame is seeing the Ramones and Frank Sinatra live in the same weekend back in the early 80s. Frank kind of phoned it in that time, by when I saw him a few years later reopening the Chicago Theater, he was locked in and gave one of the great performances I've seen.

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:45 pm

if yyou haven't heard the dorsey stuff you missing out in a huge way...

remember that warner cartoon with the 2 chickens one being sinatra and the other being Bing...

good stuff that...

Mr PC · Post by **Mr PC** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:38 pm

Thanks for the tip on the book. Should be a great read.

I love Songs for Swingin' Lovers. I like it better than Only the Lonely, but must admit I've listened to Swingin' Lovers more. The Jobim thing is a great record. You have covered most of my Sinatra collection in your post.

I like his early Columbia years the most, I guess. My friend gave me a cool V-disc cd set.

Long before I looked at Sinatra as anything but an aging Vegas crooner, I worked as a stage hand setting up for a big fancy 70th birthday party for a big-shot business guy here in Cincinnati. I was helping to set up band risers and casually asked who the entertainment was. "Frank Sinatra" , the guy told me. It took me about 30 minutes to believe the him. Too bad the stage hands couldn't have been at the party. One of my jobs was to paint the plywood hood that hid the teleprompter. I took the teleprompter scripts that had been left behind after the party, and the words to "New York, New York" were on there. That was kind of depressing.

PC

LeedyGuy · Post by **LeedyGuy** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:25 pm

That Sinatra at the Sands album could possibly be the BEST live recording that I have EVER heard. The Basie band with Quincy Jones arranging...just...WOW. Everything is so crystal clear from the blending of the clarinets, flutes and muted trumpets right down to the rhythm section.

Any info on this would be great if anyone has it since there's not even personnel in the liner notes.

TheSwede · Post by **TheSwede** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:49 pm

In The wee small hours is my favorite. Frank and Nelson Riddle.

I grabbed this record from a punk rock shop's free bin on an original vinyl ( some buff marks, but played just fine). I remember listening to it for a lark on a boring Thanksgiving Eve, alone in my room while my family was all down stairs... i had just started smoking cigarettes, maybe just that week (i was about 17 or so...), and man, it knocked me on my ass. I had no interest in this stuff whatsoever, but it just had this incredible quality to the recording, and seemed to transport my thoughts to a time that just seems so impossible to me now. There was such care in the arrangements, and such a rich sound to the whole record that i was taught a lot that night.

That and the cigarettes still gave me that "relaxing rush" that they tend to when you've just started smoking... so it was a very pleasing sort of evening.

I have since quit smoking, but this record remains my favorite Sinatra... I like the September of my years as well, though i have no idea why. Most people seem to hate it.

Seej · Post by **Seej** » Wed May 10, 2006 5:52 pm

i usually dont listen to his stuff but i found my dad's classic sinatra (on capitol) cd last week. all i can say for someone thats usually turning the bass down on every capitol-made cd is .......wow. not bad for mono. it sounded so friggin clean and new! im gonna go listen to it again.

johnny7 · Post by **johnny7** » Thu May 11, 2006 7:59 pm

Interesting. I haven't listened to much Frank but what I have heard sucks in it tunelessness. But maybe it was 70s Frank. Is this like judging Elvis on his 70's stuff?

Mr PC · Post by **Mr PC** » Thu May 11, 2006 9:28 pm

I started to know anything about Frank by listening to "Songs for Swinging Lovers" which was mid-Fifties. I then started listening to some collections of his stuff from the Forties, when he was on Columbia, and I totally fell in love with his voice. It is really amazing what he does with those great great songs.

When I was a kid, Frank was getting older and I thought he was just some vegas guy. I later learned just how thoroughly great he was as a musician. Behind the legend there really was a great artist (in my opinion at least).

I think you will be well rewarded if you look into his whole career.

PC

arneal · Post by **arneal** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:40 pm

If you can find it, check out Francis A. and Edward K. with Duke Ellington's band. Originally released in '67 or '68 on Reprise. A different flavor, but another view of Frank that's worth hearing. Thoughout most of his career, his exuberance on the mid-tempo swinging stuff is so infectious you can't help but go back to it. "The Best is Yet To Come", for example.

Mr PC · Post by **Mr PC** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 2:09 pm

Thanks, I'll have to check that out-

PC

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 6:43 pm

tfred812 wrote:

Almost as good in a very different mood is Songs for Swingin' Lovers (1956). (His original version of Ive Got You Under My Skin, the highlight for me of At the Sands, is here.)

That song gives me the shivers.

Pop music just does not get better than that.

Thanks for the book reference.

allbaldo · Post by **allbaldo** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 8:40 am

johnny7 wrote:Interesting. I haven't listened to much Frank but what I have heard sucks in it tunelessness. But maybe it was 70s Frank. Is this like judging Elvis on his 70's stuff?

Agreed... there must be something I'm missing. I haven't listend to a lot, but on what I've heard, his voice seems really "monotone".... like he's talking his way through the songs, and not really singing. Maybe I've heard the wrong stuff.

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 9:44 am

Frank with Dorsey..!!!
young and freaky...
zippy..

no it's his best...pre capitol..give it a shot..you'll love it...

Message Board

Goddamned Frank Sinatra

Goddamned Frank Sinatra

Re: Goddamned Frank Sinatra

Re: Goddamned Frank Sinatra

Who is online