Desert Island DisKs II
I Thought About You (1956), Songs For Swingin'
Lovers!
An incredible performance of a great Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny
Mercer standard. The imagery is so vivid you can almost see the moonlit
countryside from a Pullman berth. An alternate-tempo version can be heard
on the bootleg From The Vaults CD.
Memories Of You (1956). Originally cut from the Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! album due to length constraints, this aching ballad was unheard until 1973 when it appeared on a private circulation album called Frank Sinatra Like Never Before (which I found on eBay not long ago...). I prefer this Riddle arrangment of the Eubie Blake standard over the 1961 version with Axel Stordahl that can be found on the Capitol album Point Of No Return. Very hard to locate (it is only available on the three CD box set The Capitol Years), but is nonetheless an essential recording.
April In Paris (1957), Come
Fly With Me.
Not
Mr. Sinatra’s
favorite song, but one he was said to consider his best performance. Billy
May's gorgeous arrangement is the best you'll ever hear and highlights
the singer's phenomenal breath control. The longing is palpable as the
he weaves his spell with "Yip" Harburg's haiku-like lyrics.
It’s Nice To Go Trav’ling (1957), Come
Fly With Me.
Winging
around the globe in a gleaming TWA Lockheed Constellation and coming
back home to the sight of Miss Liberty never sounded more inviting than
in this bespoke Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn number. Not exactly in
the mold of a stirring Sousa march, but patriotic in its own way. The
practices "ad libs" as the record ends are a great, playful
touch.
All The Way (1957), Classic Sinatra: His Great
Performances 1953-1960.
The Academy Award-winning song of 1957 from the
Sinatra film The Joker Is Wild. This is a tender,
heartfelt Van Huesen and Cahn ballad perfectly constructed for the singer's
singular dramatic talent. In the film, Sinatra sings an extra verse only
available on the Frank Sinatra In Hollywood boxed set.
Angel Eyes (1958), Frank
Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely.
An extraordinary saloon song by the genre’s most eloquent
spokesman. At the end of his retirement performance in 1971, he sang the
closing line "...'scuse
me, while I disappear," the spotlight went out, and he was gone. A
Life magazine reporter in the audience wrote that it was the single most
powerful moment he had ever witnessed on stage. Long before performers
resorted to laser shows, flashpots, and dance routines, The Chairman of
the Board could keep an audience rapt in awe simply by standing in a spotlight
and turning a 32-bar song into a three-act drama.
September In The Rain (1960), Sinatra's Swingin'
Session!!!
This beautiful Nelson Riddle arrangement of a Harry Warren
tune perfectly compliments and contrasts Sinatra's haunting interpretation.
It gently swings as Sinatra paints a wistful portrait of lost love. Also
the title of a recent biography of Nelson Riddle that subtly pays tribute
to the relationship between Sinatra and his most empathetic arranger.
Granada (1961), Swing Along
With Me.
Originally
a slow ballad, this number was tuned up by Billy May to create a supercharged
chart with Sinatra swinging to the nth degree. This over-the-top performance
is even better now that the original long version of the song has been
included on the remastered 20-bit CD.
More (1964), It Might As Well Be Swing.
A great swinger with Quincy
Jones arranging for the Count Basie band. Believe it or not, this song
is the love theme of the cult film Mondo Cane.
Dindi (1966), Francis Albert
Sinatra & Antonio
Carlos Jobim.
An extraordinarily tender love song from Sinatra's "quietest" album.
Poetic lyrics perfectly realized.
All I Need Is The Girl (1968), Francis
A. & Edward
K.
A virtual dissertation in swing by a man who could have taught a course
on the subject.
Wave (1969), The Very Best of Frank Sinatra.
An truly exceptional recording
of the 1960 Antonio Carlos Jobim hit and possibly the most senuous performance
Sinatra ever committed to tape. A man who never cared to listen to his
own recordings for pleasure, this song was one exception and he turned to
it frequently during his brief retirement in the early 1970s. He liked the
way he nailed the bass notes. Originally available on the album Sinatra & Company.