Songs For Young Lovers & Swing Easy!
Capitol Records (1953 and 1954)
- Just One Of Those Things
- I'm Going To Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
- Sunday
- Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
- Taking A Chance On Love
- Jeepers Creepers
- Get Happy
- All Of Me
- My Funny Valentine
- The Girl Next Door
- A Foggy Day (In London Town)
- Like Someone In Love
- I Get A Kick Out Of You
- Little Girl Blue
- They Can't Take That Away From Me
- Violets For Your Furs
Originally released as two 10-inch extended-play albums (EPs) and eventually combined into a single 12-inch LP, these two albums are more than a mere collection of individual songs. Understanding the dramatic possibilities that were possible given the longer playing time and superior sonic properties of this new format, Sinatra and arranger-conductor Nelson Riddle set out to create albums that had a coherent, distinctive character. A character exemplified by the selection of the best popular standards chosen specifically organized to convey a singular mood or emotional theme—the concept album.
The deft, jazz-swing arrangements for small combo (originally credited to Riddle) perfectly showcased Sinatra's new, mature sound and after several very public falls from grace, he was again on top of the world. As Sinatra said, he signed on to a new record label, hired a new agent, picked out a new wardrobe, and never looked back.
Several of the songs contained on Songs For Young Lovers became Sinatra standards and were staples of his television and concert performances for the rest of his life. No one had conveyed the utter joy of discovery on the streets of foggy London, turned to see a lover's fabulous face or nonchalantly described love as just one of those things so convincingly. Comparing these recordings to those of other great vocalists demonstrates just how far Sinatra developed the art of popular singing.
The example that comes to mind is a Colgate Comedy Hour broadcast of Anything Goes with Ethel Merman, Burt Lahr, and a newly revitalized Sinatra. As great as Ethel Merman's vocal abilities were, her belting-for-the-back-row interpretation seems terribly outdated compared to Sinatra's hip interpretation of the Cole Porter standards Merman originally popularized.
For those who have grown up thinking that recordings take months—if not years—to complete, note that the tracks of each 10-inch EP were laid down over only two nights. That's right, two. All eight songs on Songs For Young Lovers were recorded on November 5, and 6, 1953, while the eight songs on Swing Easy were committed to tape on April 7, and 19, 1954!
