In 1961, Sinatra released the album Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!
The songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart were on contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1933. They were asked to write songs for Hollywood Party, a movie that was to star many of the studios top performers.
Rodgers recalled: "One of our ideas was to include a scene in which Jean Harlow is shown as an innocent young girl saying—or rather singing—her prayers."
After MGM released the movie, Jack Robbins, head of the studio's publishing company, felt the song was suited for commercial release but wanted more romantic lyrics and a punchier title. Hart was reluctant at first to write more lyrics but was finally persuaded. "Blue Moon" is that song.
Later in the year, Sinatra released the album Come Swing With Me!, which includes his version of "Sentimental Journey".
It always leaves you in a good mood..."On The Sunny Side Of The Street"!
Sinatra then began his own label, Reprise Records, which continued his hot streak. In 1961, he released the album Ring-a-Ding Ding!, which rose to #4. Cahn and Van Heusen wrote the title song especially for Sinatra.
"Pocketful Of Miracles" is from the movie of the same name. Frank was originally slated to be in the movie but walked out because he didn't like the script. Glenn Ford accepted the part opposite Bette Davis.
"Let's Fall In Love" is from the movie of the same name. Sinatra covered it for the Ring-a-Ding Ding! album, with Johnny Mandel arranging and conducting.
"A Foggy Day" is another Gershwin tune, first introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 movie A Damsel in Distress.
Sinatra pulled another hit from the album with "Let's Face The Music And Dance". The song was written by Irving Berlin in 1936 for a famous dance scene with stars Fred Astaire and GInger Rogers in the movie Follow the Fleet.
Sinatra released the album I Remember Tommy, a tribute to Tommy Dorsey.
Frank collaborated with Don Costa, who arranged the album Sinatra and Strings in 1962. Costa's arrangement of "Yesterdays" is fantastic.
"Misty" was written as an instrumental by Erroll Garner in 1954. Johnny Burke later added lyrics. It was another gem from Sinatra's album and later made popular by Johnny Mathis.
"Come Rain Or Come Shine" was written for the musical St. Louis Woman in 1946. Margaret Whiting had the biggest hit with it at #17.
Sinatra released the album A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, retitled The Frank Sinatra Christmas Album. Frank's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" has become a holiday standard.
The album also contains another Sinatra standard: "Mistletoe And Holly".
Sinatra scored a #2 smash with "All The Way" from his movie The Joker Is Wild. It won the Oscar for Best Original Song from a Movie. Celine Dion performed a virtual duet with Sinatra in Las Vegas on her A New Day residency.
"Chicago", also from the movie, became a fan favorite.
Frank reached the Top 10 again with the single "Witchcraft", underrated even at #8, as evidenced by his Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Riddle's nomination for Best Arrangement.
Sinatra released one of his best, Come Fly with Me, in 1958. It not only reached #1 on the Album chart for five weeks but was nominated for Album of the Year at the inaugural Grammy Awards. "Come Fly With Me" was also nominated for Best Vocal Performance, Male.
Sinatra was one of the 10 biggest box office draws in the U.S., starring in the movies Some Came Running and Kings Go Forth.
Frank released a second album that year, Frank Sinatra Sings forOnly the Lonely that went to #1 and was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys. This is "Angel Eyes".
In 1959, Sinatra released the albums Come Dance With Me! and No One Cares. Sinatra's "High Hopes", sung in the comedy A Hole in the Head, was honored as Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.
"High Hopes" was also nominated for Record of the Year. "All My Tomorrows" is from the same movie and was the flip side of "High Hopes". Sinatra released the album Come Dance with Me!, Album of the Year and winner of Best Vocal Performance, Male and a Special Award for Artists & Repertoire Contribution at the Grammy Awards.
In 1960, Sinatra released the album Nice 'n' Easy, yet another #1 album for nine weeks. The title song was nominated for Record of the Year, Best Performance by a Pop Single Artist and Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Male, while the album was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
Sinatra was once again nominated for Record of the Year for "The Second Time Around", first introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1960 movie High Time.
Frank also starred in the movie Can-Can and the movie Ocean's 11, financed by Sinatra, represented the first movie to feature the Rat Pack (Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.) together.
Much more to come from the Chairman of the Board--stay tuned!
"Frank is one of the best singers ever." "Liquid Gold." "Frank Sinatra had the smoothest, most soothing, most angelic voice ever." "A timeless legend." "Frank takes me far away." "Pure genius."
"The best advice a music professor once gave me: 'Never fully trust someone who doesn't 'get' Sinatra."
"Magnificent!"
A once-in-a-lifetime performer." "Unforgettable!"
"The greatest male singing voice ever." "He's immortal." "His music is so beautiful." "Soooo romantic."
"Frank is alive...with his music."
This legend was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on December 12, 1915 and began his career with swing artists such as Tommy Dorsey and Harry James. Although he began his recording career a full 12 years before the Rock Era began, and his place in music history is near the top when all eras are included, Francis Albert Sinatra still ranks #39 from 1955 to the present. Sinatra signed a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1943 and released his self-titled debut album in 1946. Sinatra enjoyed immense success in the '40s, but was less successful in the early 1950's. Frank then did a very smart thing--he began performing in Las Vegas, Nevada. And, Sinatra enjoyed great success on the big screen. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the classic From Here to Eternity, was nominated for Best Actor for his role in The Man with the Golden Arm and also starred in movies including Guys and Dolls, High Society and Pal Joey. High Society was one of the biggest moneymakers of 1956, and Sinatra won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, starring opposite Rita Hayworth in Pal Joey. These appearances gave Sinatra additional exposure which led to a new recording contract with Capitol Records.
This series of events led to a comeback for Sinatra beginning with his first Capitol album (In the Wee Small Hours) released in 1955, the year the Rock Era began. This is credited with being the first "concept album", with its songs fitting into a theme (pain from a lost love), rather than being a collection of songs, as was the case with other albums previously.
Sinatra and Ava Gardner had just divorced and Nelson Riddle, who arranged the music and conducted the backing orchestra, says Frank sang the songs on the album with depth and emotion because of his personal problems. The album rose to #2 and was certified Gold with the title song leading the way.
Sinatra covered this 1929 Cole Porter song from the musical Wake Up and Dream and it became one of his best--"What Is This Thing Called Love?"
Sinatra rose to #1 in the U.S. and Australia and #2 in Great Britain with "Learnin' The Blues".
Later in the year, Sinatra released the single "Love And Marriage", first introduced by Sinatra on television on Producer's Showcase. The song, with lyrics from Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen, reached #5 and was released the following year on the compilation album This Is Sinatra!, which also went Gold.
Another song on that compilation is "(Love Is) The Tender Trap", from the movie of the same name in which Frank starred in. Sammy Cahn liked to say that he put more words in Frank Sinatra's mouth than any other songwriter. This is one of several dozen Cahn songs that Sinatra recorded. It rose to #7.
Frank remade "Old Devil Moon", originally featured in the 1947 musical Finian's Rainbow.
George and Ira Gershwin's "Love Is Here To Stay" was included in the movie The Goldwyn Follies in 1938. It was the last song George finished before his death in 1937, and Ira wrote the lyrics after his brother's death as a tribute to him. It became popular when Gene Kelly sang it in the classic An American in Paris.
Sinatra rose to #3 with another Cahn song, "Hey! Jealous Lover".
Sinatra signed a three-year $3 million contract with ABC for The Frank Sinatra Show. Dean Martin appeared often, with Sinatra returning the favor with several appearances on The Dean Martin Show.
In 1957, Frank released the album Close to You and More. Frank is accompanied on the title song by the Hollywood String Quartet.
Frank scored his sixth consecutive Top 5 album with A Swingin' Affair hot on the heels of Close To You.
Where Are You? made it seven straight Top 5 albums. It was the first one recorded without Riddle. Sinatra loved to add his spin to songs from old movies and musicals--here is the title song.
The album also contains a great version of "Autumn Leaves".
This phenomenal interpretive giant of the music business gave us so many memories. Catch more in Part Two!
