I grew up listening to Frank Sinatra; my parents played his albums and I had a very large jazz vinyl LP album collection, including Sinatra’s catalogue, in high school and college. Though I didn’t consider him a “jazz artist” until he and Ella Fitzgerald were praised as the greatest jazz singers of all time in the 1960s and ‘70s. My appreciation of Sinatra’s style and smooth voice has continued to grow over my whole life. To me, and millions of other fans, Sinatra is the Real Thing – world class, sincere and authentic; there will never be anyone quite like him again.
Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th Century. He is still one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with more than 150 million records sales worldwide, according to Billboard. Sinatra’s many awards include: two Oscars, four Golden Globes, 11 Grammys, SAG, and three Laurels.
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Cole Porter, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the Songs For Swingin’ Lovers album, Capitol Records, 1956.
My Funny Valentine
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the Songs For Young Lovers album, Capitol Records, 1954.
People who enjoy Sinatra’s music have a special bond with this larger than life icon of virtuosity, style, and charisma. He is the ‘People’s Hero’ who rose from modest blue collar beginnings in Hoboken, New Jersey, to become Number One, as he declared in his signature song “I did it My Way.”
Sinatra was more than just a great singer. Along with being the ‘’poster boy’ for what is hip, cool, and style – but most importantly, Sinatra represented the hopes and aspirations of the 20th Century American common man and woman – watching him move through life made our dreams come alive.
The Way You Look Tonight
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses album, Reprise Records, 1964.
It Was a Very Good Year
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Ervin Drake, arranged by Gordon Jenkins. Original recording from the September of My Years album, Reprise Records, 1965.
When I was growing up, every male wanted to be as suave as Sinatra, and by the way, we were all in love with Audrey Hepburn. Frank Sinatra, along with his buddy Dean Martin, were the epitome of style and smooth crooning vocals. In the 1950s and 1960s, the popularity of the infamous Rat Pack’s antics, on stage and screen, with Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, captured the public’s attention. They were the ‘gold standard’ of hip and cool – confident and independent self-made men who rose to the top through their own talents and hard work.
Fly Me to the Moon
Sung by Frank Sinatra, Count Basie Orchestra, composed by Bart Howard, arranged by Quincy Jones. Original recording from the It Might As Well Be Swing album, Reprise Records, 1964.
In the 1980’s and 1990’s music consumers were tired of mass marketed cheap imitation music; they wanted real, authentic music. The spread of compact disks and the Internet enabled people to access and listen to older music, classic singers, and varied genres that they had never heard before. And Sinatra set the standard of what it is to be a true all-around showman. His voice is so smooth and his emotional control and musical interpretation are unequalled. It doesn’t matter what kind of music genre people may gravitate to, when they hear excellent quality, they like it – that is why Sinatra and all the greats will always attract new fans.
My Way
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Paul Anka, Claude Francois, Jacques Revaux, conductor Don Costa. Original recording from the My Way album, Reprise Records, 1969.
Night and Day
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Cole Porter, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the A Swingin’ Affair album, Capitol Records, 1957.
Sinatra Re-Invented Himself
In the 1930’s and 1940’s big band era, Sinatra was the number one singer and the adored idol of the teenage Bobbysoxers. He sang with the Harry James band in 1938 and joined the Tommy Dorsey band in 1939. Sinatra went on a solo career in 1942 and became the top male singer in the Billboard and DownBeat charts. Songwriter Jimmy Webb said, “Frank seems to have invented a style that just took off like some big rocket.”
However, by the 1950s, music tastes had changed with the growth of rock and roll, R&B, country, and modern jazz. The big bands from the World War Two era were no longer popular. The singers of the 1940s were forced to adapt and change their image, style, and music. Many became successful crooners in Las Vegas, while others focused on movies, television, and theater.
I Get a Kick Outta You
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Cole Porter, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the Songs For Young Lovers album, Capitol Records, 1954.
You Make Me Feel So Young
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the Songs For Swingin’ Lovers album, Capitol Records, 1956.
Frank Sinatra was no exception. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, his singing career was in serious decline. Throughout these challenges, Sinatra focused on re-inventing himself. He re-mastered his singing in Las Vegas clubs and concerts to develop a mature, perfected sound with deep emotional feel and superior musical-lyrical interpretation and phrasing. His singing became more heartfelt; it had more ‘soul’.
The Very Thought of You
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Ray Noble, conductor Robert Farnona. Original recording from the Sinatra Sings Great Songs of Great Britain album, Reprise Records, 1962.
In 1953, Sinatra dropped Columbia Records and began a seven year contract with Capitol Records, working with arranger-conductor Nelson Riddle. Sinatra’s career rebounded in 1953 when he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the movie From Here to Eternity; the film won eight Oscars. The Oscar and the Capitol recording deal revived Sinatra’s film, recording, and concert careers. Soon back on top, Sinatra earned the nick-names, “The Chairman of the Board”, “Il Padrone”, and “Ole’ Blue Eyes”.
I Thought About You
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the Songs For Swingin’ Lovers album, Capitol Records, 1956.
Witchcraft
Sung by Frank Sinatra, composed by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, conductor Nelson Riddle. Original recording from the Sinatra’s Sinatra album, Reprise Records, 1963.
Sinatra’s Legacy
To me and countless others, Frank Sinatra will always remain an all-American hero – icon, singer, actor, producer, business tycoon, king maker, civil rights advocate, philanthropist, artistic painter, golfer, and classical music enthusiast – Sinatra was unique and remains unequaled. In the 1970’s Sinatra came out of retirement and revised his career for a second time in the 1980s and ‘90s gaining popularity with younger generations. Sinatra was the hero of the World War Two era of my grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles. That respect was imparted to new generations and will continue to set the values, standards, hopes, and dreams of generations to come.
