Favourite Sinatra tracks

[Man of Harveys]

I'm such a big fan of Sinatra's that it's almost impossible to pick any less than five of my favourite recordings by everyone's favourite wig-wearing mafioso crooner (apart from John Majeski, of course). But here goes:

I've Got You Under My Skin - the Nelson Riddle arrangement from Songs For Swinging Lovers on Capitol, of course, not the abortion that he later recorded for Reprise
Come Fly With Me - ditto
What Is This Thing Called Love? - in fact, anything and everything off In The Wee Small Hours. Perfection.
One For My Baby - I can't BELIEVE this was written in a specific bar late at night in Manhatten - and the bar's still there. Best bar song ever.
Only The Lonely, Strangers In The Night, I Thought About You, World On A String, Fly Me To The Moon, Too Marvellous For Words and about another 50 songs vie for 5th place.

 

[B.M.F]

I love "Luck be a Lady" and can listen to the old crooner all day long

 

[crasher]

Shows how tastes vary - in my view there's just something WRONG about Frank Sinatra. The favourite singer of thick, dodgy people like Ron Atkinson and that old bloke on the fast show.

(Not that I'm suggesting you are either thick or dodgy MoH!)

 

[Dave the OAP]

My favourite Sinatra track was recorded with Tommy Dorsey, when he was the band singer:

( Becareful) Its My heart

Call of the Canyon

The lady is a Tramp

Cant remember the title, but - I think it was "a very good year"

His version of Mack The Knife with sammy davis Jr is excellent

 

[Trufflehound]

In the Wee Small hours of the Morning.

Always loved Witchcraft ever since the show-stopping appearance of the "singing sword" in Roger Rabbit.

Would have voted for Strangers in the Night, but Frank forgets the words half way through...

 

[Trufflehound]

...everyone's favourite wig-wearing mafioso crooner (apart from John Majeski, of course).

And not forgetting Al Martino, who in an ironic twist played mafioso crooner Johnny Fontane in The Godfather - a character that was "officially not based on Frank Sinatra," according to Mario Puzo.

 

[B.M.F]

Got a cracking version of thats amore with Frank and Dean Martin on at the moment

 

[Man of Harveys]

I have a live recording of him doing The Lady Is A Tramp which is breathtaking - not only his singing but the crowd - it makes that lot on the first tee at the K Club sound like a chess tournament.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The best of Sinatra has to be the recordings with Nelson Riddle.

'Young at Heart' among them.

 

[tedebear]

Cant remember the title, but - I think it was "a very good year"

When I was seventeen
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights
Wed hide from the lights
On the village green
When I was seventeen

Its called "It was a Very Good Year" and its a great track!! Written by Ervin Drake in 1961..Made famous by Sinatra!!

 

[Lush]

I don't have any Frank Sinatra CD's. Which one - just one! - is the most ESSENTIAL?

 

[tedebear]

I don't have any Frank Sinatra CD's. Which one - just one! - is the most ESSENTIAL?

Robbie Williams - Swing When You're Winning

 

[Man of Harveys]

I don't have any Frank Sinatra CD's. Which one - just one! - is the most ESSENTIAL?

Studio albums - Songs For Swinging Lovers - upbeat, punchy, fantastic. In The Wee Small Hours - slow, late night, mournful, awesome.
Compilations - The Capitol Years boxset is 3 CDs and has everything from his greatest era, Nelson Riddle et al - of course, some bits of it are not THAT brilliant (even kitsch in places) but in between you have the Empire State building in music

This is a later compilation which DOESN'T include anything from the great Capitol era but has the famous later stuff (he'd set up his own record label by then): Fly Me To The Moon, Something Stupid, My Way, New York New York, Strangers In The Night etc etc etc.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Actually Ms Lush - I'll try to burn you a CD or two for the first time in my miserable life this weekend and report back. Bear in mind my limited techy ability...I'll do my best.

 

[tedebear]

Actually Ms Lush - I'll try to burn you a CD or two for the first time in my miserable life this weekend and report back. Bear in mind my limited techy ability...I'll do my best.

Warning Will Robinson, Warning Will Robinson...

 

[Trufflehound]

This is a later compilation which DOESN'T include anything from the great Capitol era but has the famous later stuff...

That's the problem with Frank, along with a lot of other artists that moved labels. When a record calls itself "The Very Best of...", what they actually mean is: "Here's a selection of the songs that we own the rights to, which admittedly aren't necessarily ACTUALLY the best songs, but it's the best we could do, OK?"

I've never come across a Frank collection that really does collect the best from every era in one place (yes, I know the purists say if you have the Neslon Riddle stuff you don't need the later stuff, but I like it...).

 

[Man of Harveys]

The Rolling Stones suffer from this too - I have a greatest hits which doesn't include the Decca era stuff like Satisfaction, Get Off My Cloud, Honky Tonk Women etc etc etc.

 

[Lush]

Actually Ms Lush - I'll try to burn you a CD or two for the first time in my miserable life this weekend and report back. Bear in mind my limited techy ability...I'll do my best.

 

[sussexfatboy]

Three Coins in a Fountain

 

[Tom Bombadil]

When I was seventeen
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights
Wed hide from the lights
On the village green
When I was seventeen

Its called "It was a Very Good Year" and its a great track!! Written by Ervin Drake in 1961..Made famous by Sinatra!!

I prefer Homers version

When I was seventeen,
I drank some very good beer,
I drank some very good beer I purchased with a fake ID,
My name was Brian McGee,
I stayed up listening to Queen,
When I was seventeen.