This fall, the Chairman of the Board will be globetrotting once again. World on a String is the appropriate name of a new 4-CD/1-DVD box set celebrating Frank Sinatra's live performances on the world's stages. This box, due on October 21 from UMe and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, follows previous live collections dedicated to Sinatra's performances in London, New York and Vegas. Upping the ante, the new set has concerts from eight countries: Monaco, Australia, Egypt, Dominican Republic, Japan, Israel, Greece, and Italy. Venues range from small clubs to giant stadiums, showcasing Sinatra's singular ability to communicate on an intimate level regardless of the size of his audience.
Featuring performances spanning 1953 to 1982, the collection boasts more than four hours' worth of rare audio and video - over 90 tracks on CD alone including such Sinatra favorites as "I Get a Kick Out of You," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "The Lady is a Tramp," "Witchcraft" and "Bewitched" right up through "Strangers in the Night," ""My Way" and "(Theme From) New York, New York." Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Don Costa, Gordon Jenkins and Quincy Jones are among the illustrious arrangers represented on these discs.
The first CD kicks off with Sinatra's June 14, 1958 show at Monte Carlo's Sporting Club at which he was introduced by none other than Noel Coward, and concludes with his recordings at Italy's RAI Radio Club from May 20, 1953. The second disc flashes forward to 1961 and a lengthy concert at Australia's Sydney Stadium from December 2 of that year. The third disc features Ol' Blue Eyes' landmark September 297, 1979 show at Egypt's Pyramids while the fourth takes listeners to the Dominican Republic's Altos de Chevon in the city of La Romana.
The DVD comprises entirely unreleased material, documenting Sinatra on a 1962 goodwill tour raising money for underprivileged children. There's an entire show from Hibya Park, Japan from April 21, plus the documentaries Frank Sinatra with All God's Children and Sinatra in Israel and twelve commercials Sinatra made for the Perugina candy company. These commercials featured newly-recorded (albeit abbreviated) versions of his classics, performed with The Bill Miller Sextet and arranged by Neal Hefti.
This eagerly-anticipated box also contains a booklet with liner notes by Sinatra's longtime production manager Hank Cattaneo as well as reminiscences from the late Frank Sinatra, Jr., Bill Miller and Al Viola. It arrives from UMe and FSE on October 21. You can pre-order World on a String at the links below!
Frank Sinatra, World on a String (UMe/Frank Sinatra Enterprises, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada TBD)
CD 1
SPORTING CLUB, MONTE CARLO - JUNE 14, 1958
- Introduction by Noel Coward
- Clarke Street (Play On)
- Come Fly With Me
- I Get A Kick Out Of You
- I've Got You Under My Skin
- Where Or When
- Moonlight In Vermont
- On The Road To Mandalay
- When Your Lover Has Gone
- April In Paris
- All The Way
- Monique
- Bewitched
- The Lady Is A Tramp
- (Love Is) The Tender Trap (Play Off)
- You Make Me Feel So Young
- (Love Is) The Tender Trap (Bows)
Bonus Tracks (RAI Radio Club, May 20, 1953)
- Radio Club Introduction
- Welcome and Greetings
- September Song - Frank Sinatra
- Presentation and Announcements
- Laura - Frank Sinatra
- Baseball segment
- Ninna Nanna - Domenico Modugno
- Night And Day - Frank Sinatra
- Closing Remarks
CD 2
SYDNEY STADIUM, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 2, 1961
- Introduction By Tommy Hanlon Jr.
- I've Got The World On A String
- I Concentrate On You
- Night And Day
- Moonlight In Vermont
- In The Still Of The Night
- I'll Be Seeing You
- Day In, Day Out
- The Moon Was Yellow (And The Night Was Young)
- You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
- Monologue
- Come Fly With Me
- April In Paris
- A Foggy Day
- Without A Song
- Imagination
- The Second Time Around
- Young At Heart
- Witchcraft
- Embraceable You
- The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)
- My Funny Valentine
- My Blue Heaven
- Angel Eyes
- One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
- The Lady Is A Tramp
CD 3
THE PYRAMIDS, EGYPT - SEPTEMBER 27, 1979
- Sadat's Comments
- The Song Is You
- Where Or When
- The Lady Is A Tramp
- Someone To Watch Over Me
- Something
- My Kind Of Town
- All The Way
- Bewitched
- I've Got You Under My Skin
- The Gal That Got Away /It Never Entered My Mind (Medley)
- Monologue
- Try A Little Tenderness
- Strangers In The Night
- Street of Dreams
- April In Paris
- Theme From New York, New York
- My Way
- Bows (My Way)
- Closing Comments by Frank Sinatra
CD 4
ALTOS DE CHEVON, LA ROMANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - AUGUST 20, 1982
- I've Got The World On A String
- I Get A Kick Out Of You
- Come Rain Or Come Shine
- When Your Lover Has Gone
- The Lady Is A Tramp (with Reprise)
- The House I Live In
- Searching
- My Kind Of Town
- Something
- The Best Is Yet To Come
- Strangers In The Night
- All Or Nothing At All
- Introduction of Musicians
- The Gal That Got Away/It Never Entered My Mind (Medley)
- I've Got You Under My Skin
- Send In The Clowns
- Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
- I Won't Dance
- Buddy Rich Band Introduction
- Theme From New York, New York
- Bows (Theme From New York, New York)
DVD
HIBYA PARK, JAPAN - APRIL 21, 1962
- Introduction
- Too Marvelous For Words
- Imagination
- Moonlight In Vermont
- Day In, Day Out
- Without A Song
- The Moon Was Yellow (And The Night Was Young)
- I've Got You Under My Skin
- I Get A Kick Out Of You
- At Long Last Love
- My Funny Valentine
- In The Still Of The Night
- Embraceable You
- Night And Day
- April In Paris
- The Lady Is A Tramp
- Bows
- Monologue and Band Introductions
- All The Way
- Chicago
- I Could Have Danced All Night
- Bows (Closing)
FRANK SINATRA WITH ALL GOD'S CHILDREN, 1962
SINATRA IN ISRAEL, 1962
PERUGINA COMMERCIALS, 1962
- Night And Day
- My Funny Valentine
- I've Got You Under My Skin
- Moonlight In Vermont
- I Love Paris
- Come Fly With Me
- My Blue Heaven
- Chicago
- Imagination
- Witchcraft
- A Foggy Day
- The Lady Is A Tramp
Kevin Roberts says
It is great that upgraded versions of dates that previously circulated on bootlegs are being released. At the same time a complete upgraded CD edition of Sinatra's Capitol recordings (whether as a box or individual CDs) is long overdue.
Murray says
I'm not being rude; I'm asking a serious question, Kevin. Were you not happy with the previous reissues? Between the Concepts box, the singles box and the individual albums containing bonus tracks, I think Frank has been pretty well served. What was wrong with that reissue series in your opinion? Maybe I'm missing something.
Kevin Roberts says
If you heard the 1998 USA CD series of Capitol albums in comparison with (a) the completely different, but out of print, UK remasters, (b) good original vinyl pressings or the various vinyl reissues of recent years, or (c) the incomplete series of CDs/LPs issued by Mobile Fidelity - you would cry or scream about how inferior in sound quality they are. Same goes for the "Singles" CD set in comparison to clean original 45's. The "Concepts" box has similar (but different) sound quality problems, though they vary from album to album. This is not esoteric or only one persons opinion. Most collectors who have compared the sound quality agree. Frank needs a more definitive and better sounding CD edition of the Capitol recordings
Murray says
Thanks Kevin, I didn't know all that. I would welcome a new reissue series of Frank from Capitol!
Kevin Roberts says
Meanwhile, get what you can, in any CD or LP edition, if you don't already have them all
Robert says
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! This is such great and UNEXPECTED news!