Over the course of his long and storied career, Frank Sinatra made many game-changing moves. He released the very first pop long-playing record with Columbia's 1948 reissue of The Voice of Frank Sinatra, pioneered the concept album with In The Wee Small Hours at Capitol, founded his own independent record label (Reprise), and transformed the art of pop vocal performance. In 1950, the future Chairman of the Board released an album (then available as either a set of four 10" 78s or a single 33-1/3 RPM LP) called Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra. It was his first fully formed big band album to make use of the long-playing format and saw him begin to make the transition from the idol of the bobbysoxers to the mature sophisticate who would be on display at Capitol Records. The material on Sing and Dance, expertly arranged by George Siravo, has proven timeless, with songs from Rodgers and Hart ("Lover"), Cole Porter ("You Do Something to Me"), Richard Whiting and Walter Donaldson ("My Blue Heaven"), and Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, and Billy Rose ("It's Only a Paper Moon").
On October 30, the audiophile specialty label Impex Records will celebrate Sing and Dance with a deluxe 70th anniversary limited edition vinyl LP and hybrid SACD. Both feature the full album alongside rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks. These include outtakes, orchestra-only cuts, and alternate vocal takes recorded during the tracking of the album. Due to the additional time allowed on the SACD format compared to vinyl, the SACD includes a previously unissued alternate vocal take of "It's Only A Paper Moon" as an extra bonus track. No matter which format you prefer, Impex promises the new transfers of this material (all presented in crisp, original mono) will offer this classic album - recorded at Columbia's fabled 30th Street Studio - in the best fidelity imaginable.
The new edition was prepared in cooperation with Legacy Recordings and was produced by acclaimed Sinatra historian Charles L. Granata. The music has been restored and remastered by Grammy-winning audio engineer Andreas Meyer. The material for the LP was transferred, restored, and mastered all-analog from the original monaural session tapes. The LP was cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, and pressed on premium 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The high-resolution hybrid SACD (playable on all CD players) was authored by Gus Skinas, and sourced, restored, and mastered from hi-res digital transfers made at the same time as the LP's analog tape and disc transfers. The extensive color booklet features a comprehensive essay and personnel listing as well as technical notes provided by Granata alongside plenty of rare photographs from the sessions, memorabilia images, and promotional artwork.
The LP and hybrid SACD editions will be released on October 30. You can find a full track listing and pre-order links below!
Frank Sinatra, Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra (originally Columbia 10" set C-218, 1950 - reissued Impex, 2020)
Hybrid SACD: Impex / Elusive Disc / Amazon U.S.
LP: Impex / Elusive Disc / Amazon Links TBD
* denotes recordings restored and remastered from a recently discovered, first-generation master tape of the original sessions.
LP TRACK LISTING
Side A: The Master Takes
1. Lover (Rodgers-Hart) 2:39
2. It's Only A Paper Moon (Rose-Harburg-Arlen) 1:56
3. My Blue Heaven (Whiting-Donaldson) 2:27
4. It All Depends On You (DeSylva, Brown & Henderson) 2:44
5. You Do Something to Me (Porter) 2:33
6. Should I (Freed-Brown) 2:24
7. The Continental (Magidson-Conrad) 2:32
8. When You're Smiling (Fisher-Goodwin-Shay) 2:29
Side B: Alternate Takes, Sessions & Rarities
1. Farewell, Farewell to Love ("Barbecue Riffs") (Siravo-Wolf) (feat. Harry James & his Orch.) 2:53 *
2. Deep Night (Henderson-Vallee) (feat. Harry James & his Orch.) 3:15 *
3. You Do Something to Me (Porter) (Prev. Unissued Orch. Only + Vocal Alternate Take) 6:54
4. American Beauty Rose (David-Altman-Evans) (Prev. Unissued Alternate Take) 2:36
5. It All Depends On You (DeSylva-Brown-Henderson) (Session Recording [Short Version - Prev. Unissued] + '-Test' Take) 8:30
HYBRID SACD TRACK LISTING
The Master Takes:
1. Lover (Rodgers-Hart) 2:39
2. It's Only A Paper Moon (Rose-Harburg-Arlen) 1:56
3. My Blue Heaven (Whiting-Donaldson) 2:27
4. It All Depends On You (DeSylva, Brown & Henderson) 2:44
5. You Do Something to Me (Porter) 2:33
6. Should I (Freed-Brown) 2:24
7. The Continental (Magidson-Conrad) 2:32
8. When You're Smiling (Fisher-Goodwin-Shay) 2:29
Alternate Takes, Sessions & Rarities:
9. Farewell, Farewell to Love ("Barbecue Riffs") (Siravo-Wolf) (with Harry James & his Orch.) 2:53 *
10. Deep Night (Henderson-Vallee) (with Harry James & his Orch.) 3:15 *
11. It's Only A Paper Moon (Rose-Harburg-Arlen) (Alternate Vocal Take - Prev. Unissued) 2:07
12. You Do Something to Me (Porter) (Orch. Only Take, False Starts + Vocal Alternate Take) (Prev. Unissued) 6:54
13. American Beauty Rose (David-Altman-Evans) (Alternate Vocal Take - Prev. Unissued) 2:36
14. It All Depends On You (DeSylva-Brown-Henderson) (Session Recording [Short version - Prev. Unissued] + '-Test' Take) 8:30
Paul M. Mock says
YES! This is truly Mr. S's long overlooked 1st big band album as a solo artist. He was in rough shape all around at the time and it got lost in the Columbia catalog to all but the most devout Sinatraphile. It had been rumored for well over a year that this production by Impex was indeed taking place. Glad to see it finally come into fruition.
Martin Noordam says
How absolutely wonderful that Mr. FRANK SINATRA still lives on by releasing this great standards on vinyl. His voice and his style of singing are so unique and flawless, as time has no grip on that material.. Cheers and greetz from Amsterdam the Netherlands.