Sing and Dance With Frank Sinatra
FRANK SINATRA
SING AND DANCE WITH FRANK SINATRA
180-GRAM 33RPM LP | Monaural
CATALOG: IMP6036
BCN: 00856276002312
MSRP: $39.99 USD
IMPEX RECORDS ANNOUNCES EXPANDED, 70 ANNIVERSARY AUDIOPHILE ISSUE OF ICONIC 1950 COLUMBIA RECORDS LP SING AND DANCE WITH FRANK SINATRA
(Los Angeles) IMPEX Records is pleased to announce September 30, 2020, Limited Edition release of Frank Sinatra’s iconic 1950 Columbia Records ten-inch LP Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra. Originally issued in October 1950 the title was the singer’s first fully-conceived big-band jazz album to appear on a modern, long-play vinyl record. The 70th-anniversary limited edition LP and SACD/CD hybrid brims with rare, previously unreleased session material, outtakes, and alternate vocal takes from the original sessions and offers the exquisite audiophile-quality sound that IMPEX Records is noted for.
Created in cooperation with Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings, the new deluxe reissue was produced by noted Sinatra producer, author, and historian Charles L. Granata, and restored/remastered by six-time Grammy-winning recording engineer Andreas Meyer. The 33-RPM LP was cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, and is being released on 180-Gram premium vinyl (pressed at RTI). The high-resolution SACD/CD hybrid version was authored by Gus Skinas at Super Audio Center/Sonoma Systems. Included in each edition is an extensive, full-color booklet designed by Robert Sliger, featuring a comprehensive historical essay, full discography/personnel listing, and detailed technical notes authored by Granata, PLUS a generous array of rare photographs, promotional artwork and unpublished visual ephemera pertaining to the album. The executive producers are Abey Fonn and Bob Bantz.
Rich in musical texture, this essential Sinatra classic – featuring the swing-style arrangements of George Siravo – marked a pivotal moment in 20th-Century pop music history, and represented the singer’s transition from tender crooner to hip, swinging sophisticate. These performances offer a flawless snapshot of Sinatra’s legendary musical craftsmanship as he reinvents himself for a new direction in his career—one that would hail his unparalleled success of the 1950s and ’60s.
For this commemorative release, IMPEX has augmented the album’s original eight songs (programmed in sequence on Side A of the LP) with a dazzling array of PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS including alternate takes, orchestra-only tracks and a revealing glimpse of Frank Sinatra in Columbia’s famed 30th Street Studio (circa 1949), personally directing every facet of the recording session. This exquisite, high-fidelity session offers the most concise, in-depth illustration of Frank Sinatra working his magic in the studio, and functioning as his own producer.
The IMPEX team has spared no expense or effort in the creation of this milestone recording. In keeping with the prestigious label’s reputation for meticulous sound, the 33-RPM vinyl LP has been transferred, restored and mastered in the analog domain from the original 15-ips session tapes: superior-sounding masters that have lain untouched in the Columbia Records vault for more than fifty years. These analogs, monophonic tape masters sound spectacular and shine as never before. The SACD/CD edition has been sourced, restored, and remastered from high-resolution digital transfers made concurrently with the LP’s analog tape and disc transfers.
Side A – The Master Takes
- Lover (Rodgers-Hart) 2:39
- It’s Only A Paper Moon (Rose-Harburg-Arlen) 1:56
- My Blue Heaven (Whiting-Donaldson) 2:27
- It All Depends On You (DeSylva, Brown & Henderson) 2:44
- You Do Something to Me (Porter) 2:33
- Should I (Freed-Brown) 2:24
- The Continental (Magidson-Conrad) 2:32
- When You’re Smiling (Fisher-Goodwin-Shay) 2:29
Side B – Alternate Takes, Sessions & Rarities
- Farewell, Farewell to Love (“Barbecue Riffs”) (Siravo-Wolf) (feat. Harry James & his Orch.) 2:53 *
- Deep Night (Henderson-Vallee) (feat. Harry James & his Orch.) 3:15 *
- You Do Something to Me (Porter) (Prev. Unissued Orch. Only + Vocal Alternate Take) 6:54
- American Beauty Rose (David-Altman-Evans) (Prev. Unissued Alternate Take) 2:36
- It All Depends On You (DeSylva-Brown-Henderson) (Session Recording [SHORT version – Prev.
Unissued] + ‘-Test’ Take) 8:30
Reviewed on SACD in April, this so deserves to be heard on vinyl that it gains five more points and snags Album Choice: it may be mono, but wow, does it sing! To recap, this expands the 1950 album, initially on 1o” 78s, which Impex remastered from the original 15 ips tapes (and three tracks from 16″ discs), and the rewards are two fold. First, you hear Sinatra at a transitional period from bobby-soxer idol to suave crooner, and secondly (this is, after all, a hi-fi magazine) you’ll be staggered by the sound of 70-year-old recordings. It’s worth acquiring, too, for the booklet, a model of liner-note excellence. If you already have the SACD, it’s a great way to play “guess the format” with your friends. -Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News SOUND QUALITY: 95% ALBUM CHOICE AUGUST 2021!
“While Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra offers significant historical value, the performances are as monumentally enjoyable as they are valuable. Displaying vocal and technical perfection, it is an exciting listening experience and certainly one of the finest releases of 2020.” – Nicholas Mondello, All About Jazz
Read Nicholas’ full review HERE!