The Christmas Sinatra I long to hear

Frank Sinatra was no stranger to Christmas music. He recorded quite a lot of it during his career. Don't get me wrong, I love his music -otherwise I wouldn't have started this blog. But his Christmas music isn't that fulfilling to me. It isn't as playful as Dean Martin's Christmas music. And most of it has background singers. To me, Frank's voice never really meshed with the choir. I always go back to a song like The Christmas Waltz or White Christmas and hope that they sound less sentimental and more intimate. Just Sinatra's voice and an orchestra. Minus strings.

If there were some way to remove the choir from those songs he recorded with Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins, I would. It would be perfect.

Empty Table

Sometimes in the winter, when you barely see the sun, things feel so lonely. Times like that I really like the song Empty Table. How many other Sinatra songs were just Frank and one instrument? I can think of others, but not many songs were just Frank and a piano.

Wandering

Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week

I hope that your Saturday night is eventful.

Where to find the must haves

If the Sinatra lifestyle interests you, and I know it does, then look no further than blue-eyes.com. It has a few real Sinatra gems. Orange was Frank's favorite color, and the orange pocket silk is a great addition to your wardrobe. Also, check out that fedora. There are many styles of fedora, and Frank's distinctive look is available. Check it out and tell me what you think.



It is the way you wear your hat. It is the shirt that goes with the hat as well.

More on Sinatra's Reprise catalogue

I told you that some of Frank's albums are sadly going out of print. I am fortunate to have a copy of Sinatra & Jobim. Should you the collector rush to buy Strangers in the Night before it is out of print as well?

Maybe not. Right now albums like Strangers in the Night is a barebones affair, poor cover art reproduction, no bonus tracks, basic remastering. It is ripe for a re-release. Perhaps that is what the Sinatra family intends?

This article suggests that some of the long out of print albums will once again see the light of day. I hope it is true. Still, should you buy Ring-a-ding-ding? It was given a solid remastering job and is a solid album. If it goes out of print, like Sinatra/Jobim did, will you regret not buying it? And will it return as a remaster soon, as classics like Watertown might?

Anyways, here's hoping for the very best.

Sinatra out of print

It is hard to imagine that some great works of art by the Entertainer of the 20th Century are now out of print. Sad, but true. Some classics currently out of the catalog and getting pricey:

Moonlight Sinatra
All Alone
Great Songs from Great Britain
A Man Alone
My Kind of Broadway
Some Nice Things I've Missed
L.A. Is My Lady
She Shot Me Down
Sinatra and Company
Watertown
That's Life
Franics Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim

It is quite a shame that these gems are going out. It seems that fans need to pick up the classics while they still can, especially the Reprise albums which seem to fall out of print quickly. It is hard for me to believe that Sinatra/Jobim is no longer available, it is one of his finest albums.

Still, if you really want these albums they can be had. They will set you back more than the albums still in print, which tend to go for ten dollars on Amazon.com.

Bundle up with Frank Sinatra

More playlists, this time in conjunction with the shortening days and cold winds, music by Frank Sinatra to keep you warm:

I've got my love to keep me warm
Violets for your furs
Sleep warm

I'm purposefully omitting Christmas themed songs for this list. Any suggestions to help me round this out?



Songs for winter...I'll keep you updated.

Sinatra after dark

Here is a playlist I'm working on to try and capture the mood of any old evening:

Strangers in the night
You and the night and the music
Just one of those things
Let's face the music and dance
In the still of the night
The last dance
Quiet night of quiet stars
In the wee small hours of the morning
In the blue of the evening
Drinking again



Please add your own!

Autumn Leaves

What is your favorite Sinatra song during Autumn? There are some good ones, like September Song and September of My Years, but my favorite is Autumn Leaves from Where Are You? While it isn't my favorite Sinatra album, there are some stunning classics on it.



The autumn leaves, of red and gold...