Non-Album Tracks, 1954

Thank you to SHTV’s “Bob F” for his invaluable assistance in compiling this information.

Ongoing discussion at the Steve Hoffman Music Forum (LINK)           

Album Index         <---- 1953 Sessions     1954 Singles:  March 1   April 2                               May 13   August 23   September 23    December 13     ----> 1955 Sessions

 

May 13, 1954 - The Gal That Got Away, Half as Lovely, It Worries Me

Song #1:

“The Gal That Got Away”

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: 45/78 #2922, Sept., 1954

Original LP Release: Sinatra Sings Music for

    Pleasure, 1959(?), UK

Original CD Release:

    Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection, 1989


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1954 78

•1954 D1 45

•1959 UK Sinatra Sings Music for Pleasure LP

•1962 Songs for Young Lovers 12” LP

•1966 Sentimental Journey LP

•1984 UK Songs for Young Lovers LP

•1989 Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection CD

•1991 Where Are You CD

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD*

•1998 UK Songs for Young Lovers CD

•2002 Where Are You CD*

•2008 Here’s Frank Sinatra unlicensed CD


*Shared mastering

Recommended top choice:


•1984 UK Songs for Young Lovers LP


Also Excellent:

•1991 Where Are You CD, mastered by Larry Walsh. Very similar to the top choice, but less dynamic

UK 1998 Songs for Young Lovers CD - a little wooly/warmer in tone, which may be preferable; slightly less dynamic

Not as good:

Complete Capitol Singles CD and 2002 Where Are You CD - Norberg


Avoid:

All the Way - The Hit Collection CD; original Songs for Young Lovers LP; Sentimental Journey LP - All use reverb-added tapes

Sinatra Sings Music for Pleasure LP - compressed; bass-heavy EQ

NOTES


•I would not be surprised if the 1984 UK LP is the only LP release to ever use the correct, “dry” tapes.

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


All clips posted here (except one 2-second clip) mirror those freely available via Amazon.com.

Audio Clips

Song #2:

“Half as Lovely (Twice as True)”

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: 45/78 #2864, Late June, 1954

Original LP Release:

    This is Sinatra, Volume Two, late 1958

Original CD Release:

    Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection, 1989


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1958 This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP

•1983 Australia The Rarities - Volume Two LP

•1984 Japan This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP

•1985 UK This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP

•1989 Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection CD

•1994 UK This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957 CD

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD

•1998 UK This is Sinatra, Volume Two CD

•2016 This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP

Recommended top choice:


•2016 This is Sinatra Volume Two LP

Not as good:

Complete Capitol Singles CD -  Norberged

•UK This is Frank Sinatra, Volume Two CD - compressed (slightly hard sound)


Avoid:

This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957 CD - Wet, compressed and treble-heavy

•Original D5 and D10 pressings, as sampled below

•Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection CD and 1984 Japan This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP - Wet, Odd EQ (uncompressed dynamics)

•1985 UK This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP - Wet (mildly compressed)

•1983 The Rarities - Volume Two - Wet, runs slightly fast; odd EQ (uncompressed dynamics)

NOTES

•The Norberg Singles mastering is uncompressed from the correct tapes, but has a couple of dropouts, weird EQ, and stereo processing.

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


All clips posted here mirror those freely available via Amazon.com.

Audio Clips

Above: 1954 D6 45, courtesy “Arkoffs.”

Above: 1967 This is Sinatra Star Line LP.

Above: Dr. Robert’s 1980s Japan This is Sinatra LP.

Above: 1985 UK This is Sinatra LP.

Above: This is Sinatra D1 pressing, courtesy eharmonica.

Above: 1998 UK This is Sinatra CD, courtesy “rangerjohn.”

Above: 1989 Japan All the Way - Frank Sinatra Hit Collection CD, courtesy Chuck Granata.

Above: 1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD, mastered by Bob Norberg, courtesy “rangerjohn”

Above: 1994 UK This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957 CD.

Brass Comparison: This song is “make or break” in those opening brass notes.  Some versions really sell the song here, while others....not so good.  Here’s a clip that runs in this order:

•45 

•D1 LP 

•Star Line LP  

•Japan LP

•UK ’98 CD (you’ll hear a dropout)

•UK ’85 LP

•UK 1953-1957 CD

•Japan CD


Click here: Gal45-D1-StarLine-JapanLP-UK98-UK85-5357-HitCD.wav

(Suggestion: Left click to open clip in new window.)

Listen to

the band

Above: 1994 UK This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957 CD.

Above: 1989 Japan All the Way - Frank Sinatra Hit Collection CD, courtesy Chuck Granata.

Above: 1958 D5 This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP, courtesy “sinatrafan”

Above: 1958 D7 This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP, courtesy “stevelucille”

Above: 1958 D9 This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP

Above: 1983 Australian The Rarities - Volume Two LP, mastered by Alan Parsons as a Side Project.  (Runs fast, btw.)

Above: 1985 UK This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP

Above: 1998 UK This is Sinatra CD, courtesy “rangerjohn.”

Above: 1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD, mastered by Bob Norberg, courtesy “rangerjohn”

Bonus “stuff” alert #3:

As with “My Funny Valentine” and “The Sea Song,” we have a situation in which an un-trimmed tape was used on some releases, but not on others.  In the case of “Half as Lovely,” the extra “stuff” is at the end of the song.  Just as the song fades out, there are two sort-of hollow, pop-py sounds, like somebody dropped a trumpet mute off a music stand or something.  You can hear both of the pop sounds on all of the LP editions tested, but all of the CD editions do a quick fade out to avoid the second “pop.”

Song #3:

“It Worries Me”

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: 45/78 #2864, 1954

Original LP Release: This is Sinatra, 1956

Original CD Release:

    Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection, 1989


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1954 45

•1956 This is Sinatra D1 pressing LP

•1956 This is Sinatra D9 pressing LP

•1967 This is Sinatra Starline F21 pressing LP

•1968 The Sinatra Touch LP

•1973 The Works LP

•1980s Toshiba/EMI This is Sinatra LP

•1983 Capitol/Pair All-Time Classics LP

•1985 UK This is Sinatra LP

•1989 Japan All the Way/Hit Collection CD

•1991 All-Time Favorites by Frank Sinatra CD

•1994 UK This is Frank Sinatra, 1953-1957 CD

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD

1998 UK This is Sinatra CD

•2006 Here’s Frank Sinatra unlicensed CD

•2014 This is Sinatra HD download

•2014 This is Sinatra LP

Recommended top choice:


•UK This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957 CD


Very good:

1991 All-Time Favorites by Frank Sinatra CD - widest dynamics of any version

UK 1985 This is Sinatra LP (just a touch thin)

1980s Japan This is Sinatra LP


Good:

Japan Hit Collection CD

•Star Line This is Sinatra LP

Not as good:

•45 and D1 This is Sinatra - dull brass tone

•UK 1998 This is Sinatra CD - bright, buzzy tone

•2014 This is Sinatra LP - slightly dull; mildly compressed


Avoid:

The Sinatra Touch LP - compressed and “hard” sounding

Complete Capitol Singles CD - Norberg

Here’s Frank Sinatra CD - awful

All-Time Classics and The Works LPs - fake stereo

•2014 HD download - dark, quite compressed, dull

NOTES


•Tape dropout in brass intro on the 1998 UK This is Sinatra CD

•Tape glitch around 0:39 on all versions

Above: 1998 UK This is Sinatra CD, courtesy “rangerjohn.”

Above: 1954 N3 78*, transitioning into 1984 UK Songs for Young Lovers LP.

(*courtesy stevelucille)

Above: 1984 UK Songs for Young Lovers LP

Above: 1991 Where Are You CD, mastered by Larry Walsh.

Above: 1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD, mastered by Bob Norberg.  (Re-used in 2002 for the Where Are You remaster CD.)

BEWARE: Wet Tapes:

Many releases utilize the circa 1962 “wet tapes” for this song, and all such versions sound basically the same.  Here is a clip that starts with the 1989 Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection CD, which uses the wrong, “wet” tapes, and transitions into the 1998 UK Songs for Young Lovers CD, which uses the correct, “dry” tapes.  Click here: ItWorriesClipJapanCD-UK98.mp3

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


All clips posted here mirror those freely available via iTunes.  To access the 90-second iTunes free samples, click

“View,” then “View in iTunes.”

Above: 1959 (?) UK Sinatra Sings Music for Pleasure LP

Above: 2007 Here’s Frank Sinatra (in a toilet bowl)* unlicensed CD

*editorial comment

Above: 2006 Here’s Frank Sinatra (in a cave)* unlicensed CD

*editorial comment

Above: 1958 D10 This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP, courtesy “sinatrafan”

Above: 1954 D1 45, transitioning into 1984 UK Songs for Young Lovers LP.

Above: 1991 All-Time Favorites by Frank Sinatra CD.

Above: 2014 HD download (at 16/44.1 resolution)

Above: 2014 This is Sinatra LP, courtesy SH.TV’s “AxeD”

At Left: 2016 This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP