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

 

August 23, 1954 - When I Stop Loving You, White Christmas,

The Christmas Waltz

Song #1:

“When I Stop Loving You”

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

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

Original LP Release: Look to Your Heart, 1959

Original CD Release:

    UK This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957, 1994


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1954 N1 78

•1954 D4 45

•1962 UK My Funny Valentine LP

•1980’s Look to Your Heart LP

•1983 MFSL Look to Your Heart LP

•1984 UK Look to Your Heart LP

•1994 UK This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957 CD

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD

•1998 UK Look to Your Heart CD

Recommended top choice:


















Complete Capitol Singles CD - processed, stereo-widened, but (uniquely) not compressed.  Maybe just play one channel at a time?  (See samples below.)

Not as good:


•Others tested are compressed and (to varying degrees) bright, except:


Avoid:

•1980s N-series Look to Your Heart LP - even further compressed, with added reverb

NOTES


•There is audible overload distortion on all versions during the choral introduction, although this is reduced significantly on the Norberg version, which is sourced from first-generation session tapes, rather than processed and compressed “Look to Your Heart” LP masters.


•The 45 may have potential, if a truly mint copy could be had.

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


All clips posted here mirror those freely available via Amazon.

Audio Clips

Please pay special attention to the choral passage.  On most versions (except the 78 and the Norberg mastering), you can really hear the compression kick in.

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

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

Above: 1983 MFSL Look to Your Heart LP, mastered by Jack Hunt

Above: 1984 Look to Your Heart UK LP, courtesy “Sinatrafan”

Above: 1980s N-series Look to Your Heart LP, mastered by Jay Maynard.

Above: 1954 N1 78, courtesy “stevelucille”

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

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

I have no idea why the Look to Your Heart LP may have been “prepped” differently by Capitol than were other releases, but it certainly appears to have been pretty strongly compressed/limited, beyond just “the usual” when the production tapes were made.  Here are waveforms for the 45-second clip heard above, showing the Norberg version and the MFSL.  The Norberg is the more dynamic of the two, by 3.5 dB RMS, which is quite substantial.

Song #2:

“White Christmas”

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: 45/78 #2954, 1954

Original LP Releases:

    Merry Christmas to You and Special    

    Christmas Long Playing for Disc Jockeys

    (promotional), both1954

Original CD Release:

    The Sinatra Christmas Album, 1987


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1954 Special Christmas Long Playing for Disc

    Jockeys LP

•1950s Japan Merry Christmas to You 10” LP

•1961 UK Look Over Your Shoulder LP & reel

•1983 Australian The Rarities: Volume Two LP

•1985 A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra LP

•1987 The Sinatra Christmas Album CD*

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD

•1999 A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra CD

•2016 45


*Later re-titled A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra with same mastering.

Recommended top choice:


•1987 The Sinatra Christmas Album (and its reissues/reconfigurations), mastered by Larry Walsh


Second place:

(SEE NOTES AT FAR RIGHT)


Good, but a definite step down:

Australian The Rarities: Volume Two LP

Not as good:


•Japan Merry Christmas to You LP - dull tone; from dupe tapes

Complete Capitol Singles and 1999 A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra - (and its multitudinous reissues/reuses/reconfigurations) - heavily processed/EQd Norberg masterings

•2016 45 - sourced from the Capitol Singles CD.  That said, does it matter?  It looks cool, and the sound won’t kill you.


Avoid:

Look Over Your Shoulder LP or reel - soaked in added reverb

•1985 A Jolly Christmas LP - runs slow; fake stereo (SEE NOTES AT RIGHT)

NOTES


•Regarding a true “second-place choice,” mine is the 1985  A Jolly Christmas LP, but not “off the shelf.”  When summed to mono and adjusted for speed, the non-Duophonic “fake stereo” disappears, and the final result is very nice.  (The remainder of the LP is Duophonic, but this single track is merely “enhanced for stereo,” and sums to mono very nicely.  I still prefer the Walsh CD when summed to mono, but this LP is a very close, and arguably more solid or darker sounding, second choice.


•The Walsh mastering is played on a stereo machine, and is slighly left heavy.  Otherwise excellent.

Above: 1983 Australian The Rarities - Volume Two LP, mastered by Alan Parsons.  (LP in poor condition.  Please pardon the surface noise.)

Above: 1987 The Sinatra Christmas Album, mastered by Larry Walsh (also issued under the title A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra). Here is the same cut, summed to mono: WhiteClipmasWalshStereo-GAIN_01.wav

Above: Late 1950s Japan Merry Christmas to You 10” LP, courtesy “stevelucille”

Norberg masterings: The 1996 Complete Capitol Singles had moderate stereo widening, while the 1999 A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra Norberg remaster had more extreme widening.  Here is a clip that starts with the 1996 mastering, then transitions to the 1999 mastering.  Click here: WhiteClipmas Singles-Norberg.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.”

Song #3:

“The Christmas Waltz”

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: 45/78 #2954, 1954

Original LP Releases:

    Merry Christmas to You and Special    

    Christmas Long Playing for Disc Jockeys

    (promotional), both1954

Original CD Release:

    The Sinatra Christmas Album, 1987


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1954 Special Christmas Long Playing for Disc

     Jockeys LP

•1950s Japan Merry Christmas to You 10” LP

•1961 UK Look Over Your Shoulder LP and reel

•1981 Australian The Rarities: Volume One LP

•1987 The Sinatra Christmas Album CD*

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD

•1999 A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra CD

•2016 45


*Later re-titled A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra with same mastering.

Recommended top choices:


•1987 The Sinatra Christmas Album (and its reissues/reconfigurations), mastered by Larry Walsh

The Rarities, Volume One LP

Not as good:


•Japan Merry Christmas to You LP - dull tone; from dupe tapes

Complete Capitol Singles and 1999 A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra - (and its multitudinous reissues/reuses/reconfigurations) - heavily processed/EQd Norberg masterings

•2016 45 - sourced from 1999 CD.


Avoid:

Look Over Your Shoulder - Wet tapes

Above: 1981 Australian The Rarities - Volume One LP, mastered by Alan Parsons.  (LP in poor condition.  Please pardon the surface noise.)

Above: 1987 The Sinatra Christmas Album, mastered by Larry Walsh (also issued under the title A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra)

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.”

NOTES


•Only two good versions.  Same sound characteristics on other copies as on “White Christmas” above.


•The 2016 45 is pretty cool as a novelty, and the sound will not cause hearing loss.

Above: 1962 UK My Funny Valentine LP.

Above: 1954 D4 45

Our pal Jordan Taylor has pointed out that MPTVimages.com has a number of photos from this session, including the one at left that clearly shows Sinatra holding the vocal lead sheet for “When I Stop Loving You.”  Thanks, Jordan!

Above: 1985 9-track A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra LP, in fake stereo (but not Duophonic).  Here is the same cut, summed to mono: WhiteClipmas1985USALPSummed-GAIN_01.wav

Above: 1954 Special Christmas Long Playing for Disc Jockeys (promo only) 10” LP

Above: 1954 Special Christmas Long Playing for Disc Jockeys (promo only) 10” LP

Above: 2016 RSD 45.   Audio courtesy BFerr1.  (Thank you.)

Above: 2016 RSD 45.   Audio courtesy BFerr1.  (Thank you.)