Non-Album Tracks, 1957

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

 

August 13, 1957

I Could Write a Book / Bewitched / All the Way /

There’s a Small Hotel / Chicago

Song #1:

“I Could Write a Book”

Top Choice:

•Original mono Pal Joey LP

Avoid:

•1989 Pal Joey CD - Severely Norberged

Rodgers & Hart CD - Norberged (noise reduced??)

At the Movies CD - compressed (clipped waveforms)

NOTES


•The 1997 Australian Pal Joey CD has clear, clean mono sound and wide dynamics, which would typically make it a top choice, but in the case of this particular track, I don’t feel that the wide dynamics necessarily convey the original intent of the mixing/production team.  For further explanation, bring your laptop to the bathroom, then  see here.

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: Pal Joey LP, October 14, 1957

Original LP Release: (Same)

Original CD Release: Pal Joey CD, 1989


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1957 Pal Joey mono LP

•1989 Pal Joey CD*

•1995 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD*

•1997 Australia Pal Joey CD

•2008 At the Movies CD


*Different masterings of shared transfer to digital

Audio Clips

Audio Clips

Above: 1990 The Capitol Years CD, mastered by Furmanek/Walsh (Mastering reused for titles in RED listed above)

Song #3:

“All the Way”

Above: Japan Hit Collection CD, courtesy “progrockfan”

1957 mono promotional Pal Joey LP, courtesy “eharmonica”

1957 mono D6#2 Pal Joey LP, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

1957 mono D8 Pal Joey LP, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

1989 Pal Joey CD, mastered by Robert Norberg

1997 Australian Pal Joey CD, courtesy “progrockfan”

2008 At the Movies CD, courtesy “Bob F,” mastered by Robert Vosgien

1995 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD, courtesy “Bob F,” mastered by Robert Norberg

Top Choice:

•Australian Pal Joey CD


Close Second:

In Hollywood CD


Best vinyl:

•Promo-only 45 (see NOTES)

Avoid:

•1989 Pal Joey CD - Severely Norberged (not bad if you have a mono option)

The Works LP - Duophonic

NOTES


•The difference between “D” and “N” LPs seems more apparent than usual here, with “D” clearly superior. 

•All of the vinyl editions sound too dark/dull, in my opinion, with one exception:  The promo 45 probably leans a bit too far in the other direction.

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: Either Pal Joey LP, or Promo-only 45, #PRO 435

Original LP Release: Pal Joey, October 14, 1957 Original CD Release: Pal Joey CD, 1989


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1957 Promo-only 45 #PRO 435

•1957 Pal Joey mono LP

•1961 German mono Sinatra’s Greatest LP

•1973 The Works LP

•1989 Pal Joey CD*

•1995 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD*

•1997 Australia Pal Joey CD**

•2002 Reprise In Hollywood CD**


*Different masterings of shared transfer to digital

**Different masterings of shared transfer to digital

Audio Clips

Song #2:

“Bewitched”

1957 mono promotional Pal Joey LP, courtesy “eharmonica”

1957 mono N1 Pal Joey LP, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

1957 mono D7 Pal Joey LP, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

1989 Pal Joey CD, mastered by Robert Norberg

1957 promotional 45, courtesy “stevelucille”

1997 Australian Pal Joey CD, courtesy “progrockfan”

1995 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD, courtesy “Bob F,” mastered by Robert Norberg

2002 In Hollywood CD, courtesy “MMM”

Top Choices, essentially tied:

Screen Sinatra CD (and reuses)

1988 All the Way CD (and reuses)

The Capitol Years (and reuses)

•1984 Holland DMM mono All the Way LP


Very close second:

The Hit Maker LP

Not as good:

•Original D1 45, 1986 Australian The Frank Sinatra Collection  2-CD set, 1984 UK Stereo All the Way - mono, but reduced dynamics

Best Now CD - runs slow


Avoid:

•All other stereo All the Way LPs, Double Golden 32 LP, The  Works LP, Twenty Golden Greats LP, Standards All the Way CD - fake stereo

The Movie Songs LP, 1998 UK All the Way CD, His 20 Greatest Hits LP - audibly and heavily compressed

Screen Sinatra LP - fake stereo, summed to mono

•1961-1968 mono All the Way LPs: wet tapes used

Sings the Select Sammy Cahn, Complete Capitol Singles, and Romance: Songs from the Heart - all Norberged

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: Capitol 45/78 #3793, September, 1957

Original LP Release: All the Way, Mar. 13, 1961

Original CD Release: Australian The Frank

     Sinatra Collection, (link) 1986


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1957 45

•1961 Stereo All the Way LP

•1962 mono The Great Years LP

•1966 UK mono All The Way #TP 570 LP

•1967 Mono The Movie Songs LP

•1968 Mono The Sinatra Touch LP

•1973 The Works LP

•1974 New Zealand His 20 Greatest Hits LP

•1975 Japan Double Golden 32 LP

•1980 UK Screen Sinatra LP

•1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP

•1982 Stereo All the Way LP (#SN-16205)

•1983 MFSL Stereo All the Way LP

•1984 UK Stereo All the Way LP

•1984 Holland Mono All the Way LP

•1986 Australia The Frank Sinatra Collection CD

•1987 Australia Standards All the Way CD

•1988 Japan Best Now CD

•1988 All the Way CD*

•1989 UK Screen Sinatra CD*

•1989 UK The Great Films & Shows, Vol. 4 CD

•1989 Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection CD

•1989 Collectors Series CD

•1990 The Capitol Years CD**

•1991 All-Time Favorites by Frank Sinatra CD

•1992 UK 20 Golden Greats CD*

•1992 Australia The Essential Frank Sinatra CD

•1992 Reprise Soundtrack to the CBS Miniseries CD

•1992 At the Movies CD

•1993 Holland The Classic Tracks CD

•1994 Japan Best of Frank Sinatra CD

•1995 Sinatra 80th: All the Best CD

•1996 Mastercard Nice ‘n’ Easy CD

•1996 Sings the Select Sammy Cahn CD**

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles Collection CD

•1997 Australia The Frank Sinatra

    Collection CD***

•1998 Sinatra 80th: All the Best CD

•1998 36 All-Time Favorites CD

•1998 UK All the Way CD

•2007 Romance: Songs from the Heart CD****

•2016 MONO All the Way LP


*Shared transfer to digital; different masterings

**Shared transfer to digital; different masterings

***Mild compression added

****Tweaked, compressed version of Sings the Select Sammy Cahn

BLUE=Shared mastering

PURPLE=Shared mastering

RED=Shared mastering

GREEN=Shared mastering

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


All clips of “All the Way” posted here mirror those freely available via itunes.  To access the 90-second iTunes clip, click VIEW below, then “VIEW IN ITUNES” when prompted.

Above: 1957 D1 45

Above: 1967 F3 mono The Movie Songs LP

Above: 1968 F1 mono The Sinatra Touch LP

Above: 1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP

Above: 1984 Holland mono All the Way LP

Above. 1986 (reissued with same mastering in 1997, shown) Australia The Frank Sinatra Collection 2-CD set

Above. 1987 Australia Standards All the Way CD

Above. 1988 All the Way CD, mastered by Larry Walsh (Mastering reused for titles in BLUE listed above)

Above. 1989 UK Screen Sinatra CD (Mastering reused for 1989’s The Great Films & Shows CD)

Above: 1992 UK 20 Golden Greats CD

Above. 1996 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Sammy Cahn CD, mastered by Robert Norberg (Mastering reused for The Complete Capitol Singles Collection a few days later)

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


All clips of “All the Way” posted here mirror those freely available via itunes.  To access the 90-second iTunes clip, click VIEW below, then “VIEW IN ITUNES” when prompted.

Above: 1998 UK All the Way CD, courtesy “rangerjohn”

Above: 2007 Romance: Songs from the Heart CD, with mastering credited to Dave McEowen, although the 1996 Robert Norberg mastering is clearly the source of this version, additional tweaking added.

Above: 1984 UK stereo All the Way LP (this track is in mono), courtesy “bferr1”

Above: 1974 New Zealand His 20 Greatest Hits LP

Above: 1957 promotional 45, courtesy “stevelucille”

Above: 1957 Japanese 45, courtesy “stevelucille”

Above: 1962 D1 mono The Great Years LP, courtesy “stevelucille”

Top Choices, neither perfect:

•1995 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD - Wide dynamics, slightly goosed treble, mild stereo widening

•1997 Australian Pal Joey  CD - true mono; somewhat compressed; less-sparkly tone

Avoid:

•LPs - severely compressed, with mediocre tone.   The German LP is less compressed than the USA LPs.

NOTES


•The 1997 Australian Pal Joey CD has good mono sound, but also has clipped waveforms, which usually would be a disqualifying factor, but the other choices are all so flawed that the compression is somewhat forgivable. 

•Two versions are not compressed: the 1989 CD, but that version is so processed that it’s a pretty tough disc to listen to, and the 1995 CD, which, while still not “true mono,” is far less “stereo widened” than the 1989 disc.

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: Pal Joey LP, October 14, 1957

Original LP Release: (Same)

Original CD Release: Pal Joey CD, 1989


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1957 Pal Joey mono LP

•1960 German mono Sinatra’s Greatest LP

•1989 Pal Joey CD*

•1995 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD*

•1997 Australia Pal Joey CD


*Shared transfer to digital; different masterings

Audio Clips

Song #4:

“There’s a Small Hotel”

June 12, 2021:  ABOVE AUDIO TEMPORARILY REMOVED due to technical problems.  It will return!  1957 mono promotional Pal Joey LP, courtesy “eharmonica”

1957 mono D6#2 Pal Joey LP, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

1957 mono D8 Pal Joey LP, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

1989 Pal Joey CD, mastered by Robert Norberg

1997 Australian Pal Joey CD, courtesy “progrockfan”

1995 Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD, courtesy “Bob F,” mastered by Robert Norberg

Above: 1962 D1 mono Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

Above: 1984 Holland mono Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

Song #5:

“Chicago”

Top Choices, essentially tied:

•Japan The Hit Maker LP

•1987 Come Fly with Me CD (and reuses)

Collectors Series CD (and reuses)


Close Second:

The Capitol Years (and CD reuses)

Sub-Par:

Best Now CD - tubby bass


Avoid:

Gold!, 1998 Come Fly with Me, and Complete Capitol Singles CDs - Norberged

Twenty Golden Greats LP, Double Golden 32 LP, Legendary Singers LP, 1986 Australian The Frank Sinatra Collection CD, All stereo Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LPs, The Works LP- Fake stereo

•1987 UK The Frank Sinatra Collection CD (reused for Screen Sinatra CD) - heavy stereo reverb added

•1980 UK Screen Sinatra LP - Duophonic, summed to mono

•1989 Japan All the Way - the Hit  Collection CD, 1998 UK Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things CD and all Sinatra Sings of Love and Things LPs - wet tapes

NOTES

•For such a popular and oft-anthologized recording, there are very few good vinyl choices, and even many of the CD choices use wrong tapes, add reverb, etc.

•This is one of the better sounding original 45s we’ve yet to come across.

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


All “Chicago” clips posted here mirror those freely available via itunes.  To access the 90-second iTunes clip, click VIEW, then “VIEW IN ITUNES” when prompted.

Audio Clips

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: Capitol 45/78 #3793, September, 1957

Original LP Release: Sinatra’s Greatest, 1961

Original CD Release: Australian The Frank

     Sinatra Collection, (link) 1986


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1957 45

•1961 German mono Sinatra’s Greatest LP

•1962 mono Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

•1962 Stereo Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

•1973 The Works LP

•1974 New Zealand His 20 Greatest Hits LP

•1975 Japan Double Golden 32 LP

•1978 UK Twenty Golden Greats LP

•1980 UK Screen Sinatra LP

•1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP

•1982 Stereo Sinatra Sings... of Love and Things LP

•1983 MFSL Stereo Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

•1984 UK Stereo Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

•1984 Holland Mono Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

•1985  Time-Life Legendary Singers LP

•1986 Australia The Frank Sinatra Collection CD

•1987 Australia Standards All the Way CD

•1987 UK The Frank Sinatra Collection CD

•1987 Come Fly with Me CD*

•1988 Japan Best Now CD

•1989 UK Screen Sinatra CD

•1989 UK The Great Films & Shows, Vol. 1 CD

•1989 Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection CD

•1989 Collectors Series CD*

•1989 Gold! CD*

•1990 The Capitol Years CD**

•1991 All-Time Favorites by Frank Sinatra CD

•1992 UK 20 Golden Greats CD

•1992 Australia The Essential Frank Sinatra CD

•1992 At the Movies CD

•1993 Holland The Classic Tracks CD

•1995 Sinatra 80th: All the Best CD

•1996 Mastercard Nice ‘n’ Easy CD

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles Collection CD**

•1998 Come Fly with Me CD

•1998 36 All-Time Favorites CD

•1998 UK Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things CD

•2002 Rhino/Reprise In Hollywood CD**

•2009 UK 25 Classic Tracks CD***


*Shared transfer to digital; different masterings

**Shared transfer to digital; different masterings

***Polarity reversed


BLUE=Shared mastering

PURPLE=Shared mastering

RED=Shared mastering

GREEN=Shared mastering

Above: D1 45

Above: 1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP

Above: 1974 New Zealand His 20 Greatest Hits LP

Above: 1987 UK The Frank Sinatra Collection CD (re-used in 1989 UK Screen Sinatra)

Above: 1987 Come Fly with Me CD, mastered by Larry Walsh (re-used in 1989 UK Great Films & Shows)

Above: 1989 Collectors Series CD,  mastered by Furmanek/Walsh, reused on discs in RED above

Above: Japan Hit Collection CD, courtesy “progrockfan”

Clip temporarily removed.  Please check back.

Above: 1990 The Capitol Years CD, mastered by Furmanek/Walsh (Mastering reused for titles in GREEN listed above)

Above. 1986 (reissued with same mastering in 1997, shown) Australia The Frank Sinatra Collection 2-CD set

Above: 1998 Come Fly with Me CD, mastered by Robert Norberg

Above: 1989 Gold! CD, mastered by Robert Norberg

Above: 1992 UK 20 Golden Greats CD

Above: 1998 UK Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things CD, courtesy “old coder”.

Above: 1980 UK Screen Sinatra LP

Above. 1987 Australia Standards All the Way CD

1961 mono German Sinatra’s Greatest LP

1960 mono German Sinatra’s Greatest LP

Above: 1961 German mono Sinatra’s Greatest LP

<---- 1956 Sessions  1957 Singles:  March 14                            May 20      May 23                               Aug 13.                                   Nov. 25     Dec. 11  ----> 1958 Sessions

<---- 1956 Sessions  1957 Singles:  March 14                            May 20      May 23                               Aug 13.                                   Nov. 25     Dec. 11  ----> 1958 Sessions

NOTES


•Most LP releases, be they labeled as mono or stereo, use reverb-added source tapes. 


•As with other songs from this particular session, a strange “beep”  seems to be on the master, and I am at a loss to explain its provenance.


•1966 UK mono LP #TP 570, from World Record Club, is a fold-down from the stereo LP tapes, but since the stereo version folds down to mono quite well, it turns out being not bad.  (A hair bass-y, but that’s about it.)

Above: 2016 MONO All the Way LP

Above: 1966 UK World Record Club mono All the Way LP, courtesy SHTV’s Pieter Kozak

Above: 1988 Japan Best Now CD