Non-Album Tracks, 1958

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

 

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


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

March 3, 1958

Nothing in Common* / How Are Ya’ Fixed for Love* /

Same Old Song and Dance / Here Goes

*with Keely Smith

Top Choice:

•1983 Australian The Rarities - Volume Two LP


Close second:

•1987 Come Dance with Me CD

Subpar:

•Bear Family The Capitol Recordings - mildly oddball EQ


Avoid:

Complete Capitol Singles Collection and 1998 Come Dance with Me CDs - Severely processed

Forever Frank  - wet tapes

NOTES


•Following 5 sessions at which 19 songs were recorded in both mono and stereo, this session, clearly aimed at the singles market, was captured in mono only.


•Most masterings of this title are, overall, quite listenable.  Some are a hair thinner than others, or a bit brighter, or a bit darker, but are more-or-less okay.


•Too bad my copy of Sinatra Hits is in such bad shape, as I think there’s a pretty good mastering job buried under the gunk.

Arranger/Conductor: Billy May

Original Release: 45/78 #3952, April, 1958

Original LP Release:

    German 10” Sinatra Hits, 1961

Original CD Release:

    Come Dance with Me, 1987


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1958 45

•1961 Germany Sinatra Hits LP

•1966 Forever Frank LP

•1983 Australia The Rarities - Volume Two LP

•1987 Come Dance with Me CD*

•1994 Germany The Capitol Recordings CD

    (Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Sam Butera)

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles Collection CD*

•1998 UK The Rare Sinatra CD*

•1998 Come Dance with Me CD*

•2007 The Essential Capitol Collection CD

    (Keely Smith)


*Shared digital transfer, differently mastered

BLUE: The 1998 release is a further-tweaked, inferior version of the 1996 release

Audio Clips

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


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

Song #1:

“Nothing in Common” (with Keely Smith)

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

Above: Japan Hit Collection CD, courtesy “progrockfan”

Above: 1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP

Above: 1961 Germany Sinatra Hits 10” LP (heavily worn/damaged pressing)

Above: 1983 Australia The Rarities, Volume Two LP

Above: 1987 Come Dance with Me CD, mastered by Larry Walsh

Above: 1994 Germany Bear Family The Capitol Recordings CD, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

Above: 1998 UK The Rare Sinatra CD, courtesy “rangerjohn”.

Above: 2007The Essential Capitol Collection CD, mastered by Dave McEowen

Above: 1998 Come Dance with Me CD, mastered by Bob Norberg, coutesy Bob F.

Above: 1958 D1 Promotional 45, courtesy stevelucille

Top Choice:

•1983 Australian The Rarities - Volume Two LP


Close second:

•Japanese All the Way: The Hit  Collection CD

Subpar:

•Bear Family The Capitol Recordings - mildly oddball EQ

•UK The Rare Sinatra CD - mildly edgy EQ


Avoid:

Complete Capitol Singles Collection and its re-uses - Severely processed

Forever Frank  - wet tapes

•Original 45 - end of song clipped off (at least on both copies checked here)

NOTES


•Most masterings of this title are, overall, quite listenable.  Some are a hair thinner than others, or a bit brighter, or a bit darker, but are more-or-less okay.


•Again, too bad my copy of Sinatra Hits is in such bad shape, as I think there’s a pretty good mastering job buried under the gunk.


•On most mastering, Sinatra’s very first vocal entry has an unpleasant, square-wave-like distortion, to some degree.  On  some, it will almost peel paint.

Arranger/Conductor: Billy May

Original Release: 45/78 #3952, April, 1958

Original LP Release:

    German 10” Sinatra Hits, 1961

Original CD Release:

    Come Dance with Me, 1987


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1958 45

•1961 Germany Sinatra Hits LP

•1966 Forever Frank LP

•1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP

•1983 Australia The Rarities - Volume Two LP

•1987 Come Dance with Me CD*

•1989 Japan The Hit Collection CD

•1994 Germany The Capitol Recordings CD

    (Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Sam Butera)

•1995 Sinatra 80th: All the Best CD*

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles Collection CD*

•1998 UK The Rare Sinatra CD*

•1998 Come Dance with Me CD*

•2003 Classic Masters CD*

•2007 The Essential Capitol Collection CD

    (Keely Smith)


*Shared transfer to digital

RED = Shared Mastering

BLUE = Shared Mastering

Audio Clips

Song #2:

“How Are Ya’ Fixed for Love” (with Keely Smith)

Above: 1961 Germany Sinatra Hits 10” LP (heavily worn/damaged pressing)

Above: 1983 Australia The Rarities, Volume Two LP

Above: 1987 Come Dance with Me CD, mastered by Larry Walsh (re-used in Sinatra 80th:  All the Best)

Above: 1958 D2 Promotional 45, courtesy stevelucille

Above: 1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD, mastered by Bob Norberg, courtesy “rangerjohn”.  (Re-used in 1998’s Come Dance with Me EOTC CD and 2003’s Classic Masters CD)

Above: 1994 Germany Bear Family The Capitol Recordings CD, courtesy “mahanusafa02”

Above: 1998 UK The Rare Sinatra CD, courtesy “rangerjohn”.

Above: 2007The Essential Capitol Collection CD, mastered by Dave McEowen

SAMPLE AUDIO CLIPS


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

Top Choice:

•1987 Come Dance with Me CD

Subpar:

The Rare Sinatra CD - thin


Avoid:

Complete Capitol Singles Collection and 1998 Come Dance with Me CDs - Severely processed

Forever Frank, Rarities - Volume One  - wet tapes

When Your Lover Has Gone - poor tone; compressed

Sinatra Sings Cahn and Van Heusen - Fake stereo, wet tapes

NOTES


•The two duets with Keely Smith were released as a single in April, 1958, on both 45 and 78.  This song, conversely, was not released until May, 1959, by which time Capitol had discontinued the regular release of singes in the 78 RPM format.

Arranger/Conductor: Billy May

Original Release: 45 #4003, May, 1959

Original LP Release:

    UK When Your Lover Has Gone, 1961

Original CD Release:

    Come Dance with Me, 1987


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1958 45

•1961 UK When Your Lover Has Gone LP

•1966 Forever Frank LP

•1974 UK Sinatra Sings Cahn and Van Heusen LP

•1981 Australia The Rarities - Volume One LP

•1987 Come Dance with Me CD*

•1996 Complete Capitol Singles Collection CD*

•1998 UK The Rare Sinatra CD*

•1998 Come Dance with Me CD


*Shared Transfer to Digital

PURPLE = Shared Mastering

Audio Clips

Song #3:

“The Same Old Song and Dance”

Above: 1987 Come Dance with Me CD, mastered by Larry Walsh

Above: 1981  Australia The Rarities - Volume One LP

Above: 1961  UK When Your Lover Has Gone LP

Above: 1959 D1 45, courtesy stevelucille

Above: 1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD, mastered by Bob Norberg, courtesy “rangerjohn”.  (Re-used in 1998’s Come Dance with Me CD)

Above: 1998 UK The Rare Sinatra CD, courtesy “rangerjohn”.

Top Choice:

•1990 The Capitol Years

Avoid:

Boys Night Out - Brickwalled

NOTES


•There have only been two releases of this long-unknown recording.  One release sounds fantastic; the other sounds awful.

Arranger/Conductor: Billy May

Original Release: The Capitol Years,

    December 13, 1990

Original LP Release:

    (same as above)

Original CD Release:

   (same as above)


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1990 The Capitol Years*

•2004 Rat Pack Boys Night Out CD*


*The 2004 release is a brickwalled version of the 1990 release.

Song #4:

“Here Goes”

<---- 1957 Sessions  1958 Singles:   March 3     May 29                         Sept. 11     Sept. 30     Oct. 16                         Dec. 29 ----> 1959 Sessions