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.

September 11, 1958

Mr. Success / Sleep Warm / Where or When

(and no connection to the Only the Lonely sessions, no matter what the liner notes try to tell you)

Top Choice:

•1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP (original mono singles mix - see NOTES at right.  This mix is unavailable on CD or any other LP)


Close second, and top stereo choice:

•1959  French Foreign Legion EP (original stereo mix - see NOTES at right. This mix is unavailable on CD or LP.)


Correct mono source tapes, but compressed:

•Original 45

•High Hopes EP


NOTE: All other releases are poorly sourced. See NOTES at far right.

Avoid:

•Complete Capitol Singles Collection and Eee-O 11 CDs - Poor, 3rd stereo mix.  (Eee-O 11 adds compression.)

•Stereo Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LPs.  These contain the 2nd stereo mix (BROWN in list at left), which is soupy (too much reverb added) and problematic (no mic on the trumpet soloist).  The MFSL release contains the best mastering of this mix, but let’s just say it:  This mix sucks.

•All BLUE editions listed at left - made from 1962 out-of-balance mono remix created from the 3-mic, 3-track tape intended for STEREO USE ONLY.

•Australia Mr. Success LP - Fake stereo created from original mono mix.  (Folds to mono okay.)

•1998 MONO UK Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things CD - Echo-laden, compressed fold-down to mono created from the BROWN stereo mix.

NOTES

•The Hit Maker is the “top choice” almost by accident.  It’s the best mastering of the original mono recording, and the original mono recording is the only one on which the trumpet soloist is properly miked.  On all other fronts, the stereo EP is my favorite, but it’s missing the spot mic.


•#F4070 is likely the last Sinatra release on Capitol to receive a 78 RPM release in North America.


•There is distortion on the vocal mic on all versions.


•This session is one of the last for Sinatra at Capitol to be recorded two ways:  Mono via the “usual” method, i.e., about ten microphones, mixed live (with tasteful reverb added during the live session) “direct-to-mono,” and only three mics used for 3-track stereo recording.  On the live mono mix, the harmon-muted trumpet solo is spot-miked, while on the stereo recording, the solo is not spot-miked and is, as a result, picked up rather faintly.


•There have been three stereo mixes:  1959 (EP only); 1962 (commonly available, well known from the ...of Love and Things compilation); and 1996 (Norberg, Complete Capitol Singles CD set).  The 1959 mix, which is difficult to find, is, of course, by far the best stereo mix. 


•The mono mix has appeared in un-futzed, true mono only three times:  Original 1958 45, 1959 High Hopes EP, and the 1982 Japanese LP, The Hit Maker.  ALL OTHER MONO RELEASES ARE MADE FROM REVERB-ADDED SOURCE TAPES THAT WERE CREATED FROM THE 3-MIC, 3-TRACK TAPE THAT WAS INTENDED FOR STEREO USE ONLY, or are a fold-down from the second stereo mix.


•The top choice is a bit dull tonally, but is properly mic’d and sourced, with wide dynamics.  At minimum, it’s “tweakable.”

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: 45/78 #4070, October, 1958

Original Stereo Release: French Foreign Legion

    EP, April 13, 1959

Original LP Release:

    Either Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things

   or Mexico Sinatra in Mexico, both 1962

Original CD Release:

    Japan All the Way: The Hit Collection, 1989


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1958 MONO 45

•1959 MONO High Hopes EP

•1959 STEREO French Foreign Legion EP

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

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

•1962 MONO Silver Platter Service promo LP

•1968 MONO The Sinatra Touch LP

•1981 Australia “MONO” Mr. Success LP

•1982 Japan MONO The Hit Maker LP

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

•1984 UK STEREO Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things

•1984 Netherlands MONO Sinatra Sings...of Love and  Things DMM LP

•1989 Japan MONO All the Way: The Hit Collection CD

•1996 STEREO Complete Capitol Singles Collection CD

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

•2001 STEREO Eee-o 11: The Best of the Rat Pack CD

Audio Clips - MONO Mix #1

The original, multi-mic mono singles mix

(click photos below for audio)

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:

“Mr. Success”

At right: 1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD, remixed and mastered by Bob Norberg, courtesy “rangerjohn”.


Note: Same mix used, with added compression and worse sound, on 2001 Eee-O 11 CD. (Thanks, Bob F.)

Above: Japan Hit Collection CD, courtesy “progrockfan”

Top choice (mono):

•1984 Dutch DMM All the Way LP


Top stereo choice, but with strings on the right (awkward stereo image):

•1983 MFSL All the Way LP


Close second for stereo, same problem:

•1998 UK All the Way CD


Very good stereo option, but with strings on the right, and mild flaw:

•1988 All the Way CD (See NOTES at far right)


Best version with strings on the left:

•1984 UK All the Way LP

Avoid:

•Complete Capitol Singles Collection and 1998 Only the Lonely CDs - Severely processed

•1987 Only the Lonely CD - reverb added

•UK My Funny Valentine LP  - Dark, compressed sound

•SM- and SN- All the Way reissue LPs (circa 1975-1983) - Dark, lifeless tone

NOTES


•I don’t have a clue what is going on with some of the stereo releases. 1.) Some have strings on the left (where they historically belong); some on the right (like the original stereo LP release); 2.) Some have a subtle hum on the woodwind track; 3.) There’s an odd phrasing difference in the strings at the end of the 1988 CD, but that CD *seems* to be from the same digital transfer as the 1987 CD, which has the channels reversed, has reverb added, and does not have the phrasing difference; 4.) Some versions are mildly panned in (narrowed stereo); 5.) Some versions have bass rolled off (to filter the hum??); 6.) There is an odd POP at 0:43 in stereo, mitigated on some versions.


•All stereo versions are, in my opinion, a little too soupy, but with better instrumental balances than the mono versions.


•The mono mix is odd in spots, with the woodwinds nearly disappearing behind the strings.  It also has an intimate, dry-ish vocal presentation that is very attractive.  Mastering is often suspect.

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release: 45/78 #4070, October, 1958

Original LP Release: All the Way, 1961

Original Stereo Release: (Same)

Original CD Release:

    Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely, 1987


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1958 45

•1961 MONO All the Way LP

•1961 STEREO All the Way LP

•1964 UK MONO My Funny Valentine LP

•1966 UK WRC MONO All the Way LP

•1976 STEREO All the Way LP

•1980 STEREO All the Way LP

•1983 MFSL STEREO All the Way LP

•1984 UK STEREO All the Way LP

•1984 Netherlands MONO All the Way LP

•1987 STEREO Frank Sinatra Sings for

    Only the Lonely, CD

•1988 STEREO All the Way CD

•1996 STEREO Complete Capitol Singles

    Collection CD**

•1998 STEREO Frank Sinatra Sings for

    Only the Lonely, CD**

•1998 UK STEREO All the Way CD

•2016 MONO All the Way LP


**Effectively a shared mastering (very subtle dynamic differences, undetectable by ear)


BLUE = Strings @ left in stereo mix

ORANGE = Strings @ right in stereo mix

Audio Clips - Mono

(click photos below for audio)

Dynamics vary greatly on the assorted releases.  AT RIGHT: waveforms for the 1981 Australian LP and the 1987 CD, which is quite compressed by comparison

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:

•1981 Australia The Rarities - Volume One LP


Second Choice:

•1978 UK The Rare Sinatra LP

Subpar:

•All the CDs

NOTES


•All releases stem from the mono recording, despite the fact that the other songs from this session have appeared in both mono and stereo versions.


•The 1998 UK CD was transferred via a misaligned stereo machine, and “leans left.”


•There is an odd whistling noise that permeates this recording, possibly a bias oscillation.


•The Australian LP is uniquely sourced from a superior tape (original session tape?) with virtually no apparent processing.

Arranger/Conductor: Nelson Riddle

Original Release:

    UK The Rare Sinatra LP, 1978

Original CD Release: Frank Sinatra Sings

    for Only the Lonely, 1987


Releases sampled for this comparison:

•1978 UK The Rare Sinatra LP

•1981 Australia The Rarities - Volume One LP

•1987 Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely CD*

•1989 UK The Great Films & Shows CD*

•1995 Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers and Hart CD*

•1998 Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely, CD*

•1998 UK The Rare Sinatra CD

•2007 Romance: Songs from the Heart CD


*Shared Transfer to Digital

BLUE = Shared mastering

Audio Clips

(click photos below for audio)

Song #3:

“Where or When”

Above: 1981 Australia The Rarities - Volume One LP

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

Above: 1958 D1 45

Above: 1959 D1 High Hopes EP

Above: 1982 Japan The Hit Maker LP

The above three sources are the only three that use the original mono mix.

Audio Clips - MONO mix #2

The commonly available, second mono mix.  This mix was, either by error or necessity, created from the 3-mic, 3-track master that was intended for stereo use only.

(click photos below for audio)

Most mono releases of this song use this technically-deficient re-mix. 

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.

Audio Clip - STEREO mix #1

The original 3-mic stereo mix, unique to the 1959 stereo EP pictured below.

(click photo below for audio)

Audio Clip - STEREO mix #3

The third 3-mic stereo mix, circa 1996

(click photo below for audio)

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.

Audio Clips - STEREO mix #2

The common, second 3-mic stereo mix, circa 1962

(click photos below for audio)

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

Above: 1983 MFSL Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

Above: 1984 UK Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP, courtesy SHTV’s “Bozburn”

KEY:

GREEN = original, live-mixed, multi-mic mono mix (1958)

RED = original stereo mix (1958)

BLUE = 2nd mono mix, made from the 3-mic, 3-channel stereo tapes (1962)

MAGENTA = fake stereo, made from green

BROWN = 2nd stereo mix (1962)

TAN = 3rd stereo mix, created by Robert Norberg (1996)

BLACK = folded down to mono from brown

Above: N4 Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

Above: 1962 D1 Silver Platter Service promotional LP

Above: 1984 Dutch DMM Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP

Above: 1968 The Sinatra Touch LP

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

MONO FOLD-DOWN


For some reason, the “stereo” CD in the 1998 UK The Capitol Years boxed set contains this track as a compressed fold-down to mono from the soupy, 2nd stereo mix (the stereo clips marked in BROWN farther down the page). Click the photo at right to hear a sample.

Song #2:

“Sleep Warm”

Above: 1958 D1 45

Above: D6 All the Way LP

Above: N2#2 All the Way LP

Above: 1964 UK My Funny Valentine LP (used LP in poor condition)

Above: 1984 Netherlands DMM All the Way LP

Above: 2016 All the Way LP

Audio Clips - Stereo

(click photos below for audio)

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.

Above: 1983 MFSL All the Way LP, mastered by Jack Hunt

Above: 1984 UK All the Way LP, courtesy bferr1

Above: 1988  All the Way CD

Above: 1996 Complete Capitol Singles CD, remixed and mastered by Bob Norberg, courtesy “rangerjohn”.  (Re-used with only very subtle tweaking on the 1998 USA Only the Lonely remastered CD)

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

Above: c. 1980 J14 All the Way LP, mastered by Maurice Long (SN-series release re-uses metal parts from earlier SM-series release)

Above: 1987 Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely CD, mastered by Larry Walsh

Above: 1978 UK The Rare Sinatra LP

Above: 1987 Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely CD, mastered by Larry Walsh (reused in Great Films...)

Above: 2007 Romance: Songs from the Heart CD, mastered by Dave McEowen

Above: 1998 Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely CD, mastered by Robert Norberg, courtesy SHTV’s “rangerjohn”

Above: 1995 Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart CD, mastered by Robert Norberg, courtesy SHTV’s mahanusafa02

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

Above: 1966 UK World Record Club All the Way LP - FOLDED TO MONO FROM THE STEREO MIX, courtesy Pieter Kovak

Above: 1976 H9 All the Way LP, mastered by Gene Thompson, cut 8/3/76.