Sinatra on Columbia (Official/Authorized Releases)*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ShockControl, Dec 11, 2011.

  1. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    Yes, I can see the fun or frustration maybe in trying to collect them. Not sure that answers my question though on how to obtain all the Columbia recordings on CD.
     
  2. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    The only way to obtain on official CD all of the complete songs Sinatra recorded in Columbia studio sessions from 1943–1952 is the 12-CD blue box. However, that still leaves out many alternate takes (including some of the original master takes). It also predates some better-sounding transfers, such as those included in the 2007 A Voice in Time 4-CD set.

    The new collection which was promised more than two years ago was to include all of the master takes (e.g. as originally released on 78s). But even if that becomes a reality, one would still need the 1993 box set, plus many other CDs, to have everything released since by Columbia/Legacy.

    One source which lists everything needed is the Sessionography at the Sinatra Family Forum.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2018
  3. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    ^^^ Also, the hardcover book in the blue box is invaluable, and it will probably not be duplicated in a new collection.

    Conclusion: The blue box is a must-have, no matter what else gets released in the future.
     
  4. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    Indeed - the problem seems to be finding one at an affordable price, just like The Capitol Years. I was given the Reprise Box as a present last year, so feel there is a huge void in my collection at the moment. ☹️
     
  5. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York
    Have the blu box myself. Got it over seven years ago on Amazon for a decent price. Great set Sinatra 40's. A fascinating listen indeed. Burned all the box set cds to regular cds. In my sony 300 cd player in rotation. Keep the box in stock.
     
  6. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    Sounds great. Ive got a Sony HD Player with 1tb of storage that holds my 2000+ CDs. But thanks for rubbing the salt into that void lol. :)
     
    Psychedelic Good Trip likes this.
  7. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    What many people want is one supplement to the big blue from Columbia that has every alternate/master, every aircheck and every non commercial recording from the Columbia years that was ever issued in any format from 78 to CD.
     
    PhantomStranger and kennyluc1 like this.
  8. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    do you ever look on Discogs. The last time I looked several weeks ago there were sets available for reasonable prices...perhaps USA only, I am not sure. It is not that rare.
     
  9. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    That’s the problem. Some will not ship to U.K. and others charge about the same price for shipping as they do for the Box I would have got one if it was not for the shipping costs.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2018
  10. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    When I just looked at discogs website there were several copies being sold for less than when it was first released. I don't know why people think this set is so unobtainable. I know shipping can be a cost, but that was also true when it was new
     
  11. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    Was it a US release only then or worldwide. No idea what the original price was but I see on Discogs that some sellers are listing some other non official version within the proper version.
     
  12. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    I don't know if the Disky label version is a clone or something else, but it may play fine. It certainly can be enjoyed.
     
  13. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    I believe Disky is a Public Domain release for Europe. There is a similar one for The Capitol Years whereby they have 10 CDs in a little card box that covers 16 albums and adds some bonus tracks. All the sleeves contain the same b/w photo but in a different colour.

    It’s questionable what the actual source is as sometimes, they are taken from vinyl and often, they do not spend too much time in trying to remove the clicks etc or remastering the sound. So probably fine for the price and if you just want the music and are not to bothered about top quality sound, but of course no original artwork which for some collectors, is part of the collecting interest. I wish I knew someone who actually had copies to take a listen.
     
  14. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York


    Never meant to. I do feel your pain. Hopefully you find the blue box.;)
     
  15. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    I know you didn’t. Just my warped sense of humour. It’s times like this I wished I was on a long vacation in the US so I could find all these goodies.
     
    Psychedelic Good Trip likes this.
  16. roda12

    roda12 WATERTOWN FOREVER

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    The "Higher and higher" Lp is one of those awful pseudo soundtracks that have noisy sound, including the dialogue of the film. Not worth collecting in my opinion.
     
    paulmock likes this.
  17. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    INDEED!!!!! And the price of the Blue Box can be quite tempting if you keep your eye on it for an extended period of time. A friend recently got an original wooden box (not the pressed cardboard re-do) for a hair over $100 last Fall.
     
    Bob F likes this.
  18. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    I don't want to play forum cop, but I would just remind everyone that this thread's title says “(Official/Authorized Releases)”. The last time we diverged from that, the thread was choked by the endless EU public domain dreck.

    That said, let me put to rest the speculation about the Disky product with some 2012 posts at the SFF:
     
  19. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    distributors in the USA are not supposed to purchase these illegit releases for American sale. They do, however, because the product is cheaper

    Welcome to the 2018 Amoeba Music Stores!!!! :realmad:
     
    MLutthans likes this.
  20. frankfan1

    frankfan1 Some days I feel like Balok

    My local FYE stores are nothing but pd crap.

    Each pd purchase gives the major labels less incentive to invest in a quality product. If a casual buyer goes into a FYE and sees a pd sinatra box for $20, and a legit Sony set for 65, which will they choose?
     
    Bob F and paulmock like this.
  21. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    AMEN, AMEN I SAY TO THEE! @MLutthans has discussed this in similar threads.
     
    Daveymoore, Bob F and MLutthans like this.
  22. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    I have not been in such a store, but how is this not being taken care of? Profiting off someone else's work, and likely often duping too many buyers as to what they're really getting with these releases, is disgusting. Though selling Mr. Sinatra's recordings in this manner is enough, it's even more disheartening when its done on a catalog where for the past 25 years it's been handled with such love and respect for the original recordings.

    For all the comments sometimes made that most people do not care about the production/sound, etc., on music releases, I've found they really do appreciate having a quality release when presented with one.
     
  23. Great Music Lover

    Great Music Lover Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    In Europe, music or recorded sound fell into public domain 50 years after it was first published, so these companies putting out CDs by certain artists are not doing anything illegal as such. The law was changed in 2013 and the period extended to 75 years, but that was one year too late to stop The Beatles "Love Me Do/PS I Love You" falling into Public Domain. It has affected all of Elvis' work between 1954 and 1962 and it is annoying when you come across all of these odd ball releases and compilations, because whilst some companies offer better treatment of the product, others do not. Of course the record companies knew this was going to happen, but it was probably the advent of digital that allowed smaller companies to start milking the system with low cost production.

    But like everything, there are two sides to the coin. Here in the U.K., it allowed companies to put out compilation CDs containing songs which collectors had long wished to acquire in decent quality on CD (albeit from prestige vinyl needle drops in most cases) but could not simply because the record companies could not be bothered releasing such rarities. So collectors were able to get their hands on Top 40 songs and their "B" Sides right up to 1962. The demand was there from collectors, but some record companies who previously held the copyright were not interested in releasing the product. Conversely, because of what was happening, it did make some companies sit up and take notice and put out some unreleased and rarer material by bigger artists before it fell into Public Domain, so that was a bonus.

    I think the bottom line is that serious collectors of a particular artist will always go for product put out by the recognised record companies especially when unique product like big box sets come onto the market, but by the same token, these sets are often limited editions which go out of print quite quickly, so whilst it can be said that those who release public domain music are simply profiteering from someone else, it could be argued that those who buy these limited edition sets when they first come out and who are probably not fans of a particular artist in the first place, are also profiteering when they stick them on eBay or Discogs at highly inflated prices. Yeah, we know about supply and demand, but can we blame the record companies for doing these "limited editions" that cause these high prices to happen, instead of doing bigger print runs and keeping the product on market for a longer period of time and therefore allowing newer fans to acquire what they want to get complete collections of their newly discovered artist.
     
  24. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    My guess: This is one reason why it hasn’t happened…
     
  25. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    And yet in the classical world, the major labels are actually issuing completist new remastered box sets and the collectors are snapping them up. The key is the companies are actually issuing the boxsets. Put it out and people will buy it.
     

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