Your three rarest Sinatra albums

Although I can't hold a candle to many of the Sinatra collector's on here, I think I have something that is either rare or worth about 10 cents.
It is a first pressing Columbia vinyl of an album called Come back to Sorrento. I inherited it from my father when he passed away, along with many Capitol & Reprise LP's.

I've never thought of selling it or even looking up its value, as I cherish it (and the other LP's he left me) for sentimental reasons.

That said, I've NEVER seen CBTS on CD, or another vinyl copy of it anywhere

 

It was released on a 1989 Japanese CD (CBS/SONY 25DP 5372). Faithful reproduction of the 1959 compilation LP (Columbia CL 1359). Sinatra's original Columbia recordings drenched in reverb, with one track ("Day by Day") notably overdubbed with bongos. People probably discarded their original vinyl.

 

I believe that two of the tracks on Sorrento are unique to that release.

 

that's interesting. I would have thought that all the tracks would have been included on that complete columbia CD box set.

 

And my copy of A Man and His Music (Part II), I suppose… although none of these are particularly rare in the long run!

 

The SONGS were included in the box set. It's the TAKES which are different. I don't believe they were completely unique to COME BACK TO SORRENTO, though. If anyone is interested, I can look up the details. I believe the songs involved were "Always" and "None but the Lonely Heart." (The awful bongos mix of "Day by Day" is unique, I think.)

 

This is what my notes show about the Sorrento tracks:

Among My Souvenirs (alternate) 1946 1930-1 Come Back to Sorrento
Day By Day (w/ bongos) 1945 1520-1 Come Back to Sorrento
None But The Lonely Heart (alternate) 1947 Come Back to Sorrento

Other who know far more than I probably have better information.

 

Not at all. You have to buy Portrait of Sinatra, Greatest Hits The Early Years, 16 Most Requested Songs, and a few others to get all of the Columbia material out there. The only one that isn't on CD in the US that I'm aware of is Come Back to Sorrento.

EDIT: Looking at my list again for the first time in almost ten years, there is actually quite a bit of unreleased Columbia material or material that is on random CDs.

 

"Among My Souvenirs" (1946) on the album is the original master. The "Complete Columbia" box set has an alternate (playback) take.

"Day by Day" (1945) had bongos added to the original master for the album and 45 reissues.

"None but the Lonely Heart" (1947) on the album is an alternate take, which runs 25 seconds longer than the original master in the box set and elsewhere.

Add to the above: "Always" (1947 version) is the original master. The box set has an alternate (playback) take.

The album (LP or CD) is for completists only: None of the album versions are sonically desirable, compared to other issues of these songs.

 

-frank sinatra show bootleg of xmas eve b'cast w/ special guest bing
-sealed CYCLES, which i opened
-have some wlp columbia 78s prob.....idk

 

A rare single of an outake from his Duets album, Frank and Sinead O'Connor singing "I Got You Babe".

 

Also, not really sure how truly rare, but I have a copy of the Reprise single I Left My Heart In San Francisco, which was pulled soon after release. It was given to me back in high school and I didn't learn its story until a few months ago.

 

I guess a few promos would count:Francis A/Edward K mono WLP,a WLP of "Ol Blue Eyes Is Back"with an 8X10 glossy & inhouse Circular booklet and a 12 track sampler from Columbia's The Voice box from the mid-1980s.I do have Duets 1 on vinyl & The Capitol Years on vinyl,all but one of the Master Card CDs,as well as a few oddities(the Columbia 10" of "Get Happy" with a truly disturbing caricature) but nothing truly obscure.

 

Another one from my collection.

 

I have the group harmony version, also including Luther Campbell, Billy Idol, along with Steve & Eydie.

 

THE VOICE OF FRANK SINATRA pink cover 10" (is this actually rare?)

Some Capitol acetates - 12" 78 of "You, My Love", 8" 45's of "Put Your Dreams Away", "Willow Weep For Me", "Ebb Tide", and a double sided on of "To Love and Be Loved" including both the short and long versions, from a relative of Nelson Riddle (these acetates are my favorites of the "rare" stuff I'm fortunate to have)

"No One Ever Tells You" double sided promo 45

"High Hopes with Jack Kennedy" 45

SWINGIN' SESSION!!! '83 MoFi test pressing (way too bright sounding, though rare)

THE CAPITOL YEARS 5LP set (thank you Chuck Granata)

"San Francisco" 45

A MAN AND HIS MUSIC blue/silver box set - stereo

A MAN AND HIS MUSIC Part II LP

10" radio commercials for TONY ROME and THE DETECTIVE (this one includes a script)

Sinatra/Ellington mono LP

Maybe some other stuff I can't think of at the moment. I have a "part" used in the production of making the SWINGIN' LOVERS! gold CD, plus a hat supposedly used by Frank in the production of TONY ROME.

 

Almost forgot - artwork (which I'm guessing was either from Capitol or one of their printing houses) for SONGS FOR SWINGIN' LOVERS!, seemingly for the initial EP releases given its size within the sheet. Ultra rare - I don't say that as a "show off", honestly. I'm honored to own this, and am happy to share a picture of it here:

 

Rarity is relative of course, but I will say that I enjoy having the 7 inch 33rpm singles from Columbia, the 10 inch white label VINYL 78s on Columbia made for DJs (these have the best sound of any Columbia era pressings), and for rarity: the Japanese 78s made in "Occupied Japan". For rarity, I have a complete run of unplayed Columbia 78s originally bought by a wealthy bobby-soxer as her archive copies. (She bought 3 copies of every 78 as they came out, and kept one unplayed)

 

I just bought these for a dollar each last weekend at an estate sale. That's kinda rare isn't it?
Sinatra Albums by Retro Hound, on Flickr

 

A little side note. a popular record store in NYC would cover the Sinatra 500 club album with the sexy Julie London on a rug. The inside collector knew that under Julie ( no pun intended ) was a rare Sinatra. They would pass the word around ,"Did you get the new Julie London lp". We knew it was time to go to the record store to get the latest Sinatra. Also The cl2913 lp that you have is probably the most pure recorded 40s Frank ever.

 

Great lps, cherish your dad taste. as I do my late Dad.

 

Th

The Budweiser Sinatra lp with the attached fake moustache is rare.. also the Buzzsword 45 with Sinatra at the bar is extremely rare. I sold my 45 to ANDYOFHAMBURG years ago.

 

I know a NYC collector you actually has the lp poster of Sinatra leaning against the Greyhound bus for the 2nd Jobim-Sinatra 8-track.

 

Not an LP but I have the two track reel to reel of "Where Are You"

 

The reel to reel Ring a ding ding had a different cover than the original vinyl lp.