Never say never Bob, when it comes to Frank's "Reprise" catalog, as the estate keeps bouncing it around so much from label to label, that surely it will eventually find it's way back "home" at Warner Brothers, where it belongs and where I will finally get my 5.1 surround mixes of the Sinatra/Jobim sessions and the "September Of My Years" album, as was originally planned and prepared.
Technically, since Warner's shares a stake in Frank Sinatra Enterprises, the Reprise catalog still has corporate ties there. However, this recording (“Silent Night” in its original piano+choral mix) never “belonged” to the Warner/Reprise label.
Not entirely. From my 12-year-old post at SFF: Sinatra Christmas Collection (2004) + Silent Night Recording (1991) - Page 7 “There were four takes done in 1991 with piano accompaniment only—two with Bill Miller and two with Frank Jr. The Gift Of Hope issue used take 3 (with Frank Jr.'s piano). The Johnny Mandel version on The Christmas Collection uses a mix of take 3 with some of the other take(s).”
The "Gift of hope" version is so very moving. Especially now that Frank jr. is gone. Haven't heard it since it happened. It's a heartwrenching performance.
I'm unaware of a release of the session tapes. My info stems from this SFF post by Bernhard Vogel (@bdvogel) in 2004: Elsewhere, more detail is provided in the following post (translated from the German at the Open Main Event forum): I'm unsure of Bernhard's source, but obviously someone must have heard and written about it to allow such detail. Nancy describes the session in this SFF post: Nancy mentions in the SFF thread that the session was videotaped by her daughter AJ. To my knowledge, this has not yet surfaced in public.
Finally I ordered the „A Gift of Hope“ CD too. I also wanted the Piano Only Version without the choir.
Me, too! after all these years I thought I had the piano only version in my CD collection, but realized reading this thread this weekend that I do NOT! Thanks once again to the contributors here at SHF, I am able to correct that glaring omission from my collection. A Gift of Hope is enroute just in time for Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays, all of you Sinatra Nuts!!!!!!!
Am I missing something here?! The "Gift of hope" version features a choir at the very end, doesn't it?! So which is the piano only version?
On the Gift of Hope CD a choir comes in at the last stanza of the second (and final) verse ("Christ the Savior is Born, Christ the Savior is Born"). Frank Jr. provides the musical accompaniment (beautifully). No version with just piano has been released.
I never said there was no choir on the A Gift of Hope version. Read Bernhard's second (detailed) post which I quoted above. As stated accurately by @dualstacker, there is a small choral overdub at the very end. The raw piano-only track has never been issued without some amount of instrumental or choral overdubbing. Note that versions of the 1991 “Silent Night” with different, more intrusive choral overdubs have been rekeased on other children's charity CDs: A Christmas Miracle (1998) and 20 Christmas Stars II (2000). Here is my review of the latter CD, from a 2005 SFF post: << Does this CD contain the version, as it has been issued, on the AGOH album, or is this a third version? >> I've just obtained The Christmas Album... A Gift Of Hope from 1991, and so I must amend my earlier answer to Stefan's question. The version on 20 Christmas Stars II is slightly different than that on A Gift Of Hope. I believe they are both based on the same take, but the instrumental and choral overdub is different. On the newer CSII CD, the orchestral track is much more subdued—barely nonexistent—and the vocal accompaniment much stronger, with the chorus actually singing words along with FS: "Christ the savior is born...". On the original AGOH CD, the computer-generated instrumental is more pronounced, and the choral group "hums" (not sure that is the correct term?) its accompaniment. All of this happens only in the last 30 seconds or so of the 2:40 track. Up to that point, it is just Frankie's piano accompaniment, and the two versions are identical. Also, the mastering on the AGOH version sounds better, and it is slightly slower. I.e., if you start both CDs playing simultaneously on two different drives on the same computer, they eventually become out of synch with each other. By the end, the AGOH track lasts 4 seconds longer. That's probably more than anyone but an audiophile would ever want or need to know. They are different, although most of us would never notice. Bob
You can't be serious. Just because there's a short choral and synthesized instrumental in the last few seconds? That's the “piano only”version that everyone has been praising in this thread. There is no release with just piano the whole way through!
I'm confused, Markus. You're the one who started all this discussion: @paulmock should send you the bill if he doesn’t get his refund.
Personally, I consider A Gift of Hope to be an essential addition to anyone's Frank Sinatra collection. If nothing else, it was his final studio recording intended for solo release, and it's 90% unadorned by extra overdubbed effects. And to not overlook a mention in this thread: Today would be Frank Sinatra's 102nd. I'm sure he's up there celebrating. Happy Birthday, and thanks for all the music!
As fate would have it @Bob F not more than 5 minutes after I requested a refund, the message came that the package had been shipped! So in the long run all is well in the world. No harm. No foul. Thanks for playing along with the "blame game". Count me in as one who (despite his years here) got lost and entangled in the posts as to what was on what what CD, etc. I've long had the 20 Christmas Stars II CD and this Gift of Hope will be a welcomed addition to my Christmas CD playlist with all of the various performers on it along with the prized "Silent Night".
According to The Way it Was, Shirley had a seance or one of her channeling sessions and it found Mr. S happily in heaven with his buddies having a great time! I hope that is true. Happy Birthday, Mr. S!!!!
