Frank Sinatra on Reprise formerly deleted, being reissued by UMG (except N.America)*

Sorry for misinterpreting, John. With all the different versions, it does get confusing.

I haven't done exhaustive comparisons, but the suitcase was released in 1995 (reissued in box form in 1998), and I believe the suitcase tracks are MOSTLY the same as the earlier CD issues. (Disc mastering may be different because of the disparate juxtapositions on each of the 20 CDs in the set.) Therefore, improvements in the EOTC CDs (1998-99) should relate equally to the suitcase as to the earlier CDs.

Note that only twelve Reprise titles were remastered for the Entertainer of the Century project. These were:

1. Ring-a-Ding Ding! (no bonus tracks)
2. September of My Years
3. Sinatra at the Sands (one bonus track added)
4. Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
5. I Remember Tommy (no bonus track)
6. Sinatra & Strings (no bonus tracks)
7. Sinatra and Swingin' Brass (no bonus tracks)
8. It Might As Well Be Swing
9. Sinatra–Basie
10. Swing Along with Me [Sinatra Swings]
11. Francis A. & Edward K.
12. The Concert Sinatra

 

Oh ugh! I was really hoping WATERTOWN would get a sonic upgrade. One of my favorite records by Frank (or by anyone, actually). I bought my original Cd the day it came out but I do see them here and there in the used bins here in L.A. Thanks again Bob for steering us clear of the turkeys!

 

pdenny, your signature line quote is killin' me!!!!!

 

Ha! I forgot it's actually on topic in this thread! Don't remember how I came across it originally...

 

That's a damn shame but...expected.

 

Thanks for the lowdown on the new Watertown CD, Bob. You saved me some money.

Guess I'll remain content with my 1994 Made In Germany CD version.

 

Ed O'Brien

When I was in college I was fortunate enough to have Ed O'Brien as a "phone-a-friend." I can't count how many hour-long calling cards I went through asking him every Sinatra question I could think of. He was always generous with his time and knowledge, and his autographed copies of Sinatra: The Man and His Music and Watertown liner notes are two of my most prized Sinatra possessions. If it wasn't for his insight, I probably would have lost my interest in Sinatra years ago.

Thanks, Ed.

 

I received my copies of Sinatra & Strings, Ring-A-Ding-Ding!, and The Concert Sinatra from Amazon UK - all un-shrinkwrapped, but all in excellent condition.

I love the mix of the original EOTC artwork paired with more recent Frank Sinatra Enterprises logos, i.e. "The Frank Sinatra Collection" signature and the little image of the fedora. It's a small but nice touch. Also, all of the albums I bought bear a 2009/2010 copyright, so even if these are direct sonic copies of the EOTC remasters, they still feel new. Ooo, I also love the label design of the discs themselves. Leaving a wide silver band around the printed label artwork is a classy touch. Don't ask me why I think it's classy, I just do!

All this good news makes me want to pick up MORE UMG import Sinatra reissues, but which Reprise era albums other than the ones I already bought are worth owning?

Here's what I have so far:
Ring-A-Ding-Ding!
Sinatra & Strings
The Concert Sinatra
America, I Hear You Singing (on it's way!)

I own the original EOTC reissue of Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, in addition to the recent Concord deluxe edition. Part of me wants to also pick up the import version of FAS&ACJ, but my EOTC reissue is in good shape so I should probably just save my money. I don't need a second back up copy, right?

You know what album is kind of intriguing to me? Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River and Other Academy Award Winners. Any thoughts on this one? I love both of those title songs...

 

I'm sure there is interest, just not enough to justify a major release campaign for physical product. This is not restricted to Sinatra: Compact disc sales are dying. I know it's no consolation to audiophiles, but the entire FSE catalog HAS been available in the US in digital form for some time.

At the same time, it should be recognized that this is not exactly a new phenomenon. Frank Sinatra has not been a favorite of the US youth market since the 1940s, and the population of adult fans from that era is dwindling. When the popular TV program American Idol had its "Sinatra Week" last month, it suffered its worst viewer ratings ever.

I agree it's sad to see.

 

Um, [post=5547913]all[/post] of them?
__________________
~ Frank's Albums

 

I was just thinking last night as I was listening to a concert by Mr.S...In 2015 it will be the 100th anniversary of his birth. If the powers that be are "on it", they should be planning a year-full of releases both audio and video to mark the event.

Mr. S deserves nothing short of the way the 100th birthday of Edward Kennedy Ellington was promoted and celebrated!

 

I got to hear the new SHE SHOT ME DOWN disc earlier. It's interesting to me. I get the impression that it's a "quick and dirty" transfer. I don't mean that in the negative way it might appear, so excuse the lack of a better phrase. It just sounds to me like they threaded up the tape, and pretty much let it rip and made their CD master without further futzing. That is just my supposition, so please don't read more into it than that. If someone sweated over it, they did an honest sounding job...

I did not compare it to the U.S. vinyl, which I love. I did quickly compare it to the previous CD versions, which I never cared much for. I prefer this, and enjoyed it. So, if you only have the previous CD versions, or don't own the album at all, consider buying a copy of this.

 

Martin, I just ordered the new version after reading your post.

 

I hope you like it.

 

Martin, Thanks for the review of the new SHE SHOT ME DOWN CD.

Anyone buying this should make sure they get the second pressing, with the SHORT version of "Hey Look, No Crying," as described [post=5531669]above[/post]. I understand that's what's been received most recently from Amazon UK.

 

In time would the first pressing of this new release of "She Shot Me Down" be worth a few more bob? Bob?

 

Only as a rarity for obsessive collectors, Tina. Sonically, it was a direct copy of the tracks from the 20-CD complete Reprise suitcase/box set.

 

So the second pressing was a complete remastering overhaul?

 

That was the gist of Martin's evaluation, although "NON-overhaul" might be a better descriptor. I.e., it's more true to a direct transfer of the original LP masters than any earlier CD releases of the SSMD tracks.

 

So do you feel that this is the only UMG that any real (non cd copying) transferring was done?
It does seem odd that they felt compelled to do this because of one track not being the right one. If they just copied a disc in the first place, why didn't the re-do just be an insert of the correct track also from a CD?

 

Yes, excluding the Concord releases of course. (Plus AMERICA, I HEAR YOU SINGING, which never had a total CD equivalent.) I don't just "feel" this subjectively; I've done computerized digital comparisons of all the new UMG reissues against the previous Reprise discs.

They did NOT directly copy a disc in the first place. The initial (replaced) issue used the tracks from the 20-CD suitcase. In that respect, it was unique also among these UMG releases. I can only guess an answer to your question: Perhaps the digital disc masters for the original Reprise SSMD CD have been lost or damaged. (It's been OOP longer than any other, I think.)

 

The Main Event & Live in Paris

Rounding out the latest batch of UMG releases are two live albums: THE MAIN EVENT—LIVE FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN and SINATRA AND SEXTET: LIVE IN PARIS. The former was a Reprise LP in 1974, later issued on an early Reprise CD in 1987 (and never reissued until now). The latter was originally a bootleg which saw it's first "official" release on CD in 1994 (although the official CD was not completely identical to the earlier bootleg disc).

Both of these new Universal reissues are digitally the same as the previous OOP Reprise CDs. My computer can't tell the Universal and Reprise discs apart. The only differences are minor cosmetic corrections to the printing...

For THE MAIN EVENT, the track times have been corrected; the original printed times were wildly inaccurate.

For LIVE IN PARIS, a notation has been added beneath the James Isaacs liner notes: "RECORDED JUNE 7, 1962 AT THE OLYMPIA MUSIC HALL." This corrects the longstanding mistaken impression that this performance emanated from the Lido on June 5, 1962, as conveyed by the notes.

(Unfortunately, FSE missed the opportunity to correct a similar error for THE MAIN EVENT. That album states, "Live from Madison Square Garden, New York City October 13, 1974," but some of the songs or portions of songs were recorded at other venues and/or on different dates of the same concert tour.)

 

Does anyone have any idea why some of the UMG Sinatra reissues are priced differently on Amazon UK? I know prices in general for Amazon (US and UK, probably the rest of the world, too) tend to fluctuate from time to time, but since I've bee searching Amazon UK, I noticed a few of the Sinatra titles go for as much as £7.99 when every other one is priced around £4.99. Are the more expensive albums less popular or desireable? I'm talking namely about I Remember Tommy, Watertown, L.A. Is My Lady, It Might As Well Be Swing and others.

 

She Shot Me Down

Sorry about this, but I am very confused about what version/versions of this album I should buy or retain in my collection.

I still have the original Warner/Reprise CD in mint condition pressed in Germany with the catalogue No/ 7599-27251-2.
I have retained this in my collection because it has the original shorter version of "Hey Look, No Crying" and the booklet cover is better quality than the bodged UMG release.

I also have the UMG first pressing with the longer version of "Hey Look, No Crying".
This also has the bodged cover that is too dark, but I would still like to hang on to this version because I don't have the longer version of "Hey Look, No Crying" anywhere else in my collection.

I would be interested in buying the new corrected re-pressing of the CD if it is better sound quality than the editions I already have. But has the bodged cover been corrected as well?

Now, I don't really want to end up with three copies of this CD in my collection.
Please advise.
Regards.