Sinatra / Capitol Sound Quality (and general discussion): Singles, Soundtracks, Etc.

Yes, I've got it, and it will be included when I get the vinyl clips posted. Thanks, though, and thanks @MMM for your comments, as well.

 

@David m bond
@mahanusafa02
@MMM

MMM pointed out that the clip that I had labelled as being from the 1988 USA All the Way CD was actually from an All the Way LP. My goof. (Thanks, Martin.) I've now fixed it on that same page: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc31.html or you can hear the new sound clip directly, here: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc31_files/WitchcraftClipUSACD-GAIN_01.wav . (Much, much better than the old clip. Sorry about the mixup.)

Nice that Larry Walsh went back to the original mono on this one, even though the bulk of the CD is the original stereo mixes. This is certainly in the running for top choice, in my opinion, and worth a listen.

 

Continuing with Witchcraft --

Eight vinyl clips are now posted, if anybody would like to have a listen:
•1957 D1 promo 45 from @stevelucille
•1957 D1 stock 45
•1962 D1 mono "The Great Years" LP from stevelucille
•1966 Capitol Record Club F1 mono "Sentimental Journey" LP
•1968 G2 mono "The Sinatra Touch" LP
•1984 Stereo UK "All the Way" LP (this cut is in mono on that LP) from @bferr1
•1984 Mono Holland "All the Way" LP
•1985 Time-Life "Legendary Singers" half-speed mastered LP

Posted here: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc31.html

I'm not posting most of the "All the Way" LPs because they use wrong tapes.

One little side comment: For years, I've had this feeling that this song and "All the Way" have sound that seems like something may actually be technically messed up, but I think that thinking, at least for this song, may just stem from hearing "wrong tape" or poorly mastered versions so many times. There are some good sounding versions out there, but they are clearly outnumbered by real duds.

 

FWIW, here are my thoughts on the assorted versions of WITCHCRAFT:

http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc31.html

If I had to pick just one, it would be the 1988 CD, and Legendary Singers is hands-down the best LP, IMO.

 

Billboard blurb from June 3, 1957, about two of our upcoming tracks, recorded May 20, 1957:

 

Next up will be "Something Wonderful Happens in Summer," and as usual, we could benefit if we can track down some donations of stuff I don't already have. Here's what I've got:

•This is Sinatra, Volume Two LPs: Original D9, UK Dell, 1980s Japanese
•This is Sinatra, Volume Two UK CD
•This is Frank Sinatra, 1953-1957 2-CD set
•The Capitol Years CD from 1990
•Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LPs: D1 mono; D5 mono; MFSL stereo; 1984 Holland DMM mono
•1998 UK Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things CD
•Norberg singles CD

Things I don't have:
•Original 78 (I think this one was on vinyl, not shellac)
•Original 45
•Original stereo LP of Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things
•1984 UK Dell Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things LP
•This one, either in it's UK or Australian versions:

•Any other mono editions I'm missing?

"The more, the merrier," always. If you're able to shoot a clip my way, please contact me by PM and we'll sort it out. Thanks in advance! Thanks to all those who have contributed, without whom....

 

Thanks, Britt. No need to send a clip on that one, then!

 

Anybody else ever notice that somebody (Frank????) is audibly humming along with the strings from about 0:08-0:12 on Something Wonderful Happens in Summer? I had never spotted that until this morning.

I don't have any clips posted yet, but just in my own listening here at home, so far I'm pretty impressed by the masterings on THE CAPITOL YEARS (Furmanek/Walsh) and on my 1984(?) Japanese This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP. (That particular LP is a mixed bag, sonically, but is excellent on this track.)

The song appears twice in the big 1998 UK CD boxed set. On This is Sinatra, Volume Two in that set, the song has a pair of loud clicks in the opening string section and is a tad compressed, but quite nice in terms of tone, while on Sinatra Sings...of Love and Things in the same set, the compression is audible and quite hard sounding, but minus the two clicks on the other one. Go figure...

 

I just checked the clip on iTunes, and it's the Capitol version.

EDIT: ...and it's squished big time.

 

Re: Crazy Love

I failed to post a clip from the 1998 UK CD boxed set. It's now at this page or by direct audio link here. Thanks for the clip, @rangerjohn .

Re: Something Wonderful Happens in Summer

Twelve clips newly posted: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1957_-_SinglesEtc31.html

Thanks to @stevelucille, rangerjohn, and oldCoder for the clips. If anybody else would like to throw a clip my way, I'd be happy to post it. Just let me know!

 

Re: Witchcraft

The "progression" of mastering, from the 1988 All the Way CD to the 2015 Fifty Shades of Gray soundtrack iTunes clip:

 

Re: Something Wonderful Happens in Summer

I've done a TON of listening to this tune tonight, and I've done a bit of an about face, posting at my site that my top choices on this tune are:
•1985 UK This is Sinatra, Volume Two LP
•1994 UK This is Frank Sinatra, 1953-1957 CD



For me, it all comes down to two things: "quality" (meaning style) of tone (a little warmer vs. a little lighter), and this guy:

Mr. DeVito is gently nudging this song out of its potentially sleepy ballad territory, yet on many (most?) masterings, his insistent cymbals are virtually unheard, somewhat sucking out the DeVito-delivered forward drive that this song needs to keep from leaning toward mushiness.

If you actually take the time to listen to the clips posted, listen specifically for the ride cymbals, especially in the section right after "whole world to know." On many versions -- including many versions that are otherwise excellent -- it's like Frank DeVito has been replaced by Sir Rupert Carpet who found a pair of swimming trunks on his head. (It's a Bonzo Dog reference; sorry.) He essentially vanishes.

It's a subtle thing, but on the "much warmer tone" versions -- which I like, too -- this song becomes a 1940s Axel Stordahl-ish strings-&-oboe ballad. On the versions that don't roll off the top and/or don't favor the bottom end, the song moves a little, which benefits the song and performance overall, at least for me.

IMO. YMMV.

Thanks to all who contributed clips and to all who listen to them. Please post your thoughts, too, as it's not all about whatever I happen to think. It's always good to hear more than one opinion here.

PS - This is yet another track that sounds, to my ears, very, very nice on my D9/D5 gray-label This is Sinatra, Volume Two, one of the better sounding gray-label cuts I have of any Sinatra/Capitol album.

PPS - Re: Tell Her You Love Her

Anybody have a mono pressing of this one:

???? Wet tapes, I assume? Can somebody confirm? (Thanks in advance.)
I've got the original 45, mono The Sinatra Touch LP, and the Norberg CD. Anybody have "The Works" LP from 1973, or any other mono releases on this one? How about this German LP, below?

Or this EP, below?

Or any other mono releases?

 

Anybody?

 

That conversation started here: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...on-thread-part-2.347110/page-12#post-11912379

 

Anybody have the following? Able to contribute clips?
Tell Her You Love Her
Capitol LP 12": T-1919 — Tell Her You Love Her (1963)
Capitol/Pickwick LP 12": PC-3458 — This Love Of Mine (1969)
Longines Symphonette LP 12": LS-308A — Sinatra: The Works (1973)

You're Cheatin' Yourself
Capitol 78: 3744
Capitol 45: 3744

(I don't have those versions for comparison.)

....or any other MONO versions of these two songs?

Thanks in advance.