Sinatra's best sad songs

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by pinkrudy, Oct 14, 2009.

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  1. pinkrudy

    pinkrudy Senior Member Thread Starter

    i know almost nothing about sinatra but have always been interested.

    i've heard songs for swinging lovers and live at the sands... basically i dont like his uptempo numbers but when he sings those mellancollie songs, i melt.

    can someone tell me his best sad slow tempo numbers?

    maybe an album..too
     
  2. Kirk76

    Kirk76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texoma
    As far as albums go, get MOFI's Only The Lonely. It's absolutely amazing.
     
  3. Kayaker

    Kayaker Senior Member

    Location:
    New Joisey Now
  4. ziggysane

    ziggysane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Angel Eyes (on Only the Lonely). Sinatra's singing (and his rearrangement that begins with the bridge) are brilliant. The MOFI sounds fantastic.

    Seriously, OTL is all heartbroken Saloon songs. It's like In the Wee Small Hours without the notes of hopefulness. (ITWSH was also a break-up record though.)
     
  5. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    With Sinatra, there are sad songs, sadder songs, and "dark night of the soul" sad songs.

    Best Sad album (and my all-time favorite Sinatra): In the Wee Small Hours
    Best Sadder album: Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
    Best dark night of the soul album: Where Are You?

    And when you are really ready to kill yourself, lock yourself in a room with "No One Cares." That knife turns really painfully and really slowly, and it's gorgeous in its own way. Definitely not a place to start if you're a newbie. I'd start with one of those listed above.

    Also, if you want slow and pretty, but not necessarily sad, try "Nice and Easy." There's also some beautiful slow stuff mixed in with the uptempo numbers on COME FLY WITH ME.

    Matt Lutthans
    Lifelong Sinatra nut
     
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  6. Greg1954

    Greg1954 New Member

    Location:
    .
    The Night We Called It A Day from Where Are You (Capitol.)
     
  7. Ryan Lux

    Ryan Lux Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, ON, CA
    Michael And Peter from Watertown
     
  8. Tgreg

    Tgreg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nashville, TN
    I agree; I much prefer his slow songs. I also agre with Kirk. Only the Lonely is the one to have; an incredible song cycle, especially "One for my Baby" and "Angel Eyes". His other popular lp from this time frame is In the Wee Small Hours, which is good, but I prefer Only the Longely. Also, His 1981 version of "Everything Happens to Me" gets me everytime
     
  9. pinkrudy

    pinkrudy Senior Member Thread Starter

    all wonderful songs. i have a good base to start. thanks for those albums.

    :goodie:
     
  10. Sean Keane

    Sean Keane Pre-Mono record collector In Memoriam

    A few less popular ones:

    I Can't Believe I'm Losing You
    Half As Lovely, Twice As True
    Maybe You'll Be There
    Here's That Rainy Day
    It's The Same Old Dream
    Mam'selle
     
  11. ArneW

    ArneW Senior Member

    Location:
    Cologne, Germany
    I really, really like "Like A Sad Song", where he manages to sound totally convincing and vulnerable.
     
  12. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    Very good suggestions. :) I agree with the sentiment that Sings for Only the Lonely is tops, among the finest ever in the genre, but also enjoy In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning about as much. Where Are You? is another in that direction... don't forget September Of My Years. Later albums Watertown and She Shot Me Down might interest you too. After these, do try No One Cares, it was an album I'd heard after almost everything else and as such made a great surprise treasured in that "ah! one more jewel" way.

    You didn't ask I know, but if you're really digging the sad/tragic classic pop vibe: keep an eye open for a Steve-mastered Nat King Cole Where Did Everyone Go? and for the drama angle possibly try Garland's Alone (Steve or Larry Walsh masterings). Those are a couple stand-out full albums in the genre beyond Frank, although Frank does have the department nicely covered as you can gather. ;)

    Oh gosh yes. How to keep the list short huh? :)
     
  13. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    Best advice in the thread. :thumbsup:
     
  14. bluesbro

    bluesbro Forum Hall of Shame

    Location:
    DC
    For me: "She shot me down'.

    You might also want to get Frank's own selection of Reprise 'sad' songs: "everything happens to me".

    [​IMG]
     
  15. bgiliberti

    bgiliberti Will You Be My Neighbor?

    Location:
    USA
    OTL in general, and Angel Eyes in particular, are the essence of what makes Sinatra, Sinatra.
     
  16. DEAN OF ROCK

    DEAN OF ROCK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hoover, AL
    Cottage For Sale
     
  17. John Sanders

    John Sanders New Member

    Location:
    Colorado
    The Only the Lonely album has some.
     
  18. hodgo

    hodgo Tea Making Gort (Yorkshire Branch) Staff

    Location:
    East Yorkshire
    Two wonderful albums from Reprise need mentioning "All Alone" and "September of My Years", both orchestrated & conducted by Gordon Jenkins and both are fabulous.
     
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  19. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    Send in the Clowns (orchestral rather than the later piano version)
    the medley of Gal That Got Away/It Never Entered My Mind
    anything from Only The Lonely
    There Used to be a Ballpark (blues not over a woman!)
    One For My Baby (I prefer the live version, but any will do)
    Angel Eyes
     
  20. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid

    I was going to post the title track from this compilation myself..."Everything Happens To Me".

    Another vote for No One Cares which I've been listening to a lot lately.
     
  21. live evil

    live evil Senior Member

    Location:
    ohio
    One partially written by Frank, "I'm a Fool to Want You."
     
  22. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    There's a Flaw in My Flue
     
  23. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

    Location:
    Hawthorne CA
    As busted heart concept albums go, NO ONE CARES makes ONLY THE LONELY sound like COME DANCE WITH ME. It has the aforementioned "Cottage for Sale" which imo is the saddest song he ever sang.

    A little dream castle, with every dream gone
    Is lonely and silent, the shades are all drawn
    And my heart is heavy, as I gaze upon a cottage for sale.

    The lawn we were proud of is waving in hay
    A beautiful garden has withered away
    Where you planted roses, the weeds seem to say, A cottage for sale

    From every single window, I see your face
    But when I reach the window, there's empty space
    The key's in the mailbox, the same as before
    But no one is waiting for me anymore
    The end of our story is there on the door, A cottage for sale
     
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  24. Tgreg

    Tgreg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nashville, TN
    This version of "Everything Happens To Me" is the 1981 version that I referred to earlier. This early verison of him as a younger man, is good, but this one sung from the perspective of a 66 year old man who has been around the block is awesome.

    Yes, I agree with No One Cares, as well. Better not to start with this one, in my opion. Need to grow into this one.
     
  25. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    :D Some would say that "Mama Will Bark" is a sad song.
     
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