‘My Way’ 50th Anniversary and ‘Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman’coming October 2019

[ As posted at Sinatra Family Forum ]

FRANK SINATRA’S MY WAY 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION AND SINATRA
SINGS ALAN & MARILYN BERGMAN SET FOR OCTOBER 11 RELEASE

[ Album cover images ]

My Way 50th Anniversary CD Edition Includes Duets with Willie Nelson
and Luciano Pavarotti And Two Live Performances from 1971 and 1987

Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman Features Compilation of Songs Written
By The Esteemed Songwriting Couple and Two Previously Unreleased Tracks​

Los Angeles – August 23, 2019 – On October 11, Capitol/UMe and Frank Sinatra Enterprises will release a 50th anniversary edition of Frank Sinatra’s classic album My Way and Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman, a compilation of songs written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

Released on Reprise in March 1969, and produced by Don Costa and Sonny Burke, My Way features a varied collection of contemporary pop songs, including Lennon and McCartney’s “Yesterday,” Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” and the iconic title track, “My Way.” Recorded on December 30, 1968, in just one take, “My Way” charted in the U.S. and stayed on the U.K. charts for a record-breaking 75 weeks.

The My Way 50th anniversary set features four bonus tracks, including a live version recorded at The Ahmanson Theatre in 1971, which is available for streaming and for immediate download with pre-order.

Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman features songs by the esteemed, Academy Award winning songwriting duo, including the title track from Sinatra’s 1960 Grammy-nominated album, “Nice ‘N’ Easy.” “As lyric writers,” says Alan and Marilyn Bergman in liner notes, “to have a singer understand and be able to communicate what you wrote, whether it be about love or love lost or songs that needed a humorous approach, Frank got it... his readings were always on the money and more than what we heard in our minds.”

Frank Sinatra: My Way (50th Anniversary Edition) [CD; Digital; LP; limited edition color LP]
1.Watch What Happens
2. Didn’t We
3. Hallelujah, I Love Her So
4. Yesterday
5. All My Tomorrows
6. My Way
7. A Day In The Life Of A Fool
8. For Once In My Life
9. If You Go Away
10. Mrs. Robinson
Bonus Tracks: (*Not on LP)
11. My Way – duet with Willie Nelson
12. My Way – duet with Luciano Pavarotti
13. My Way – Live at Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 13, 1971
14. My Way – Live at the Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX, October 14, 1987

Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman [CD; Digital; LP]
1. Nice ‘N’ Easy
2. Ol’ MacDonald
3. Sentimental Baby
4. Love Looks So Well On You
5. Sleep Warm
6. What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?
7. The Summer Knows
8. Summer Me, Winter Me
9. L.A. Is My Lady
10. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
Bonus Tracks: (*Not on LP)
11. Christmas Memories
12. Leave It All To Me – previously unreleased
10. How Do You Keep The Music Playing? (1983) – previously unreleased

 

Not much reason to pick up My Way. And the other one seems random (why release it?) but has promising bonus tracks. Seems weird they didn’t put the bonus tracks on the vinyl edition though.

 

Pass. The original Reprise CD sounds fine to me. I was hoping for a 60th remaster/remix of Come Dance With Me like last years great Only the Lonely release, but I guess it ain't happening.

 

Yeah, not the most exciting news. I really like having a new Sinatra release each fall/holiday season, but I'm not sure I need these. I never understood people's fascination with "My Way." Didn't Sinatra say "I'm so sick of that lousy song!" or something like that. Couldn't agree more.

 

Now that would have been awesome. Was there rumored to be a Come Dance With Me anniversary set? Anything from the Capitol years (or earlier) is impossible for me to resist.

 

No, I'm just trying to wish it into existence, haha. Worth a shot. Maybe someone with clout will see it.

 

That would have been an instant purchase from me.

 

Regarding the two bonus tracks on the Sinatra Songs Alan & Marilyn Bergman release, have those circulated amongst collectors? I’m curious.


12. Leave It All To Me – previously unreleased
10. How Do You Keep The Music Playing? (1983) – previously unreleased

(BTW, @Bob F, for some reason the numbering is messed up in your original post. It goes 10, 11, 12, 10.)

 

I’m sure better-resolution images will appear with the official press release this coming Friday, but in the meantime…

​

 

Your avatar was fortuitous.

 

Any remastering credits? I am wondering if this is just a rehash of the previous remix. The Bergman album cover is atrocious, looks like a gray market release, but I will probably pick that one up. May also get My Way, depending on the remixing/remastering.

 

“Leave It All To Me” has appeared on some CD collections of unofficial rarities. I don’t think the “How Do You Keep” alternate has ever leaked out. These are the documented details, from Silva’s discography and the SFF Sessionography:

Frank Sinatra Sessionography : “Leave It All To Me”
Frank Sinatra Sessionography : “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” : Joe Parnello

I copied it verbatim from the SFF posting. I assume the last number is a typo.

 

It’s not a unique photo by any means:

 

Yeah, it gets around.

 

sans commentaire.....

 

Again the bonus tracks never make it to the vinyl/record LP. Why they can't they give you a real choice? Because they want you to buy both.

 

"LEAVE IT ALL TO ME"!!!!! Yes!!!!!! At last!!!!!! Can't wait!!!! Great news!!!!
One of my all-time favorite recordings!!!

 

I am so sick and tired of these Reprise albums being issued with the bonus tracks only included on the CD. I haven't bought a CD in years and don't intend on starting now. What Sinatra fan who listens to vinyl doesn't have at least one mint copy of My Way in their collection? Regarding the Bergman material ... yawn. Again what fan doesn't already have these songs on vinyl? This trend of omitting bonus tracks or shortening albums on vinyl is an annoying practice and I would guess lessens sales of vinyl reissues (albeit in a small way).

 

The cover of Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman is terrible. Generic and amateurish. A hack-job. Ugh!

 

Well yes and no.
It's true, the Bergman Vinyl makes no sense without the bonus tracks.
And yet on the other hand I am more than glad that they release the original classic albums without any bonus tracks on vinyl!

 

A „My Way“ remaster (not another dry, lifeless Larry Walsh mix) could be nice but the old Reprise CD was also OK. The 2009 was quite terrible IMO.

The compilation CD is interesting too: unreleased songs/versions.

 

I agree it is preferable to reissue original albums in the same running order with the same tracks on the same side. That being said, some very nice Japanese reissues of Sinatra Reprise albums incorporated the bonus tracks that were added to the corresponding CD's. For instance the Great Britain LP added the previously unreleased Roses of Picardy at the end of side 1. If they don't want to tack the bonus songs on to the vinyl, add a 7 or 10 inch record to the package with the bonus tracks.

 

Someone remind me. How does My Way sound on the complete Reprise box?

 

Sinatra's version of "Mrs. Robinson" is evidence that no one around him ever had the gumption to tell him "No." OMG, it's awful.

 

That cover for the Bermans album is utter crap. Looks like the schlock cover that a third rate label would put on a budget release. Sad.