Frank Sinatra - The Making of "Silent Night" (2004)

Frank Sinatra Enterprises has given us a gift on YouTube for The Chairman's 97th birthday.


Frank Sinatra - The Making of "Silent Night" (2004)
by FrankSinatra

Arranged by Johnny Mandel
Conducted by Frank Sinatra Jr.
Produced by Charles Pignone, Johnny Mandel, and Terry Woodson
Original vocal session produced by Michael Lloyd
Vocal recorded on August 27, 1991
Orchestral track recorded on March 23, 2004
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Al Schmitt
With: Bill Miller on celeste; Al Viola and Ron Anthony on guitar; Chuck Berghofer & Jim Hughart on bass; Julie Berghofer on harp; and Larry Bunker on percussion.

Video appears on the Warner/Reprise album, "Frank Sinatra: The Christmas Collection" (8122795392).

 

Frank Sinatra's Studio* Recordings of Christmas Songs

Columbia​

1. 1944 "White Christmas" (choral version)
2. 1945 "Silent Night"
3. 1946 "Adeste Fidelis"
4. 1946 "Jingle Bells"
5. 1947 "Christmas Dreaming"
6. 1947 "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
7. 1947 "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"
8. 1947 "O Little Town Of Bethlehem"
9. 1947 "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
10. 1947 "White Christmas" (solo version)
11. 1948 "While The Angelus Was Ringing"
12. 1950 "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
    
    Capitol
    
    
13. 1954 "The Christmas Waltz" (Nelson Riddle version)
14. 1954 "White Christmas"
15. 1957 "Adeste Fidelis"
16. 1957 "Hark The Herald Angels Sing"
17. 1957 "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"
18. 1957 "O Little Town Of Bethlehem"
19. 1957 "The Christmas Waltz" (Gordon Jenkins version)
20. 1957 "The First Noël"
21. 1957 "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
22. 1957 "Jingle Bells"
23. 1957 "The Christmas Song"
24. 1957 "I'll Be Home For Christmas"
25. 1957 "Mistletoe And Holly"
26. 1957 "Silent Night"
    
    Reprise
    
    
27. 1963 "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
28. 1964 "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day"
29. 1964 "The Little Drummer Boy"
30. 1964 "An Old Fashioned Christmas"
31. 1964 "Go Tell It On The Mountain"
32. 1964 "We Wish You The Merriest"
33. 1968 "Whatever Happened To Christmas?"
34. 1968 "The Bells Of Christmas (Greensleeves)"
35. 1968 "The Christmas Waltz"
36. 1968 "I Wouldn't Trade Christmas"
37. 1968 "The Twelve Days Of Christmas"
38. 1975 "A Baby Just Like You"
39. 1975 "Christmas Mem'ries"
    
    Other
    
    
40. 1991 "Silent Night"

* (excluding alternate takes and mixes; electronic duets; radio, V-Disc, TV, film, and live performances)

 

Thanks! very nice vid

 

Frank Sinatra's Christmas Albums*

Columbia​

1948 Christmas Songs by Sinatra
1957 Christmas Dreaming
1966 The Early Years: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
1987 Christmas Dreaming (modified LP/CD)
1994 Christmas Songs by Sinatra (expanded CD)

Capitol​

1954 Merry Christmas to You! [Various Artists]
1957 A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra (aka The Sinatra Christmas Album)
2002 Christmas with the Rat Pack [with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.]

Reprise​

1963 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Various Artists]
1964 12 Songs of Christmas [with Bing Crosby, Fred Waring and The Pennsylvanians]
1968 The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas [with Nancy, Tina and Frank Sinatra Jr.]
1994 The Sinatra Christmas Album
2004 The Christmas Collection
2008 Christmas Memories
2008 Nothing but the Best, Christmas Edition (includes 12 Songs of Christmas)

Other [Various Artists]​

1991 The Christmas Album... A Gift of Hope (Children's Records)
1998 A Christmas Mracle 1998 (Children's Miracle Network)
2000 20 Christmas Stars II (Kid's Records)
2009 Christmas with Sinatra and Friends (Concord)


* (LP and CD titles, listed by first release date; major current CD collections are highlighted)

 

Note: That's the UK CD+DVD edition, unavailable in the US. (Its bonus disc is region-coded and cannot be played on most North American DVD players.) These are my notes on the 2004 CD release:



FRANK SINATRA: THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Compilation CD
Reprise # R2-76542 (US)
Reprise # 8122-79539-2 (UK) with bonus DVD: "The Making of Silent Night"
October 26, 2004

Producer: Charles Pignone
Executive Producers: Robert Finkelstein & Jimmy Edwards
Remastering: Bill Inglot & Dan Hersch at Digiprep
Liner Notes (16-page booklet): James Ritz

"Silent Night" bonus track Producers: Charles Pignone, Johnny Mandel & Terry Woodson
(Original vocal session Producer: Michael Lloyd)
(New track Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Al Schmitt)

18 Tracks
Total Playing Time = 53:46

01 12/21/60 0110 I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
02 08/12/68 1220 The Christmas Waltz [JJ]
03 12/20/57 –––– Santa Claus Is Coming To Town *
04 06/16/64 0819 The Little Drummer Boy [FW]
05 06/19/64 0821 We Wish You The Merriest [BC, FW]
06 10/13/63 0706 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
07 06/19/64 0820 Go Tell It On The Mountain [BC, FW]
08 12/20/57 –––– The Christmas Song [BC] *
09 06/16/64 0818 I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day [FW]
10 08/12/68 1219 I Wouldn't Trade Christmas [SF, JJ]
11 10/24/75 1709 Christmas Memories †
12 08/12/68 1217 The Twelve Days Of Christmas [SF, JJ]
13 08/12/68 1218 The Bells Of Christmas (Greensleeves) [SF, JJ]
14 06/16/64 0917 An Old Fashioned Christmas [FW]
15 10/24/75 1708 A Baby Just Like You †
16 07/24/68 1216 Whatever Happened To Christmas? [JJ]
17 12/20/57 –––– White Christmas [BC] *
18 08/27/91 –––– Silent Night [orchestra 03/23/04] ‡

(Recording dates as month/day/year)
(Code digits: 1&2 = disc, 3&4 = track in The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings)

Singing partners:

Bing Crosby [BC]
Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians [FW]
The Jimmy Joyce Singers [JJ]
The Sinatra Family: Nancy, Tina, and Frank Jr. [SF]

Arrangers:

Dick Reynolds (01)
Nelson Riddle (02, 03, 08, 09, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17)
Jack Halloran with Dick Reynolds (04)
Jack Halloran with Harry Betts (05)
Gil Grau (06)
Jack Halloran (07)
Don Costa (11, 15, 16)
Johnny Mandel (18) ‡

Original album releases:

1961 LP: Ring-A-Ding Ding! (01)
1963 LP: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (06)
1964 LP: 12 Songs Of Christmas (04, 05, 07, 09, 14)
1968 LP: The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas (02, 10, 12, 13, 16)
1991 CD: The Christmas Album... A Gift Of Hope (18) [with solo piano by Frank Sinatra Jr.]
1994 CD: The Sinatra Christmas Album (11, 15) †
2003 DVD: Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank (03, 08, 17) *

* Previously unissued on LP/CD; from ABC-TV: The Frank Sinatra Show (1957)
† Originally issued as a single (1975)
‡ Newly remixed bonus track [with orchestra conducted by FS Jr. & alt. take vocal intercut] (2004)

 

have you considered writing a book with all this info? or just uploading the text file i assume you wrote years ago? cuz i'm a sucker for this kind of info.

 

Thank you for the compliment. I posted that originally at the —> Sinatra Family Forum, where you will find many similar album descriptions. (Albeit with my name removed unwillingly, so similar contributions may not be easily located. Sorry.)
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~ Frank's Albums