Sinatra / Capitol Sound Quality and General Discussion: "Point of No Return" - rec. 1961*

There ya' go, answering your own question.

 

Matt, you can't see/catch everything. It's something I remembered...

 

I love the new additions to the page, Matt.

You've given me a new appreciation for the subtleties of the arrangement on "These Foolish Things." Although, I wish that FS had put more heart into the vocals. If this had been one of the revisitations of Columbia songs on NnE, maybe he would have felt obliged to at least match his wonderful earlier effort.

I totally agree with you that "April" and "Blue World" are the high and low points of the album, respectively.

One could make a nice little EP of Sinatra-Beau performances--not perfect but nice. Maybe even a lovely album of Capitol songs not arranged by Riddle, May, Jenkins and Stordahl. I guess that Skip Martin is the other arranger whose charts would be included on such a collection.

 

Beau was arranging for Sinatra from the very beginning at Capitol: "Lean Baby"

 

George Siravo, also.

[Added:] Dick Reynolds, on the two tracks with Ray Anthony. Felix Slatkin, on "Monique."

 

Didn't Cavanaugh arrange a couple as well?

 

Nelson Riddle arranged and conducted the first two tracks. Cavanaugh "conducted" the last two with the Nuggets ("Big Dave's Music"). But according to Silva's discography, Riddle arranged all four tracks at the session of March 7, 1955. Others credit Cavanaugh as arranger for the two Nuggets tracks only.

 

Not to knock that online Sessionography, but I believe it's purely derivative (and this is mentioned on the website). I wouldn't be surprised at occasional mistakes and omissions. E.g., Joe Comfort (b) is missing from the session quoted above.

I've found Silva's book to be much more reliable, but I always check it against several other sources.

 

I'd be surprised if the above two weren't Nelson's arrangements. They sound like his to me (but that's not proof of anything).

 

Maybe I have said it before, but never have I heard a brass section sound so downright mournful/bittersweet than on this album. No doubt that at times it is loud and "brassy" ala' dance band style...but there are times when the trumpets just "cry".

 

and for me, on "Memories of You" where even Mr. S sounds about to break:

"And your face beams in my dreams spite of all I do
EHHHHHHHHHHHVRYTHING seems to bring
memories...just memories.... uuuuuuuuuuuuuvvvvvvvvvvvvvvhhhhhhhhhhhyouuuuuuuu"

gets me every single damn time!

 

I've searched for one to no avail, but I'm sure a corresponding photo must exist somewhere.

 

I didn't realize that Slatkin wrote arrangements. Lovely job on "Monique," then. I would have sworn it was Riddle.

 

Would LOVE to see it. Do we know when Sinatra visited NYC in this period?

 

Amoeba Hollywood has a sealed SW copy of this in the bins today.