Hmmm... If we restrict to just the Reprise CDs, up until UMG started these reissues, I'd have answered SHE SHOT ME DOWN and SOFTLY, AS I LEAVE YOU. Both of those went OOP quickly and were never reissued by WEA in Europe. Of course, they're now back in print from UMG. Today, I'd have to say SINATRA'S SINATRA. That's the only album in this box set which has not been reissued separately. I'm not sure why that is so, but I keep expecting that UMG will release it eventually. EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME (1996), with songs selected and sequenced by Frank Sinatra himself, is fairly rare. I'm sure there are others I'm not thinking of at the moment. __________________ ~ Frank's Albums
What are the rarest Sinatra CDs? All The Way? Sinatra Gold? (10-track Capitol Canada compilation?) Matt
(Thanks for the thread split, Matt.) My previous reply was in the context of the Reprise albums reissued in the [thread=235076]UMG 38-disc box set[/thread]. These Capitol CDs from 1988-89 were deleted quickly and are extremely rare: All the Way Can-Can Soundtrack Pal Joey Soundtrack High Society Soundtrack Also, the Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre albums: Guys and Dolls (1992) and the 4-CD box set (2000). And the 30-CD Radio Spirits box, 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows Starring Frank Sinatra and Friends (2000).
The first time I ordered the Toshiba Japanese All The Way Hit Collection from Tower in Los Angeles they accidentally sent me a copy of the 1988 US Capitol All The Way CD which I already had. It came in a longbox and still is. I eventually tracked down the one I was originally looking for from Tower in England. Rick Apt called me a few years ago to tell me he had a dozen copies of the original Close To You CD in longbox for $20.00 each. Even though I had it I still got him to send me a copy. The original Close To You is also pretty rare.
Matt, you must mean the one with the colour picture. Maybe it's rare, but isn't that just the same tracklist and sound as the Gold with the black and white picture? That's everywhere.
Yes, the Larry Walsh-mastered CLOSE TO YOU and MORE is extremely rare. It was one of the first four Sinatra CDs issued by Capitol in 1987. It went out of print very soon after, and it was impossible to find on store shelves in the '90s and until the Bob Norberg remaster was released in 2002. Today, it's one of two Capitol concept CDs which is unavailable in the UK. (The other is SINATRA'S SWINGIN' SESSION!!! and MORE, also from 1987.) I don't know if there's any truth to this, but Nancy Sinatra has implied that Frank himself may have had something to do with this, because of the inclusion of the bonus track, "There's a Flaw in My Flue." (Strictly my interpretation of things Nancy has written in her books and on her forum.) The song was recorded in 1956 as a practical joke on the Capitol executives, who thought it was a serious ballad despite its ridiculous lyric. Sinatra had to step in at the last minute to prevent the parody song from being issued on the LP. Then, they went and put it on the CD reissue, where there's no hint in the liner notes by Pete Welding of the true reason the song was made.
Interesting thread! Nice to know that I have a few of the so-called "rare" discs. I have had the REPRISE "Sinatra's Sinatra" for years and it's still one of my favorite REPRISE era albums. I finally found a used copy of the Larry Walsh mastered "Close To You And More" CD, for $4.99, during my last visit to Amoeba in San Francisco, in March. Although the following are promo's, they are official and I'd think them both "rare"...
I also have a promo only CD single of "I've Got A Crush On You", duet with Barbara Streisand, which has the LP version (3:24) of the song and an edited version (2:48), again, for the Sinatra completest only and I should sell it.
If we include promos, here's one from the City of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority: FREEDOM TO SWING: A Las Vegas Tribute to Frank Sinatra (2001). It contains the only official CD release of "It's Time for You," a song recorded in 1980 for a Chrysler Corporation commercial.
A few of these oddities come from odd places, but they are still official: The five discs from the deluxe edition of Nancy's "An American Legend"(closeout at Barnes & Noble for maybe $25).Four of the discs are selections from RCA,Columbia,Capitol and Reprise,respectively. The fifth is a non-music disc,as is a disc from another book,"Sinatra Treasures",a coffee table book that has shown up in remainder bins. Costco version of "Young Blue Eyes",in opened longbox.Also a promo of the standard edition. CD single of the Reprise version of "The Way You Look Tonight" included in a novelty/gift book of the song. Promo from the "Sinatra in Hollywood" box. Sony Special Products of "Sinatra Conducts Alex Wilder".Rare? I dunno,since special product stuff falls into a black hole,but I have not seen this many places,either sealed or used. THe Radio Spirits box.This also is not necessarily "rare",as this was found in a closeout place that had stacks of them,but I think even some Sinatra fans disn't know the treasures inside(at a great price-$10-$15). DCC 165,"For My Dad",a charity CD single listed as "Nancy & Frank Sinatra" that includes "Somethin' Stupid" and "Feelin' Kinda Sunday" and some studio chatter. Remastered by our host. "Pal Joey";picked up at a dept. store that was getting out of the CD business-$8. First two (out of four)of the Sinatra MasterCard Capitols CDs.Both obtained from Mastercard while the program was active.
How about the gold CD of "Robin & the 7 Hoods" remastered so beautifully by our host? That things seemed to disappear almost as soon as it hit the shelves...at least here in L.A.
Not surprised, they were $25 when first released. Worth every penny! But the offerings on ebay are used copies of a long OOP CD.
Bob, I find the sound of It's Time For You on that disc to be surprisingly bad in comparison to which the way it sounds on one of the unofficial FS CDs. I don't have the Vegas disc, but have heard it online and was expecting it to be from a master tape, but it seems to be a needledrop from a worn 45. Am I wrong?
I believe you would have to include the 2 Brazilian Concert CDs: Royal Festival Hall and Jerusalem. You can only get the Mono "Autumn Leaves" on the French EMI 2 CD set "Embraceable You". In 1993 the only country to issue an EMI100 CD on Sinatra was Spain. As to promos the "Freedom To Swing" CD was issued twice. The first one had no cover. The label is also different. There is also the United Airlines promo with the alternate "Come Fly With Me" cover.
I bought an expensive one off ebay but then found one cheap in the bins at a CD Warehouse. That and "The Summit" pop up from time to time but are increasingly rare.
Neon-Tonic Promo Sampler with "All Of Me" from Caesar's Palace. The concert eventually came out on DVD in the Vegas Box but Neon-Tonic planned to release the concert on CD.
Along with the 1987 Close To You is the original cd of "Tone Poems Of Color". One of the only ways to get them now is the 1992 Concepts woodbox. Before UMG reissued it "All Alone" was also extremely hard to find. Even now a copy of the original cd is not easy to track down.
I always forget about that "Tone Poems Of Color" album and my wife just got a new car last week, with free Sirius and she was playing that Nancy Sinatra show and she played the song, "Black" from that album and it really moved me. So, as soon as I got home, I looked for the CD. The only copy I have of it, is in that U.S. "Concepts" box, mastered by Bob Norberg, damn it! Is that guy still mastering anything, because he owes me a good sounding...(play Jeopardy Thinking music here)...every CAPITOL CD that I ever bought, that he mastered!
Quite pleased reading this thread that I have all those CD's, but I never see the Brazil or Festival Hall ones on ebay anymore, in the UK anyway, and when I did they had suspiciously high numbers in the 4 and 5000's when only 3000 were made
