FT-136-091510: September Of My Years Concord Release

Frank Truth Number 136

Hello there kiddos, thank you for joining us for another episode of our show

celebrating the life, the career, and the legacy

of the entertainer of the 20th century, Francis Albert Sinatra

My name is Brian Noe, pleasure to be with you once again

This time around, lots of Sinatra news

and we'll be listening to an album review from a few years back

in celebration of the Concord reissue

of Frank Sinatra's 1965 Grammy Award winning masterpiece

September of My Years

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you'll find that link in show notes

at thefranktruth.com

Of course you'll find a great deal of other information

links, etc. on that site as well

and also all of my contact information

and I'd like to share a couple of emails that came in since last time

Big Jim Anderson got in touch after listening to the episode

about Sinatra and Joe Beam

Jim grew up in Hawaii and says

The Bossa Nova brings back images of moonlit tropical nights

complete with palm trees and tiki torches for him

He also said he was too young for cocktails back then

but when he returns to the islands next

he promises to have a cocktail in honor of the Frank Truth

and he also mentioned Diodato

who arranged part of the Sinatra Joe Beam album

that we listened to as one of his favorites

and also Sergio Mendez

and I've got to say that I love Sergio Mendez too

from the Brazil 66 stuff all on down through the years

Thank you for listening to this episode of Sinatra Joe Beam

Thanks for getting in touch Jim

Next time I crack out the rum I'll be sure to toast you as well

Also Greg Anderson got in touch

asking if we could take a listen to Sinatra A Man and His Music

on a future show

So I have downloaded that now

and have been listening to some in preparation

This is a large set

It includes more than 30 songs from throughout Frank Sinatra's career

up through the mid-1960s when it was released

I've really been enjoying it

and look forward to discussing it here on the show in the near future

Thanks to Greg for the heads up on that

It's an album that wasn't in my collection before

so I appreciate you making the recommendation

If you've got something to share

please do get in touch

The email address and listener call-in line

are on the website at thefranktruth.com

Lots of Sinatra news since we last spoke

First of all

the 50th anniversary of Sinatra's death

The 50th anniversary of the Frank Sinatra movie

Ocean's Eleven

happened in August

and there were several cool things out on the web about it

including an extended essay on slate.com

Also a great slideshow from life

with some never-before-published photos

of Sinatra and Dino and Sammy from that time

I'll link to both of those

plus my own review of the movie

from back in January of 2009

and if you've never seen the original Ocean's Eleven

what are you waiting for?

Also incredible news

about a new seven DVD box set

coming in November

called the Frank Sinatra Concert Collection

which will contain over 14 hours

of television and concert performances

from the 50s through the 80s

including four previously unreleased specials

It's also got a box set exclusive compilation

of vintage performances

and a 44-page book featuring rare photographs

and notes by Sinatra and Dino

I'm joined today by Sinatra scholar Bill Zemi

who wrote one of my favorite Sinatra books

The Way You Wear Your Hat

One of the things included in this set

The Concert for the Americas

will also be released separately on December 14th

and this set will also include

The Man and His Music specials from 1966 and 67

and also The Main Event from 1974

Just an incredible collection

So this one went directly into my Amazon wish list

as soon as it was made available for pre-order

I'll link to the press release in show notes

And of course the other big news

is the release of Concord's digitally remastered reissue

of September of My Years

This came out on August 31st

and it includes all of the original material from the album

plus a couple of bonus tracks

and extensive liner notes as well

This album is considered to be one of Frank Sinatra's finest

and it routinely shows up on Sinatra Essentials

lists and also in the favorites of many Sinatra fans

I thought it might be nice to revisit our review of this album

from back in February of 2008

Now the clips on this are from an earlier CD release of the album

Let's take a listen

Once upon a time

A girl with moonlight in her eyes

Put her hand in mine

And said she loved me so

But that was once upon a time

Very long ago

Once upon a hill

We sat beneath a willow tree

Well this one was recorded in April and May of 1965

the year Frank Sinatra was born

And I think what I love best about this record

is that there's no posing or acting involved

Much as I love Frank Sinatra's brilliant character pieces over the years

These songs really relate to who Frank Sinatra was

and where he was in his life at that time

So while in some of the other concept albums

it's more a matter of Sinatra's role-playing genius

the songs on this record are all the more poignant and moving

because they ring so true

Now of course, finally, I want to talk about the album's music style and style

At least that's what I wanted to mention

and that I want to point out

I'll make sure to do it

But this one is just such a direct statement

of what it's like to be heading into one's fifties

and probably part of the record's special appeal to me as well

since I just turned fifty a few months ago

Sonny Burke produced this one

with Gordon Jenkins arranging and conducting

And this may be my favorite of Jenkins' work with Frank Sinatra

It's very nice balance of strings and woodwinds

and everything happens around the vocals

I've seen a lot of its tunes and pieces at the World's best label

I've seen that face before

That face that I see in the mirror

I know that face

I've seen that face before

I knew that dopey guy

When he didn't know how to tie his tie

He stood right there

And he had hair galore

The man in the looking glass

Who can he be?

The man in the looking glass

Can he possibly be me?

Where's our young Romeo?

That song was written by Bart Howard,

who also wrote Fly Me to the Moon,

and composed especially for this album,

as was the title track from Sammy Kahn and Jimmy Van Heusen.

There are a lot of standouts on this record,

including Hello Young Lovers

and the Harold Arlen classic Last Night When We Were Young,

which was Arlen's personal favorite among his own compositions.

But the centerpiece is a song that was originally written

for the King's Songbook,

produced in trio by Irvin Drake.

When I was seventeen

It was a very good year

For small town girls

And soft summer nights

We'd have a good time

We'd hide from the lights

On the village green

When I was seventeen

That record is just one of those moments

that comes so rarely in popular music,

although perhaps often enough in Frank Sinatra's career,

where artist, song, arrangement, and performance

come together in an almost,

almost magical perfection.

And although you're unfortunately more likely to find my way

in the catalog on Karaoke Night,

it was a very good year,

I think much better represents Frank Sinatra

and his life and his perspective,

with that combination of wistfulness and fond memories

and longing and loss and ultimately acceptance

of the grand arc of one's life story

that can only be recognized when looking back

over a half century or so.

And now I think of my life

As vintage wine

From fine older cakes

From the brim to the drakes

It poured sweet and clear

It was a very good year

There's a very good chapter in Charles Granada's book

about the recording of this album

and of this track in particular.

CBS Television had been following Sinatra around

for several months for a documentary.

And fortunately, they were in Studio A

at United Recorders on the night this session occurred.

So Granada draws upon that film

to bring us a moment-by-moment description of the date.

Including Frank Sinatra's reaction to the playback.

As I mentioned last time,

the Granada book is a wonderful resource

for delving into the sweet mysteries

of Frank Sinatra in the recording studio.

So definitely get your hands on that one

if you haven't yet.

Although all the songs and performances

on this album are outstanding,

there is one more song

which simply must be mentioned.

And this is one of my personal favorites.

The song which closes the album

and again, I think so perfectly

captures that sense of surrender to the years

and all the things that happen in life.

And there's also hope for making the best of what's left

that comes with advancing maturity.

Oh, it's a long, long while

From May to December

But the days grow short

When you reach the end of time

You reach September

When the autumn weather

Turns the leaves to flame

Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson's September song

rounding out this excellent 1965 album

from Frank Sinatra,

September of My Years.

You know, a good friend of mine,

Kevin Loffrey, once said,

Tears mark a moment,

a moment of truth.

So if this album occasionally brings a tear to the eye,

we can be thankful to Frank Sinatra once again

for bringing us another work

of such sweeping truth and beauty.

Well, on the Concord re-release of this album,

in addition to the 13 songs from the original recording,

there are also two bonus tracks,

a live version of This Is All I Ask

and an alternate take of How Old Am I,

which was released as a single in 1968.

According to the press release,

the packaging also includes extensive new liner notes,

an engaging mix of first-hand historical record

and personal reflections

penned by music journalist Stan Cornyn,

who won a Grammy for his work on the album.

for his liner notes to the original recording.

If this one isn't in your collection,

I would highly recommend it,

as you can probably tell from the essay

I did a couple years ago.

This is one of my favorite Sinatra records.

I'll link in show notes to more information.

Again, you'll find those show notes

at thefranktruth.com on the web.

It was just a neighborhood dance

That's all that it was

But oh, what it seemed to be

It was like a masquerade ball

With costumes and all

Cause you were at that dance with me

It was just a neighborhood dance

That's all that it was

But oh, what it seemed to be

It was like a masquerade ball

It was just a ride on a train

Well, a bit of sad news this time.

Songwriter George David Weiss

passed from this life in August

at the age of 89.

He was a Juilliard-trained musician,

composer, and arranger,

and wrote songs that would become hits

in the 40s, the 50s, and 60s, and beyond,

including Oh, What It Seemed to Be

and Too Close for Comfort for Frank Sinatra,

Can't Help Falling in Love for Elvis,

and What a Wonderful World for Louis Armstrong.

He was also president of the Songwriters Guild of America

from 1982 to 2000.

Rest in peace.

Yes, I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Oh, yeah

Well, thanks for joining me

for this edition of The Frank Truth.

Remember to visit us on the web

at thefranktruth.com

We'll be back with more.

In the meantime,

gendon, my friends.

We'll see you next time.

Bye.