Songs for Swingin' Lovers! [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Sinatra already had one youthful career behind him by the time he made Songs for Swingin' Lovers! His were no longer the lustrous pipes of the kid crooner from Hoboken--the voice that made bobbysoxers swoon--but from the first notes of the opening track ("You Make Me Feel So Young") he seems to have discovered a musical fountain of youth that fully justifies the exclamation point in the album title. There's a buoyant new spring in his step, accented by Nelson Riddle's lighter-than-air arrangements, that makes the Columbia records of Sinatra's younger days sound stiff and stodgy in comparison. Even chestnuts like "Old Devil Moon," "Pennies from Heaven," "Makin' Whoopee," and "Anything Goes" are rejuvenated by his vibrant touch. Put this alongside his previous Capitol album, In the Wee Small Hours, and you have the definitive statements by both sides of Sinatra's mature musical personality: the lonely "saloon singer" and the swaggering, sophisticated swinger. Sinatra's carefree confidence achieves its supreme expression in "I've Got You Under My Skin," a performance that builds steadily to an ecstatic climax. Cole Porter may have hated his lyrical embellishments, but by the time the singer jauntily breaks the "fourth wall" on "Anything Goes" ("...may I say before this records spins to a close..."), you can't deny he's taken the title to heart. --Jim Emerson --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

You Make Me Feel So Young
It Happened In Monterey
You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
Too Marvelous For Words
Old Devil Moon
Pennies From Heaven
Love Is Here to Stay
I've Got You Under My Skin
I Thought About You
We'll Be Together Again
Makin' Whoopee
Swingin' Down The Lane
Anything Goes
How About You?

Amazon.com essential recording

Sinatra already had one youthful career behind him by the time he made Songs for Swingin' Lovers! His were no longer the lustrous pipes of the kid crooner from Hoboken--the voice that made bobbysoxers swoon--but from the first notes of the opening track ("You Make Me Feel So Young") he seems to have discovered a musical fountain of youth that fully justifies the exclamation point in the album title. There's a buoyant new spring in his step, accented by Nelson Riddle's lighter-than-air arrangements, that makes the Columbia records of Sinatra's younger days sound stiff and stodgy in comparison. Even chestnuts like "Old Devil Moon," "Pennies from Heaven," "Makin' Whoopee," and "Anything Goes" are rejuvenated by his vibrant touch. Put this alongside his previous Capitol album, In the Wee Small Hours, and you have the definitive statements by both sides of Sinatra's mature musical personality: the lonely "saloon singer" and the swaggering, sophisticated swinger. Sinatra's carefree confidence achieves its supreme expression in "I've Got You Under My Skin," a performance that builds steadily to an ecstatic climax. Cole Porter may have hated his lyrical embellishments, but by the time the singer jauntily breaks the "fourth wall" on "Anything Goes" ("...may I say before this records spins to a close..."), you can't deny he's taken the title to heart. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Quite Possibly the Greatest Sinatra Album of All Time--And One of the Greatest Albums of All Time.......2007-06-19

For sheer joy and energy, this is Sinatra at his apex. Every song is excellent, with crystal-clear sound, brassy horns, top-notch Nelson Riddle arranging, and Sinatra at his vocal best. This album is often listed as one of the top 100 albums in any genre ever made, in often eclectic lists including everything from the Beatles to Nirvana to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and the Beach Boys. And though it's hard to narrow it down to one album, this is in my opinion Sinatra's best. The songs are upbeat, and there is no way one can listen to this album without feeling better about life.

I have this on both CD and vinyl. The sound quality on the CD is clear and sharp.

One of the Greatest Albums of all times.......2007-06-10

This is one of the greatest albums ever.
If you want some upbeat romantic songs, this is it.
If you want a great 2nd marriage song for your 1st dance , new kinda love is or you.
enjoy

Too marvelous for words.......2007-02-28

Frank Sinatra polished and perfected his style and expertise to incredible heights by the 1950s. Songs For Swingin' Lovers demonstrates how Frank Sinatra could deliver a song beautifully and masterfully. The liner notes correctly state that by this point in his career Frank had "learned to tease and twist a vocal line without violating its integrity." Moreover, Nelson Riddle ably assists Sinatra by providing sublime musical arrangements for all the songs on this CD. Frank and Nelson make each song so beautiful that you would swear you were hearing these songs for the very first time! There is a freshness to each number that stuns you. Excellent!

The CD opens with the Frank Sinatra signature song "You Make Me Feel So Young." Frank's voice has matured into a strong, masculine and potent force that could caress a song or belt it out depending on how Sinatra thought it should be performed. The big band arrangement by Riddle shines, too. This track alone is worth the entire cost of the CD!

"It Happened In Monterey" follows; this song has a beautiful intro by the musicians and Sinatra sings this number with all the panache of the most consummate professional ever! "It Happened In Monterey" explores a romantic affair that may well have been Frank's one true love even if he was already committed to another woman.

Other great classic numbers on this CD include the playful "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me;" "Too Marvelous For Words" which deals with the joy Frank experiences with his new lover; "Pennies From Heaven" with its great orchestration and the amusing song entitled "Makin' Whoopee" by Donaldson and Kahn.

"Our Love Is Here To Stay" gets the super-duper romantic treatment from The Chairman Of The Board; Riddle's arrangement helps to make this number an instant Frank Sinatra classic. "Anything Goes" again demonstrates the magic Sinatra and Riddle infuse into a song to make it so very special.

The CD ends with "How About You?" written by Lane and Freed. Sinatra asks his new love if she likes all the same pleasures in life that he values so much. "How About You?" also draws you in so that you experience the irresistible temptation to listen to the entire CD all over again!

The liner notes boast great cover art and the song credits are provided, too. Pete Welding contributes an essay about the work that Sinatra and Riddle did together.

Sinatra fans should consider this CD to be a "must-have" for their collection; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals will treasure this album, too. If you enjoy this CD I highly recommend other Sinatra CDs. Diehard Sinatra fans will also want to get Frank Sinatra: Vegas which features four CDs and a DVD as well.

Thank you, Frank and Nelson!!!!

Awful mastering muddies up a truly great album.......2007-02-23

You'll see other postings here that discuss the details of what Capitol's engineer did on this 1998 release to reduce hiss, etc. Believe it. Compared to the 1991 version of the disc or the better Mobile Fidelity gold disc (1990) this version is awful. It's like a bucket of mud was dumped over his vocals. There are a bunch of threads on this topic on the forums of Steve Hoffman, one of the best sound engineers in the business. But the bottom line is most people who care about this music would like to see Capitol go back to the original master tapes and treat Frank right. The mastering issues apply to a lot of the 1998 Sinatra discs labeled "Entertainer of the Century" on the side.

A Must.......2007-02-14

This is the album to have for any Frank Sinatra fan.
I think this is the best representation of Frank's finest vocal years.
Every track on the album is good.

Average customer rating:

Quite Possibly the Greatest Sinatra Album of All Time--And One of the Greatest Albums of All Time
One of the Greatest Albums of all times
Too marvelous for words
Awful mastering muddies up a truly great album
A Must

Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
Manufacturer: Mobile Fidelity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

A Swingin' Affair!
In the Wee Small Hours
Come Dance with Me!
Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
Come Fly with Me

ASIN: B000000IRN
Release Date: 1990-08-03

Tracks:

You Make Me Feel So Young
It Happened in Monterey
You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
Too Marvelous for Words
Old Devil Moon
Pennies from Heaven
Love Is Here to Stay
I've Got You Under My Skin
I Thought About You
We'll Be Together Again
Makin' Whoopee
Swingin' Down the Lane
Anything Goes
How About You?

Amazon.com essential recording

Customer Reviews:

Quite Possibly the Greatest Sinatra Album of All Time--And One of the Greatest Albums of All Time.......2007-06-19

One of the Greatest Albums of all times.......2007-06-10

This is one of the greatest albums ever.
If you want some upbeat romantic songs, this is it.
If you want a great 2nd marriage song for your 1st dance , new kinda love is or you.
enjoy

Too marvelous for words.......2007-02-28

Awful mastering muddies up a truly great album.......2007-02-23

A Must.......2007-02-14

This is the album to have for any Frank Sinatra fan.
I think this is the best representation of Frank's finest vocal years.
Every track on the album is good.

Average customer rating:

Sinatra and Riddle record "I've Got You Under My Skin"
The Family Favorite
One of Sinatras bests
great for everyone
Possibly the best Frank album

Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Broadway & Vocalists | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

In the Wee Small Hours
Songs for Young Lovers/Swing Easy!
September of My Years

ASIN: B0000089EM
Release Date: 1998-02-19

Tracks:

You Make Me Feel So Young
It Happened In Monterey
You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
Too Marvelous For Words
Old Devil Moon
Pennies From Heaven
Love Is Here To Stay
I've Got You Under My Skin
I Thought About You
We'll Be Together Again
Makin' Whoopee
Swingin' Down The Lane
Anything Goes
How About You?

Customer Reviews:

Sinatra and Riddle record "I've Got You Under My Skin".......2004-06-03

If we are talking about essential Frank Sinatra albums for a music collection, the first one would have to be 1954's "In the Wee Small Hours," a superb collection of ballads that helped establish the former bobbysoxer heartthrob as the premier saloon singer of his generation. But I would argue that the second album on that list should be 1955's "Songs for Swingin' Lovers," in which Sinatra and arranger Nelson Riddle go in the opposite direction, providing a stellar collection of pop standards reinterpreted for the crooner who was becoming a damn fine singer.

Several of the songs, such as "Pennies From Heaven" and "I've Got You Under My Skin," actually predated the start of Sinatra's career, but in the case of the latter Sinatra provided what is arguably the definitive version of the Cole Potter classic and the song that in retrospect defined Frank Sinatra as the premier vocalist of the 20th century (sorry for that gross understatement, but you get the idea). The zesty tone for the album is established with the opening track, "You Make Me Feel So Young," while other great tracks if you had to be picky would be "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" and "Too Marvelous for Words."

All of these songs give you the undeniable sense that Sinatra is just having a great time singing each and every one of them. Riddle's arrangements, done with a core rhythm section and a full orchestra, are the key to unlocking the door to musical greatness and are as fine as anything he ever did for Sinatra or anyone else. Part of the problem is that nobody really remembers what most of these songs sounded like before Riddle and Sinatra reworked them into the songs we know today. I may well change my mind tomorrow, but today I would make the case that "I've Got You Under My Skin" is the greatest Frank Sinatra song.

The Family Favorite.......2001-07-13

This album embodies the essence of Sinatra: Style, melody, beat, phrasing, with great orchestration and production. Our family grew up with Frank's music and my folks never missed an album. Our all time favorite is "Songs for Swinging Lovers!" because he and his arranger, Nelson Riddle, are in top form and every song is crafted in such a way that it has become the definitive interpretation of so many great songs. He has made them his and as such they are ours--memorable and certainly, singable. How can you not love his opening rendition of "You Make Me Feel So Young" Wow, really hard to top.

One of Sinatras bests.......2000-11-02

Normally I am a ballads type of person. I especially Love hearing a balld sung by Frank Sinatra. I approached thia album with a slight bit of trepidation. Would I like an album made up entirely of swingin tunes instead of ballads.

What was i thinking?! Silly me.

Songs for swinging loversisn't just a good Frank Sinatra album it's in my opinion one of his bests. The opening track you make me feel so young sets the tone for the entire album; upbeat, vibrant and of course swinging. Frank is in fine form as he belts out a slew of standards as if he's written them. His phrasing excellent, his tone impeccable and THAT VOICE... My comments would be incomplete without saying something about the arrangement by Nelson Riddle, a long time Sinatra conductor and arranger. His lush arrangements fit perfectly with Sinatra's voice . They both seem to be working on the same wave length. My Faves are It happened in monterey, Too marvelous for words, I've got you under my skin, I thought about you and we'll be together again but the entire CD is great. Essential for Sinatra fans. All of the songs are good

great for everyone.......2000-02-11

I'm not a rabid Frank Sinatra fan but I must say this album has such great songs I've had it in my cd player for weeks. I can certainly see how people get hooked on this guy. Very enjoyable.

Possibly the best Frank album.......1999-04-06

What else need I say? It's a 1950s, Capitol album, and every song is pure gold. Sinatra's voice is at its peak. I wish more people would give Sinatra a chance.

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