January 20, 1987
September 8, 1998 (CD)
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! is the fourth studio album recorded by Frank Sinatra under Capitol Records. Like many of Sinatra's albums, this was arranged by Nelson Riddle. Songs for Swingin' Lovers! was first released in 1956 and houses some of Sinatra's greatest hits such as "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "You Make Me Feel So Young."
The recordings were only in mono and made with a 35-piece orchestra comprising the finest West Coast session musicians.
The album art initially featured an orange design with a shadowed Sinatra looking aside from a young couple. In 1957, Capitol Records changed the album's artwork to depict Sinatra looking at the couple. This new art follows through with all new releases of the album.
History[]
Production[]
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! was recorded primarily throughout January. The record was recorded at the Capitol Records Studios building in Hollywood, California. One recording session took place in October of 1955, however.[1]
- "Love is Here to Stay" was recorded on October 17, 1955.
- "I Thought About You," "You Make Me Feel So Young," and "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" were recorded on January 9, 1956.
- "Pennies from Heaven," "You're Getting to be a Habit with Me," "and "How About You?" were recorded on January 10, 1956.
- "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Swingin' Down the Lane," and "It Happened in Monterey" were recorded on January 12, 1956.
- "Too Marvelous for Words," "Makin' Whoopee," "Anything Goes," and "We'll Be Together Again" were recorded on January 16, 1956.
Track information[]
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! features a concept of a man who just found joy in a new love and the songs of the album follow a story of this man's relationship as he eventually leaves her and finds a new woman instead. Riddle's arrangements in the album are primarily swinging grooves that try not to blare out to the listener and are rather subtle and more quiet compared to many of Sinatra's later swinging records.
Track listing[]
- "You Make Me Feel So Young" (Josef Myrow, Mack Gordon) – 2:57
- "It Happened in Monterey" (Mabel Wayne, Billy Rose) – 2:36
- "You're Getting to be a Habit with Me" (Harry Warren, Al Dubin) – 2:19
- "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, Pierre Norman) – 2:48
- "Too Marvelous for Words" (Richard A. Whiting, Johnny Mercer) – 2:29
- "Old Devil Moon" (Burton Lane, E.Y. Harburg) – 3:56
- "Pennies from Heaven" (Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke) – 2:44
- "Love is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:42
- "I've Got You Under My Skin" (Cole Porter) – 3:43
- "I Thought About You" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Mercer) – 2:30
- "We'll Be Together Again" (Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine) – 4:26
- "Makin' Whoopee" (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn) – 3:06
- "Swingin' Down the Lane" (Isham Jones, Kahn) – 2:54
- "Anything Goes" (Porter) – 2:43
- "How About You?" (Burton Lane, Ralph Freed) – 2:45
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! EP[]
Capitol Records released several Extended Play records for European release throughout the 50s. Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers! was no exception to this, having four separate EP releases, breaking the album up into four short discs.
EP track listing[]
- Part 1[3]
- "You Make Me Feel So Young" (Josef Myrow, Mack Gordon) – 2:57
- "It Happened in Monterey" (Mabel Wayne, Billy Rose) – 2:36
- "Anything Goes" (Porter) – 2:43
- "How About You?" (Burton Lane, Ralph Freed) – 2:45
- Part 2[4]
- "You're Getting to be a Habit with Me" (Harry Warren, Al Dubin) – 2:19
- "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, Pierre Norman) – 2:48
- "Makin' Whoopee" (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn) – 3:06
- "Swingin' Down the Lane" (Isham Jones, Kahn) – 2:54
- Part 3[5]
- "Too Marvelous for Words" (Richard A. Whiting, Johnny Mercer) – 2:29
- "Old Devil Moon" (Burton Lane, E.Y. Harburg) – 3:56
- "We'll Be Together Again" (Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine) – 4:26
- Part 4[6]
- "Pennies from Heaven" (Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke) – 2:44
- "Love is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:42
- "I've Got You Under My Skin" (Cole Porter) – 3:43
- "I Thought About You" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Mercer) – 2:30
Reception[]
Allmusic gave Songs for Swingin' Lovers a perfect five out of five star score, arguing the album to be Sinatra's "greatest swing set." On the arrangements of the ablum, Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes "working with a core rhythm section and a full string orchestra, Riddle writes scores that are surprisingly subtle."[2]
Rolling Stone reviewed the album and also gave it a perfect five out of five star score.[7]
Songs for Swingin' Lovers peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 charts of 1956 and in Britain, where they did not discriminate albums from singles in the charts at that time, it reached number 12 in the pop charts for eight weeks.[8]
Personnel[]
Carl Fischer | Composer |
Voyle Gilmore | Producer |
James Van Heusen | Composer |
Frankie Laine | Composer |
Nelson Riddle | Arranger, Conductor |
Frank Sinatra | Performer, vocals |
Pete Welding | Compilation, liner notes |
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Songs for Swingin' Lovers! liner notes -- track information page
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Allmusic review
- ↑ http://sinatrafamily.com/ep/songs-for-swingin-lovers-part-1-cover-1-2229/
- ↑ http://sinatrafamily.com/ep/songs-for-swingin-lovers-part-2-cover-1-2231/
- ↑ http://sinatrafamily.com/ep/songs-for-swingin-lovers-part-3-cover-1-2233/
- ↑ http://sinatrafamily.com/ep/songs-for-swingin-lovers-part-4-cover-1-2235/
- ↑ Rolling Stone 5/5 listing
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-for-swingin-lovers-r24097/charts-awards