Reprise Records wanted to match the Frank Sinatra’s success at Columbia Records as well as Capitol Records. The goal was to create a successful issue of compilations from Sinatra’s hit songs. For obvious reasons, the album would be a hit – actually the album sold very well. “Sinatra’s Sinatra” was an attempt to compile formerly released 12 songs and re-recorded them for a 1963 release.
Long-standing colleague, Nelson Riddle, who was also a very popular bandleader, arranged and conducted the album. You just don’t get any better when these two artists working together.
The historical recording also includes two fresh charts of “Oh! What It Seemed to Be” and “Nancy (With the Laughing Face)”. Couple of Sinatra’s leading hits and, of course, most celebrated songs was picked by himself. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, a Cole Porter song from 1936 Hollywood musical Born to Dance. Performed in the movie by Virginia Bruce, the hit song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song that same year. The Porter song is considered by many the greatest single ever recorded by Sinatra with Riddle. Sinatra recorded a version as a duet with Bono of U2 for the album Duets in 1993.
Although, some speculate the 1963 rendition with Riddle isn’t as magical as the original 1956 recording.
“Young at Heart” is another sure fire hit with many memorable performances. “All the Way” is one of the best singles Sinatra ever performed and recorded. Taking the turn as the song for the movie The Joker Is Wild, it won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1957. The hit single also ran on the billboard charts for thirty weeks, becoming a Sinatra standard he would time and again perform throughout his career.
“Sinatra’s Sinatra” is an enjoyable recording, yet you can’t help but want more and more magic compared to the first recordings. In its own right, “Sinatra’s Sinatra” is brilliant, entertaining and time-honored.




