'Robin & the 7 Hoods'

[Todd Fredericks]

Steve, I picked up this CD today and gave it a spin. Amazing job. So, that's what Sinatra sounds like in a studio recording? When are you going to work on his Columbia/Capitol/Reprise?etc. catalogs (soon I hope). I also thought Martin's number 'Any Man Who Loves His Mother' was very, very smooth...

Todd

[Steve Hoffman]

Yeah, cool album.

They always used an old RCA ribbon mic on Dean's voice. Much smoother sound than the German mics on the other Rat Packers.

Nice to hear that album with several layers of grunge and echo wiped away, eh?

Listen to Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Bang Bang", loud. Great orchestra playing, and a great Nelson Riddle arrangement! No more than six mics on the whole thing. Ah....The good old days.

[Todd Fredericks]

Yes, it's a very cool album. I was just floored by the "real" vocal quality to Sinatra's voice (kind of how true the Nat King Cole DCC ones are). It's like a veil was lifted and I could really hear what he "really" sounded like (a real person with a great talent). Also, the ribbon mike Martin used does work very, very well (again smooth). Is anybody using those types of mikes today in current music?

Todd

[Steve Hoffman]

Well, no. Not enough "detail". Sigh.

They used one on the drums for that Natalie Merchant song "Carnival".

[Todd Fredericks]

Well, no. Not enough "detail". Sigh.

That's a shame. Maybe one day when I get my act together again I'll figure out a way to get my hands on one of those mikes and use it in a recording. All this personal crap I've been going through has been giving me a lot of material for songs (10-12 so far and not "Oh, sad me" or "I hate her" junk/some good expessive stuff/blah, blah, blah)...

Todd

[Metralla]

Interesting that you'd focus on this album. I haven't listened to my DCC copy yet, but I'll get to it.

What I'd like to note is that Jonathan Valin in his review of the Rockport - Tenor combination in the June/July issue of The Absolute Sound mentions this particular disc. He refers to "Frank Sinatra's nimble baritone on 'Style' (from DCC's reissue of Robin and The Seven Hoods)". Page 95.

Regards,
Metralla

[Todd Fredericks]

Metralla,

This album is also special because it's pretty rare (few exceptions of course) to have Sinatra & Crosby singing together. My dad played me a CD a few weeks ago (from a 30 CD set collection of all/or most of Sinatra's radio appearances from the 40's & 50's) a guest spot he did on one of Croby's shows (I think when he was promoting "From Here To Eternity' or the more common name 'With that Babe in the Seaweed'). They did a few numbers together and they sounded fab...

Todd