The Concert Sinatra on Reprise from 1963 (including discussion of remixed Concord CD release)*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by thomh, Jan 28, 2003.

  1. thomh

    thomh New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Norway
    Snapped this piece of vinyl history up for $3 today. What a GREAT album. Sinatra's voice comes through with such presence it just sends chills down my spine. Not to mention Nelson Riddle's orchestra which is in full bloom.

    I am playing Ol' Man River right now and section where he leans into the microphone and sings "Ol Man River, that Ol' Man River", etc is just spine tingling.

    Defintely worth seeking out!

    What a voice!

    Thom
     
    McLover and Richard--W like this.
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Recorded on 35mm mag film at the Goldwyn film scoring stage. (Why I don't know; the album was recorded dry as a bone, the reverb on there was added during mixing!)
     
    zoltantamas and MisterNines like this.
  3. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    One of Sinatra's best albums for sure - probably his 2nd or 3rd best for Reprise (some might even say the best one on Reprise). "I Have Dreamed" is a masterpiece - one of my favorites, but everything on that album is excellent. I love the artwork on the original pressings.
     
    McLover and Humbuster like this.
  4. thomh

    thomh New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Norway
    It seems to be have been advertised as an audiophile recording in its day. On the front it has some recording details:

    "This album utilizes 35MM recordation, 24 RCA 44BX microphones, 8 track 21 positions mixer console, 73 musicians, and 4 Sound Stages of the Goldwyn Studios in Hollywood. It represents an unparalleled achievement in the technology of Sound."

    On the back it's got stuff about the recording itself written by Raymond V. Pepe, President of Institute of High Fidelity, Inc. According to this it was recorded on Westrex 35mm. sprocket-type multihead magnetic recorders using high output type 325-3M recording film to achieve the best signal-to-noise ratio.

    Quite impressive.

    It has the following matrix nos:

    Side A: R9-1009-30237-A-1A
    Side B: R9-1009-30238-B-1A

    Can anybody confirm if this is the first pressing?

    Thom
     
  5. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    Thom, is that exactly how the info appears in the dead area? Could you go back and look at the dead area of the record to make sure the info is exactly correct, and then maybe I can try to help you better. As it is now, some of the info seems to clash to me. It is a U.S. pressing, right?

    Thanks
     
    bill44 likes this.
  6. Jimmy Cagoots

    Jimmy Cagoots Senior Member

    Location:
    Berlin, Ct.
    I have two copies of this record. The first is mono R-1009-A-3 SIDE 1 R-1009-B-2 SIDE 2. Also the #10,237 on side 1 and 10,238 on side 2. On the very top blue section of the label is 33 1/3 rpm made in U.S.A Reprise Records 1961 It has a glossy gate fold cover. I also have a later stereo copy without the gate fold cover. 30237 FS1009 A-1G 30238 FS1009 B-1K
     
  7. nivek29

    nivek29 New Member

    Location:
    dallas
    has this been reissued on cd? how does it sound in 16 bit?
     
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Well, it was remixed in the past five years from the three-track tape. This could mean great sound or bad digital echo and over-compression...I HAVE NOT HEARD IT.

    Anyone?
     
  9. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

    Location:
    Hawthorne CA
    Well I have nothing to compare to it, but me like the Reprise remaster very much. What a wonderful album...I think it may have my all-time favorite Sinatra moment on record: that unbelievable endless note he holds in the last bit of "Old Man River" ("land in jail.........."). Breathless, timeless. Moves me to tears every time.
     
    McLover likes this.
  10. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    Jimmy, the mono one is the original first pressing. Mastered by Radio Recorders. Your stereo one sounds like a second pressing (does it still have some form of the 3-color label). Anyway, it's sounds like it's mastered by Columbia.

    BTW - Some copies of the Columbia mastered second press vinyl exist in gatefold covers.
     
  11. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    The echo is not poor sounding, and it's not compressed to my ears Steve. It's passable, but it could be better. The highs don't seem all there, and the area around the upper-mids seem somewhat boosted (uh-oh ;)). Overall, in some ways it's better than an original LP, in other ways it's not.
     
  12. thomh

    thomh New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Norway
    Duuh! I should have noticed it but on the label it says Reprise Records, 1961 while on the back cover it says Essex Productions Inc. 1963.
    At 6 o'clock on the label it says Manufactured for Bristol Productions. A U.K. pressing maybe?

    It is the Stereo version and has a very thick glossy gatefold cover. The labels are 3 colored with a picture of ol' blue eyes in the upper left.

    Thom
     
  13. ArneW

    ArneW Senior Member

    Location:
    Cologne, Germany
    I don't think so. Bristol Productions simply is the name of Sinatra's company which controls the copyright on the recordings to this very day. If my memory serves me right, the record label of an original British pressing would have to be green and light blue.

    I do have a U.K. pressing /w gatefold cover somewhere. I'm gonna check it out.

    Arne

    PS. Your copy should be a fairly original pressing since Reprise was sold to Warner Bros. in 1963, shortly after the release of "The Concert Sinatra". Any later pressing would say "Manufactured by Warner Bros. Records" on the bottom of the label.
     
  14. thomh

    thomh New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Norway
    Thanks for the info, Arne. It is learning stuff like this that make me love this place so much!

    Thom
     
  15. AJH

    AJH Senior Member

    Location:
    PA Northern Tier
    I agree that the echo is not objectionable, however, there seems to be a lot missing in the upper frequencies compared to the LP and even the original Reprise CD (1009-2). Although nowhere near as bad as the EOC of "September of My Years," I still prefer the original Reprise CD of "Concert" like the original CD of "September of My Years."

    Andrew
     
  16. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
  17. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    Note in the above cover image: BONUS TRACKS "California" and "America, The Beautiful"

    Also, per Nancy Sinatra (via Frank Sinatra Jr.) at the Sinatra Family Forum:

     
    DmitriKaramazov likes this.
  18. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    Note also that the above cover image includes the legend from the original 1963 Reprise LP:

    The-Concert-Sinatra-35mm-legend.jpg

    However, see recent discussion in this thread:
    [post=6934515]Reprise Frank Sinatra and 35mm Magnetic Film restoration question for Steve H..[/post]​
     
  19. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    Is that to say that California and America, the Beautiful are Nelson Riddle arrangements sans Frank? Assuming it means they're with Frank and there's new instrumental parts previously cut from issued songs, but thought I'd ask...

    Worst comes to worst, there's new material going for it. Here's hoping we get quality never heard from this title before. :)
     
  20. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    No, Frank recorded "California" and "America, The Beautiful" at the same Goldwyn soundstage sessions in '63. The recordings included also a large choral accompaniment. These were issued on a limited-edition Reprise promo single, but they remained unreleased commercially until 1990 when they appeared in THE REPRISE COLLECTION 4-CD set.

    Whether Frank Jr. was referring to these bonus tracks, or to some as-yet-unheard instrumental portions, is unclear. That quote is the only "inside" information Nancy has divulged so far.
     
  21. Bob F

    Bob F Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts USA
    Oh, and she also let slip a few days ago that her brother is busily involved in "remixing the Concert album."
     
  22. aoxomoxoa

    aoxomoxoa I'm an ear sitting in the sky

    Location:
    USA
    I would buy a remix if it's done right but I already have the original Mono & Mofi stereo.
     
  23. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    Thanks Bob. And I should know they're on that set. I've heard 'em! Guess I was thinking they came from another release and got confused. Ugh.
     
  24. bluesbro

    bluesbro Forum Hall of Shame

    Location:
    DC
    A good pick. Looking forward to it.
     
  25. jhw59

    jhw59 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rehoboth Beach DE.
    pre ordered. Thanks Bob F. We've been enjoying all the recent rereleases-sound is fine to these tired ears. I will exclude the Jobim recording as I prefer the reprise suitcase version.
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine