Sinatra / Capitol Sound Quality and General Discussion: Songs for Swingin' Lovers - Released 1956*

I'll see what I have.
I know I have a few EPs and grey labels in my stash.

 

How go the OTL analyses, Matt? Can't wait to see what you think.

 

Frank Sinatra Songs For Swingin' Lovers! LP question

I found a copy of this in a used record store today. It has the later cover, the one with the illustration of Frank facing the couple instead of looking away from them. The record label is black/gray and the matrix is machine-stamped. Is the any difference in the mastering between a copy like this and one that was housed in the earlier cover?

 

You will find the info you seek at post number 351. You can use that info for all Capitol LPs of the 50's and many of the 60's.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=199626&page=18

Hope that helps.

 

how many tracks is on your copy? If its all 15 tracks you should have an original pre-futzed with copy.

 

What is the deadwax info?

 

Forum member MLutthans maintains a web page with everything you ever need to know about "Songs For Swingin' Lovers" and the various CD and LP editions. Unfortunately, my browser collapses each time I try to insert the link (?!?).

But you'll find it here - the link is in the first post: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=201634

Arne

 

What type of machine stamp?? Is it large scroll type lettering or small block type? The scroll type would be original.

 

It has 15 tracks and the following matrix:

Side 1: W1 - 653 - D28
Side 2: 1S - W2 - 6 53 - D20 A2

I don't know if you'd call it scroll- or block-type lettering, but it's large.

Little 'house' stamp on both sides, too.

Paging MMM?

 

Sounds like what you have is a later gray label pressing made at Scranton, PA but mastered in LA from the master tape. The little house symbol is the give away.

You didn't mention the condition of the vinyl (most important part!) but it should sound pretty nice.

Put it on, turn it up and listen to Sinatra the way it was meant to be heard.

BTW I've seen that "1S" notation or something similar on some Capitol LPs. Anyone know what it denotes??

 

Sounds like scroll to me. Scroll are large and sort of slanted (like it's handwritten). Block style are small and straight up and down.

 

My gray label has D35 #2 on side one and D21#4 on side 2. Script with a little house as well.

 

I have one very similar to yours, and it sounds wonderful ... Makes we want to eat a steak rare, drink a glass of Cab, and smoke a Cuban ...

 

1st stamper from that mother. I've seen up to at least a 4S denoted. Not sure why the stamper # is only indicated infrequently. Just a guess, but maybe they only denoted the stamper # on the earliest ones struck?

 

Sinatra's "Songs For Swinging Echo Engineers"

I just bought my fourth copy of Sinatra's "Songs For Swingin' Lovers." I can't help it, I adore this record.

The copy I just bought is the *cleanest* copy I've ever found, and I bought it for a pittance. It's a yellow/orange Capitol pressing, SM-653. I could tell it's a later pressing because there's only twelve songs on it. But I bought it anyway!

As soon as I got home, I cleaned it, warmed up the tubes, and put it on the turntable.



Now, I've heard of how Capitol goosed the echo on this thing, but this is ridiculous! How on earth could anyone have thought this was a good idea? The mind boggles! They killed that marvelous room ambience (a parking lot studio in Hollywood, right?) and made Mr. Sinatra and the band sound like they're inside a submarine. I mean, it's so bad it's laughable.

My other copies are earlier pressings, with all fifteen songs. Even though they're dirtier and scratched, I'd rather listen to them.

Thanks, I just needed to rant, and I'm sure someone here would understand.

 

...The chambers are under the parking lot, next to the Tower studios.

 

Capitol went thru a "phase" where they thought everything old should be drenched in echo. On some things it works, but on many things it doesnt.

 

Get it out. It's o.k.

Their original mono mixes used a good amount of echo (permanently) mixed in live - but rather than leave well enough alone, later on they (or whomever was doing the reissues) had this idea they needed to add more. And that multiplied as echo is wont to do, to more.

Next one knows, they all recorded in a Yellow Submarine...

Then in the '80s, they moved to a Digital Submarine...

 

'Submarine sound' you sure it's not duophonic?

My yellow label of that album is. Check MLutthans' swingin' Capitol Sinatra sound discussion pages.

 

Matt's web page: Songs For Swingin' Lovers - 1956

 

Duophonic.

The marvelous room ambiance is mostly from the room it was recorded - Capitol Melrose Studio A, used previously as a "radio theatre" by KHJ, complete with stage and theatre style seating. Some echo was added, from the rooftop chamber. The underground chambers are at the Tower, not Melrose. This was the last Sinatra album to be recorded at Melrose.

The real sound:
http://www.4shared.com/file/241402641/fe508e65/SkinFMSTRclip.html