The Voice of Frank Sinatra, Columbia C-112 (78rpm), CL-6001 (33rpm)

The Voice of Frank Sinatra is the first studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released on Columbia Records, catalogue C-112, March 4, 1946. It was first issued as a set of four 78 rpm records totaling eight songs, and went to #1 on the fledgling Billboard chart. It stayed at the top for seven weeks in 1946, spending a total of eighteen weeks on the charts. The album chart consisted of just a Top Five until August of 1948. The cover depicted below is that of the original 78 rpm release cover, also used on the compact disc reissue. 



FOUR RECORD SET, 78 RPM, ORIGINAL 1946 RELEASE, COLUMBIA ALBUM SET C-112... £ 38.00/ $ 57.00



Alternative cover for the 1948 reissue (as a 10" LP)
    

    


COLUMBIA B-112 [(4)] The Voice of Frank Sinatra 1950 $150.00 (Includes records 36918, 36919, 36920 and 36921 plus box), each of the four 78s off 1950 re-issue cost about $20.00


COLUMBIA B-112 [PS] The Voice of Frank Sinatra 1950 $50.00 (Gatefold cover for 2-EP set (1115 and 1116))

The tracks were arranged and conducted by Axel Stordahl and his orchestra, on both dates consisting of a string quartet and four-piece rhythm section, augmented by flutist John Mayhew in July, and, ironically given the part he would play with Sinatra at Columbia in the early 1950s, oboist Mitch Miller in December. Sinatra would record most of these songs again at later stages in his career.

Certain critics have claimed The Voice to be the first concept album. Beginning in 1939, however, singer Lee Wiley started releasing albums of 78s dedicated to the songs of a single writer, Cole Porter for example, a precursor to the Songbooks sets formulated by Norman Granz and Ella Fitzgerald in 1956. These may loosely be termed concept albums, although Sinatra with The Voice inaugurated his practice of having a common mood, theme, or instrumentation tying the songs together on a specific release.

It also holds the distinction of being the first pop album catalogue item at 33⅓ rpm, when Columbia premiered long-playing vinyl records in 1948, ten-inch and twelve-inch format for classical music, ten-inch only for pop. The Voice was reissued as a 10-inch LP, catalogue number CL 6001 in 1948. It was also later issued as two 45 rpm EPs in 1952 with catalogue number B-112 in 1952, a 12-inch LP with a changed running order including only five of the original tracks in 1955 with catalogue number CL-743, and a compact disc with extra tracks in 2003. 

CL 6001 1948 issue labels:

  

THE VOICE OF FRANK SINATRA--CL 6001 Red/Pink... £ 40.00/ $ 60.00 (NM) EbayCL 6001 [10] The Voice of Frank Sinatra 1949 $70.00 — Original in pink paper cover (Goldmine cat.)
THE VOICE OF FRANK SINATRA--CL 6001 Blue... £ 55.00/ $ 80.00 (NM) Ebay

CL 6001 [10] The Voice of Frank Sinatra 1950 $60.00 

— Blue cardboard cover (Goldmine cat.)

THE VOICE OF FRANK SINATRA--CL 6001 Purple... £ 40.00/ $ 60.00 (NM, half the price if in VG+) Ebay

Despite its initial popularity, The Voice of Frank Sinatra went out of print when the 12" LP era got underway in the mid-'50s.

1946 Track listing:

Side One

1. "You Go to My Head" (Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots) — 3:00
2. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) — 3:18
3. "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)" (Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey, Harry Link) — 3:08
4. "Why Shouldn't I?" (Cole Porter) — 2:53

Side Two

1. "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" (Roy Turk, Fred E. Ahlert) — 2:46
2. "Try a Little Tenderness" (Harry M. Woods, James Campbell, Reginald Connelly) — 3:08
3. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" (Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young) — 3:11
4. "Paradise" (Nacio Herb Brown, Gordon Clifford) — 2:37

1955 Issue Track listing:

Side One

1. "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" (Turk, Ahlert) — 2:43
2. "Try a Little Tenderness" (Woods, Campbell, Connelly) — 3:03
3. "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost of A Chance (with You)" (Crosby, Washington, Young) — 3:16
4. "Paradise" (Brown, Clifford) — 2:41
5. "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)" (Marvell, Strachey, Link) — 3:15
6. "Laura" (Johnny Mercer, David Raksin) — 3:17

Side Two

1. "She's Funny That Way" (Neil Moret, Richard A. Whiting) — 3:25
2. "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)" (Mercer, Bloom) — 3:04
3. "Over The Rainbow" (Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen) — 3:20
4. "That Old Black Magic" (Mercer, Arlen) — 2:37
5. "Spring Is Here" (Rodgers, Hart) — 2:42
6. "Lover" (Rodgers, Hart) — 2:39

Personnel:

• Frank Sinatra — vocal
• Axel Stordahl — arranger

New York Sessions (December 7, 1945)

• Leonard Posner. Raoul Polikian — violins

• Sidney Brecher — viola
• Anthony Sophos — cello
• Mitch Miller — oboe
• Matty Golizio — guitar
• Bill Clifton — piano
• Frank Siravo — bass
• Nat Polen — drums

Hollywood Sessions (July 30, 1945)

• Mischa Russell, David Frisina — violins

• Sam Freed — viola
• Fred Goerner — cello
• Jack Mayhew — flute
• George Van Eps — guitar
• Mark McIntyre — piano
• John Ryan — bass
• Ray Hagan — drums

Production

• Bill Richards — producer

• Charles L. Granata, Didier C. Deutsch — compact disc reissue producers (2003)