Frank Sinatra And Nelson Riddle: How It Happened
Frank Sinatra is rightful known today as an entertainment icon, but many forget that there was a time when he was just another washed up teen idol trying to reinvent himself artistically and revive his career. After his teen idol stardom ended, Sinatra went through a rough period that he described as 'all Monday's' when his personal life was in shambles, his professional prospects non-existent and his financial status in ruin.
To make things even worse, his bosses at Columbia Records were mis-managing his talent in an ill-advised effort to make him a 'novelty singer'. This included a short lived pairing with Mitch Miller--the very low point of which was a horrible record called 'Mama Will Bark'. Here the greatest voice of the 20th Century recorded a duet with a busty actress named Dagmar and a dog impersonator barking and howling in the background. These records were poorly received by the public--not a surprise in retrospect--and in 1952 Columbia Records dumped Sinatra.
In 1953, June Hutton and Jo Stafford brought him to the attention of Capitol Records A&R man Dave Dexter, Jr. This led to a deal with the label, which began an era that many 'Sinatra-philes' consider his best work. Frank worked with Axel Stordahl (June Hutton's husband, with whom he had worked at Columbia) and these sessions produced some decent recordings, including "I'm Walking Behind You" and "Lean Baby", but nothing incredibly significant. Dexter wanted Frank to try something different, and with Stordahl leaving to accept a job with Eddie Fisher in New York, he agreed reluctantly to a pairing with Nelson Riddle.
To say that the first Sinatra/Riddle session was a success is an understatement, and "I've Got The World On The String" is somewhat of a 'shot heard round the world' for Sinatra's career and popular music in general. The Ted Kohler/Harold Arlen song is given new vibrancy with Riddle's buoyant arrangement and Sinatra's new found vocal maturity. The song was a modest commercial success at the time, reaching #14 on the single charts, but became a classic. It was also a favorite of Sinatra himself, and he continued to perform the song live, frequently as a show opener, for the rest of his life.
When the phoenix-like rebirth of Frank Sinatra's career is put into a modern context, it becomes even more remarkable. Today one can scarcely imagine a 'teenybopper' idol--say, Jordan Knight from 'New Kids on the Block' or one of the Jonas Brothers-being able to sustain a serious musical career at all after their initial stardom among the adolescent set. Frank Sinatra not only revived his career, but left an imprint on America popular music--and its culture--that is unlikely to ever be equaled. "I've Got The World On A String" can easily be considered the 'big bang' in the creation of Frank Sinatra's world that we all inhabit. It is a celebration of the good life, of which the music of Frank Sinatra will always remain an intrinsic part. - 18418
To make things even worse, his bosses at Columbia Records were mis-managing his talent in an ill-advised effort to make him a 'novelty singer'. This included a short lived pairing with Mitch Miller--the very low point of which was a horrible record called 'Mama Will Bark'. Here the greatest voice of the 20th Century recorded a duet with a busty actress named Dagmar and a dog impersonator barking and howling in the background. These records were poorly received by the public--not a surprise in retrospect--and in 1952 Columbia Records dumped Sinatra.
In 1953, June Hutton and Jo Stafford brought him to the attention of Capitol Records A&R man Dave Dexter, Jr. This led to a deal with the label, which began an era that many 'Sinatra-philes' consider his best work. Frank worked with Axel Stordahl (June Hutton's husband, with whom he had worked at Columbia) and these sessions produced some decent recordings, including "I'm Walking Behind You" and "Lean Baby", but nothing incredibly significant. Dexter wanted Frank to try something different, and with Stordahl leaving to accept a job with Eddie Fisher in New York, he agreed reluctantly to a pairing with Nelson Riddle.
To say that the first Sinatra/Riddle session was a success is an understatement, and "I've Got The World On The String" is somewhat of a 'shot heard round the world' for Sinatra's career and popular music in general. The Ted Kohler/Harold Arlen song is given new vibrancy with Riddle's buoyant arrangement and Sinatra's new found vocal maturity. The song was a modest commercial success at the time, reaching #14 on the single charts, but became a classic. It was also a favorite of Sinatra himself, and he continued to perform the song live, frequently as a show opener, for the rest of his life.
When the phoenix-like rebirth of Frank Sinatra's career is put into a modern context, it becomes even more remarkable. Today one can scarcely imagine a 'teenybopper' idol--say, Jordan Knight from 'New Kids on the Block' or one of the Jonas Brothers-being able to sustain a serious musical career at all after their initial stardom among the adolescent set. Frank Sinatra not only revived his career, but left an imprint on America popular music--and its culture--that is unlikely to ever be equaled. "I've Got The World On A String" can easily be considered the 'big bang' in the creation of Frank Sinatra's world that we all inhabit. It is a celebration of the good life, of which the music of Frank Sinatra will always remain an intrinsic part. - 18418
About the Author:
David Glisan is a journalist covering MMA and boxing. He is also the heavy metal editor for The Savage Science, a website covering both MMA and music, and is a published expert on both heavy metal and jazz. He contributes to many MMA news websites and provides UFC news for the broadcast and online sports media. He's also a published expert on boxing, show biz history and judo.
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