So make it one for my baby - and one more for the road

Continuing my trip back through the 1959 album charts.

22/03/59 : Frank Sinatra Sings For Only For The Lonely - Frank Sinatra


Skipping over another four weeks brings us to this, but before we get there I need to mention an album we didn't do which was the Oh Boy! soundtrack - and the reason I missed it out was that I just couldn't find it anywhere. Oh Boy! was the first teenage all-music show on British TV which aired in '58 and '59 - it was broadcast live on a Saturday night on ITV so I can imagine took quite some organisation. Forty shows went out, but only a couple of them survive - they're on YouTube and look endearingly of the era. I was intrigued to listen to the album even if I doubt the energy would have quite come across, but it just doesn't seem to be anywhere, so instead we have our FIFTEENTH visit with Frank.

You know what? I actually quite liked this because it's not him in swingy or croony mode - it's all much more downbeat and so makes a nice difference. I particularly liked "One For My Baby" which is a great end of the evening and end of the album track. The album reminded me of In The Wee Small Hours which was our very first visit with Frank some four years - rereading the entry, I was surprised how unimpressed I was with it at the time but I suspect it should probably be re-evaluated after the barrage of swinging and crooning we've had from the lad since.

We're at #9 in the charts this week on a single week run, but it had a ten week run earlier in the year peaking at #5. The top five this week were South Pacific, Gigi, My Fair Lady, Mantovani and The King And I (nearly a full sweep for the musicals) and there were no new entries or named women in the charts.

Wikipedia tells us this is his fifteenth studio album, was allegedly his favourite album out of his catalogue and is another collaboration with Nelson Riddle - it's quite possible that the downbeat mood was related to Frank's divorce from Ava Gardner and the recent death of Nelson's mother and daughter. It was well received by the critics and was nominated for the Album Of The Year Grammy Award, but had to be content with the Cover Of The Year award.

"Customers also listened to" a load of compilation albums from back in the day with no obvious link between them - I guess if you like this era, then compilations are an obvious way to go. This isn't the usual sound though we've had from Frank or others and I liked it more as a result - I like Frank's general sound but it was nice to have something a bit different.

15/03/59 - Surprisingly enjoyable
26/04/59 - Very dated

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