Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits


Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits! is the first compilation by American singer Frank Sinatra released on his own Reprise Records. It concentrates on mostly single releases from the mid to late 1960s, which fluctuates between adult contemporary pop and jazzy swing. The album opens up with Sinatra's recent number one hit "Strangers in the Night" and continues through the varied styles of music Sinatra recorded in the 60s, from easy listening ballads like "It Was a Very Good Year" and "Softly, as I Leave You" to contemporary pop like "When Somebody Loves You" and "That's Life". Greatest Hits was a modest hit, peaking at #55 on the album charts in late 1968. A second volume was issued in 1972, Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. Both albums have since been supplanted with newer and more cohesive compilations.

Track listing

  1. "Strangers in the Night" - 2:25
  2. "Summer Wind" - 2:53
  3. "It Was a Very Good Year" - 4:25
  4. "Somewhere in Your Heart" - 2:26
  5. "Forget Domani" - 2:36
  6. "Somethin' Stupid" - 2:35
  7. "That's Life" - 3:07
  8. "Tell Her " - 2:40
  9. "The World We Knew (Over and Over)" - 2:47
  10. "When Somebody Loves You" - 1:54
  11. "This Town" - 3:06
  12. "Softly, as I Leave You" - 2:50
;Notes
  • "Strangers in the Night" recorded on April 11, 1966
  • The Orchestra on Tracks 1, 3 and 9 includes 16 Violins
  • "Summer Wind" recorded on May 16, 1966
  • The Orchestra on "Summer Wind" includes 9 Violins
  • "It Was a Very Good Year" recorded on April 22, 1965
  • "Somewhere in Your Heart" recorded on November 10, 1964
  • The Orchestra on Tracks 4, 7 and 12 includes 12 Violins
  • Background Vocals on Tracks 4–5, 9 and 12 were sung by an Unidentified Vocal Group
  • "Forget Domani" recorded on May 6, 1965
  • The Orchestra on Tracks 5 and 11 includes 8 Violins
  • "Somethin' Stupid" recorded on February 1, 1967
  • The Orchestra on Tracks 6, 8 and 10 includes 10 Violins
  • "That's Life" recorded on October 18, 1966
  • Tracks 8 and 10 recorded on April 14, 1965
  • "The World We Knew " recorded June 29–July 1, 1967
  • The Orchestra on "The World We Knew " includes 3 French Horns and 6 Violas
  • "This Town" recorded on June 30, July 24 and July 27, 1967
  • "Softly, as I Leave You" recorded on July 17, 1964

Personnel

Information is based on Frank Sinatra's recording session information from the Jazz Discography and Sinatraology websites

Vocalists

Leaders

Strings

  • Chuck Berghofer - String Bass
  • Maurice Bialkin - Cello
  • Maurice Brown - Cello
  • Peter Makas Jr. - Cello
  • Charles McCracken - Cello
  • Alan Shulman - Cello
  • Joseph Tekula - Cello
  • Norman Botnick - Viola
  • Abraham Weiss - Viola
  • Ray Brown - String Bass
  • Joseph DiFiore - Viola
  • Alvin Dinkin - Viola
  • Joseph DiTullio - Cello
  • Frederick Seykora - Cello
  • Justin DiTullio - Cello
  • Jesse Ehrlich - Cello
  • Anne Goodman - Cello
  • Elizabeth Greenschpoon - Cello
  • Allan Harshman - Viola
  • Milt Hinton - String Bass
  • Milt Holland - Additional Percussion
  • Harry Hyams - Viola
  • Armand Kaproff - Cello
  • Carol Kaye - Electric Bass, Fender Bass
  • Louis Kievman - Viola
  • Lawrence Knechtel - Fender Bass, Additional String Bass
  • Joe Mondragon - String Bass
  • Gareth Nuttycombe - Viola
  • Alexander Neiman - Viola
  • Ralph Peña - String Bass
  • Kurt Reher - Cello
  • Paul Robyn - Viola
  • Mike Rubin - String Bass
  • Myron Sandler - Viola
  • Emmet Sargeant - Cello
  • Joseph Saxon - Viola, Cello
  • Barbara Simons - Viola
  • Darrel Terwilliger - Viola

Horns and Woodwinds

  • Vincent Abato - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Ray Beckenstein - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • George Berg - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Phil Bodner - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Harry Estrin - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Ted Gompers - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Romeo Penque - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Bob Alexander - Trombone
  • Wayne Andre - Trombone
  • Buddy Morrow - Trombone
  • Louis Blackburn - Trombone
  • Robert Bryant - Trumpet
  • Pete Candoli - Trumpet
  • Don Fagerquist - Trumpet
  • Ray Triscari - Trumpet
  • Pete Carpenter - Trombone
  • Roy Caton - Trumpet
  • Buddy Collette - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Marshall Cram - Trombone
  • Mel Davis - Trumpet
  • Bernie Glow - Trumpet
  • Markie Markowitz - Trumpet
  • Ernie Royal - Trumpet
  • Clark Terry - Trumpet
  • Vincent DeRosa - French Horn
  • Richard Perissi - French Horn
  • Gale Robinson - French Horn
  • Henry Sigismonti - French Horn
  • Melinda Eckels - Oboe
  • Arnold Koblentz - Oboe
  • Virgil Evans - Trumpet
  • Dick Forrest - Trumpet
  • Paul Faulise - Bass Trombone
  • Chuck Gentry - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Justin Gordon - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Abe Most - Saxophones, Woodwinds
  • Bill Green - Flute, Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Lloyd Hildebrand - Bassoon
  • James Horn - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Dick Hyde - Trombone
  • Lew McCreary - Trombone
  • Clyde Hylton - Clarinet
  • Wayne Songer - Clarinet
  • Plas Johnson - Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Harry Klee - Clarinet, Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Robert Knight - Bass Trombone
  • Andreas Kostelas - Flute
  • Cappy Lewis - Trumpet
  • Oliver Mitchell - Trumpet
  • Dick Noel - Trombone
  • Tommy Pederson - Trombone
  • Tom Shepard - Trombone
  • Morris Repass - Trombone
  • George Roberts - Bass Trombone
  • Willie Schwartz - Flute, Saxophone, Woodwinds
  • Anthony Terran - Trumpet

Other Instruments