The Unforgettable Legacy Of Frank Sinatra And Nelson Riddle
Frank Sinatra is now known as the greatest popular singer in history and canonized as 'The Chairman of the Board'. That wasn't always the case, however. It's easy to forget that there was a period of time when he was just another aging teen idol trying to stay relevant in the music business. He also had personal problems that are famous--particularly his tempestuous romance with actress Ava Gardner--as well as damaged vocal chords. There was a point after his 'bobbysoxer' success that he was in bad shape financially and professionally.
To make matters worse, the impresarios at Columbia Records were abusing his talent in an effort to revive his album sales. His pairing with producer Mitch Miller was particularly disastrous. The nadir of this unholy alliance was probably the recording of "Mama Will Bark", where the greatest voice of the 20th century shared the microphone with a buxom actress named Dagmar (sort of a Rhonda Shear of her day) and some other 'vocalist' howling and barking like a dog in the background. Not surprisingly, Sinatra's recordings with Mitch Miller were not a resounding commercial success and in 1952 he was dropped by Columbia.
His luck was soon to improve, however, as a number of his colleagues including former Tommy Dorsey vocalists June Hutton and Jo Stafford got him in the door at Capitol Records. This began a nine year relationship that produced some of the finest work of Sinatra's career. Initially, Frank worked with June Hutton's husband, Axel Stordahl. These sessions produced some decent music including "I'm Walking Behind You" but wouldn't last long. Frank wanted to go in a different direction, which became a necessity when Stordahl left to take a gig with Eddie Fisher in New York. After a lengthy search for a replacement, Sinatra reluctantly agreed to work with an experienced big band conductor named Nelson Riddle. The Capitol Records executives were excited about the matchup, but Sinatra had to be convinced.
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.
Put into a modern context, Frank Sinatra's career is even more remarkable. It's difficult to envision one of today's popular acts among the adolescent set like the Jonas Brothers being able to even transition into a career where they're taken serious as an adult artist. Sinatra far exceeded that goal, leaving an imprint on popular music that may never be equaled. His ascendancy to his status as 'Chairman of the Board' and one of the most important artists of the 20th Century all began with his union with Nelson Riddle. - 23812
To make matters worse, the impresarios at Columbia Records were abusing his talent in an effort to revive his album sales. His pairing with producer Mitch Miller was particularly disastrous. The nadir of this unholy alliance was probably the recording of "Mama Will Bark", where the greatest voice of the 20th century shared the microphone with a buxom actress named Dagmar (sort of a Rhonda Shear of her day) and some other 'vocalist' howling and barking like a dog in the background. Not surprisingly, Sinatra's recordings with Mitch Miller were not a resounding commercial success and in 1952 he was dropped by Columbia.
His luck was soon to improve, however, as a number of his colleagues including former Tommy Dorsey vocalists June Hutton and Jo Stafford got him in the door at Capitol Records. This began a nine year relationship that produced some of the finest work of Sinatra's career. Initially, Frank worked with June Hutton's husband, Axel Stordahl. These sessions produced some decent music including "I'm Walking Behind You" but wouldn't last long. Frank wanted to go in a different direction, which became a necessity when Stordahl left to take a gig with Eddie Fisher in New York. After a lengthy search for a replacement, Sinatra reluctantly agreed to work with an experienced big band conductor named Nelson Riddle. The Capitol Records executives were excited about the matchup, but Sinatra had to be convinced.
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.
Put into a modern context, Frank Sinatra's career is even more remarkable. It's difficult to envision one of today's popular acts among the adolescent set like the Jonas Brothers being able to even transition into a career where they're taken serious as an adult artist. Sinatra far exceeded that goal, leaving an imprint on popular music that may never be equaled. His ascendancy to his status as 'Chairman of the Board' and one of the most important artists of the 20th Century all began with his union with Nelson Riddle. - 23812
About the Author:
David Glisan is a journalist covering MMA and boxing. He is also the music editor for The Savage Science, a website covering both MMA and music, and is a noted authority on both heavy metal and jazz. He contributes to many MMA news websites and provides UFC news for mainstream sports broadcasts and websites. He's also a published expert on show biz history and judo.
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