Frank Sinatra’s 45-year recording career and the songs he recorded: his professional biography as a recording artist; the evolution of his vocal technique and performance style; sources and variety of songs recorded; his 12 most-recorded composers and lyricists (20 others are discussed briefly); his interaction with his six major sources of orchestration; his recording sessions; a review of all albums referenced; and the technical and commercial side of his career.
Supporting the research are a master song list (approximately 1,250 recordings), songs by publication date, composer and lyricist indexes, every arrangers work (listing each conductor and orchestra), a detailed list of recording sessions—in order—plus radio, television and film work, and three album lists, showing contents, order of first releases, label sequence and producers.

Richard W. Ackelson was a financial specialist with Sirti, an agency that trains biomedical researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Now retired, he lives in Spokane, Washington.

Richard W. Ackelson
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 480
Bibliographic Info: indexes
Copyright Date: 2012 [1992]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6701-3
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      ix

Introduction      xi

1: The Man      1

2: The Singer      19

3: The Songs      30

Introduction to Master Song List      38

Master Song List      41

Catalog of Songs by Date Published      225

4: The Composers      242

Index to Composers      271

5: The Lyricists      278

Index to Lyricists      309

6: The Arrangers      316

Catalog of Arrangers      346

7: The Sessions      358

Catalog of Recording Sessions      363

The Cities for the Sessions      382

8: The Albums; plus singles and special discs      384

Introduction to the Three Album Lists      421

Albums #I: Contents; alphabetical by LP title      424

Albums #2: Titles by Release Date; with Notes      439

Albums #3: Titles by Label; with Producers      444

Index to Text      450

“recommended”—Classic Images; “definitive”—Back Stage/Shoot.