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Our Review

Ole' Blue Eyes. Chairman of the Board. The old ratpacker, himself. I once met someone for whom Sinatra was the only music needed for the Christmas season: just add whiskey. I might not go quite that far, but I'll admit--mostly as a non-fan--that this collection turned out to be everything Rhino made it out to be: with its four previously unissued tracks, it is the complete, the definitive, the final, The Christmas Collection.

Yes, this 18-track compilation contains, apparently, all of Frankie's well-known and well-remembered renditions of holiday songs. So, this is--as the late-night tv ads might proclaim--the only Frank Sinatra Christmas CD you will ever need. Sinatra has always gotten a lot of airplay, so I, definitely the casual listener, recognized most of these arrangements. However, of the tracks I had not heard, I particularly enjoyed his rendition of Silent Night.

Recorded late in his career (1991) for charity, at daughter Nancy's behest, voice failing, Sinatra finally recorded that most ubiquitous of the sacred carols. In 2004, according to the liner notes, producer Charles Pignone assembled a group of musicians (mostly people who had recorded with Sinatra in the past), plus long-time arranger Johnny Mandel, to create an orchestral accompaniment to Sinatra's Silent Night vocal track. The result--a late-in-life Sinatra vocal combined with a complete, yet understated orchestral arrangement--is quite magical: more poignant than any other Sinatra arrangement on the disc, it is a fitting denouement to the definitive holiday compilation of one of the great singers of the 20th century.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2004)

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From the liner notes:

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
From Ring-A-Ding-Ding!
Arranged by Dick Reynolds
December 21, 1960

The Christmas Waltz
with the Jimmy Joyce Singers & Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Riddle
From The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas
Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
August 12, 1968

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
From The Frank Sinatra Show (ABC) "Happy Holidays With Bing & Frank
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
Originally aired December 20, 1957
(previously unissued)

The Little Drummer Boy
with Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians
From The Twelve Songs Of Christmas
Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Jack Halloran & Dick Reynolds
June 16, 1964

We Wish You The Merriest
with Bing Crosby and Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians From The Twelve Songs Of Christmas
Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Jack Halloran & Harry Betts
June 16, 1964

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
From Christmas Album (various artists
Arranged by Gil Grau
Orchestra Conducted by Gus Levene
Vocal recorded on October 13, 1963

Go Tell It On The Mountain
with Bing CrosbyFred Waring & His Pennsylvanians
From The Twelve Songs Of Christmas
Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Jack Halloran & Dick Reynolds
June 16, 1964

The Christmas Song
with Bing Crosby
From The Frank Sinatra Show (ABC) "Happy Holidays With Bing & Frank
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
Originally aired December 20, 1957
(previously unissued)

I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
with Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians
From The Twelve Songs of Christmas
Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
June 16, 1964

I Wouldn't Trade Christmas
with Tina, Nancy & Frank Jr. and the Jimmy Joyce Singers & Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Riddle
From The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
August 12, 1968

Christmas Memories
Produced & arranged by Don Costa October 24, 1975

The Twelve Days Of Christmas
with Tina, Nancy & Frank Jr. and the Jimmy Joyce Singers & Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Riddle
From The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
August 12, 1968

The Bells Of Christmas (Greensleeves)
with Tina, Nancy & Frank Jr. and the Jimmy Joyce Singers & Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Riddle
From The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
August 12, 1968

An Old Fashioned Christmas
with Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians
From The Twelve Songs Of Christmas
Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
June 16, 1964

A Baby Just Like You
Produced and arranged by Don Costa
October 24, 1975

Whatever Happened To Christmas
with the Jimmy Joyce Singers & Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Riddle
From The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas
Produced by Sonny Burke
Arranged by Don Costa
July 24, 1968

White Christmas
From The Frank Sinatra Show (ABC) "Happy Holidays with Bing & Frank"
Arranged by Nelson Riddle
Originally aired December 20, 1957
(previously unissued)

Silent Night
Arranged by Johnny Mandel
Conducted by Frank Sinatra, Jr.
Produced by Charles Pignone, Johny Mandel & Terry Woodson
Original vocal session Produced by Michael Lloyd
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Al Schmitt
With Bill Miller, celeste, Al Viola & Ron Anthony, guitar, Chuck Berghofer & Jim Hughart, bass, Julie Berghofer, harp, Larry Bunker, percussion
Vocal recorded on August 27, 1991
Orchestral track recorded on March 23, 2004
(previously unissued)

Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra Christmas Collection

Artist site

Track List