Sinatra Returns To The Studio One Last Time

New Recording of "Silent Night"? Accompanied by Sinatra's Band?

Highlights The Frank Sinatra Christmas Collection

The yuletide spirit shines bright this season with the October 26 release of THE FRANK SINATRA CHRISTMAS COLLECTION. The career-spanning album features 18 holiday classics from pop music's preeminent performer, including three previously unavailable tracks-highlighted by a very special, brand new recording of "Silent
Night."

Appearing as the final track on THE FRANK SINATRA CHRISTMAS COLLECTION, "Silent Night" was built upon Sinatra's last Christmas vocal sessions. The new arrangement was put together by the great Johnny Mandel and was recorded in March of this year with Frank Sinatra Jr. conducting an orchestra featuring a celebrated cast of former Sinatra studio and touring musicians who gathered to accompany Ol' Blue Eyes on one final recording.

Prior to laying down his vocal on "Silent Night" in August 1991, Sinatra had not entered a studio for more than three years. The original vocal track was recorded for his daughter Nancy and Michael Lloyd for a project benefiting children's charities and, as she recalls, "It was an emotional day, because he was doing it for the children. It is so sweet and tender that it is just heart-wrenching."

The track lay dormant in the Sinatra archive until earlier this year when Sinatra Enterprises' Charles Pignone enlisted Mandel (who had helmed Sinatra's very first Reprise session) to supply the arrangement. An A-list of former Sinatra touring and/or recording musicians play on the track, including celebrated pianist Bill Miller, guitarists Al Viola and Ron Anthony, bassists Chuck Berghofer and Jim Hughart, and percussionist Larry Bunker.

Other recordings on the CD were culled from such memorable albums as 1964's The Twelve Songs Of Christmas and 1969's The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas, as well as the 1963 various artists set Christmas Album. THE FRANK SINATRA CHRISTMAS COLLECTION includes all of Frank's Reprise-era holiday recordings-as well as a pair of new-to-CD duets that any Sinatra fan would be thrilled to find under their Christmas tree.

Two all-time holiday favorites are being released on CD for the first time-"The Christmas Song" and "White Christmas" (both arranged by the legendary Nelson Riddle and performed with Bing Crosby)-in versions taken from the 1957 ABC special Happy Holidays With Bing & Frank, which aired only once, on December 20th of that year. Crosby and Sinatra also duet on "Go Tell It On The Mountain" and "We Wish You The Merriest," which were first released on The Twelve Songs Of Christmas.

Source: Warner Strategic Marketing