NELSON RIDDLE discusses FRANK SINATRA'S two-octave vocal range in Radio Interview with PAUL COMPTON
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- In this short 1960s radio interview excerpted from DJ Paul Compton's 12-part radio special PROJECT SINATRA, composer/arranger NELSON RIDDLE discusses Frank Sinatra's two-octave vocal range with specific reference to an April 1960 Capitol Records recording session which featured Sinatra recording the song RIVER, STAY AWAY FROM MY DOOR. Nelson Riddle provided arrangements for Frank Sinatra over a 30-year period.
The audio is from the RIC ROSS Frank Sinatra Collection.
I define a singer as one who interprets a lyric to communicate with the listener. By that definition EVERYBODY takes a back seat to Sinatra. Two octaves, four octaves is all very interesting but Sinatra was the master of finding the lyrical heart of a piece while using his voice in service of the song. Remember, virtually nothing he ever recorded was exclusively recorded by him- but, so often, HIS is the definitive version of the song- pretty amazing. And he wasn't always the first guy to have a shot at it, either- very often the song was written 10 or 20 years before. Everyone who is really serious about music eventually comes around to Sinatra.
Well said 👍
Indeed. He was the ultimate interpreter of popular song, with an uncanny ability to find and project the
"heart" of his material, especially in ballads. His album "In The Wee Small Hours" is a classic example.
It is very simple MR.SINATRA was only the best n a lot of so called "singers " learned from him n there will NEVER be another person like him, n l say THANK YOU 😂❤
Riddle deserves a lot of credit for solidifying FS's reputation. Their period together is my favorite, and put FS over the top IMO.
As someone who listens intentently and intentionally to Francis Albert, I appreciate this piece. Amazingly, after all these years, I can still hear a note, an improvisation gone unnoticed.
His rendition of
Ol Man River, is outstanding and brings tears.
As discussed previously, his album A Man Alone specifically his rendition of I'v e Been to Town sends shivers.
It's not simply his two octave range he has blessed us with
But his intonations, his utterly breathless deep down in his Soul, Love of Music.
I read music having studied classical piano.
Mr Sinatra, transcends music.
Absolute Perfection.
My favourite singer and interpreter of popular songs in the "standard" repertoire. They don't come any better
than Ol' Blue Eyes.
I think is about the definition of singing a note. So many singers today hit low notes without a full sustained voice that would not have counted . Sinatra also didn’t sing with falsetto - so again any note he could sing with vibrato and sustain it as long as needed for it to count. My auntie knew Vera Lynn who sang all sorts of notes but she would say she had a one octave range. So I think we need a definition of singing a note to classify who has the biggest range.
The song referenced by Paul Compton at the end of the interview is Jerome Kern's OL' MAN RIVER which Sinatra sang throughout his career. This memorable rendition is from his 1946 radio show SONGS BY SINATRA:
ua-cam.com/video/IwWU2j5Zp0g/v-deo.html
When he said low F# I was just thinking to myself that he went down to a low E in 'Old man river', in line 'get a little drunk and land in jail'. Glad to have it confirmed in James Mahoney's post.
If anyone is interested, there’s a great article in Vanity Fair on the the recording of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” And they talk about Milt Berhart’s trombone solo. Riddle was in the studio in the middle of another recording taking place while creating that chart. Wow….talk about focus. I believe there was a copyist on hand to do the transcriptions for the band.
Sinatra uses a full two octaves (F2-F4) in the song "Over and Over". He also even drops to an E2 in "Wave" and went as high as F4# in his first recording of "Come Blow Your Horn." I'm guessing he had a least another note or two that he could deploy on each end, depending on tempo, vowel sound he had to produce, etc.
No better commentator than Mr. Riddle.
For some reason I always liked the way Fred Astaire sang.
Obviously I can only go by his films but I always liked his interpretation of a song.
He always seemed to sing naturally like it was the most normal thing in the world to break into a song in the middle of a conversation.
I recall that Irving Berlin shared your view and wrote songs with Astaire in mind.
very interesting, thanks!
Most baritones can do an octave and a half, as you stated. That would apply to me as well. Two is really pushing it.
I think Nelson Riddle did the music for the 60s show Batman.
Younger sounding Nelson here. Most interviews are from the 70s and 80s
jackets and ties for a practice or recording session...
That was just casual dress back then.
I think he means 3 octave because the low F# to the 2nd octave would be common for Frank. It’s the 3rd octave which would be high for a baritone. I’ve listened to ALOT of FS
Actually the low F# to the high F# on the treble scale is only one octave, so although I'm pretty sure Nelson Riddle would have known what he was talking about, that's one octaves, not two. And yes, F# for a baritone is very unusual, I know tenors who have trouble with high G, just a half-step above F#.
@@TimothyBruneau I think I figured it out. A two octave f# major scale does have three f# notes. Right?
@@davidmatela9868 That's correct. There's a post-and-rails problem here. The F#s are the posts, the octaves are the rails. Frank has three posts, two rails. OTOH when they talk about Julie Andrews having a 4 octave range they mean 4 posts, not 4 rails.
I think i would expect any properly trained baritone to have these two octaves, and Frank was certainly properly trained. Most of the trained baritones I know can produce some kind of a scream on top A, and get something out of a low E too, also you wouldn't describe either as public notes. Sinatra sings a top G somewhere, can't remember where.
After the late 70's Sinatra really should have retired from singing. Everything after that were hit or miss notes and practically talking through the lyrics. But he had a great run from the 40's up through the 70's.
Au contraire. I saw FS perform live here in London on the 8th July 1990 and he was amazing, with a classic 360 degree turn on a stool for "One For MY Baby" - and closing his show with the Ebb/Kander
hit "New York, New York". I couldn't believe how he got that big finish to close a truly memorable performance.
2 octaves is not amazing. However what Frank could do is with those octaves is amazing.Paul McCartney had an range of between 4-5 octaves. Paul also has the record for highest scream. Elvis had a range of 2.5 octaves. All three are/were gifted performers.
That is ridiculous. Nobody has a five octave range. His screams are very high, and may get him close, but his voice even with his falsetto does not reach five.
paul would bow to frank
@@joeybonin7691maybe he was including whistling 😂
Elvis over four octaves. A concensus
@@johnmahoney3566 elvis sucked my opinion
What was the song with the low F#?
Damone routinely did this
"Best pipes in the business" :)
Who the hell is that? And would you (have the nerve to) compare him to Sinatra?
@@joeybonin7691 Damone was one of the greatest singers of all time. Sinatra held him in highest regard, the only singer he would put above himself. Check out his hit "On The Street Where You Live" ...
@@joeybonin7691 Surely you jest.
@@joeybonin7691 all opinion really. frank was the best
Never heard him sing at all, just kind of talked, never got him at all.
That's sad.
@@reddeckelman1802 Typical of people that don't appreciate music beyond their narrow taste.
summer wind
The fact that Sinatra had a really good VOICE, does not mean he was all that great of a singer.
A lot of people seem unable to appreciate the distinction.
Re Sinatra's skill as a singer, I would invite you to listen to the interviews I have uploaded with Gordon Jenkins, Don Costa, Jimmy Bowen and various musicians discussing Sinatra's skill as a singer. Will shortly be uploading interviews with others like Billy May and Quincy Jones on this point, all of whom understood the difference between possessing great vocal skills and being a great singer of songs. The verdict is nearly unanimous among those that worked with him -- Sinatra was a singer of almost unparalleled artistry.
@@jamesmmahoney To me he was always the most emotionless singer ever. He's just reading the words, with no concept of what the songs are about. Ann Murray was another contender for the singer with the least feeling ever. She at least admitted in an interview that she had no idea what the songs were about. She just went through the motions, with no emotion. Just like Frank.
I hear the exact opposite of what you do. Voice tone and timbre good, his singing, exceptional.
One listen to One for the Road (one example of thousands). THAT is exceptional singing...no?
@@onusgumboot5565 Interesting. But I was hooked on FS as a youngster here in the UK after
hearing my late sister's LP album "Songs For Swinging Lovers". His vocal tone was instantly
recognisable. I think of it as a mix of Honey and Whisky. And his interpretation of lyrics in
ballads was impeccable.
You don't know what your talking about!!!