Francis Albert Sinatra...

aka Frank Sinatra, whose nine-year association with Capitol Records resulted in a remarkable output of classic performances. This body of work allows the audience to hear an artist at the peak of his craft.

In early 1952, Sinatra's relationship with Columbia Records came to an end and he began taking the steps that would take him to the summit of song performance and interpretation. In 1953, while performing in Los Angeles, friend and singer Jo Stafford and her husband arranger-conductor Paul Weston brought Frank to the attention of Capitol Records A & R Producer Dave Dexter. Dexter was also urged to see Frank by June Hutton, who succeeded Jo Stafford with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra as lead with the "Pied Pipers". Talk about the value of networking, June Hutton's husband was arranger-conductor Axel Stordahl who worked with Sinatra during his stay at Columbia.

Dexter saw Sinatra and the rest is history! Frank Sinatra was 37 years old when he joined Capitol Records beginning a period from 1953 to 1962 that produced a series of recordings which bore the stamp of a performer who had matured in both his vocal and interpretative power.

The first Capitol session took place on April 2, 1953 at the KHJ radio station in Hollywood. Voyle Gilmore was assigned to produce the session and leading the orchestra was Frank's buddy from their Columbia days, Axel Stordahl. Frank cut four songs intended for release as singles: "Lean Baby", "I'm Walking Behind You", "Don't Make A Beggar Out Of Me" and "Day In-Day Out". These cuts were reminiscent of the Columbia Records sound...they were good but not groundbreaking. It wasn't until producer Voyle Gilmore teamed Sinatra with Nelson Riddle that a new era in popular music began...on a fluke.

Axel Stordahl was offered a lucrative position as music director for Eddie Fisher's "Coke Time" TV series back in New York, which he accepted with Sinatra's blessing. Nelson Riddle, a former big band trombonist, was already established at Capitol as an arranger-conductor working with Nat King Cole, Ella Mae Morse and others. Sinatra and Riddle were well suited to each other and their first effort together took place at the KHJ studios on the evening of April 30, 1953. The first song recorded was "I've Got The World On A String". Next came "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" followed by two selections arranged in the style of Billy May. May would have done the work but he was on tour and unavailable. Riddle's arrangements of "I Love You" and "South Of The Border" was so close to the Billy May style that Capitol executives couldn't tell them apart.

That's the beginning, just one of the clues...The Capitol albums made by Sinatra and Riddle made history...and still are!