For several weeks during the spring of 1962, London’s music scene buzzed with the rumor that Frank Sinatra was to record a new album there. Indeed, in June that year, the iconic star traveled to the U.K. to record Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain. Recorded over three consecutive nights at London’s CTS Studios, Great Songs From Great Britain would be the only album Sinatra would ever record outside of the United States. On November 25, Universal Music Enterprises & Frank Sinatra Enterprises will release Sinatra: LONDON, a deluxe 3-CD/DVD and digital audio collection presenting the remastered original studio album with a treasure trove of other London highlights from Sinatra’s career.
The expansive set’s more than 50 previously unreleased recordings include session material from the album, a 1962 BBC “Light Programme” radio special with introductions to each song by Sinatra himself, a 1953 live session for BBC Radio’s “The Show Band Show,” and a Royal Albert Hall concert from 1984. The collection’s DVD features a previously unreleased filmed 1962 concert from Royal Festival Hall, plus a 1970 concert appearance from the same venue with a never before released performance of the classic song “A Foggy Day.”
The sleek book-style set includes a 60-page booklet with a new essay by producer, filmmaker, songwriter, music publisher and author, Ken Barnes, who attended the Great Songs From Great Britain sessions, the album’s original liner notes, newly-written track notes, details about Sinatra’s many visits to the U.K., and several photos of Sinatra in London: onstage, in the studio, and about town. The new collection also includes two exclusive art print reproductions of original London concert posters, and a unique studio panorama from the 1962 recording sessions for Great Songs From Great Britain.
Throughout his seven decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today’s music superstars. He also appeared in 58 films and produced eight motion pictures. Frank Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.