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1984 studio album by Frank Sinatra
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Allmusic
[1]
L.A. Is My Lady is the fifty-seventh and final solo
studio album by American singer
Frank Sinatra , released in 1984 and produced by
Quincy Jones . While the album was Sinatra's last (excluding the
Duets albums), he recorded five further songs, only four of which have been officially released.
The album came after an album of duets between Sinatra and
Lena Horne , instigated by Jones, was abandoned after Horne developed vocal problems and Sinatra, committed to other engagements, couldn't wait to record. This was the first studio album Sinatra had recorded with Jones since 1964's
It Might as Well Be Swing .
The sessions were filmed, with a small audience, and released as Frank Sinatra: Portrait of an Album (1985). The documentary shows Sinatra meeting
Michael Jackson for the first time, with Jones affectionately calling Jackson "Smelly".
Singers
Dean Martin ,
Donna Summer ,
Michael McDonald and
Van Halen members
David Lee Roth &
Eddie Van Halen make cameo appearances in the video for "L.A. Is My Lady", which in turn made moderate rotation on the fledgling
MTV Network.
Despite its title, the album was mostly recorded in
New York City . The album peaked at #58 on the
Billboard 200 , and #8 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.
One notable departure for Sinatra was the clear inclusion of synthesizers on the title track.
Songs
This was the first time Sinatra recorded "
Mack the Knife ". He re-recorded the vocal on October 30, 1986 (combined with the original orchestra track) for the album's 1986 release on compact disc.
[2] The musicians that Sinatra name-checks on "Mack the Knife" are;
Quincy Jones ,
Randy Brecker ,
Michael Brecker ,
George Benson ,
Joe Newman ,
Bobby Darin ,
Frank Foster , and
Lionel Hampton . The double bassist
Major Holley scats over the opening bars of the song.
Sammy Cahn wrote a new verse for "
Teach Me Tonight ", referencing Sinatra's many love affairs.
Cahn also altered the lyrics of "
Until the Real Thing Comes Along ", with Sinatra claiming "I'd even punch out
Mr. T for you".
In the liner notes, Jones says he had a new arrangement of "
Body and Soul " planned for the album, but Sinatra had nothing new to say with the song, and declined to record it. Nevertheless, Sinatra did record a vocal track for the song during the sessions, and Sinatra's vocal for "Body and Soul" from the L.A. Is My Lady sessions was added to a new arrangement by
Torrie Zito and released as a bonus track on
Nothing But the Best , a 2008 compilation album.
Track listing
"L.A. Is My Lady" (
Alan and Marilyn Bergman ,
Quincy Jones ,
Peggy Lipton Jones ) – 3:12
"The Best of Everything" (
Fred Ebb ,
John Kander ) – 2:45
"
How Do You Keep the Music Playing? " (A. Bergman, M. Bergman,
Michel Legrand ) – 3:49
"
Teach Me Tonight " (
Sammy Cahn ,
Gene de Paul ) – 3:44
"
It's All Right with Me " (
Cole Porter ) – 2:39
"
Mack the Knife " (
Marc Blitzstein ,
Bertolt Brecht ,
Kurt Weill ) – 4:50
"
Until the Real Thing Comes Along " (Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols, Cahn,
Saul Chaplin , L.E. Freeman) – 3:03
"
Stormy Weather " (
Harold Arlen ,
Ted Koehler ) – 3:38
"
If I Should Lose You " (
Ralph Rainger ,
Leo Robin ) – 2:36
"
A Hundred Years from Today " (
Joe Young ,
Ned Washington ,
Victor Young ) – 3:04
"
After You've Gone " (
Henry Creamer ,
Turner Layton ) – 3:15
Quincy Jones arranged track 1.
Torrie Zito arranged tracks 1 & 4.
Dave Matthews & Jerry Hey arranged track 1.
Joe Parnello arranged tracks 2 & 3.
Frank Foster arranged tracks 6 & 11.
Sammy Nestico arranged tracks 5, 7, 8, 9 & 10.
Charts
Personnel
Frank Sinatra – vocals
Harry Lookofsky – Concert Master
Oscar Brashear –
trumpet
Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn
Jon Faddis – trumpet
Gary Grant – trumpet
Joe Newman – trumpet
Alan Rubin – trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet
Lew Soloff – trumpet
Snooky Young – trumpet
Jerry Hey – trumpet, arranger
Wayne Andre –
trombone
George Bohanon – trombone
Urbie Green – trombone
Lew McCreary – trombone
Benny Powell – trombone
Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
David Taylor – bass trombone
Bill Watrous – trombone
Michael Brecker –
saxophone
Buddy Collette – reeds
Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone
William Green – reeds
Kim Hutchcroft – saxophone
Jerome Richardson – reeds
Larry Williams – saxophone
George Young – saxophone
Frank Wess – saxophone,
alto saxophone
Frank Foster – arranger, saxophone
John Clark –
french horn
David Duke
Peter Gordon
Sidney Muldrow
Jerry Peel
Henry Sigismonti
Toni Price –
tuba
James (Jim) Self –
tuba
Margaret Ross –
harp
Amy Sherman
George Benson –
guitar
Tony Mottola – guitar
Lee Ritenour – guitar
Lionel Hampton –
vibraphone
Ray Brown – double bass
Gene Cherico
Bob Cranshaw – bass
Major Holley – double bass, vocals on “Mack the Knife”
Marcus Miller – bass
Neil Stubenhaus –
electric bass
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler –
drums
Irving Cottler – drums
Steve Gadd – drums
John "J.R." Robinson – drums
Ralph MacDonald – percussion
Sy Johnson –
piano ,
fender rhodes
Joe Parnello piano, arranger, Fender rhodes
Craig Huxley –
synthesizer
Ed Walsh - synthesizer
Jimmy Smith – Electric Organ
Bob James – synthesizer,
electric piano , Fender rhodes
Hilary James – synthesizer, piano, fender rhodes
Randy Kerber – synthesizer, piano, fender rhodes
Production personnel
Quincy Jones – arranger, conductor, producer
Joseph d'Ambrosio – production coordination
David Matthews – arranger
Sam Nestico – arranger
Torrie Zito – arranger
David Smith - engineer
Gus Skinas – engineer, digital engineer
Phil Ramone – engineer, mixing
Jimmy Santis
Stanley Wallace
Allen Sides – engineer, assistant engineer, mixing assistant
Steve Crimmel – engineer, associate engineer
Mark Ettel
Cliff Jones – engineer, associate remixing engineer
Ollie Cotton – associate engineer
Bradshaw Leigh – associate engineer
Roger Nichols – digital engineer, associate engineer
Bernie Grundman – mastering
Lee Herschberg – digital mastering
Don Hahn – remixing
Elliot Scheiner – remixing, assistant engineer, mixing assistant
Alan Berliner – photography
Bill Ross
Ed Thrasher
William Warren
Stan Cornyn – liner notes
References
Studio albums
Columbia Capitol Reprise Qwest
Live albums Compilations Soundtrack albums Other albums Box sets Tribute albums Tribute films Videography Digital
Reprise Rarities (Volume 1)
Reprise Rarities (Volume 2)
Reprise Rarities (Volume 3)
Reprise Rarities (Volume 4)
Reprise Rarities (Volume 5)
Related
Years indicated are for the recording(s), not first release .
Blue Note albums
Verve albums Albums for other labels With others