The rockies may crumble, they're only made of clay. But Sinatra's here to stay.

1956 proved to be quite a year for mister Francis Albert.
Sinatra had just returned to the spotlight with his masterpiece "In The Wee
Small Hours" in '55. With that downbeat triumph in collaboration with
Nelson Riddle, time came for an upbeat record that would capture the
strength of this period, arguably Frank's best period in his career. Following
in '56 would be that other great downbeat recording "Only The Lonely".

Again the songs that are on the album were selected as a concept. This time no heartbreak, this one's about the thrill of being in love.
Playing "In The Wee Small Hours" and "Songs for Swinging Lovers" one after the
other will show you what Sinatra is about. There's similarity, but a lot of
difference too. Difference foremost because his ballad-albums at times are very
heavy. The words he sings seem to become poetry, become dramatic, never too
dramatic (especially on "ITWSH" there's always elegance) but very serious for
sure. Then there's the swing albums like this one. Here the mood is the absolute
opposite. Light-hearted music. This might just be Sinatra's strength. You can
find it all in his music. There's an album for every mood.

By the time "Songs For Swinging Lovers" was recorded
Sinatra's song interpretation had become something in a league of it's own, his
voice had grown into his best period, and then of course there was Nelson
Riddle. Brought together with Frank at Capitol for the first time in 1953 by
producer Voyle Gilmore, it was immediately apparent something amazing was
happening between the two. It has been said many times, the Riddle-Sinatra
combination had that magic very few collaborations have. The demanding Sinatra
seemed to bring forward the best writing and arranging skills Riddle had, while
Riddle provided just the right arrangements that complimented Frank's voice. His
later work with Billy May and Gordon Jenkins seemed to lack the delicacy,
the almost understated arrangements that Riddle provided.  

"Songs For Swinging Lovers", even after almost fifty
years, still sounds fresh. The songs seem timeless. That's an accomplishment for
sure. "You Make Me Feel So Young" immediately sets the tone for the
album. My personal opinion is that there are not many people that can sing these
songs and not seem totally outdated and boring. Frank seems to pull it of
nicely. It seems like Frank sings many of these songs only breathing once. On
the following three songs "It Happened In
Monterey", the lovely "You're Getting To Be A
Habit With Me" and "You brought a New Kind Of Love To Me", Sinatra
shows his quality in making his singing seem almost effortless. When listening
to "You're Getting To be A Habit.."

I can't break away, I must have you every day. A
regularly as coffee or tea.

You've got me in your clutches and I can't get free.
You're getting to be a habit with me.

The same feeling arises that one gets listening to "In The
Wee Small Hours". It's like you're walking on the street minding your own
business, suddenly there's Frank, he comes strolling up to you, stops for a
moment, casually sings his lines and then strolls away again. A quality only
very few singers have ever carried with them.

I Thought About You", "Pennies from Heaven"
and the Sinatra favourite "I've Got You Under My Skin" might be the
best-known and some of the best songs Sinatra ever recorded. Still, there's
really no weaker song on the album. Well maybe one but I'll get into that later.
They are all carefully selected to share a feeling of romance, being in love, a
very uplifting feeling. This would be the record you'd play when you've just met
that someone special. The lyrics on the album are of course lyrics in the
tradition of the pop-jazz song. No poetry here, but Sinatra knows just what to
do with them. He seems to be the perfect interpreter to these songs, so much
that it almost makes you wonder if there are songs that didn't get their
definitive treatment when being performed by Sinatra. Although these songs are
famous for their naive lyrics, there are some really clever lines, as in
"Anything Goes". Guaranteed to raise a smile.

May I say before this record spins to a close. I want
you to know. Anything Goes.

Some of the lesser known songs like Gershwin/Gershwin's 
"Love Is Here To Stay" and "We'll Be Together Again" prove to be
real gems.

In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble, they're only made of
clay. But our love is here to stay.

Is there really nothing to be unhappy about?? Well OK, I
still cannot get used to hearing Frank sing the words "making whoopee". Sorry
but...just a bit too much for me. A bit too old-fashioned. But this may be a
personal problem; I wouldn't want to bother you with it.

Songs For Swinging Lovers" is about confidence. Sinatra's
confidence, everybody's confidence. It's about swinging. It's about being in
love. It's about singing in the shower, on your way to work, in the car. Those
things make this record into what it is, a true Sinatra Classic.

1. You Make Me Feel So Young (Gordon/Myrow)
2. It Happened in Monterey (Rose/Wayne)
3. You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me (Dubin/Warren)
4. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me (Kahal/Norman)
5. Too Marvelous for Words (Mercer/Whiting)
6. Old Devil Moon (Harburg/Lane)
7. Pennies from Heaven (Burke/Johnston)
8. Love Is Here to Stay (Gershwin/Gershwin)
9. I've Got You Under My Skin (Porter)
10. I Thought About You (Mercer/VanHeusen)
11. We'll Be Together Again (Fischer/Laine)
12. Makin' Whoopee (Donaldson/Kahn)
13. Swingin' Down the Lane (Jones/Kahn)
14. Anything Goes (Porter)
15. How About You? (Freed/Lane)