''The World We Knew'', also known as ''Frank Sinatra'', is a 1967

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American singer

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

. The album's title track reached No. 30 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #1 on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart in 1967. Its second track, "

Somethin' Stupid "Somethin' Stupid", or "Something Stupid", is a song written by C. Carson Parks. It was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra became ...

"—a duet between Sinatra and his daughter Nancy—reached No. 1 on both charts.

Reception

Music critic

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

, in his review of the album for

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, awarded it two-and-a-half out of five stars, and described it as, "More of a singles collection than a proper album ..Much of this has a rock-oriented pop production, complete with fuzz guitars, reverb, folky acoustic guitars, wailing harmonicas, drum kits, organs, and brass and string charts that punctuate the songs rather than provide the driving force ..the songs Sinatra tackles with a variety of arrangers are more ambitious than most middle-of-the-road, adult-oriented

soft rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...

of the late '60s." Erlewine described the album's ninth track, "

Drinking Again "Drinking Again" is a 1962 torch song, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Doris Tauber. The song has been recorded by Frank Sinatra (''The World We Knew''), Dinah Washington ('' Drinking Again''), Aretha Franklin ('' Unforgettable: A Tribute ...

", as "exceptional, nuanced" and said that it "ranks among the best songs Sinatra cut during the '60s."

Track listing

;Notes *Carson Parks is also known as C. Carson ParksSinatra, Frank. "Somethin' Stupid". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Somethin'%20Stupid *Jim Harbert is also known as James HarbertSinatra, Frank. "This Is My Love". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/This%20Is%20My%20Love *Overdubs for "The World We Knew (Over and Over)" recorded on June 30 and July 1, 1967Sinatra, Frank. "The World We Knew". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/The%20World%20We%20Knew *The Orchestra on "Somethin' Stupid" includes 10 Violins *Background Vocals on "Don't Sleep in the Subway" recorded on July 27, 1967Sinatra, Frank. "Don't Sleep in the Subway". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Don’t%20Sleep%20in%20the%20Subway *Basic Backing Tracks for (and Overdubs for unreleased version of) “This Town” was recorded on June 30, 1967Sinatra, Frank. "This Town". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/This%20Town *Instrumental Overdubs for "This Town" recorded on July 27, 1967 *The Orchestra on "You Are There" includes 16 Violins, 6 Cellos, 3 French Horns and 7 Saxophones & Woodwinds *The Orchestra on "Drinking Again" includes 12 ViolinsSinatra, Frank. “Drinking Again”. Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Drinking%20Again *The Orchestra on Tracks 3-4 and 7 includes 21 Violins, 3 Cellos and 4 French HornsSinatra, Frank. "Born Free". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Born%20Free *The Orchestra on Tracks 3-4 and 7-8 includes 6 ViolasSinatra, Frank. "This is My Song". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/This%20Is%20My%20SongSinatra, Frank. "You Are There". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/You%20Are%20There *The Orchestra on Tracks 5, 8 and 10 includes 5 TrumpetsSinatra, Frank. "Some Enchanted Evening". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Some%20Enchanted%20Evening *The Orchestra on Tracks 5 and 10 includes 8 Violins *Sessions held in United-Western Studios, Hollywood, California.

Personnel

Vocalists

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

(1-4, 6-10, lead on 5) * Betty Jane Baker –

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

(5) * Peggy Clark – background vocals (5) * Gwenn Johnson – background vocals (5) *

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatra ...

– vocals (2) *

Sally Stevens Sally Stevens (born November 24, 1939) is an American actress, singer and a vocal contractor. She has sung on hundreds of ''The Simpsons'' episodes, and sings the main title, which has been in use since the inception of the show. She also sing ...

– background vocals (5) *

Jackie Ward Jackie Ward (born Jacqueline McDonnell, 1941), better known as Robin Ward, is an American singer, regarded as a " one-hit wonder" of 1963 million-selling song "Wonderful Summer". However, using her real name she was highly accomplished and ...

– background vocals (5) *

Gloria Wood Gloria Wood (September 8, 1923 – March 4, 1995) was an American singer and voice actress. Her rare voice was in the four- octave range. She was able to imitate other voices. Background and career Born in Medford, Massachusetts in 1923, her fa ...

– background vocals (5)

Leaders

H. B. Barnum Hidle Brown Barnum (born July 15, 1936) is an American pianist, arranger, record producer, songwriter, and former child actor. Biography After winning a nationwide talent contest at the age of four and starring in the film ''Valley of the Su ...

–

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

, conductor (10) *

Ernie Freeman Ernest Aaron Freeman (August 16, 1922 – May 16, 1981) was an American pianist, organist, bandleader, and arranger. He was responsible for arranging many successful rhythm and blues and pop records from the 1950s to the 1970s. Birth and fam ...

– arranger (1, 5, 7), conductor (5, 7) *

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Loui ...

– arranger (3-4, 8), conductor (3-4, 7-8) *

Claus Ogerman Claus Ogerman (born Klaus Ogermann; 29 April 1930 – 8 March 2016) was a German arranger, conductor, and composer best known for his work with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Michael Brecker, and Diana Krall. Life and wo ...

– arranger (9), conductor (2, 9) *

Billy Strange William Everett Strange (September 29, 1930 – February 22, 2012) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and an actor. He was a session musician with the famed Wrecking Crew, and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Mus ...

– arranger (2, 6), conductor (1-2, 6, 8)

Instrumentalists

* Bob Alexander –

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

(8) *

Wayne Andre Wayne Andre (November 17, 1931 – August 26, 2003) was an American jazz trombonist, best known for his work as a session musician. Andre's father was a saxophonist, and he took private music lessons from age 15. He played with Charlie Spivak in ...

– trombone (8) *

Chuck Berghofer Charles Curtis Berghofer (born June 14, 1937), professionally known as Chuck Berghofer, is an American jazz double bassist and electric bassist, who has worked as a studio musician and in the film industry for more than 60 years, including workin ...

–

string bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

(1, 5–6, 10),

Fender bass The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC, or simply Fender) is an American manufacturer of instruments and amplifiers. Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers and public address equipment, however it is best known for its so ...

(1) *

Hal Blaine Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(2, 5–6, 9-10, additional on 1) * Eddie Brackett Jr. – drums (4, 7, 9, overdubs on 6),

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

(4, 7, 9) *

Dennis Budimir Dennis Matthew Budimir (June 20, 1938 – January 2023) was an American jazz and rock guitarist. He was considered to be a member of The Wrecking Crew. Biography Budimir learned to play piano and guitar in his youth and first played profession ...

–

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

(1) *

Al Caiola Alexander Emil Caiola (September 7, 1920 – November 9, 2016) was an American guitarist, composer and arranger, who spanned a variety of music genres including jazz, country, rock, and pop. He recorded over fifty albums and worked with some of ...

– guitar (1, 6, 8) *

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...

– guitar (2, 5–6, 10) *

Frank Capp Francis Cappuccio (August 20, 1931 – September 12, 2017), known professionally as Frank Capp, was an American jazz drummer. Capp also played on numerous rock and roll sessions and is considered to be a member of The Wrecking Crew. Biography ...

– percussion (5-6, 10) * Alvin Casey – guitar (2, 5–6, 10) *

Tony Terran Anthony Terran (May 30, 1926 – March 20, 2017) was an American trumpet player and session musician. He was part of the Wrecking Crew, a group of largely uncredited session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who helped famous artists record ...

–

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

(2, 5, 6, 9, 10) *

Roy Caton Roy Vernon Caton (January 28, 1927 – July 29, 2010) was an American trumpet player and session musician. Biography Caton was born to Vernon and Eleanor Reed Caton in Frackville, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he received a cornet from a f ...

–

(2, 9) *

Gary Chester Gary Chester (born Cesario Gurciullo; October 27, 1924 – August 17, 1987) was an American studio drummer, author, and teacher. Beginning in the 1960s, he played on hundreds of records for bands such as The Coasters, The Monkees, and The Lovin ...

– drums (1, 6, 8) * Gary Coleman – additional percussion (1) *

Irv Cottler Irving Cottler (February 13, 1918 – August 8, 1989), Hollywood, Los Angeles based musician was a first-call Drummer / percussionist and original member of The Wrecking Crew. Cottler credits include LOVE, Impossible, Stardust and Unforgettabl ...

– drums, percussion (9) * George Devens – percussion (1, 6, 8) * Jesse Ehrlich –

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

(5, 10) *

Nick Fatool Nick Fatool (January 2, 1915 – September 26, 2000) was an American jazz drummer. Music career He was born in Millbury, Massachusetts, United States. Fatool first played professionally in Providence, Rhode Island, which he followed with time i ...

– drums, percussion (4, 7) * Paul Faulise –

bass trombone The bass trombone (german: Bassposaune, it, trombone basso) is the bass instrument in the trombone family of brass instruments. Modern instruments are pitched in the same B♭ as the tenor trombone but with a larger bore, bell and mouthpiece to ...

(8) *

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

– percussion (2, 5–6, 9-10) *

Stan Freeman Stanley Freeman (April 3, 1920 – January 13, 2001) was an American composer, pianist, lyricist, musical arranger, conductor, and studio musician. Biography Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Freeman studied classical piano in college and earne ...

–

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

(1, 6, 8) *

Eric Gale Eric Gale (September 20, 1938 – May 25, 1994) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. ''Early life and career'' Born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, Gale grew up in a diverse household. His paternal grandfather was from Yorksh ...

– guitar (1, 6, 8) * Bert Gassman –

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

(3-4, 7) * Bobby Gibbons – guitar (1) * Arthur Gleghorn –

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

(3-4, 7, 9) * Bill Green –

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

(5, 10) *

Al Hendrickson Alton Reynolds Hendrickson (May 10, 1920 – July 19, 2007) was an American jazz guitarist and occasional vocalist. Biography When he was five years old, Hendrickson's family moved to California, where he grew up. He played early in his career w ...

– guitar (3-4, 7) * Lloyd Hildebrand –

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

(3-4, 7) *

Milt Hinton Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer. Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...

– string bass (1, 8) *

Milt Holland Milton Holland (born Milton Olshansky; February 7, 1917 – November 4, 2005) was an American drummer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, and writer in the Los Angeles music scene. He pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percu ...

– string bass (6), additional percussion (1) *

James Horn James Horn (5 February 1855 – 11 December 1932) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament from Otago, New Zealand. Biography Early life Horn was born in Inverkethney, Banffshire, Scotland and came to Otago in 1879. He was a storekeeper at Bann ...

– saxophone, woodwind (5, 10) * Harry Hyam –

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

(5, 10) * Dick Hyde – trombone (5, 10, additional on 1) *

Carol Kaye Carol Kaye (née Smith, born March 24, 1935) is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years. Kaye began play ...

–

electric bass The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck The ...

(2), string bass (1), Fender bass (1, 5–6, 10) * Lawrence Knetchel – string bass (1, overdubs on 6), Fender bass (1) * Robert Knight – bass trombone (5, 10) * Arthur Koblentz – oboe (3-4, 7) * Phil Kraus – percussion (1, 6, 8) *

Ronny Lang Ronnie Lang (sometimes spelled Ronny; born July 24, 1929) is an American jazz alto saxophonist. His professional début was with Hoagy Carmichael's Teenagers. He also played with Earle Spencer (1946), Ike Carpenter, and Skinnay Ennis (1947). Lan ...

–

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

(9) *

Donnie Lanier Don Lanier (July 13, 1936 – July 23, 2014) was an American songwriter and composer. He composed and wrote dozens of songs for artists including Ray Charles, Dean Martin, The Everly Brothers and Hank Snow. His latest contributions as a songwrit ...

– guitar (1, 5–6, 10) * Carl Lynch – guitar (1, 6, 8) * Lew McCreary – trombone (5, 10, additional on 1) *

Michael Melvoin Mike Melvoin (May 10, 1937February 22, 2012) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He served as chairman and president of The Recording Academy and worked as a prolific studio musician, recording with Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, ...

– piano (5-6, 10, overdubs on 6) * Bill Miller – piano (2-5, 7, 10) * Keith Mitchell – string bass (3-4, 7) * Oliver Mitchell – trumpet (2, 9) * Louis Morell – guitar (1, 5–6, 10) *

Buddy Morrow Buddy Morrow (born Muni Zudekoff, aka Moe Zudekoff; February 8, 1919 – September 27, 2010) was an American trombonist and bandleader. Career On a scholarship at age 16, Morrow studied trombone with Ernest Horatio Clarke (1865–1947) at Juill ...

– trombone (8) * Alex Neiman – viola (5, 10) *

Dick Noel Richard Noel (May 30, 1927, Brooklyn, New York – October 20, 2017, Escondido, California) was an American band vocalist, jingle singer, and radio and television performer. Noel sang with the Ray Anthony Orchestra, including on the hit " Count Ev ...

– trombone (9) * Donald Owens – piano (2) * Ralph Peña – string bass (2) *

Bucky Pizzarelli John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli (January 9, 1926 – April 1, 2020) was an American jazz guitarist. He was the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and double bassist Martin Pizzarelli. He worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett (1971) ...

– guitar (1, 6, 8) *

Don Randi Don Randi (born February 25, 1937) is an American keyboard player, bandleader, and songwriter who was a member of the Wrecking Crew. Career Randi was born February 25, 1937 in New York City. He was raised in the Catskill Mountains and studied c ...

– additional piano (1) * Morris Repass – trombone (5, 10) * Blake Reynolds – clarinet (3-4, 7) *

Bobby Rosengarden Robert Marshall Rosengarden (April 23, 1924 – February 27, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A native of Elgin, Illinois, United States, he played on many recordings and in television orchestras and talk show bands. Rosenga ...

– drums (1, 3–8, 10) * Margaret Ross –

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

(8) * Ethmer Roten – flute, clarinet (3-4, 7) * Joseph Saxon – cello (5, 10) *

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

– flute (9) * Lou Singer – drums, percussion (4, 7) * Wayne Songer – clarinet (3-4, 7) * Ann Mason Stockton – harp (3-4, 7) * Sheridon Stokes – flute, clarinet (3-4, 7) *

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

–

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, guitar (1, 6, 8) * Moe Wechsler – piano (1, 6, 8)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:World We Knew, The 1967 albums Frank Sinatra albums Albums arranged by Claus Ogerman Albums conducted by Gordon Jenkins Albums arranged by Gordon Jenkins Albums arranged by H. B. Barnum Albums produced by H. B. Barnum Albums conducted by Claus Ogerman Reprise Records albums