''Softly, as I Leave You'' is a 1964 studio album by American singer

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

. Arranged by

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 music, pop records from the 1950s to the 1970s. B ...

, several tracks such as "Softly, as I Leave You", "Then Suddenly Love" and "Available" departed from Sinatra's signature

vocal jazz Vocal jazz or jazz singing is a genre within jazz music where the voice is used as an instrument. Vocal jazz began in the early twentieth century. Jazz music has its roots in blues and ragtime and can also traced back to the Dixieland jazz, New Or ...

style by flirting with a more contemporary

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

sound. The rest of the album is pieced together with leftovers from various early-'60s sessions, from many different arrangers and conductors. The title track was the first of at least four attempts to mimic the chart success of Dean Martin's #1 hit "

Everybody Loves Somebody "Everybody Loves Somebody" is a song written in 1947 by Irving Taylor and pianist Ken Lane, and made famous by Dean Martin who recorded and released his version in 1964. History Written almost 20 years earlier, by 1964 the song had already b ...

", using a driving beat, heavy strings and choral tracks. Sinatra, arranger Ernie Freeman and producer Jimmy Bowen would incorporate the same sound to songs like "When Somebody Loves You", "Tell Her You Love Her (Each Day)" and "Somewhere in Your Heart" with only minor chart success.

Track listing

#" Emily" (

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...

) – 2:58 #"Here's to the Losers" ( Robert Wells,

Jack Segal Jack Segal (October 19, 1918 – February 10, 2005) was an American pianist and composer of popular American songs, known for writing the lyrics to '' Scarlet Ribbons''. His composition '' May I Come In?'' was the title track for a Blossom Dea ...

) – 3:05 #"

Dear Heart ''Dear Heart'' is a 1964 American romantic-comedy film starring Glenn Ford and Geraldine Page as lonely middle-aged people who fall in love at a hotel convention. It was directed by Delbert Mann, from a screenplay by Tad Mosel. Its theme song " ...

" (

Jay Livingston Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison; March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was an American composer best known as half of a composing-songwriting duo with Ray Evans, with whom he specialized in composing film scores and original soundtrack ...

Ray Evans Raymond Bernard Evans (February 4, 1915 – February 15, 2007) was an American songwriter best known for being a half of a composing-songwriting duo with Jay Livingston, specializing himself in writing lyrics for film songs. On music Livingston ...

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, ...

) – 2:43 #"Come Blow Your Horn" (

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

Jimmy Van Heusen James Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock; January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American composer. He wrote songs for films, television, and theater, and won an Emmy and four Academy Award for Best Original Song, Academy Awards for ...

) – 3:07 #"Love Isn't Just for the Young" (Bernard Knee, Herb Miller)Sinatra, Frank. "Love Isn't Just for the Young". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Love%20Isn't%20Just%20For%20the%20Young – 2:57 #"I Can't Believe I'm Losing You" (

Don Costa Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including '' Sinatra and Strings'' and '' My Way'' ...

, Phil Zeller) – 2:43 #"Pass Me By" (

Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, to Ashkenazi, Eastern European Jewish parents, an ...

Carolyn Leigh Carolyn Leigh (August 21, 1926 – November 19, 1983) was an American lyricist for Broadway, film, and popular songs. She is best known as the writer with partner Cy Coleman of the pop standards "Witchcraft" and " The Best Is Yet to Come". W ...

) – 2:25 #" Softly, as I Leave You" (

Hal Shaper Harold David Shaper (18 July 1931 – 8 January 2004), known as Hal Shaper, was a South African songwriter. After qualifying as a lawyer in 1955, he travelled to London to begin his five-decade-long musical career during which he worked with and ...

, Antonio DeVita, Giorgio Calabrese) – 2:50 #"Then Suddenly Love" (Roy Alfred,

Paul Vance Joseph Paul Florio (November 4, 1929 – May 30, 2022), known professionally as Paul Vance, was an American songwriter and record producer, primarily from the 1950s until the 1970s. His most successful song compositions, all written with Lee Po ...

) – 2:15 #"Available" (Cahn, Ned Wynn, L.B. Marks)Sinatra, Frank. "Available". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Available – 2:47 #"Talk to Me Baby" (

Robert Emmett Dolan Robert Emmett Dolan (August 3, 1908 - September 26, 1972) was a Broadway conductor, composer, and arranger beginning in the 1920s. He moved on to radio in the 1930s and then went to Hollywood in the early 1940s as a musical director for Paramo ...

, Mercer) – 3:00 #"The Look of Love" (Cahn, Van Heusen)Sinatra, Frank. "The Look of Love". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/The%20Look%20of%20Love – 2:43 Notes *Tracks 1, 3 and 7 recorded on October 3, 1964 *Tracks 8, 9 and 10 recorded on July 17, 1964 *Uncredited Background Singers perform on Tracks 1, 3 and 7–10Sinatra, Frank. "Emily". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/EmilySinatra, Frank. "Dear Heart". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Dear%20Heart *The Orchestra on Tracks 1, 3 and 6–7 includes 9 ViolinsSinatra, Frank. "I Can't Believe I'm Losing You". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/I%20Can't%20Believe%20I'm%20Losing%20YouSinatra, Frank. "Pass Me By". https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Pass%20Me%20By *Tracks 2 and 5 recorded on July 31, 1963Sinatra, Frank. "Here's to the Losers". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Here's%20to%20the%20Losers *The Orchestra on Tracks 2, 5 and 8–10 includes 12 ViolinsSinatra, Frank. "Softly As I Leave You". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Softly%20As%20I%20Leave%20YouSinatra, Frank. "Then Suddenly Love". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Then%20Suddenly%20Love *"Come Blow Your Horn" recorded on January 21, 1963Sinatra, Frank. "Come Blow Your Horn". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Come%20Blow%20Your%20Horn *Jimmy Van Heusen is also known as James Van Heusen *The Orchestra on Tracks 4 and 12 includes 10 Violins *"I Can't Believe I'm Losing You" recorded on April 8, 1964 *Tracks 8–10 recorded on July 17, 1964 *"Talk to Me Baby" recorded on December 3, 1963 *The Orchestra on "Talk to Me Baby" includes 14 ViolinsSinatra, Frank. "Talk to Me Baby". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Talk%20to%20Me%20Baby *Robert Emmett Dolan is also known as Robert Dolan *"The Look of Love" recorded on August 27, 1962

Personnel

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

(2, 4–6, 11–12, lead on 1, 3, 7–10) *

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 orchestrat ...

(6, 11),

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

(11) *

- arranger, conductor (8–10) *

Neal Hefti Neal Paul Hefti (October 29, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. He wrote music for '' The Odd Couple'' movie and TV series and for the ''Batman'' TV series. He began arranging professionally in hi ...

- conductor (12) *

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet (TV series), The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad (TV series), T ...

- arranger (7) *

Marty Paich Martin Louis Paich (January 23, 1925 – August 12, 1995) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor. As a musician and arranger he worked with jazz musicians Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kento ...

- arranger, conductor (2, 5) *

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including ...

- arranger (1, 3–4, 6, 12), conductor (1, 3–4, 6–7) Tracks 1, 3, 7: 3-October-1964 (Saturday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 3 to 7 P.M.). Cappy Lewis (tpt); Ken Shroyer (b-tbn); John Cave, Richard Perissi, Vincent DeRosa (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, Harry Klee, Gene Cipriano, Plas Johnson, Chuck Gentry (sax/wwd); Emo Neufeld, Marshall Sasson, Victor Bay, Jacques Gasselin, Paul Shure, Joe Stepansky, Thelma Beach, Bonnie Douglas, Lou Raderman (vln); Virginia Majewski, Alvin Dinkin (via); Edgar Lustgarten, Anne Goodman, Armand Kaproff (vlc); Ann Mason Stockton (harp); Bill Miller, Ray Sherman (p); Bobby Gibbons,

Tommy Tedesco Thomas Joseph Tedesco (July 3, 1930 – November 10, 1997) was an American guitarist and studio musician in Los Angeles and Hollywood. He was part of the loose collective of the area's leading session musicians later popularly known as The Wre ...

, Vincent Terri,

Al Viola Alfred Viola (June 16, 1919 – February 21, 2007) was an American jazz guitarist who worked with Frank Sinatra for 25 years. He played the mandolin on the soundtrack of the film ''The Godfather''. Biography Viola grew up in an Italian famil ...

(g); Ralph Pena (b); Irving Cottler (d);

Emil Richards Emil Richards (born Emilio Joseph Radocchia; September 2, 1932 – December 13, 2019) was an American vibraphonist and percussionist. Biography Musician Richards began playing the xylophone aged six. In High School, he performed with the ...

(perc); a vocal chorus on all titles. Nelson Riddle, Billy May (arr). Tracks 2, 5: 31-July-1963 (Wednesday) - Los Angeles. RCA Victor Studios (from 8 to 11 P.M.). Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson (tpt); Dick Nash, Richard Leith, Joe Howard, Gail Martin (tbn); Richard Perissi, Gene Sherry (fr- h); Ted Nash, Harry Klee (sax/fl); Paul Horn (sax/fl/clt); Bob Cooper, Jack Nimitz (sax/cl/b-clt); Gerald Vinci, James Getzoff, Amerigo Marino, Stanley Plummer, Lennie Malarsky, Anatol Kaminsky, Jacques Gasselin, Lou Raderman, Erno Neufeld, Paul Shure, Marvin Limonick, Israel Baker (vln); Virginia Majewski, Allan Harshman, Cecil Figelsky, LeRoy Collins, Louis Kievman, Stanley Harris (via); Eleanor Slatkin, Ray Kramer, Justin DiTullio, Armand Kaproff (vlc); Kathryn Julye (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Hendrickson (g);

Joe Mondragon Joe Mondragon (February 2, 1920 – July 1987) was an American jazz bassist. Early life Mondragon was born in Antonito, Colorado, and raised in the Española Valley region of New Mexico. Mondragon was of Apache and Hispanic origin. Career M ...

(b); Irving Cottler (d); Dale Anderson (conga/tymp); Marty Paich (arr/cond). Track 4: 21-January-1963 (Monday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 9 P.M. to 12 M.). Shorty Sherock, Cappy Lewis, Don Fagerquist, George Seaberg (tpt); Dick Noel, Tom Shepard, Dick Nash (tbn); George Roberts (b-tbn); Vincent DeRosa, John Cave (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, Harry Klee (sax/fl/clt); Gene Cipriano (sax/fl); Plas Johnson (sax/clt); Joe Koch (sax/b-clt); Felix Slatkin, Emo Neufeld, Marshall Sosson, Gerald Vinci, Paul Shure, Israel Baker, Victor Amo, Jacques Gasselin, Victor Bay, Alex Beller (vln); Paul Robyn, Stanley Harris, Allan Harshman (via); Eleanor Slatkin, Kurt Reher, Ray Kramer (vlc); Aida Dagort (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola (g); Joe Comfort (b);

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

(d); Emil Richards (tymp). Track 6: 8-April-1964 (Wednesday) - Hollywood. United Recording (7 to 10:30 P.M) Shorty Sherock, Pete Candoli, Cappy Lewis, Harry Edison (tpt); Tommy Pederson, Tom Shepard, Dick Nash, Gail Martin (tbn); William Hinshaw, Gene Sherry (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, Harry Klee, Plas Johnson, Champ Webb, Joe Koch (wwd); Victor Amo, Lou Raderman, Paul Shure, Marshall Sosson, Jacques Gasselin, Arnold Belnick, Bonnie Douglas, Robert Konrad, Victor Bay (vln); Paul Robyn, Alex Neiman (via); Armand Kaproff, David Pratt, Anne Goodman (vlc); Kathryn Julye (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola (g); Ralph Pena (b); Irving Cottler (d); Emil Richards (perc). Nelson Riddle, Don Costa (arr). Tracks 8, 9, 10: 17-July-1964 (Friday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 7 to 10:30 P.M.). Robert Bryant (tpt); Buddy Collette (wwd); Victor Amo, Paul Shure, Lou Raderman, Sidney Sharp, Ralph Schaeffer, Lennie Malarsky, Arnold Belnick, William Kurasch, Joe Stepansky, Darrel Terwilliger, Jacques Gasselin, Marshall Sosson (vln); Alex Neiman, Gareth Nuttycombe, Joseph Di Fiore, Alvin Dinkin (via); Kurt Reher, Justin DiTullio, Emmett Sargeant, Anne Goodman (vlc); Bill Miller, Gene Garf, Ray Sherman (p); Al Hendrickson, Bobby Gibbons, Tommy Tedesco (g); Joe Mondragon (b);

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. ...

(d); Emil Richards (perc); a vocal group Ernie Freeman, Billy May (arr). Track 11: 3-December-1963 (Tuesday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 8 to 11 P.M.). Dick Nash, Dick Noel, Hoyt Bohannon (tbn); George Roberts (b-tbn); Vincent DeRosa, John Cave, Richard Perissi (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, George Smith (sax/cit); Arthur Gleghorn, Harry Klee (sax/fl); Jules Jacob (sax/oboe); Jack Nimitz, Chuck Gentry (sax/b-clt); Emo Neufeld, James Getzoff, Gerald Vinci, Anatol Kaminsky, Jacques Gasselin, Alex Murray, Joe Stepansky, Nathan Ross, Bonnie Douglas, Israel Baker, Marshall Sosson, Lou Raderman, Paul Shure, Victor Amo (vln); Paul Robyn, Alvin Dinkin, Stanley Harris, Virginia Majewski (via); Edgar Lustgarten, Nino Rosso, Kurt Reher, Ray Kramer (vlc); Kathryn Julye (harp); Carl Fortina (accordion); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola, Bobby Gibbons (g); Ralph Pena, Eddie Gilbert (b); Irving Cottler (d); Emil Richards (perc). Don Costa, Ernie Freeman (arr). Track 12: 27-August-1962 (Monday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 5 to 8 P.M.). Conrad Gozzo, Al Porcino, Don Fagerquist, Stu Williamson (tpt); Dick Nash, Dick Noel, Harry Betts (tbn); Ken Shroyer (b-tbn); Richard Perissi, Arthur Maebe, Sinclair Lott (fr-h); Plas Johnson, Ronny Lang, Herman Gunkier (sax/fl); Joe Koch (sax/b-clt); Jules Jacob (sax/clt/b-clt); Erno Neufeld, James Getzoff, Jacques Gasselin, Israel Baker, Gerald Vinci, Amerigo Marino, Ben Gill, Carl LaMagna, Lennie Malarsky, Lou Klass (vln); Allan Harshman, Alex Neiman, Stanley Harris (via); Justin DiTullio, Joseph DiTullio, Nino Rosso (vlc); Verlye Mills (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola (g); Ralph Pena (b); Irving Cottler (d/chimes); Frank Flynn (tymp/bells). Nelson Riddle (arr).

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1964 albums Frank Sinatra albums Albums arranged by Marty Paich Albums arranged by Nelson Riddle Albums arranged by Billy May Reprise Records albums Albums arranged by Ernie Freeman Albums conducted by Nelson Riddle Albums conducted by Neal Hefti Albums produced by Jimmy Bowen Albums produced by Sonny Burke