Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra "Sings for Only the Lonely" (also known as "Only the Lonely") would hit #1 on the US Billboard chart on September 29, 1958, where it would remain at thetop spot for 5 weeks. In total, the LP would grace the chart for 120 weeks. It woulalso make its presence felt on the UK chart, hitting the #5 spot and remaining on thechart for 13 weeks. Many Sinatra enthusiasts consider this to be the crown jewel of his musical career, and both Nelson Riddle, who conducted and arranged the album, andFrank himself list this as the best album he ever made! The heavily maudlin feeling throughout was underscored by the tragic events that took place shortly before the album was recorded. Just before Riddle began his celebrated arrangements for the LP, his six-month-old daughter died from bronchial asthma. To make matters worse, Riddle’s mother had become critically ill. Between that and the loss of his daughter, it’s hardy surprising that Sinatra and Nelson’s May 5, 1958 studio date didn’t meet up to their expectation. Three tracks were recorded (“Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry”, “Ebb Tide”, and “Angel Eyes”) none of which were ever issued. Riddle’s mother would pass away four days later. He would later speak about the events stating that, “If I can attachevents like that to music...perhaps Only the Lonely was the result.”

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