Hallo zusammen,

letztens habe ich mal wieder das wunderbare Album Close To You gehört und wurde wie inmer vom Titellied selber total verzaubert.

Ich wollte einfach mal mehr über das schöne Lied erfahren, aber Wikipedia bietet nicht wirklich und google spuckt auch ziemlich wenig raus.

Das Lied ist seit langem ein Teil von meiner Seele, und zwar als ich Bekannte und, sagen wir meine "seelische Schwester", seit 6 Jahren ohne jeglichen Kontakt wieder sehen konnte und doch nach 2 Tagen wieder verlassen musste, da sie im Ausland leben. Als ich von meinem geliebten Schwester Abschied nahm, habe ich ihr einige Zeilen aus dem Lied vorgesungen, und wir haben uns weinend in die Arme geschlossen. Seitdem hat meine damals zerbrochene Seele das Lied als ein Teil in sich aufgenommen.

Aber genug von meine Geschichte.
Habt ihr denn vielleicht mehr Informationen über dieses Lied? Ich finde es einfach sehr schade, dass so wenig Infos über dieses Lied gibt.

Gruss Johnny

Schöne Geschichte

Du findest ein paar Infos hier - interessant die Hintergrundinfo mit den streikenden Musikern:
http://www.the-main-event.de/songindex/closetoyou.html

Nicht minder interessant ist die '56er- Capitol-Neuinterpretation mit Nelson Riddle vom gleichnamigen Album "Close To You"

Das ist jetzt ein wenig verwirrend. Du schreibst von dem ALBUM "Close To You" und oben steht 1943. Welche Version meinst du denn?
Alfred, ich denke er meint die Riddle-Version.

Naja ist ja der selbe Song - im Gegensatz zum späteren Close To You

Hallo

Danke für den Link Alfred!

Ich habe es so gemeint: Das Album Close To You angehört, genau die Riddle-version. Ich habe 1943 hinzugefügt, damit es nicht verwechselt wird mit dem "anderen" Close To You von der Reprise-Ära.

Das Album ist wahrscheinlich mein am seltensten gehörtes. Und bestimmt zu unrecht. Deine nette Geschichte ist eine gute Anregung, "Close To You" mal wieder einzulegen.

Zitat von Miner

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Und bestimmt zu unrecht.

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So ist es.

In der Tat zu Unrecht, Andreas!

Sinatra dürfte stimmlich at his very best sein auf diesem Album, und sowohl seine Gesangskunst ist für mich ungeschlagen, auch wenn die Phrasierung bei wenigen Stücken etwas hakelig ausfällt.

Klar dürfte die instrumentale Untermalung des Hollywood String Quartets nicht jedermanns Sache sein, was auch der Hauptgrund sein dürfte, warum dieses Album so wenig Beachtung findet. Aber gerade bei Close To You, ist dieses "wenige", intime, direkte ausschlaggebend für mich. Es ist für mich einfach leichter, mich mit diesem Lied zu identifizieren, als z.B. mit einem Stück aus Sinatra & Strings. Dort betrachte ich die Lieder eher als Kunstwerke, während bei "Close To You" es sich so anfühlt, als ob er in der Nähe direkt FÜR einen singt.

Es ist wirklich schwer, das Gefühl zu beschreiben, ich denke, das gefällt mit wohl am meisten an Sinatra: Er ist unbeschreiblich gut.

Danke für die Aufmerksamkeit und viele Grüße

Johnny

Dear Johnny,

What you wrote about your beloved sister (hopefully the translation I read is right?!) is very moving.
She must be very special! It is not easy at all to have the person you love being so far away. Missing them is indescribable indeed. Your story was touching and I am glad you shared it with us.

I am grateful to find an ally in this album. I just love this sad album.

Very many of the songs touch me. Many make me cry, including the title track that moves you so much. The words of "close to you" are so sad yet beautiful. Absolutely perfect for missing and loving someone that is far away whom you can't be with as you emulate with your sister. You can't help to think of the one you love when this is played. Sheer beauty.
The longing, sadness and yearning in his voice is so believable and raw!

To me, the most moving songs on the album are: "close to you", "ps I love you" (which is my fave song on the album and combines two of my favourites musically- Gordon Jenkins and Johnny Mercer), "everything happens to me" (here Frank takes an absolute defeatist attitude with sheer sadness and self pity-the feeling we all feel when the great love affair ends), "with every breath I take" (one of the prettiest love songs ever recorded--and when you are in love you know this title is so true. When frank sings "and when I sleep, you keep my heart awake", what lyrics! Who doesn’t want that feeling? Or who hasn't experienced that? Not many could express love so beautifully), "blame it on my youth" (only Nat King Cole’s version on the album "after midnight" can rival Sinatra's), "it could happen to you" (a song where Sinatra warns the listener not to fall in love and how unexpectantly it can happen...as any of them could help it if they tried. Sinatra knows it's hopeless and you can hear it in his delivery). "I couldn't sleep a wink last night" (before this album Frank hadn't touched this since 1943. He introduced it in the film "higher and higher" and this version here is just gorgeous. If you are in love, you know that when you have a fight with someone you love and care about you can't sleep at all through the night) and "the end of a love affair" (every word of this song is painfully true for anyone whose been there).

Now on to the bonus tracks: "If it's the last thing I do" (how beautiful is this song? There are no words to describe the intense love Sinatra brings across here. He must have been singing to Ava secretly), “there's a flaw in my flute”, yes Frank recorded this as a joke but it still moves me because if you think about it nothing works properly when love is gone. Therefore,it still has meaning to the listener. You can almost picture Frank in his lonely hours with a glass of jack daniels in his hand singing this little ditty as he is slightly drunk and sentimental.


This album is an album of utter heartbreak. Each song shows you the deepest pain, loss and ultimate yearning love that he fails to obtain, as so many of us do.

So this album is relatable, as many people cannot have the ones they love. This album is exactly that, an anthem for all the broken lovers and unfortunate bearers of unrequited love.

Again, Sinatra gets across a believable and honest portrayal of the listeners' feelings and his own. So while you are sad and heartbroken, listening to this album only provides you with comfort, as you believe every word and painful emotion Sinatra conveys to you in every lyric of every song.


It's truly unfortunate that this album is so underrated and under appreciated. It's really a treasure. I love the sound of Sinatra with the Hollywood String Quartet. He shines with a warm quiet and intimate beauty, with this small ensemble. Too bad they didn't record more together.

Do you know the Hollywood String Quartet were so famous before Sinatra asked them to do this album, and they said this album was the professional highlight of their career. Small wonder why! The album took 8 months to record and Sinatra and Riddle came up with the great idea. You can hear how much time Sinatra took on this album to ensure its utter vocal and musical perfection.

I would have preferred Gordon Jenkins arranging but that is my personal preference. One thing I did not initially like was the cover. Do you notice Sinatra is not wearing his wig?. I believe this was intentional, to show Sinatra at his most human and at his most vulnerable, which fits the sentiment of the album perfectly.

Hi!

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, especially on the album and your nice words. Indeed my beloved sister is very special, even if she isn't my real "biological" sister. When I was a kid, I lived with her for 10 years before moving to Germany, and was about to lose contact to her due to other family business. To see her again was indeed a wonderful moment.

There is no more to say then what you already said, every song has something special in it, some may bring us sadness, some may help up to repair our broken souls.
"With every breath I take" is the second most loved song on this album by me. The lyrics are so simple and easy, and still they are meaningful. There is no doubt - This version is the best. Forget about Bing, who also sang this song
"Blame it on my youth" was sang great by Nat, true true. But I think, his way to sing this song is a little too playful, too much "fun". I think we both agree, who made his job a little better?

I also can't understand, why this album is so underrated. I also don't understand, why Sinatra didn't even sing ONE song in his concerts from this album (Or did he?). This album is like a lost diamond, and I found it.

Yes, of course it is undeniable, that this album must be the highlight of the career of the HSQ. I mean, you get the opportunity to record an album with FRANK SINATRA, how isn't that supposed to be THE highlight? What a pity, that they split up in 1961. Gotta buy all their music, especially now that every record they made is released (as far as I know) with great sound quality.

All in one, you explained this album how it should be told to others. Thank you again for paying attention and sharing your opinions!

Johnny

P.S.: Are there any known session outtakes from this album? I'm afraid, since the original album got so few attention, there is no hope.

Hello Johnny,

Your english is perfect. You said you lived with your sister for 10 years before moving to Germany...I'm guessing you were not born in Germany. Where did you live before?

Anyways it's important to treasure those special people in your life for sure :) they are extremely rare.

"With every breath I take" ahh... no wonder that is your second favourite on the album....that is a gorgeous song! Just thinking of the line "Every breath that I take, is a prayer that I'll make you mine". The lyrics are pure perfection .

I don't think Nat's version is too "fun" but I agree that Frank's version is more poignant.

Actually, he did sing some of these songs in concert. Off the top of my head he sang "It's Easy to remember" in 1965 at Forest Hill and the Newport Jazz Festival. But yes it was extremely rare for him to sing any of these songs in concert. Also, there are no session outtakes from the recording of this album that I am aware of.

Thanks again for bringing up this great album.