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“I feel the LP as a whole has so much magic it is a ‘must’.” - Peter Jones (Record Mirror) In the running for Sinatra's saddest album, and the album which Frank said was his favourite, Sings For Only The Lonely was conceived under tragic circumstances. Shortly before Nelson Riddle began work on arranging the songs for this album, his six-month-old daughter died from bronchial asthma. Frank and Nelson went into the studio on 5 May 1958 to begin work on the album, but none of the three songs that were cut that night were used. Nelson’s mother was critically ill and it can only have affected the session; she died four days later. Three weeks later, Frank returned to the studio and while the arrangements for the album were Nelson’s, it was Felix Slatkin who conducted the orchestra on 29 May, before Nelson returned for the last two sessions that completed Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely. Frank’s singing is the epitome of sadness, while the arrangements have an added dollop of despondency. Among the standouts are the title song, written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, which was recorded on Thursday, 29 May 1958. Frank told author Robin Douglas-Home about pacing an album: “Tommy Dorsey did this with every band-show he played. Paced it, planned every second from start to finish. He never told me this; it just suddenly came to me as I sat up on that stand every night. This is what I’ve tried to do with every album I’ve ever made.” On this expanded re-release, the original mono mixes are featured - showcasing the phenomenal mixing skills of early recording engineers. Without the benefit of stereophony, all of the musical material must be heard in a single, centre channel. Exceptional care must be taken to give proper balance to each element in such a finite space. This record proves no exception to the early wonders of these recording masters, owing in large part to the remarkable care and dynamics of Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle's orchestra. Also featured are several alternate takes and sessions, so the listener can further experience the feeling of 'being there' and take an intimate look into the recording process.