FRANK SINATRA Concept Album “Watertown,” Newly Mixed & Remastered From Original Session Tapes, Out Now!

FRANK SINATRA
CONCEPT ALBUM WATERTOWN
NEWLY MIXED AND REMASTERED
FROM ORIGINAL SESSION TAPE
AVAILABLE NOW JUNE 3

Digital And CD Editions Feature Eight Bonus Tracks, Including “Lady Day” and Radio Promos
https://sinatra.lnk.to/WatertownPR

JUNE 3, 2022 – The legacy of FRANK SINATRA – one of the world’s most enduring singers – includes a studio album no one anticipated: Watertown. Considered by Jazziz as “a masterpiece of drama and heartbreak” and “one of [Sinatra’s] greatest masterpieces” by The Guardian, Watertown was recorded in 1969 and originally released in 1970 and today is released by Frank Sinatra Enterprises and UMe newly mixed and remastered from the original Reprise session tapes resulting in superior sound quality. The original album sequence is available on vinyl, while the CD and digital editions will feature eight bonus tracks, including alternate takes from the recording sessions, two radio ads and “Lady Day,” which was not part of the Watertown concept. Charles Pignone produced the updated edition from the new mixes created by longtime Sinatra engineer Larry Walsh – the team behind recent FSE/UMe releases Sings for Only the Lonely and Nice ‘N’ Easy. 

A concept album, Watertown unfolds as a personal tragedy about a working man with children whose wife suddenly leaves him. Sinatra’s performance elicits sadness, defeat and forlornness. Ultimately, as Sinatra so wonderfully expresses, it’s also a story about one man’s resilience.

Watertown will also feature, in addition to a recreation of the original packaging, new liner notes, a track-by-track breakdown from songwriter and album producer Bob Gaudio, quotes from Sinatra, plus essays by Frankie Valli, co-writer Jake Holmes, among others who were involved in the original project. All three formats – Watertown [LP] and Watertown: Deluxe Edition [CD + Digital] – are available now here https://sinatra.lnk.to/WatertownPR.

Upon Watertown’s release, fans and critics alike simply weren’t prepared for such a radical stylistic departure from Sinatra. But the album has shown resilience: Despite the initial lukewarm response, in the decades since the album has had a re-evaluation and, in 2015, The Observer noted that “it made some sense that Sinatra would attempt a story-driven concept album, considering he had helped pioneer the thematic concept LP in the 1950s. But on Watertown, Sinatra did something truly risky: he told an entire album-length story from the point of view of [a] character that is most definitely not Frank Sinatra.” Gaudio’s essay explains that Sinatra, with a level of empathy only he could achieve, was “reaching down into a man’s soul and feeling his pain and still finding hope.”

FRANK SINATRA — WATERTOWN (NEW MIX) [LP]

Side 1
1. Watertown
2. Goodbye (She Quietly Says)
3. For A While
4. Michael & Peter
5. I Would Be In Love (anyway)  

Side 2
1. Elizabeth
2. What A Funny Girl (You Used To Be)
3. What’s Now Is Now
4. She Says
5. The Train  

FRANK SINATRA — WATERTOWN: EXPANDED EDITION [CD/DIGITAL]
1. Watertown
2. Goodbye (She Quietly Says)
3. For A While
4. Michael & Peter
5. I Would Be In Love (anyway)
6. Elizabeth
7. What A Funny Girl (You Used To Be)
8. What’s Now Is Now
9. She Says
10. The Train
11. Lady Day*
12. Lady Day (11/7/69)*
13. Watertown (Session Take)*
14. Goodbye (Session Take)*
15. The Train (Session Take)*
16. Lady Day (11/7/69) (Session Take)*
17. 1970 Reprise Radio Promo #1*
18. 1970 Reprise Radio Promo #2*
*Bonus Tracks

About Frank Sinatra
Throughout his seven-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum, and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. The three-time Oscar® winner also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures. 

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. 

Frank Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today’s music superstars. He remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

For more information about Frank Sinatra, visit sinatra.com.

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About UMe
Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) is the global catalog and special markets division of Universal Music Group (UMG).  Working closely in concert with UMG’s record labels, territories and operating companies, UMe provides a frontline approach to catalog management, an emphasis on strategic marketing initiatives and creating opportunities in new technologies.