{"product_id":"in-the-wee-small-hours","title":"In The Wee Small Hours","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrank Sinatra\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eIn the Wee Small Hours\u003c\/em\u003e was his first 12-inch album, and in 1955 it went straight to the top of the charts. It’s a remarkable set of ballads, arranged by \u003cstrong\u003eNelson Riddle\u003c\/strong\u003e with a melancholy touch that fits these songs of loneliness and despair perfectly, while giving \u003cstrong\u003eSinatra\u003c\/strong\u003e the space to reveal a new depth as a vocalist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy this point, anyone following the papers or the gossip columns knew that \u003cstrong\u003eSinatra\u003c\/strong\u003e’s love affair with actress \u003cstrong\u003eAva Gardner\u003c\/strong\u003e had ended badly, and it’s hard not to hear that background lending these performances an extra poignancy. Still, what really matters here is the singing itself. On this record, \u003cstrong\u003eSinatra\u003c\/strong\u003e reaches a whole new level, with a command of phrasing that would shape the rest of his career.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s also some beautiful piano playing from \u003cstrong\u003eBill Miller\u003c\/strong\u003e, which stands out in \u003cstrong\u003eRiddle\u003c\/strong\u003e’s spare, elegant arrangements. Alongside the title track, \u003cem\u003eIn the Wee Small Hours\u003c\/em\u003e by \u003cstrong\u003eBob Hilliard\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eDavid Mann\u003c\/strong\u003e, the album moves through a set of standards including \u003cstrong\u003eDuke Ellington\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eMood Indigo\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCole Porter\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eWhat Is This Thing Called Love?\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eHarold Arlen\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eE. Y. Harburg\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eLast Night When We Were Young\u003c\/em\u003e, plus three songs by \u003cstrong\u003eRodgers \u0026amp; Hart\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf there’s one performance that sums it all up, it’s \u003cstrong\u003eHoagy Carmichael\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eI Get Along Without You Very Well\u003c\/em\u003e, a track that captures the mood of the whole album and shows just how powerful \u003cstrong\u003eSinatra\u003c\/strong\u003e had become as an interpreter of song.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith \u003cem\u003eIn the Wee Small Hours\u003c\/em\u003e, the crooner who had once been the heartthrob of the nation’s Bobbysoxers gave way to the saloon singer who would become one of the defining musical figures of the 20th century, alongside \u003cstrong\u003eBing Crosby\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eElvis\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eThe Beatles\u003c\/strong\u003e. A must-have for \u003cstrong\u003eSinatra\u003c\/strong\u003e fans, and the oldest record in this selection of ten essential \u003cstrong\u003eSinatra\u003c\/strong\u003e albums.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Doxy","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50425014026571,"sku":"398905","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Green LP","offer_id":50425014485323,"sku":"1140969","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/R-11403294-1515707092-6847_fa7a9092_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726785629","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/products\/in-the-wee-small-hours","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}