Softly, As I Leave You

About Softly, As I Leave You

Softly, as I Leave You is a 1964 studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra. This album was Sinatra's first tentative attempt to come to terms with rock and roll music. Arranged by Ernie Freeman, "Softly, as I Leave You", "Then Suddenly Love" and "Available" are definitely stabs at incorporating rock and roll into Sinatra's middle-of-the-road pop sound, featuring drum kits, backing vocals and keyboards. The rest of the album is pieced together with leftovers from various early-'60s sessions, from many different arrangers and conductors, giving the album a rather uneven feel. The title track was the first of at least four attempts to mimic the chart success of Dean Martin's #1 hit "Everybody Loves Somebody", using a driving beat, heavy strings and choral tracks. Sinatra, arranger Ernie Freeman and producer Jimmy Bowen would incorporate the same sound to songs like "When Somebody Loves You", "Tell Her You Love Her (Each Day)" and "Somewhere in Your Heart" with only minor chart success more »