In 1997, the mono version of the album was rereleased on 180-gram vinyl as part of EMI’s 100th anniversary celebration.
Sinatra’s first collaboration with arranger/conductor Billy May, Come Fly With Me was designed as a musical trip around the world. Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the title track at Sinatra’s request. May would arrange two other Capitol albums for Sinatra, Come Dance With Me! (1958) and Come Swing With Me! (1961).
In his autobiography All You Need Is Ears, producer George Martin wrote of having visited the Capitol Tower during the recording sessions for the album. According to Martin’s book, Sinatra expressed intense dislike for the album cover upon being first shown a mock-up by producer Voyle Gilmore, suggesting it looked like an advertisement for TWA.
The album reached #1 on the Billboard album chart in its second week and remained at the top for five weeks. At the inaugural Grammy Awards, Come Fly With Me was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Though recorded in true stereo, Come Fly With Me was released to record stores in 1958 in monaural only, a standard practice by Capitol Records at the time. The label finally released the stereo version in 1962.
Regarding “On The Road To Mandalay”
“On The Road To Mandalay,” based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem Mandalay, was replaced on some versions of the album after the Kipling family objected to Sinatra’s interpretation. When the album was initially released in the United Kingdom, the song “French Foreign Legion” replaced “Mandalay” while the song “Chicago” (and “It Happened In Monterey” on some pressings) were used in other parts of the British Commonwealth. This EMI Centenary Edition carries on with that tradition; here, “Mandalay” is replaced with “Monterey.”
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Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:
Constructed around a light-hearted travel theme, Come Fly With Me, Frank Sinatra’s first project with arranger Billy May, was a breezy change of pace from the somber Where Are You. From the first swinging notes of Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Come Fly With Me,” which is written at Sinatra’s request, it’s clear that the music on the collection is intended to be fun. Over the course of the album, Sinatra and May travel around the world in song, performing standards like “Moonlight In Vermont” and “April In Paris,” as well as humorous tunes like “Isle of Capri.” May’s signature bold, brassy arrangements give these songs a playful, carefree, nearly sarcastic feel, but never is the approach less than affectionate. In fact, Come Fly With Me is filled with varying moods and textures as it moves from boisterous swing numbers to romantic ballads, and hitting any number of emotions in between. There may be greater albums in Sinatra’s catalog, but few are quite as fun as Come Fly With Me.
Track listing
01 - “Come Fly With Me” (Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 3:22
02 - “Around The World” (Victor Young, Harold Adamson) – 3:21
03 - “Isle Of Capri” (Will Grosz, Jimmy Kennedy) – 2:31
04 - “Moonlight In Vermont” (Karl Suessdorf, John Blackburn) – 3:34
05 - “Autumn In New York” (Vernon Duke) – 4:39
06 - “It Happened In Monterey” (Mabel Wayne, Billy Rose) – 2:37
07 - “Let’s Get Away From It All” (Matt Dennis, Tom Adair) – 2:13
08 - “April In Paris” (Duke, Yip Harburg) – 2:53
09 - “London By Night” (Carroll Coates) – 3:29
10 - “Brazil” (Ary Barroso, Bob Russell) – 2:59
11 - “Blue Hawaii” (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger) – 2:45
12 - “It’s Nice To Go Trav’ling” (Cahn, Van Heusen) – 3:54
Personnel
Frank Sinatra – vocals
Billy May – arranger, conductor (tracks 1-5, 7-12)
Nelson Riddle - arranger, conductor (track 6)
Album Notes:
Released: January 6, 1958
Recorded: October 1, 3, 8, 1957, Capitol Studio A, Hollywood, Los Angeles
Genre: Vocal Jazz, Traditional Pop
Length: 38:15
Label: Capitol
Producer: Voyle Gilmore
Come Fly With Me
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you can use some exotic booze
There's a bar in far Bombay
Come on, fly with me, we'll float down in the blue
Fly with me, float down to Peru
In llama land there's a one man band
And he'll toot his flute for you
Fly with me, we'll take off in the blue
Once I get you up there
Where the air is rarefied
We'll just glide
Starry eyed
Once I get you up there
I'll be holding you so very near
You might even hear
A gang of angels cheer just because we're together
Weather wise, it's such a cool, cool day
Just say those words, we'll whip those birds
Down to Acapulco Bay
It is perfect (perfect) for a flying honeymoon, they do say, hey
Come on, fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away
Do do do, do do, do do, do do, do do
Once I get you up there
Where the air is so rarefied
We're gonna glide
Absolutely starry-eyed
Once I get you up there
I'll be holding you so very near
You might even hear
A gang of angels cheer just because we're together
Weather-wise, it's such a groovy day
You just say those words, we'll whip those birds
Down to Acapulco Bay
It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they do say
Come on, fly with me, let's fly, let's fly
Pack up your bags and let's get out of here (come on let's fly away)
Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" is an upbeat and cheerful song that invites the listener to join the singer on a journey around the world. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and fanciful descriptions of exotic locations, making the song a kind of escapist fantasy. The central theme of the song is the idea of travel as a means of escape from the mundane and the routine of everyday life. The song's opening line, "Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away, suggests a desire to escape to somewhere more exciting, and the rest of the song is a kind of itinerary for a dream vacation.
The lyrics of the song make numerous references to different exotic locations around the world, from Bombay to Peru to Acapulco Bay. Each location is described in vivid detail, conjuring up the sights, sounds, and smells of each place. The song also references the idea of romantic escape, with lines such as "We'll be holding you so very near, you might even hear a gang of angels cheer just because we're together." This line evokes the idea of a romantic getaway and the notion that being in love can make the whole world seem brighter and more beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away
Let's go on a trip together by flying away from here.
If you can use some exotic booze
If you like to drink unusual types of alcohol.
There's a bar in far Bombay
There is a bar in Bombay located far away from here.
Come on, fly with me, we'll float down in the blue
Let's fly and enjoy the scenery from high up in the sky.
Fly with me, float down to Peru
Let's fly and travel to Peru to explore the country together.
In llama land there's a one man band
In Peru, there is a street performer who plays multiple instruments.
And he'll toot his flute for you
He will play his flute for us to enjoy.
Fly with me, we'll take off in the blue
Let's fly and leave our problems behind while soaring through the sky.
Once I get you up there
When we get up high in the sky.
Where the air is rarefied
Where the air is thin and lacking oxygen.
We'll just glide
We will float effortlessly through the sky.
Starry eyed
Feeling amazed and in awe of our experience.
I'll be holding you so very near
I will be close to you to share this beautiful moment.
You might even hear
You might even be able to hear.
A gang of angels cheer just because we're together
Our love and happiness is so infectious that even angels are joining in on the celebration.
Weather wise, it's such a cool, cool day
Today, the weather is perfect for flying with the cool breeze.
Just say those words, we'll whip those birds
Just tell me where you want to go, and we will fly there effortlessly.
Down to Acapulco Bay
We will fly down to Acapulco Bay in Mexico.
It is perfect (perfect) for a flying honeymoon, they do say, hey
Many people believe that flying to Acapulco Bay is the perfect destination for a romantic honeymoon.
Do do do, do do, do do, do do, do do
Instrumental.
It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they do say
Once again, the lyrics emphasize the ideal location of Acapulco Bay for honeymooners who are interested in flying.
Pack up your bags and let's get out of here (come on let's fly away)
Let's gather our belongings and leave our current location to embark on our journey in the sky.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike
on The Lady Is A Champ
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She can't eat late and stay up all night, because unlike society types, she has to get up in the morning.
She likes the theatre and never comes late
She cares more about seeing the play than being seen making an entrance.
She never bothers with people she'd hate
Her friends are friends, not social trophies.
Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
While barrns and earls probably don't play craps, she associates with friends, not people to be seen with.
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She doesn't "slum", the practice of the rich in the 30's, when the song was written, of touring poor neighborhoods dressed in rich clothes to "tut, tut" about the deplorable conditions, and congratulate each other for "caring about the poor"
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
Doesn't trade gossip for acceptance among an in-crowd
She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She cares more about how her hair feels than conforming with current hair fashions
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
Since most of California is noticeably warmer and / or drier than New York, where the play the song was written for is set, this is probably a facetious excuse to like what she likes.
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
Another reference to slumming, but facetious, since Lincolns and Fords were middle-class, not luxury brands when the lyric was written
Anonymous
on Try a Little Tenderness
Here are the correct lyrics
Try A Little Tenderness - Frank Sinatra - Lyrics
Oh she may be weary
Women do get wearied
Wearing that same old shabby dress
And when she’s weary
You try a little tenderness
You know she’s waiting
Just anticipating things she’ll may never possess
While she is without them
Try just a little bit of tenderness
It’s not just sentimental
She has her grieve and her care
And the words that soft and gentle
Makes it easier to bear
You wont regret it
Women don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness
And it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Musical Interlude
And, it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Daniel
on The Way You Look Tonight
I met Frank Jr. in Las Vegas, a real gentleman. RIP you both.
Giorgi Khutashvili
on Theme from New York, New York
)))