7 Frank Sinatra 7Sinatra recordings is “All or Nothing at All”—unsuccessful in
1939 but a million-seller when rereleased in 1943, after both
men had become stars. Sinatra’s reputation among industry
musicians grew swiftly, and James graciously freed Sinatra
from his contract when the singer received a more lucrative
offer from bandleader Tommy Dorsey in December 1939.
During the Dorsey period Sinatra proved his mastery of
both ballads and up-tempo numbers, and Dorsey arrangers
soon tailored their arrangements to highlight Sinatra’s
skills. Sinatra was featured on memorable recordings such
as “I’ll Never Smile Again,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Without
a Song,” and “Oh! Look at Me Now.” The 83 commercial
recordings that Sinatra made with the Dorsey band from
1940 to 1942 represent his first major body of work.
By 1942 Sinatra’s fame had eclipsed that of Dorsey, and
the singer yearned for a solo career.After months of bitter
negotiations, Sinatra left the Dorsey organization in late
1942; within weeks, he was a cultural phenomenon. As
such, he was soon dubbed “Frankieboy,” “The Sultan of
Swoon,” and, most popularly, “The Voice.”
The Columbia Years
A strike by the American Federation of Musicians against
the major record companies curtailed Sinatra’s recording
output during most of 1943–44. His solo recording career
for Columbia Records began in earnest in November 1944,
when he made dozens of recordings within a three-month
period. Songs such as “If You Are but a Dream,” “I Fall in
Love Too Easily,” and his theme song at that time, “Put Your
Dreams Away,” are some of the first recordings in what would
come to be known to fans as the “Columbia era” (1943–52).
Sinatra’s success continued unabated until the late
1940s, when he garnered much negative press; it was
about this time that the public first read reports of his