AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Frank Sinatra

Artist:Frank Sinatra

Song:Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)

Album:First Definitive Performances

Frank Sinatra's 1944 recording of Saturday Night was one of his first big hits as a solo artist for Columbia Records. The problem was Sinatra signed with Columbia during the musicians strike. So at first they couldn't record him with a band. They had to release something. And that something was Harry James' 1939 recording of All or Nothing at All with Sinatra singing lead. That reached #2 on the pop charts. So though most perceive All or Nothing at All as Sinatra's first big solo hit, it wasn't a new recording. But it bought Columbia time. During the musicians strike, record companies would get around this by bringing in vocal groups and record with no instruments. So they brought in composer Alec Wilder who was friends with Sinatra and his arranger Axel Stordahl. Wilder brought in The Bobby Tucker Singers led by Frank Raye. Sinatra recorded nine songs and hit singles included You'll Never Know, Close to You and People Will Say We're in Love. By the end of 1943, Sinatra was bigger than Bing Crosby which was his goal when he went solo. Meanwhile Sinatra was classified 4F and did not serve in the military during WWII. But he did go overseas to sing for the USO. The musicians strike finally ended Nov. 1944. Columbia released more of the songs Sinatra recorded with Wilder. Saturday Night was one of those singles. It reached #2 on the charts. It was written by the legendary songwriting team of Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. Cahn said it is about showpeople who aren't working on Saturday. Sammy Kaye and Frankie Carle were among those who recorded it but Sinatra had the biggest hit with it. And he would rerecord it for Capitol in 1957. You can get Saturday Night on this 2CD budget comp of Sinatra's early Columbia recordings from Avid. Sinatra continued to have success but he went into a big slump in the late 40s. Here's Frank Sinatra with Harry James and his Orchestra performing Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week) on the 1945 War Bonds All Star show hosted by Bob Hope.