Softly, as I Leave You
Studio album by Frank Sinatra
Released	November 1964 (LP) February 1989 (CD)
Recorded	August 27, 1962 – July 17 and October 3, 1964, Los Angeles[1]
Genre	Traditional pop vocal jazz
Length	33:33
Label	Reprise FS 1013
Producer	Jimmy Bowen, Sonny Burke
Frank Sinatra chronology
12 Songs of Christmas (1964) Softly, as I Leave You (1964) Sinatra '65: The Singer Today (1965)
Singles from Softly, as I Leave You
"Softly, as I Leave You" Released: 1964

Softly, as I Leave You is a 1964 studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra. Arranged by Ernie Freeman, several tracks such as "Softly, as I Leave You", "Then Suddenly Love" and "Available" departed from Sinatra's signature vocal jazz style by flirting with a more contemporary pop sound. The rest of the album is pieced together with leftovers from various early-'60s sessions, from many different arrangers and conductors.

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.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

1. "Emily" (Johnny Mandel, Johnny Mercer) – 2:58
2. "Here's to the Losers" (Robert Wells, Jack Segal) – 3:05
3. "Dear Heart" (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, Henry Mancini) – 2:43
4. "Come Blow Your Horn" (Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 3:07
5. "Love Isn't Just for the Young" (Bernard Knee, Herb Miller)^[2] – 2:57
6. "I Can't Believe I'm Losing You" (Don Costa, Phil Zeller) – 2:43
7. "Pass Me By" (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) – 2:25
8. "Softly, as I Leave You" (Hal Shaper, Antonio DeVita, Giorgio Calabrese) – 2:50
9. "Then Suddenly Love" (Roy Alfred, Paul Vance) – 2:15
10. "Available" (Cahn, Ned Wynn, L.B. Marks)^[3] – 2:47
11. "Talk to Me Baby" (Robert Emmett Dolan, Mercer) – 3:00
12. "The Look of Love" (Cahn, Van Heusen)^[4] – 2:43

Notes

• Tracks 1, 3 and 7 recorded on October 3, 1964
• Tracks 8, 9 and 10 recorded on July 17, 1964
• Uncredited Background Singers perform on Tracks 1, 3 and 7-10^[5][6]
• The Orchestra on Tracks 1, 3 and 6-7 includes 9 Violins^[7][8]
• Tracks 2 and 5 recorded on July 31, 1963^[2][9]
• The Orchestra on Tracks 2, 5 and 8-10 includes 12 Violins^[10][11]
• "Come Blow Your Horn" recorded on January 21, 1963^[12]
• Jimmy Van Heusen is also known as James Van Heusen
• The Orchestra on Tracks 4 and 12 includes 10 Violins^[4][12]
• "I Can't Believe I'm Losing You" recorded on April 8, 1964^[7]
• Tracks 8-10 recorded on July 17, 1964^[3][10][11]
• "Talk to Me Baby" recorded on December 3, 1963
• The Orchestra on "Talk to Me Baby" includes 14 Violins^[13]
• Robert Emmett Dolan is also known as Robert Dolan^[13]
• "The Look of Love" recorded on August 27, 1962^[4]

• Frank Sinatra - vocals (2, 4-6, 11-12, lead on 1, 3, 7-10)
• Don Costa - arranger (6, 11),^[7] conductor (11)^[13]
• Ernie Freeman - arranger, conductor (8-10)^[3][10][11]
• Neal Hefti - conductor (12)^[4]
• Billy May - arranger (7)^[8]
• Marty Paich - arranger, conductor (2, 5)^[2][9]
• Nelson Riddle - arranger (1, 3-4, 6, 12), conductor (1, 3-4, 6-7)^[6]

Tracks 1, 3, 7:

3-October-1964 (Saturday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 3 to 7 P.M.).

Cappy Lewis (tpt); Ken Shroyer (b-tbn); John Cave, Richard Perissi, Vincent DeRosa (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, Harry Klee, Gene Cipriano, Plas Johnson, Chuck Gentry (sax/wwd); Emo Neufeld, Marshall Sasson, Victor Bay, Jacques Gasselin, Paul Shure, Joe Stepansky, Thelma Beach, Bonnie Douglas, Lou Raderman (vln); Virginia Majewski, Alvin Dinkin (via); Edgar Lustgarten, Anne Goodman, Armand Kaproff (vie); Ann Mason Stockton (harp); Bill Miller, Ray Sherman (p); Bobby Gibbons, Tommy Tedesco, Vincent Terri, AI Viola (g); Ralph Pena (b); Irving Cottler (d); Emil Richards (perc); a vocal chorus on all titles. Nelson Riddle, Billy May (arr).

Tracks 2, 5:

31-July-1963 (Wednesday) - Los Angeles. RCA Victor Studios (from 8 to 11 P.M.).

Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson (tpt); Dick Nash, Richard Leith, Joe Howard, Gail Martin (tbn); Richard Perissi, Gene Sherry (fr- h); Ted Nash, Harry Klee (sax/fl); Paul Horn (sax/fl/cit); Bob Cooper, Jack Nimitz (sax/cl/b-clt); Gerald Vinci, James Getzoff, Amerigo Marino, Stanley Plummer, Lennie Malarsky, Anatol Kaminsky, Jacques Gasselin, Lou Raderman, Erno Neufeld, Paul Shure, Marvin Limonick, Israel Baker (vln); Virginia Majewski, Allan Harshman, Cecil Figelsky, LeRoy Collins, Louis Kievman, Stanley Harris (via); Eleanor Slatkin, Ray Kramer, Justin DiTullio, Armand Kaproff (vlc); Kathryn Julye (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Hendrickson (g); Joe Mondragon (b); Irving Cottler (d); Dale Anderson (conga/tymp); Marty Paich (arr/cond).

Track 4:

21-January-1963 (Monday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 9 P.M. to 12 M.).

Shorty Sherock, Cappy Lewis, Don Fagerquist, George Seaberg (tpt); Dick Noel, Tom Shepard, Dick Nash (tbn); George Roberts (b-tbn); Vincent DeRosa, John Cave (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, Harry Klee (sax/fl/cit); Gene Cipriano (sax/fl); Plas Johnson (sax/cit); Joe Koch (sax/b-clt); Felix Slatkin, Emo Neufeld, Marshall Sosson, Gerald Vinci, Paul Shure, Israel Baker, Victor Amo, Jacques Gasselin, Victor Bay, Alex Beller (vln); Paul Robyn, Stanley Harris, Allan Harshman (via); Eleanor Slatkin, Kurt Reher, Ray Kramer (vlc); Aida Dagort (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola (g); Joe Comfort (b); Mel Lewis (d); Emil Richards (tymp).

Track 6:

8-April-1964 (Wednesday) - Hollywood. United Recording (7 to 10:30 P.M)

Shorty Sherock, Pete Candoli, Cappy Lewis, Harry Edison (tpt); Tommy Pederson, Tom Shepard, Dick Nash, Gail Martin (tbn); William Hinshaw, Gene Sherry (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, Harry Klee, Plas Johnson, Champ Webb, Joe Koch (wwd); Victor Amo, Lou Raderman, Paul Shure, Marshall Sosson, Jacques Gasselin, Arnold Belnick, Bonnie Douglas, Robert Konrad, Victor Bay (vln); Paul Robyn, Alex Neiman (via); Armand Kaproff, David Pratt, Anne Goodman (vlc); Kathryn Julye (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola (g); Ralph Pena (b); Irving Cottler (d); Emil Richards (perc). Nelson Riddle, Don Costa (arr).

Tracks 8, 9, 10:

17-July-1964 (Friday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 7 to 10:30 P.M.).

Robert Bryant (tpt); Buddy Collette (wwd); Victor Amo, Paul Shure, Lou Raderman, Sidney Sharp, Ralph Schaeffer, Lennie Malarsky, Arnold Belnick, William Kurasch, Joe Stepansky, Darrel Terwilliger, Jacques Gasselin, Marshall Sosson (vln); Alex Neiman, Gareth Nuttycombe, Joseph Di Fiore, Alvin Dinkin (via); Kurt Reher, Justin DiTullio, Emmett Sargeant, Anne Goodman (vie); Bill Miller, Gene Garf, Ray Sherman (p); Al Hendrickson, Bobby Gibbons, Tommy Tedesco (g); Joe Mondragon (b); Hal Blaine (d); Emil Richards (perc); a vocal group [l]. Ernie Freeman, Billy May (arr).

Track 11:

3-December-1963 (Tuesday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 8 to 11 P.M.).

Dick Nash, Dick Noel, Hoyt Bohannon (tbn); George Roberts (b-tbn); Vincent DeRosa, John Cave, Richard Perissi (fr-h); Willie Schwartz, George Smith (sax/cit); Arthur Gleghorn, Harry Klee (sax/fl); Jules Jacob (sax/oboe); Jack Nimitz, Chuck Gentry (sax/b-clt); Emo Neufeld, James Getzoff, Gerald Vinci, Anatol Kaminsky, Jacques Gasselin, Alex Murray, Joe Stepansky, Nathan Ross, Bonnie Douglas, Israel Baker, Marshall Sosson, Lou Raderman, Paul Shure, Victor Amo (vln); Paul Robyn, Alvin Dinkin, Stanley Harris, Virginia Majewski (via); Edgar Lustgarten, Nino Rosso, Kurt Reher, Ray Kramer (vie); Kathryn Julye (harp); Carl Fortina (accordion); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola, Bobby Gibbons (g); Ralph Pena, Eddie Gilbert (b); Irving Cottler (d); Emil Richards (perc). Don Costa, Ernie Freeman (arr).

Track 12:

27-August-1962 (Monday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 5 to 8 P.M.).

Conrad Gozzo, Al Porcino, Don Fagerquist, Stu Williamson (tpt); Dick Nash, Dick Noel, Harry Betts (tbn); Ken Shroyer (b-tbn); Richard Perissi, Arthur Maebe, Sinclair Lott (fr-h); Plas Johnson, Ronny Lang, Herman Gunkier (sax/fl); Joe Koch (sax/b-clt); Jules Jacob (sax/clt/b-clt); Erno Neufeld, James Getzoff, Jacques Gasselin, Israel Baker, Gerald Vinci, Amerigo Marino, Ben Gill, Carl LaMagna, Lennie Malarsky, Lou Klass (vln); Allan Harshman, Alex Neiman, Stanley Harris (via); Justin DiTullio, Joseph DiTullio, Nino Rosso (vie); Verlye Mills (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Viola (g); Ralph Pefia (b); Irving Cottler (d/ chimes); Frank Flynn (tymp/bells). Nelson Riddle (arr).