Ring a Ding Ding

The 50th Anniversary edition of The Chairman of the Board's remarkable first album for his very own Reprise record label. Recorded at a time when he was running the Rat Pack, it's no coincidence that the album is named after one of his favorite phrases of the era. Ring-a-Ding Ding perfectly captures the atmosphere of Sinatra in 1961, but it is a joy and completely fascinating to listen to at any time, in any era. FEATURES TWO BONUS TRACKS!

This 1961 album was Sinatra's first release for his own label, Reprise. Not coincidentally, there's an obvious air of exultation running throughout the entire record. Sinatra is in impeccable voice as he swaggers through Johnny Mandel's arrangements with confidence to spare, delivering unforgettable versions of "A Foggy Day," "When I Take My Sugar to Tea," "Let's Face the Music and Dance" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." This is prime "Rat Pack"-era Sinatra, as rakish as the tilt of his hat on the album's cover. Sadly, too few of his subsequent Reprise releases managed to measure up to the standard set by this album. --Dan Epstein