There are hundreds of concerts of Frank Sinatra, but some of them are very special. This might be because one particular concert was on a historic date, or very important people attended it, or it was at a very important place, OR it was so good. This 1961 Frank Sinatra Sydney concert is a special one, because in many ways it is awesome, magnificent, and brilliant. And what’s more? We have the video of it.
Sinatra comes to stage while the orchestra is playing the music of Ring a Ding Ding and the show starts. He is totally in the mood for singing the songs in this concert, and the way he sings makes some of the songs much better than their studio versions. You can feel the swing and his energy while watching it.
When I wrote this post, there were many available videos of this concert on Youtube, but allmost all of them are taken down now. I specifically want to mention the performance of “I’ll Be Seeing You” because in my opinion, this is the best version ever. Some might find the tempo fast though. Sinatra performed this song only few times live, so it is a treasure. Below is Frank Sinatra’s “Without A Song” performance.
Here is the songs list of the concert.
I’ve Got the World on A String
I Concentrate on You
Night and Day
Moonlight in Vermont
In the Still of the Night
I’ll Be Seeing You
Day In, Day Out
The Moon Was Yellow
You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Monologue
Come Fly with Me
April in Paris
A Foggy Day
Without A Song
Imagination
The Second Time Around
Young at Heart
Witchcraft
Embraceble You
The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else
My Funny Valentine
My Blue Heaven
One for My Baby
The Lady is A Tramp
Following images are of Frank Sinatra Sydney Concert program, and concert tickets.
Frank Sinatra Sydney Concert 1961 Inside
Frank Sinatra Sydney Concert 1961
I worked on the FS concert which remains a high point even 50 years later.
The audio director was (the late) Max Alexander, known to his friends as “the magic pudding” and despite the technical limitations of a 12 channel mixing desk and 1961 mono standards it remains amongst Sinatra’s finest. Hats off to Frank and toMax
Warren
Do you know what channel broadcasted the Sinatra Sydney concert in 1961? Also, do you if anyone has released any CD’s on that concert. I’m a huge fan of Sinatra and Sydney (been there rwice) abd love that city. If you know any more information about the concert that would be most appreciated. Thanks Paul
channel 9 did broadcast live only to melbourne and yes there iss a cd and this morning 24/5/2015 listen to podcast rod quinn 674 radio melbourne overnight interview camerman from ch 9 at the concert
I went to that concert and was totally blown away I now have the cd and the program and the ticket stubs but would love the dvd.
I would love the dvd of that concert
They have released the cd of that concert.
1961 sydney concert released in 2015 double cd ultimate sinatra…get from your library…HE SOUNDS GREAT
The comment in question sounds as though it might have come from Les Free whom I know hated kines. Sorry to hear about the passing of Max Alexander. I, together with Ian Vibart, taught Max the “art” of TV audio. Also, I’m reasonably sure one of the trumpet players in the band was Ken Brentnall who was also a cameraman at the “old”, but very inovative, TCN. Some of the names on the original email bring back fond memories. Regards to all. Bob Fry (an original TCNer)
I know that there is a CD of this concert available on the bootleg circuit. It’s called: “December Down Under.” And yes, a DVD also exists as well.
I was surfing the web to get opinions on what people think was Sinatra’s best performance and this, in my opinion, may be it. This concert seems to have a different tempo than anything I’ve ever heard him do, do you have any information on the arranger, band, etc.?
Inf0 on “December Down Under”
Date-December 2,1961
Place-The Stadium,Sydney Australia
Closing night of 3 night engagement
Orchastra conducted by Bill Miller
Performance-75 Min.,23 songs
Thats’s all the info I have
The Historic Houses Trust have produced an exhibition at the Museum of Sydney on Sydney Stadium, the exhibition is called ‘The Wild Ones: Sydney Stadium’ and covers many events that were held at the Stadium during it’s opening years which included the Frank Sinatra concerts in Sydney, and all the big shows that Lee Gordon bought to Sydney.
Fabulous moments of Sinatra in concert. To think one of TV channels in Sydney got this on video-great camera work and production-really fine orchestra and arrangements. I believe Sinatra played Sydney early 70’s with a smaller backing outfit-like to hear this this also. Memorable recordings. Thank you.
I went to this concert in the seventies at the Horden Pavilion but I don’t think there is a recording of it.
I was one of four cameraman this night at the old Sydney Stadium, it was never shown in Sydney via TCN9 but had one showing on GTV Melbourne as per Sinatra’s contract. It was recorded on 9’s new Ampex 2″ videotape recorders and Kinerecorded to 16mm and that’s what you see on the Youtube clips. We used four Fernseh cameras and Max Alexander did the sound mix in TCN’s OB van. Unfortunately the last vision reel (about 15m) was ‘lost’ however the full soundtrack still exists. As we all agree this was a magnificent performance with the sort of lively beat that wasn’t apparent on the Capitol recordings of the day. Sinatra brought his conductor, pianist and drummer and perhaps lead trumpet and the rest were the best of the Sydney musos of which Sinatra said on the night “this is one of the best groups I have ever performed with” lots of memories. R.H.
If there is a soundtrack of this concert available, please let me know.
Besides the cd there is a dvd now I just bought it
Listening to Jonathan Schwartz on WNYC-FM (New York City, New York) this morning here on the left coast, and Schwartz played the opening including the introduction and then “I’ve Got the World on a String.” It is amazing to hear this. I had heard the Red Norvo concert from Australia (and have the CD), but this is something I don’t recall hearing before….I don’t have the knowledge of the folks here about Francis Albert Sinatra, though I guess it’s okay for a 60s and 70s rock fan….
To those who may be interested, the the final ‘lost’ reel containing the last five song is around.
Do you have the complete video you mean?
WOW what a great site ! I am now researching the career of one hell of a great singer who had the honour to be Sinatra’s opening act at Sydney Stadium: TIMI YURO !
She had a very big hit at the time with her spine-tingling rendition of Hurt.
Funnily enough a new French bio of Sinatra which I have was out a few weeks ago at…Perrin editions in Paris ! And a full hour was devoted to the French Sinatra biographer (not a translation) and to the Man himself on a big French radio station.
I hope to receive some replies for my Yuro query.
Also I wonder if the French Paris Olympia show a few months later was officially released on CD as it does survive in the Europe 1 vaults (the French radio station that broadcast the show back then – after some praise on stage from a very famous MC CHARLES AZNAVOUR who’s now 90 but still very active nowadays !
CHRISTIAN NAUWELAERS
I was there and attended the concert! I remember and still laugh when one
moment he sad: ” Watch-out guy, take your hand off the lady”
I am scouring youtube right now for any of the Sinatra clips from his 1961 concert down under and can’t seem to find any as yet.Can anybody send a link to help out Ta,Harald..
They have stopped the YouTube video of the 1961 concert I saw them a few years ago but have been stopped all you see it a photo.
I am a huge fan of Sinatra I now have the complete set of the Dec concert 1961 we were sitting right behind the orchestra what a show I have the ticket stubs program and now have the just released two set cd one of which is that concert. He came out and it was pure magic one of the songs he started to sing and then put a stop to it just wasn’t quite right and then he started again I saw Sinatra five times when he came to Australia and feel blessed to have seen him live.
Regards Marie
I was at the Stadium when Sinatra first came to Oz in 1953 I think it was. The Stadium was a house of pain. It had hosted some of the most brutal fights, and the wrestling was for real in those days. This was way before the opera house was built and was the only venue for a concert. The band was a local one we used to go hear at the Ironworkers Building on Sundays. They played the Riddle charts for the concert but not very well. Sinatra got a great ovation when he appeared walking down the aisle to the ring. His career had just got back on track when he played Magio in From Here to Eternity. He proved to be the shyest entertainer I’ve ever seen. Judy Garland, whom I saw in London, would have blown him away had they appeared together. Still, there was only one Frank, and we miss him greatly. Good stuff, Jonathan.
Thank you for the comment. Who is Jonathan by the way?
Me too I remember him saying that I have bought that cd and I think he says that on it.
His first concert was 1955 I went to it
can anybody tell me how I can obtain a copy of the 1961 concert in cd and or dvd . please.
I was in the merchant navy on a ship out of Liverpool called the same idiom and my friend Billy’s Towson and I went to the concert It was like a dream for us as we were both bigggg fans of Frank’s I was seated in an isle seat and as frank finished the show he walked up to me and shook my hand made my day What a show and to think that an electrical offi r off a ship from Scotland shook hands with. The one and only. Frank sinatra
You can download the bootleg here:
http://soundboard.cf/index.php/kollektion/alben/item/6-swing/256-december-down-under
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My violin teacher Cliff Hanney led the orchestra
for Frank Sinatra’s tour of Australia. Cliff said that this tour had been the top of his career.
A CD is released of the Sydney concert …it is part of the Australian 2015 2CD release of the album Ultimate Sinatra
I shot 2 ¼ ” colour slides that night from the 2nd row.
John you can buy the cd and DVD of that concert at JB Hifi
That Sydney concert Dec 2nd 1961 is going to be released this month with other concerts Sinatra on tour on 21st of this month it is a box set” Wotld On AString” Amazon.
are there still comments allowed on this site in 2017?
I have the master tapes (reel to reel) of both the Sydney concert & the Melbourne concert by Sinatra.They are unedited & record the whole programme with Frank interacting with the crowd, joking, commenting on songs,requests by the crowd etc etc.The Melbourne concert was never officially recorded & rumour was that there was a recording made.I now can verify that there was & I have it.These are part of a find that in the music industry can compare to the discovery of the treasure found in King Tut’s Tomb in Egypt! In all there were 30 full length double sided 8 inch Reel to Reel tapes of Sinatra.These were not commercially recorded tapes of Sinatra for sale in shops,but blank tapes used to record a major number of Sinatra’s concerts,nightclub shows & other appearances throughout American states & overseas from the early 1950’s to the 1970’s incl.the 1960’s Australian concerts.The Big mystery is who made the recordings?Who had access to all of these appearances over such a long over so many venues across the USA & Worldwide?Who would Frank trust enough to allow these recordings? Surely it must have been a Producer or Band leader or even Frank himself as no one would be allowed to carry one of these heavy big sized recorders on stage & plug it into the powerpoint on each of these appearances? And what of the 3 full length unedited Studio recordings of Sinatra joking & coughing & commenting on the songs,many of which were never released? Were these made by the same person or were they personal copies kept by Frank?And of course how did they end up in far flung Australia on a rubbish dump? Hopefully some fan can throw some light on this intriguing mystery!
An absolute gold mine! Meanwhile NSU Records @nsurecords are pushing out content upwards of $40 a CD
Do you have a trade list please?
Hello, would you be interested in trading?
Thanks!
Well you have my attention!…
My Dads name was Ken Brentnall, and he played trumpet on most of the Sinatra Tours in Australia after being a cameraman at TCN in ’56 and I would love to see footage of this concert. I’d love to see if he was there. I know he did the late 60’s – 70’s tours but I don’t know if he did the 61 tour….I was only one year old.
Hi peter my mother Janice Stafford says she played backing Sinatra … would your Dad know of her ?
Does anyone know who played sax at these concerts