Frank Sinatra’s In The Wee Small Hours (Capitol Records, 1955) remains one of the most influential albums in popular music history. Often described as a melancholy masterpiece of lost love and heartbreak, the record marked a turning point in Sinatra’s career—cementing his transition into a more mature, emotionally raw vocalist.
Produced by Voyle Gilmore with sublime arrangements from Nelson Riddle, the album presented deeply personal interpretations of Great American Songbook standards, including “Mood Indigo,” “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” and the haunting title track. Unlike most records of the era, Sinatra conceived the project as a complete long-playing statement rather than a collection of singles—making it one of the very first concept albums in pop music, and also among the first to be issued as a 12-inch LP.
The impact was immediate: In The Wee Small Hours rose to #2 on the Billboard charts and solidified Sinatra’s comeback following his Capitol Records signing in 1953 and Academy Award win for From Here to Eternity. The record not only rejuvenated his career but also set the template for the confessional album format that countless artists would follow.
Now, the album receives the ultimate vinyl treatment through the acclaimed Blue Note Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series. Overseen by Joe Harley (the “Tone Poet”), mastered directly from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), this edition spares no detail. Packaged in a deluxe, tip-on gatefold jacket with session photos by William Claxton & Ken Veeder, the reissue stands as the definitive presentation of one of Sinatra’s most essential works.
Tracklist
Side A
A1 In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
A2 Mood Indigo
A3 Glad To Be Unhappy
A4 I Get Along Without You Very Well
A5 Deep In A Dream
A6 I See Your Face Before Me
A7 Can’t We Be Friends
A8 When Your Lover Is Gone
Side B
B1 What Is This Thing Called Love
B2 Last Night When We Were Young
B3 I’ll Be Around
B4 Ill Wind
B5 It Never Entered My Mind
B6 Dancing On the Ceiling
B7 I’ll Never Be the Same
B8 This Love of Mine