Seth MacFarlane is releasing a new album of never-before heard Frank Sinatra arrangements.
The Family Guy creator’s new vocal album ‘Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements’ consists of 12 previously unrecorded charts, which MacFarlane discovered when Sinatra’s daughter Tina allowed him to go through the singer’s massive musical library. It’s due for release on June 6.
The arrangements on the album were created for Sinatra by his collaborators Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Don Costa. MacFarlane recorded the new version at George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound Studios in California, working with a 70-piece orchestra led by British conductor John Wilson.
Speaking to Variety, MacFarlane said: “What’s special about what these [arrangers] did, and what’s unique about Sinatra’s role in this is that, with the possible exception of Nat King Cole, there really wasn’t any other vocalist of that era who seemed to understand the importance of an arrangement to the degree that Sinatra did.”
He continued: “He really had a love for the charts — he understood how they could elevate a vocal,” he continues. “What’s really telling is when you pull the vocal out and you’re just hearing the charts, what you’re hearing is a degree of artistry that is unmatched in popular music before or since. These charts alone, independent of the vocal part, were really high musical art.”
MacFarlane has repeatedly showcased his affection for Sinatra, swing music and the Rat Pack throughout Family Guy’s history. Episodes including ‘Roads To Vegas’ and ‘Brian Sings and Swings’ have featured swing music, and MacFarlane has often displayed his singing talents through voicing Sinatra-style musical numbers as Brian Griffin.
He also had a close relationship with Sinatra’s son, Frank Jr., who appeared on the animated show. “[He] used to do Family Guy periodically, and became a good friend to the show,” MacFarlane said.
“And when he passed away, stewardship of the library went to [Frank’s daughter] Tina Sinatra. I developed a friendship with her, and she remains a very close friend to this day. And she allowed us to go through the library, which at the time was about 1,200 boxes.”
In a statement to Variety, Tina Sinatra said: “Seth’s interest and knowledge of my father’s music is boundless. With arrangements by the masters, Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Don Costa, we can only wonder why these songs went un-produced. Thanks to Seth, we can now enjoy these lost Sinatra arrangements.”
MacFarlane said recently, as Family Guy celebrated its 25th anniversary, that he doesn’t see “a good reason” to end the show just yet. The original pilot episode of the show, only ever seen before as bonus content on a decades-old DVD, was finally shared online last month.
Elsewhere, MacFarlane is co-producer on the Liam Neeson-starring reboot of The Naked Gun, in UK cinemas from August 8.