Coming soon: Expanded reissue of 1970 Frank Sinatra concept album 'Watertown'

The legacy of Frank Sinatra includes a studio album no one anticipated: Watertown. Recorded in 1969 and released in 1970, the concept of Watertown unfolds as a personal tragedy about a working man with children whose wife suddenly leaves him.

On June 3, Frank Sinatra Enterprises and UMe present Watertown, newly mixed and remastered from the original Reprise session tapes. The original album sequence will be available on vinyl, while the CD and digital editions will feature eight bonus tracks, including alternate takes from the recording sessions, two radio ads and “Lady Day,” which was not part of the Watertown concept. Charles Pignone produced the updated edition from the new mixes created by longtime Sinatra engineer Larry Walsh – the team behind recent FSE/UMe releases Sings for Only the Lonely and Nice ‘N’ Easy.

Watertown will also feature, in addition to a recreation of the original packaging, new liner notes, a track-by-track breakdown from songwriter and album producer Bob Gaudio, quotes from Sinatra, plus essays by Frankie Valli, co-writer Jake Holmes, among others who were involved in the original project.

All three formats – Watertown [LP] and Watertown: Deluxe Edition [CD + Digital] – are available for preorder here https://sinatra.lnk.to/WatertownPR. Siriusly Sinatra (SiriusXM Ch. 71) aired an exclusive Watertown special.

Upon Watertown’s release, fans and critics alike simply weren’t prepared for such a radical stylistic departure from Sinatra. Gaudio’s essay explains that Sinatra, with a level of empathy only he could achieve, was “reaching down into a man’s soul and feeling his pain and still finding hope.”

Track Lists:

FRANK SINATRA — WATERTOWN: EXPANDED EDITION [CD/DIGITAL]

1. Watertown
2. Goodbye (She Quietly Says)
3. For A While
4. Michael & Peter
5. I Would Be In Love (anyway)
6. Elizabeth
7. What A Funny Girl (You Used To Be)
8. What’s Now Is Now
9. She Says
10. The Train
11. Lady Day*
12. Lady Day (11/7/69)*
13. Watertown (Session Take)*
14. Goodbye (Session Take)*
15. The Train (Session Take)*
16. Lady Day (11/7/69) (Session Take)*
17. 1970 Reprise Radio Promo #1*
18. 1970 Reprise Radio Promo #2*
*Bonus Tracks

For more information about Frank Sinatra, visit sinatra.com.