By Jerry Pearce

September 11th 1961. Things were coming to an end between Frank Sinatra and his record label of the preceding eight years, Capitol, and Sinatra couldn’t be happier. Fully immersed for more than a year in the amalgam of his own record label, Reprise, the singer couldn’t wait to fulfill the final recording project of his contract with Capitol, and while he was anxious to get the work over with, the album that would result would show no sign of rush on the part of the vocalist.

While his last album recorded for Capitol was a swingin,’ stompin,’ set of big band tunes, his third with arranger Billy May (Come Swing With Me!), his last album for Capitol would consist of tender, loving ballads and saloon songs, the songs Sinatra cemented his reputation on.
The album’s title: “Point of No Return.”

By Jerry Pearce

Thirty six years ago this week, Frank Sinatra was a busy man; having arrived in New York City early in the month of September 1981, Sinatra had two obligations to fulfill in the Big Apple: final recording sessions for his forthcoming saloon album “She Shot Me Down”, as well as an elite concert date at Carnegie Hall.

Having recorded selections throughout April, July and August of that year, Sinatra returned to the old Columbia Recording Studios (where much of his early recording successes of the 1940s took place) on 30th Street, during which he laid down two final selections with arrangements by Gordon Jenkins, conducted by Vincent Falcone, “Hey Look, No Crying” and “Monday Morning Quarterback.”