Sergio Franchi discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 33 |
Live albums | 2 |
Compilation albums | 9 |
EPs | 4 |
Singles | 26 |
Soundtrack albums | 1 |
Original cast recordings | 1 |
Collaborations | 3 |
Music DVDs | 1 |
The discography of Sergio Franchi, the Italian-American tenor (1926–1990),[1] consists of a total of thirty-five albums: Two live albums, and thirty-three studio albums (USA and Italy). The studio albums are further identified as collaborations (soundtracks, opera, & original cast), and nine are compilation albums (USA and Italy). The Live category included an LP album (1965) and a CD album (released posthumously) of selected songs extracted from Franchi's twenty-four Live TV appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[2] This discography also includes thirty (one single recorded on two labels) single and EP albums recorded or released in various venues.
Sergio Franchi's American debut album, Romantic Italian Songs, was released on October 6, 1962 and had reached a peak position of seventeen on the Billboard 200 albums chart by the end of the year. The following year three of his albums hit the charts, while Romantic Italian Songs continued at number thirty-three. Our Man From Italy peaked at number sixty-six, and Broadway—I Love You! peaked at number one hundred and three on the Billboard 200. Also in 1963, Franchi recorded an album of duets with the Metropolitan Opera star, Anna Moffo: The Dream Duet peaked at position number ninety-seven on the Billboard 200. In 1965 Sergio Franchi once again had multiple albums on the Billboard 200. Live At The Coconut Grove peaked at number one hundred fourteen early in the year (recorded late in 1964, but released in 1965). His Christmas album, The Heart of Christmas (Cour' Di Natale) was his second best performance peaking at number twenty five.[3] It charted again at number one hundred eight in 1967. Eight years after his 1990 death, (and thirty-six years after its first release) Sergio Franchi's American debut album, Romantic Italian Songs, (re-released as a CD in 11-97) reached a peak position on the Billboard 200 at number one hundred sixty-seven in 1998.[3] Many of his studio albums (and several of his singles) were selected for Special Merit and Spotlight awards by Billboard magazine (see Notes below).
Sergio Franchi's Christmas album contained two very notable original songs: "Buon Natale (Christmas in Rome)" written for him by his first musical director, Neil Warner; and the title song "The Heart of Christmas (Cuor' Di Natale)" written by Anthony Velona. Since his death, RCA has released these two (and other Franchi Christmas songs) on dozens of collaboration albums not listed here.[3][4]
Four of these original LP albums have been re-mastered and reissued on CDs. [See CD section below]
Year | Album Name | Album Details | US Peak positions | Conductor | Recording Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | Romantic Italian Songs Note 1 | RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2640 | 17 | Wally Stott Conductor | Recorded in England |
1963 | Our Man From Italy Note 2 | RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2657 | 66 | Henri Rene Conductor | Not stated |
1963 | Broadway—I Love You! Note 3 | RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2674 | 103 | Glenn Osser Conductor | Not stated |
1963 | The Dream Duet (Sergio Franchi and Anna Moffo) Note 4 | RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2675 | 97 | Henri Rene Conductor | Not stated |
1964 | Women In My Life | RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2696 | – | Wally Stott Conductor | Recorded in England |
1964 | The Exciting Voice of Sergio Franchi Note 5 | RCA Victor LSP-2943 | – | Stan Applebaum Conductor | Webster Hall |
1965 | The Songs of Richard Rodgers Note 6 | RCA Victor LSP-3365 | – | Marty Manning Conductor | Webster Hall |
1965 | The Heart of Christmas (Cuor' Di Natale) Note 7 | RCA Victor LSP-3437 | 25 | Marty Gold Conductor | Webster Hall |
1966 | La Dolce Italy Note 8 | RCA Victor LSP-3500 | – | Frank Hunter Conductor | RCA Music Center of World, CA |
1967 | From Sergio - With Love | RCA Victor LSP-3654 | – | Marty Gold Conductor | Webster Hall |
1967 | There Goes My Heart Note 9 | RCA Victor LSP-3810 | – | Marty Gold Conductor | Webster Hall |
1968 | I'm A Fool To Want You Note 10 | RCA Victor LSP-3933 | – | Sandy Block, Band Leader | RCA Victor Studio A, NYC |
1968 | Wine And Song | RCA Victor LSP-4018 | – | Eric Knight Conductor | RCA Studio A, NYC Note 11 |
1970 | Within Me | United Artists UAS 6727 | – | Arrangement Credits Only | Not Stated |
1972 | Sergio Franchi | Metromedia MD 1047 | – | Mike Berniker, Producer | Allegro Sound Studios |
1976 | TeleHouse Presents - Sergio Franchi | TeleHouse CD 2045 | – | Wayne J. Kirby, Producer | Not stated |
1976 | 20 Magnificent Songs | DynaHouse CD 2029 (Australia) | – | Wayne J. Kirby, Producer | Not stated |
1976 | Con Amore Sergio Note 12 | Gold Records GR 1001 | – | Arrangement Credits Only | Not stated |
1989 | Encore! Note 13 | I.F. Productions YP100189 | – | Sergio Franchi & Jon Russell, Producers | Not Stated |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
This section contains two live albums: Sergio Franchi's 1965 Live recording (LP), and a 2008 CD issued posthumously by Sofa Entertainment from the archives of The Ed Sullivan Show.
Year | Album Name | Album Details | US Peak positions | Conductor | Recording Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1965 | Sergio Franchi Live! At The Coconut Grove Note 1 | RCA Victor 3310 | 114 | Freddie Martin Orchestra, Neil Warner Directing | Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles) |
2008 | Sergio Franchi on The Ed Sullivan Show Note 2 | Sofa Entertainment, Inc. | – | Ray Bloch Conductor | CBS Studios (New York City) |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Since Sergio Franchi's death in 1990, RCA has released several of his Christmas songs on dozens of collaboration albums.[3] Several of these collaboration albums are incorrectly listed by Allrovi.com as primary studio albums.
This collaboration album named Buon Natale - Christmas in Italy was released by Four Corners (FCL 4223), and contained four songs (Christmas carols) recorded by Sergio Franchi in Italy. The other album carols are by un-related artists. These same four Sergio Franchi Christmas carols were also contained on the 1965 Durium compilation, Buon Natale which contained twelve Franchi songs.
The 1965 Original Cast Recording of Do I Hear a Waltz? was reissued in 1992 as CD on Sony #SK48206. The 1963 recording of The Great Moments From Die Fledermaus was re-mastered and re-issued in 1999 as CD on BMG #0902663468-2.
Year | Album Name | Album Details | Conductor | Recording Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | San Remo 1960 Note 1 | Durium MSA 77027 | Federico Bergamini (Franchi tracks) | Durium in Italy |
1965 | Buon Natale - Christmas in Italy | Four Corners FCL 4223 | Franco Cassano (Franchi's tracks) | Durium in Italy |
1964 | The Great Moments from Die Fledermaus Note 2 | RCA Victor Red Seal 2728 | Oskar Danon | Recorded in Vienna 1963 |
1965 | Do I Hear a Waltz? Note 3 Note 4 | Columbia Masterworks KOL 6370 | Frederick Dvench, Musical Director | CBS 30th St Studio, NYC |
1969 | The Secret of Santa Vittoria Note 5 Note 6 | United Artists UAS 5200 | Ernest Gold | Not Stated |
These compilation LP albums were primary reissues of previously recorded tracks. All of the songs/tracks are by Sergio Franchi. The album, This is Sergio Franchi continues to be incorrectly listed by Allrovi.com as a studio album. Franchi recorded his last studio album for RCA Victor in 1968. This popular 1973 compilation was re-mastered and re-issued as a CD in 1988 as BMG #886972403328.
Year | Album Title | Album Number | Recording Details |
---|---|---|---|
1973 | This is Sergio Franchi Note 1 | RCA VPS-6082 | Digitally remastered by RCA in 1988 as CD Note 2 |
1975 | The Best of Sergio Franchi | RCA ANL1-1070 | Issued in RCA's budget priced "Pure Gold" Series |
1976 | Sergio Franchi Sings Volare | RCA DLP-10186 | Chrysler Corporation Promo Album |
1977 | Sergio Franchi / Volare Note 3 | RCA APL1-2132 | RCA's 15th Anniversary (Recording Contract) Tribute to Sergio |
1998 | The Beautiful Music Company Presents Sergio Franchi | RCA/BMG Special Products DMC 12137 | New Compilation Issued as CD |
Three LP albums of Sergio Franchi's Italian recordings published in America are simply labeled as being recorded by Durium Records (active from 1935–1985) in Italy. These Italian recordings were released on three USA albums early in his career in America. No recording dates or original Italian album names were listed on the albums, but have been dated; production and musical credits are missing. These studio album recordings consist of 25 songs recorded in the Italian language.[53][54][55] The 1965 compilation, Buon Natale, contains the four Franchi Durium Christmas recordings, and repeats eight other Durium recordings contained within the other three compilation albums. [As an important historical footnote, it should be disclosed that Durium, its parent company RCA Italiana, and RCA Victor were all acquired by BMG. Technically, BMG owns most (if not all) of Franchi's recordings produced before 1970. One exception would be any recordings produced in South Africa.]
Year | Album Title | Album Number | Recording Details |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | The Golden Voice of Italy | London International TW 91291 | Durium in Italy |
1965 | Sergio Franchi Sings In Italian - Il Fantastico! | Four Corners Records FCL 4228 | Durium in Italy |
1965 | La Bella Italia | Four Corners Records FCL 4221 | Durium in Italy |
1965 | Buon Natale | Durium DRL 50012 | Released in UK by PYE Records Ltd. |
Promoted by RCA Victor as an album artist, Sergio Franchi never had an actual "hit single" on his American recordings. Many of his single and EP recordings were hits in the sense that they were singles from his hit Billboard 200 albums.
Year | Song Title | Recording Details |
---|---|---|
1959 | "Amore mio" | Durium 16647 (UK) |
1960 | "Our Concerto (Il nostro concerto)" | Durium 16653 (UK) |
1960 |
|
Durium 6874[56] |
1960 | Sergio Franchi (EP) Note 1
|
Durium EPA 3212 |
1960 | San Remo 1960 (EP)
|
Durium ECGE 75144 Note 2 |
1960 | Sergio Franchi Sings (EP)
|
Durium U 20071 (UK) |
1961 |
|
Durium LDA 7013 |
n.d. | Durium DC 26098 (Canada)Note 4 | |
n.d. |
|
Durium DC 26099 (Canada) |
Year | Song Title | Recording Details |
---|---|---|
1962 |
|
RCA 1289 (UK)Note 5 |
1962 | Romantic Italian Songs (EP)
|
Victor of Japan SCP 3520 |
1963 | Our Man From Italy (EP)[57]
|
German RCA EPA 9080 |
1963 | Our Man From Italy (EP)
|
Victor of Japan SHP 2220 |
1963 |
|
RCA 47-8103 |
1963 |
|
RCA 47-8149 |
1964 |
|
RCA 47-8315 |
1964 |
|
RCA 47-8409 |
1965 |
|
RCA 47-8552 |
1965 |
|
RCA 47-8686 |
1967 |
|
RCA 1603 (UK) |
1967 |
|
RCA 47-9124 |
1967 |
|
RCA 47-9277 |
1968 |
|
RCA 47-9471 |
1968 |
|
UA 91350 (France) Note 10 |
1968 |
|
UA 1696 (Japan) |
1969 |
|
UA 50612 |
1970 |
|
UA 50630 |
1970 |
|
UA 50664 |
1970 |
|
UA 50681 |
1971 |
|
Metro 219 |
1972 |
|
Metro 238 |
1972 |
|
SG 1208 (Rooster Emblem) Note 13 |
1979 |
|
L.A. International L33-1856 |
1980 |
|
Bulldog BD 19 |