Frank Sinatra "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)"

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Here is the original recording of "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" made on July 8, 1944, more than 1 year before the commercial recording which I have previously uploaded. During and immediately after the Second World War Frank Sinatra made a series of special recordings known as V- Discs exclusively for members of the Armed Forces. This was one of them. As in the commercial recording, this was arranged and conducted by Axel Stordahl and was made at the KFWB Studio in Hollywood. It can be found in the 2 CD set, Frank Sinatra The V-Discs Years: 1943-1952 on Columbia Legacy, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. This collection is a must have for any serious Sinatra collector. According to Jimmy Van Heusen, he and his lyricist Johnny Burke were working at 20th Century-Fox composing for a film. While Burke was out of their writer's bungalow, Phil Silvers, the comedian, a friend to both, entered and suggested that they write a song for Johnny's wife, Bessie, who was soon to celebrate a birthday. Silvers provided the lyrics, later revised by Van Heusen and Burke. At the party they sang "Bessie... with the laughing face" It was such a hit that they used it at other female birthday events. When they sang it as "Nancy... with the laughing face" at little Nancy Sinatra's birthday party, Frank broke down and cried thinking that it was written specially for his daughter - the trio wisely didn't correct him.