Trilogy: Past Present Future

1980 studio album by Frank Sinatra

Trilogy: Past Present Future

Studio album by

Frank Sinatra

Released| March 26, 1980
Recorded| July 17 - December 18, 1979
New York City, Los Angeles, Hollywood
Genre|

* Traditional pop
* jazz

Length| 106:11
Label| Reprise
3 FS 2330
Producer| Sonny Burke
Frank Sinatra chronology
| Sinatra–Jobim Sessions
(1974)  | Trilogy: Past Present Future
(1980)  | She Shot Me Down
(1981)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [1]

Trilogy: Past Present Future (or simply Trilogy) is the 55th studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in March 1980 through Reprise. The triple album included his last Top 40 hit: "Theme from New York, New York".

## Album concept[edit]

Each of the album's three records was conceived as an individual work portraying a different time epoch, and each was arranged by one of Sinatra's major collaborators: Billy May (The Past), Don Costa (The Present), and Gordon Jenkins (The Future). Nelson Riddle also contributed the arrangement of "Something" for The Present.

For "The Past," Sinatra recorded standards for the first time since the early 1960s: "The Song Is You," "It Had to Be You," "All of You". "The Present" concentrates on pop hits like "Love Me Tender", "Something", "Song Sung Blue", "MacArthur Park", and "Just the Way You Are". Stephen Thomas Erlewine's review described "The Future" as "a mess", although it was also called "ambitious, experimental, and self-referential — more of a freeform suite than a set of songs".[1]

## Reception[edit]

Trilogy: Past Present Future peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200.

At the Grammy Awards of 1981, Trilogy: Past Present Future was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and Sinatra's recording of "Theme from New York, New York" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. It won the Grammy Award for Best Album Notes.

On his WNEW-AM show, Jonathan Schwartz described the "Future" suite that forms the final part of this album as "narcissistic" and "a shocking embarrassment".[2] Sinatra rang to complain, and had Schwartz suspended from his job.[2]

Writing for Billboard in 2015, Bruce Handy said, "35 years after its March 1980 release, in this, the year of Sinatra’s 100th birthday, it remains one of the most ambitious, strange, brilliant and bloated albums of his or any other artist’s body of work."[3]

## Track listing[edit]

### "The Past"[edit]

Arranged by Billy May

Side One:

1. "The Song Is You" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 2:39
2. "But Not for Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 3:50
3. "I Had the Craziest Dream" (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) – 3:13
4. "It Had to Be You" (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn) – 3:53
5. "Let's Face the Music and Dance" (Irving Berlin) – 2:50

Side Two:

1. "Street of Dreams" (Sam M. Lewis, Victor Young) – 3:32
2. "My Shining Hour" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) – 3:21
3. "All of You" (Cole Porter) – 1:42
4. "More Than You Know" (Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu, Vincent Youmans) – 3:22
5. "They All Laughed" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:49

### "The Present"[edit]

Arranged by Don Costa, except "Something" arranged by Nelson Riddle

Side Three:

1. "You and Me (We Wanted It All)" (Carole Bayer Sager, Peter Allen) – 4:07
2. "Just the Way You Are" (Billy Joel) – 3:26
3. "Something" (George Harrison) – 4:42
4. "MacArthur Park" (Jimmy Webb) – 2:45
5. "Theme from New York, New York" (Fred Ebb, John Kander) – 3:26

Side Four:

1. "Summer Me, Winter Me" (Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand) – 4:02
2. "Song Sung Blue" (Neil Diamond) – 2:47
3. "For the Good Times" with Eileen Farrell (Kris Kristofferson) – 4:41
4. "Love Me Tender" (Vera Matson, Elvis Presley) – 3:34
5. "That's What God Looks Like to Me" (Lois Irwin, Lan O’Kun) – 2:55

### "The Future"[edit]

All songs written and arranged by Gordon Jenkins

Side Five:

1. "What Time Does the Next Miracle Leave?" – 10:44
* Soprano solo by Diana Lee
* Narration by Jerry Whitman
2. "World War None!" – 4:27
3. "The Future" – 4:05
* Alto solo by Beverly Jenkins

Side Six:

1. "The Future" (Continued): "I've Been There!" – 3:33
2. "The Future" (Conclusion): "Song Without Words" – 6:00
* Soprano solo by Loulie Jean Norman
* Alto solo by Beverly Jenkins
3. "Finale: Before the Music Ends" – 9:46

## Charts[edit]

Chart (1980)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 62

## Personnel[edit]

* Frank Sinatra \- vocals
* Sonny Burke \- producer
* Billy May \- arranger, conductor (section "The Past")
* Don Costa \- arranger, conductor (section "The Present")
* Gordon Jenkins \- arranger, conductor (section "The Future")

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Allmusic review
2. ^ a b Frankie and Jonathan – New York Times
3. ^ Handy, Bruce The Inside Story Behind the Making of Frank Sinatra's Ambitious and Wacky 1980 Three-Disc Album, 'Trilogy' Billboard. October 12, 2015
4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 275,276. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

* v
* t
* e

Frank Sinatra

* Early life
* Political life
* Records
* Songs
* Filmography
* Awards
* Personal life
* Style

Studio
albums|

| Columbia|

* The Voice of Frank Sinatra
* Songs by Sinatra
* Christmas Songs by Sinatra
* Frankly Sentimental
* Dedicated to You
* Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra

|

Capitol|

* Songs for Young Lovers
* Swing Easy!
* In the Wee Small Hours
* Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
* Close to You
* A Swingin' Affair!
* Where Are You?
* A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra
* Come Fly with Me
* Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
* Come Dance with Me!
* No One Cares
* Nice 'n' Easy
* Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!
* Come Swing with Me!
* Point of No Return
* Duets
* Duets II

Reprise|

* Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
* Sinatra Swings
* I Remember Tommy
* Sinatra and Strings
* Sinatra and Swingin' Brass
* All Alone
* Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain
* Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First
* The Concert Sinatra
* Sinatra's Sinatra
* Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners
* America, I Hear You Singing
* It Might as Well Be Swing
* 12 Songs of Christmas
* Softly, as I Leave You
* September of My Years
* My Kind of Broadway
* A Man and His Music
* Moonlight Sinatra
* Strangers in the Night
* That's Life
* Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim
* The World We Knew
* Francis A. & Edward K.
* The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas
* Cycles
* My Way
* A Man Alone
* Watertown
* Sinatra & Company
* Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back
* Some Nice Things I've Missed
* Trilogy: Past Present Future
* She Shot Me Down

Qwest|

* L.A. Is My Lady

Live
albums|

* Sinatra at the Sands
* The Main Event – Live
* Sinatra Saga
* Sinatra Saga, Vol. 2
* Sinatra & Sextet: Live in Paris
* Sinatra 80th: Live in Concert
* With Red Norvo Quintet: Live in Australia, 1959
* Sinatra '57 in Concert
* Live from Las Vegas
* Sinatra: Vegas
* Frank Sinatra: The Greatest Concerts
* Live at the Meadowlands
* Sinatra: New York
* Best of Vegas
* Sinatra: London
* Sinatra: World On a String
* Sinatra: Standing Room Only

Compilations|

* This Is Sinatra!
* This Is Sinatra Vol. 2
* Look to Your Heart
* All the Way
* Sinatra Sings of Love and Things
* Sinatra '65: The Singer Today
* Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits
* Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
* Portrait of Sinatra – Forty Songs from the Life of a Man
* Sinatra–Jobim Sessions
* Screen Sinatra
* All-Time Greatest Dorsey/Sinatra Hits, Vol. 1-4
* Capitol Collector's Series
* Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years
* Sinatra Sings the Songs of Van Heusen & Cahn
* Sinatra: Soundtrack to the CBS Mini-Series
* The Best of the Capitol Years
* Christmas Songs by Sinatra
* Gold Collection
* Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Johnny Mercer
* Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart
* The Complete Recordings Nineteen Thirty-Nine
* Sinatra 80th: All the Best
* Everything Happens to Me
* Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Cole Porter
* Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Sammy Cahn
* Greatest Hits: Early Years
* The Very Best of Frank Sinatra
* Portrait of Sinatra: Columbia Classics
* Lucky Numbers
* Classic Sinatra: His Greatest Performances 1953–1960
* Super Hits
* My Way: The Best of Frank Sinatra
* Love Songs
* Greatest Love Songs
* Christmas with the Rat Pack
* Frank Sinatra Christmas Collection
* Romance
* Duets/Duets II: 90th Birthday Limited Collector's Edition
* Romance: Songs from the Heart
* Sinatra at the Movies
* Nothing but the Best
* Seduction: Sinatra Sings of Love
* Classic Sinatra II
* Christmas with Sinatra & Friends
* 36 Greatest Hits!
* Come Fly Away
* Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings
* Sinatra/Basie: The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings
* Sinatra: Best of the Best
* Best of Duets
* Sinatra, with Love

Soundtrack
albums|

* High Society
* Young at Heart
* Robin and the 7 Hoods

Other
albums|

* Frank Sinatra Conducts the Music of Alec Wilder
* Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color
* The Man I Love
* Sleep Warm
* Frank Sinatra Conducts Music from Pictures and Plays
* Syms by Sinatra

Box
sets|

* Sinatra–Jobim Sessions
* The Reprise Collection
* The Capitol Years
* Concepts
* The Complete Recordings
* The Song Is You
* The V-Discs
* The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings
* The Complete Capitol Singles Collection
* The Best of the Columbia Years
* Frank Sinatra & the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
* The Capitol Years
* Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre
* Frank Sinatra in Hollywood
* The Real Complete Columbia Years V-Discs
* The Voice: Frank Sinatra, the Columbia Years (1943–1952)
* The Reprise Years
* Duets: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
* Ultimate Sinatra

Tribute
albums|

* A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra
* Perfectly Frank
* Manilow Sings Sinatra
* ...Allow Us to Be Frank
* Bolton Swings Sinatra: The Second Time Around
* A Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Tribute
films|

* The Rat Pack
* The Night We Called It a Day

Videography|

* A Man and His Music
* A Man and His Music – Part II
* A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim
* Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing
* Sinatra
* Sinatra in Concert at Royal Festival Hall
* Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back
* Sinatra – The Main Event
* Sinatra and Friends
* The First 40 Years
* The Man and His Music

Digital|

* Reprise Rarities (Volume 1)
* Reprise Rarities (Volume 2)
* Reprise Rarities (Volume 3)
* Reprise Rarities (Volume 4)
* Reprise Rarities (Volume 5)

Related|

* Frank Sinatra and Jewish activism
* "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold"
* Hoboken Four
* Hoboken statue
* Frank Sinatra Park
* My Way killings
* Nelson Riddle
* None but the Brave
* Rat Pack
* Sinatra Doctrine
* Twin Palms

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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