Frank D'Rone

You Stepped Out Of A Dream

Frank D'Rone
Mercury Records
Custom High Fidelity Mercury MG 20497
1961

From the back cover: The two years that span the period between Frank D'Rone's first Mercury album, Frank D'Rone Sings (MG20418 in monaural; SR 60064 in stereo); and this his third package represents over 24 months of working to audiences, ranging from the millions who view and hear the Como TV-er to the intimate boîte goers from San Francisco to New York. The contrast and development of a singing heart is easily evident. The D'Rone who came into a Chicago recording studio in 1959 was a guitarist of repute, more relying on his fantastic musical technique than on song salesmanship. For D'Rone, still well under 30, was in 1959 a master musician who had bagged top honors as a teen-ager in national guitar competition. Not a popular type competition judged by a studio audience, but a national contest by an association of guitar teachers judged by at the peers of the stringed instrument.

In Try A Little Tenderness, the album has a choice title song. For D'Rone proves that the 24 months spent with live audiences has proven a great schooling. This is a romantic album, which ranks in emotion with any ever done. The accent is on getting the thought of the lyric across with the greatest possible impact. You'll find a greater vocal control, too, from warbling in all types of entertainment effort. D'Rone's phrasing for the sake of putting over the word and not for the sake of making it a swinging' renditions is most evident.

Blue Velvet
Long Ago (And Far Away)
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
There's A Small Hotel
I Love You
Try A Little Tenderness
The Rest Of The Way
Misty
I Wish I Knew
Invitation
Gone With The Wind
Love Is A Simple Thing