Cycles (Frank Sinatra album)

Cycles is a studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1968.

Cycles
Studio album by Frank Sinatra
Released	November 1968
Recorded	July 24 – November 14, 1968, New York City and Hollywood
Genre	Traditional pop easy listening
Length	32:40
Label	Reprise FS 1027
Producer	Don Costa
Frank Sinatra chronology
The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas (1968) Cycles (1968) My Way (1969)

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Released just before Christmas in 1968, there was a ten-month gap between the release of Francis A. & Edward K. and this album, which was the longest period in Sinatra's Reprise years in which he did not commercially record music (barring his contributions to The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas).

Sinatra sang a variety of folk-rock oriented songs, including Judy Collins' hit "Both Sides Now" (written by Joni Mitchell) and the Glen Campbell hits "Gentle on My Mind" (written by John Hartford) and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (written by Jimmy Webb). The title song was released as a single, reaching #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Easy Listening chart, while the album peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Production

Cycles was recorded in Los Angeles during one session that lasted three hours from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. During the session, 25 people including George Harrison, Pattie Boyd, and Tiny Tim came and visited Sinatra.

As seen on the front cover, the song "Wait by the Fire" by Al Gorgoni and Chip Taylor and was supposed to appear on the album, but Sinatra scrapped the song and substituted "My Way of Life" after the cover had already been printed.

Track listing

1. "Rain in My Heart" (Teddy Randazzo, Victoria Pike) – 3:20
2. "From Both Sides, Now" (Joni Mitchell) – 2:55
3. "Little Green Apples" (Bobby Russell) – 5:00
4. "Pretty Colors" (Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor) – 2:35
5. "Cycles" (Gayle Caldwell) – 3:07
6. "Wandering" (Caldwell) – 2:45
7. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Jimmy Webb) – 3:55
8. "Moody River" (Gary D. Bruce) – 2:33
9. "My Way of Life" (Bert Kaempfert, Herb Rehbein, Carl Sigman) – 3:05
10. "Gentle on My Mind" (John Hartford) – 3:25

Complete personnel

• Frank Sinatra - Vocals
• Don Costa - Producer, Arranger, Composer
• Bill Miller - Conductor

Tracks 1, 2, 6:

14-November-1968 (Thursday) - Hollywood. Western Recorders (from 8 P.M. to 12 M.).

Conte Candoli (tpt); Hoyt Bohannon, Dick Nash, Dick Noel (tbn); Ken Shroyer (b-tbn); Richard Perissi, John Cave, Vincent DeRosa, William Hinshaw (fr-h); Israel Baker, Bonnie Douglas, Jacques Gasselin, Stanley Plummer, Lou Rader- man, Nathan Ross, Mischa Russell, Paul Shure, Marshall Sosson, Joe Stepansky (vln); Alvin Dinkin, Allan Harshman, Alex Neiman, Paul Robyn (vla); Joseph Saxon, Justin DiTullio, Armand Kaproff, Ray Kramer (vie); Kathryn Julye (harp); Pete Jolly (p); Bobby Gibbons, Bill Pitman, Al Viola (g); Chuck Berghofer (b); Irving Cottler (d); Larry Bunker, Gary Coleman (perc). Don Costa (arr. all titles).

Tracks 3, 4, 8:

13-November-1968 (Wednesday) - Hollywood. Western Recorders (from 8 to 11 P.M.).

Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli (tpt); Emo Neufeld, Jacques Gasselin, Lou Raderman, Mischa Russell, James Getzoff, Nathan Ross, Paul Shure, Marshall Sosson, Joe Stepansky, Gerald Vinci (vln); Paul Robyn, Alvin Dinkin, Alex Neiman, Allan Harshman (via); Armand Kaproff, Nino Rosso, Joseph Saxon, Justin DiTullio (vie); Kathryn Julye (harp); Pete Jolly (p); Al Viola, Bill Pitman, David Cohen (g); Joe Mondragon (b); Irving Cottler (d); Milt Holland, Emil Richards (perc); Nancy Adams, Betty Baker, Vangie Carmichael, Bill Cole, Ronald Hicklin, Sally Stevens, Robert Tebow, Robert Zwim (voe [l]). Don Costa (arr - all titles).

Tracks 5, 9:

25-July-1968 (Thursday) - New York. Columbia Recording Studio (from 2 to 6:30 P.M.).

Urbie Green, Johnny Messner, Buddy Morrow (tbn); Paul Faulise (b-tbn); Richard Berg, Fred Klein, Albert Richmond, Joseph De Angelis (fr-h); Fred Buldrini, Peter Buonconsiglio, Harry Katzman, George Ockner, Tosha Samaroff, Julius Schachter, Joe Malin, Felix Giglio, Stanley Karpienia, Carmel Malin, Alvin Rogers, Jesse Tryon (vln); Alfred Brown, Harold Furmansky, Emanuel Vardi, Norman Forrest (vla); Maurice Brown, Charles McCracken, David Moore, Harry Wimmer (vie); Robert Maxwell (harp); Ernest Hayes (p/cel); Ralph Casale, Al Casamenti, Bucky Pizzarelli (g); Frank Bruno (b); Nick Perito (accordion); Douglas Allan, Buddy Saltzman (d/perc); William Bronson, Lillian Clark, Harry Duvall, Corina Manetto, Ronald Martin, Linda November, James Ryan, Louise Stuart (voe - on all titles). Don Costa (arr - all titles).

Tracks 7, 10:

12-November-1968 (Tuesday) - Hollywood. Western Recorders (from 8 to 11 P.M.).

Israel Baker, Harry Bluestone, Jacques Gasselin, James Getzoff, Bernard Kundell, Lou Raderman, Mischa Russell, Marshall Sosson, Joe Stepansky, Gerald Vinci (vln); Paul Robyn, Virginia Majewski, Alex Neiman, Barbara Simons (via); Edwin Beach, Armand Kaproff, Nino Rosso, Justin DiTullio (vlc); Kathryn Julye (harp); Pete Jolly (p); David Cohen, Bill Pitman, Al Viola (g); Chuck Berghofer (b); Irving Cottler (d); Gary Coleman, Kenneth Watson (perc). Don Costa (arr - all titles).

In popular culture

In 2022, the song "My Way of Life" was featured in the mid-credits scene of the Moon Knight episode "Gods and Monsters."