In the Wee Small Hours is the ninth studio album by American vocalist Frank Sinatra. It was released in April 1955 by Capitol and produced by Voyle Gilmore with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. The album's songs deal with themes such as introspection, melancholy, lost love, failed relationships, depression and night life. The cover artwork reflects these themes, portraying Sinatra alone at night on an eerie and deserted city street awash in blue-tinged street lights.
In the Wee Small Hours
Ava Gardner, Sinatra's second wife, provided inspiration for the album
Francis Albert Sinatra was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century. Sinatra is among the world's best-selling music artists, with an estimated 150 million record sales globally.
Sinatra, c. 1957
Sinatra (far right) with the Hoboken Four on Major Bowes' Amateur Hour in 1935
Sinatra performing with Harry James at the Hollywood Canteen in 1943
Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey in Ship Ahoy (1942)