LP record Come Fly with Me — Frank Sinatra with Billy May and his Orchestra (Capitol W920), Cuban pressing Hecho en Cuba por Panart Nacionalizada

Audio Recording

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

LP record "Come Fly with Me" — Frank Sinatra with Billy May and his Orchestra (Capitol W920), Cuban pressing "Hecho en Cuba por Panart Nacionalizada"

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.311

Description

A 12-inch, 33⅓ rpm long-play vinyl record in a printed paper sleeve — a Cuban-manufactured pressing of Frank Sinatra's 1958 Capitol concept album of travel songs, arranged and conducted by Billy May. The white Cuban "Capitol Discos" disc label (blue Capitol oval, "Alta Fidelidad / Long Playing") gives the catalog number W-920 and is stamped "Hecho en Cuba".

Context

This is one of the most historically precise objects in the collection, because the "Panart Nacionalizada" imprint existed only for a brief window and dates the disc almost to the month. Panart was one of the first and most successful independent record labels in Cuba, founded in 1944 by the engineer Ramón Sabat, and it had served as the Cuban distributor and presser for several foreign labels, including Odeon, Musart, Sonora, and Capitol Records — which is exactly why a Capitol/Sinatra title was being pressed in Havana. Then came the rupture: on May 29, 1961, Panart's studios and factory were seized by the government, and for a short period, until 1962, its records were sold as "Panart Nacionalizada" to reflect this; between 1962 and 1964 the Imprenta Nacional de Cuba was the only legal Cuban label, and in 1964 EGREM took over Panart's facilities. This pressing therefore dates to the narrow 1961–1962 transitional moment — after the seizure, before the EGREM reorganization — when the newly nationalized Cuban plant was still turning out American major-label pop from the catalog Panart had distributed. A jet-age fantasy of frictionless global travel ("Come Fly with Me," "Around the World," "It's Nice to Go Trav'ling"), pressed in a Havana that was being cut off from precisely that world.

Audio Format

33 RPM Record

Recording Type

Music

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection, Leopoldo Arús Gálvez collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Album Detail

Contributors

Contributor

Frank Sinatra

Role

Singer

Contributor

Billy May and his Orchestra

Role

Band

Record Label

Capitol Records, Panart Nacionalizada

Musical Genre

Jazz

Release Date

circa 1961

Place Recorded

City

Los Angeles

Region

Southern California

Continent

North America

Language

English

Album Artwork Description

The front cover is a simplified, locally printed version — the title and "Frank Sinatra" in dark-green block letters on yellow, with the Capitol logo, rather than the original US illustrated (TWA airliner) artwork. The back reproduces the original Capitol back cover (Sinatra photo, "Flight Plan" track list, "from the Flight Log" notes) and carries, at the foot, the crucial line "Hecho en Cuba por Panart Nacionalizada."

Notes

The original recording was made in Hollywood / Los Angeles, USA (Capitol, 1957–58). This copy was manufactured (pressed) in Havana (La Habana), Cuba, at the nationalized Panart plant (Calle San Miguel No. 410, Centro Habana — the facility that soon became EGREM's Areíto studios). Dating: the "Panart Nacionalizada" imprint fixes this to c. 1961–1962

Track Details

Title

Come fly with me

Track Contributors

Contributor

Sammy Cahn

Role

Lyricist

Contributor

James Van Heusen

Role

Composer

Title

Around the world

Track Contributors

Contributor

Harold Adamson

Role

Lyricist

Contributor

Victor Young

Role

Composer

Title

Isle of Capri

Track Contributors

Contributor

Jimmy Kennedy

Role

Lyricist

Contributor

Will Grosz

Role

Composer

Title

Moonlight in Vermont

Track Contributors

Contributor

John Blackburn

Role

Lyricist

Contributor

Karl Suessdorf

Role

Composer

Title

Autumn in New York

Track Contributors

Contributor

Vernon Duke

Role

Composer

Title

On the road to Manadalay

Track Contributors

Contributor

Oley Speaks

Role

Composer

Contributor

Rudyard Kipling

Role

Lyricist

Title

Let's get away from it all

Track Contributors

Contributor

Matt Dennis

Role

Lyricist

Contributor

Tom Adair

Role

Composer

Title

April in Paris

Track Contributors

Contributor

Yip Harburg

Role

Lyricist

Contributor

Vernon Duke

Role

Composer

Title

London by night

Track Contributors

Contributor

Caroll Coates

Role

Composer

Title

Brazil

Track Contributors

Contributor

Ary Barroso

Role

Composer

Contributor

Bob Russell

Role

Lyricist

Title

Blue Hawaii

Track Contributors

Contributor

Leo Robin

Role

Lyricist

Contributor

Ralph Rainger

Role

Composer

Title

It's nice to go trav'ling

Track Contributors

Contributor

James Van Heusen

Role

Composer

Contributor

Sammy Cahn

Role

Lyricist

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Location

Back cover

Transcription

Come fly with me Frank Sinatra with Billy May and his Orchestra Here's Frank Sinatra at his jaunty, romantic best-- personally guiding you on a high-flying musical tour that spans three continents! Flight plan Side One: COME FLY WITH ME - AROUND THE WORLD - ISLE OF CAPRI - MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT - AUTUMN IN NEW YORK - ON THE ROAD TO MANDALAY Side Two: LET'S GET AWAY FROM IT ALL - APRIL IN PARIS - LONDON BY NIGHT - BRAZIL - BLUE HAWAII - IT'S NICE TO GO TRAV'LING from the FLIGHT LOG AUTUMN IN NEW YORK never found the flying better. Manhattan under the wings, with a soft, breezy quality in those sensitive Sinatra tone. APRIL IN PARIS lay-over for a stroll through those fascinating Paris streets with the romantic Sinatra voice as guide. ISLE OF CAPRI Musical climate gay and swingy. Approach is free-and-easy. Smooth take-off. ROAD TO MANDALAY running into a vocal instrumental storm. Billy May going wild at the controls. BRAZIL wheels touching down on a groovy runway in this hot, swirling land of Latin rhythms. BLUE HAWAII softly swaying palms and a lazy Sinatra sound. No air pockets over this vocal paradise! (Sinatra to Co-Pilot) It's nice to go trav'ling... but it's "Oh, so nice to come home!"

Material/Technique

Ink

Notes

Back cover description

Type

Note

Location

Top left back cover

Transcription

Carolina Mi Janes

Material/Technique

Pen

Type

Stamp

Location

Top right back cover

Transcription

52

Notes

Number taped on record to locate within record collection

Notes

other annotations "Carolina Mijares" and "Piña," inventory "52," price "$5.95."

Dimensions

Height

31 cm

Width

31 cm

Parts

vinyl, cover

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Panart Nacionalizada, Capitol Records

Person or Organization

Frank Sinatra

Notes

artist

Person or Organization

Leopoldo Arús Gálvez

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Los Angeles

Region

Southern California

Continent

North America

Notes

recording

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

production, acquisition, use

Web Links and URLs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panart

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

May 27, 2022

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 16, 2026