“My Way” (1969) – Frank Sinatra * Written by Claude Francois, Gilles Thibaut, Jacques Revaux, Paul Anka * LP: My Way (Reprise, 1969) * 45: “My Way”/”Blue Lace” (Billboard #27, easy listening #2) * Produced by Sonny Burke * Arranged by Don Costa
Paul Anka took a melody from a song he’d heard in France and wrote the lyrics of a lifetime for Frank Sinatra, who had mentioned to Anka he was thinking of retiring. The song became something of a signature ball and chain for Sinatra, who kept on performing long past 1969. (Had he known “My Way” would someday turn into a deadly machismo-measuring tool in Filipino karaoke bars, he might have scrapped it altogether.) Sinatra famously insisted on doing his vocals in one take, which adds a fascination factor to his records. On this otherwise iconic version of “My Way,” though, the spell gets broken because of an obvious splice after the first chorus at 2:26.