Cover: "My Way" (Paul Anka) Performed by Darren Evorglens

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The English lyrics for "My Way" were written by Paul Anka and popularized by Frank Sinatra. The melody is based on a French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Claude François and Jacques Revaux. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the original French by Claude François and Gilles Thibaut and Anka is credited as a co-composer of "My Way" because he largely re-wrote the song. "My Way" is often quoted as the most remade song in history.

Paul Anka heard the original 1967 French pop song, Comme d'habitude (as usual) performed by Claude Francois with music by Claude Francois and Jacques Revaux and lyrics by Claude Francois and Gilles Thibault, while on holiday in the south of France. He flew to Paris to negotiate the rights to the song. In a 2007 interview, he said: "I thought it was a bad record, but there was something in it." He acquired publishing rights at no cost and, two years later, had a dinner in Florida with Frank Sinatra and "a couple of Mob guys" at which Sinatra said he was "quitting the business. I'm sick of it, I'm getting the hell out".

Back in New York, Anka re-wrote the original French song for Sinatra, subtly altering the melodic structure and changing the lyrics: "At one o'clock in the morning, I sat down at an old IBM electric typewriter and said, 'If Frank were writing this, what would he say?' And I started, metaphorically, 'And now the end is near.' I read a lot of periodicals, and I noticed everything was 'my this' and 'my that'. We were in the 'me generation' and Frank became the guy for me to use to say that. I used words I would never use: 'I ate it up and spit it out.' But that's the way he talked. I used to be around steam rooms with the Rat Pack guys - they liked to talk like Mob guys, even though they would have been scared of their own shadows." Anka finished the song at 5am. "I called Frank up in Nevada - he was at Caesar's Palace - and said, 'I've got something really special for you.'" Anka claimed: "When my record company caught wind of it, they were very pissed that I didn't keep it for myself. I said, 'Hey, I can write it, but I'm not the guy to sing it.' It was for Frank, no one else."

Frank Sinatra recorded his version of the song on December 30, 1968 and it was rush-released in early 1969. It reached #27 in the U.S. In the UK the single achieved a still unmatched record, becoming the recording with most weeks inside the Top 40. It spent 75 weeks between April 1969 and Sep 1971. It has spent a further 49 weeks in the Top 75 but never bettered the #5 slot achieved upon its first chart run.

Elvis Presley began performing the song in concert during the mid-1970s, in spite of suggestions by Paul Anka, who told him it was not a song that would suit him. Nevertheless, on January 12 and 14 of 1973 Presley sang the song during his satellite show "Aloha from Hawaii", beamed live and on deferred basis (for European audiences, who also saw it in prime time), to 43 countries via Intelsat, the only time that a single entertainer faced such a worldwide audience. In the continental US, the show was carried by NBC, and shown in primetime on 14 April, thus achieving very high ratings and eventually helping the show reach a worldwide viewership of over 1 billion.

On October 3, 1977, several weeks after his death, his live recording of "My Way" (recorded for the "Elvis In Concert" CBS-TV special on June 21, 1977) was released as a single. In the U.S., it reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart (higher than Frank Sinatra's peak position), number 6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the single also went Gold for its successful sales of over half a million copies. The following year reached number 2 on the Billboard Country singles chart but went all the way to number 1 on the rival Cash Box Country Singles chart. In the UK, it reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart.

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[DBTWENTYSIX]

Great

[lloydhorlick]

Nice job! Like me, you seem to really enjoy singing the songs of ole Blue Eyes!

[click1119]

Darren ..this is fabulous Buddy...I loved it from start to finish...right up there with the King Buddy...for a live performance...outstanding !!

Mike

[AMERICOMIREY]

Terrific!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



[Everywonlies]

I want to have babies w u.. ;)

[AbbbasGirl]

Very impressive!

[bishopaz]

my goodness, a thumbs up man.good job.

[DeedleDeedleDumplin]

Excellent. Sadly, we can't all do it our way :)

[liltj1975]

OMG WOW, I am speechless I am a fan for life. Especially with a voice like yours you really do sound like the king. Thank you keep up the awesome singing. :)

[klaritydawn]

YES he should be getting paid....why are u not getting paid? You should be out there for Everyone to see and hear but then I bet u would forget us little people...lol! He is Sexy but not sure that even covers it but we'll go with that for now.. He's a doll! I guess that is your dad you're singing to? You're in Canada? My bff lives there!! Okay whoever the chick is that is screaming.....I think that's great! She's cracking me up! I'm sure I'd be screaming too! Loved it as always!