My Way (Frank Sinatra album)

My Way
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 1969
RecordedDecember 30, 1968, February 18, 20, 24, 1969
StudioWestern Studio A in Hollywood, Los Angeles
GenreTraditional pop, vocal jazz
Length32:54
LabelReprise
FS 1029
ProducerDon Costa, Sonny Burke
Frank Sinatra chronology
Cycles
(1968)
My Way
(1969)
A Man Alone
(1969)
Singles from My Way
  1. "My Way"
    Released: March 1969
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Mojo[2]
My Way: 40th Anniversary Edition
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 5, 2009
RecordedDecember 30, 1968, February 18, 20, 24, 1969, Hollywood, Los Angeles, August 13, 1969, NBC Studio 2, Burbank, California, October 24, 1987, Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
GenreTraditional pop, vocal jazz
Length40:14
LabelConcord
ProducerDon Costa, Sonny Burke
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]

My Way is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1969 on his own Reprise label.[3]

The album is mainly a collection of then-contemporary pop songs, such as Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", and The Beatles' "Yesterday", French songs such as "If You Go Away", and the anthemic title song "My Way", which effectively became Sinatra's theme song in this stage of his career.

On December 30, 1968 in Los Angeles, a few hours before going to celebrate the New Year 1969, at the Sands Casino from Las Vegas, My Way was recorded and mixed at EastWest Studios, then called Western Recorders. Later it was remixed and reissued by Concord Records in 2009 to mark its 40th anniversary. Two bonus tracks were included, and new liner notes from Bono. The bonus tracks were a rehearsal of "For Once in My Life" from 1969, for Sinatra's eponymous Emmy Award nominated 1969 television special, Sinatra, and a live 1987 performance of "My Way" at the Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas.

Bono's liner notes had previously appeared as his New York Times Op-ed column on January 9, 2009. The article discussed Bono's personal relationship with Sinatra, and Sinatra's thoughts on Miles Davis. Bono also mused on Sinatra's performances of "My Way", and the new year.[4]

Track listing

Standard edition

  1. "Watch What Happens" (Norman Gimbel, Michel Legrand, Jacques Demy) – 2:17
  2. "Didn't We?" (Jimmy Webb) – 2:55
  3. "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" (Ray Charles) – 2:47
  4. "Yesterday" (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:56
  5. "All My Tomorrows" (Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 4:35
  6. "My Way" (Paul Anka, Claude François, Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibault) – 4:35
  7. "A Day in the Life of a Fool" (Luiz Bonfá, Carl Sigman) – 3:00
  8. "For Once in My Life" (Ron Miller, Orlando Murden) – 2:50
  9. "If You Go Away" (Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen) – 3:30
  10. "Mrs. Robinson" (Paul Simon) – 2:55

2009 Concord bonus tracks

  1. "For Once in My Life" – 4:11 studio rehearsal, NBC Studio 2, Burbank, California, August 13, 1969
  2. "My Way" – 3:09 live performance at the Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas, October 24, 1987

2019 Capitol bonus tracks

  1. "My Way" – 4:23 Duet with Willie Nelson
  2. "My Way" – 3:32 Duet with Luciano Pavarotti
  3. "My Way" – 4:36 Live at the Ahmanson Theatre, June 13, 1971
  4. "My Way" – 3:43 Live at Reunion Arena, October 24, 1987

Complete personnel

Tracks 1, 3, 8, 10:

24-February-1969 (Monday) - Hollywood. United Recording (from 2 to 5:30 P.M.).

Pete Candoli, Don Fagerquist, Shorty Sherock, Ray Triscari (tpt); Louis Blackbum, Lew McCreary, Dick Noel (tbn); Ken Shroyer (b-tbn); Bob Hardaway, Paul Hom, Don Lodice, Bud Shank, Nino Tempo (sax/wwd); Harry Bluestone, Harold Dicterow, Bonnie Douglas, Lou Raderman, Sal1y Raderman, Mischa Russell, Paul Shure, Marshall Sasson (vln); Cecil Figelski, Barbara Simons (via); Jacqueline Lustgarten, Nino Rosso (vlc); Ann Mason Stockton (harp); Bill Miller, Lou Levy (p); Al Viola (g); Monty Budwig (b); Hubert Anderson (vib); Alvin Stoller (d); Don Costa (arr).

Tracks 2, 5:

18-February-1969 (Tuesday) - Hollywood. Western Recorders (from 8 to 11 P.M.).

John Cave, Vincent DeRosa, Richard Perissi (fr-h); Gene Cipriano, Chuck Gentry, Justin Gordon, Paul Hom, Ronny Lang, Ted Nash (sax/wwd); Israel Baker, Thelma Beach, Bonnie Douglas, Jacques Gasselin, Lou Raderman, Sally Raderman, Mischa Russell, Ralph Schaeffer, Paul Shure, Gerald Vinci (vln); Allan Harshman, Alvin Dinkin, Virginia Majewski, Alex Neiman (via); Justin DiTullio, Jacqueline Lustgarten, Kurt Reher, Nino Rosso (vie); Kathryn Julye (harp); Bill Miller, Lou Levy (p/cel); Joe Pass (g); Chuck Berghofer (b); Irving Cottler (d); Emil Richards (perc); Don Costa (arr).

Tracks 4, 7, 9:

20-February-1969 (Thursday) - Hollywood. Western Recorders (from 8 to 11:30 P.M.).

John Cave, Vincent DeRosa, Richard Perissi (fr-h); Gene Cipriano, Justin Gordon, Lloyd Hildebrand, Ronny Lang, Don Lodice, Bud Shank (sax/wwd); Israel Baker, Thelma Beach, Arnold Belnick, Lou Raderman, Sally Raderman, Nathan Ross, Mischa Russell, Ralph Schaeffer, Marshall Sosson, Gerald Vinci (vln); Allan Harshman, Paul Robyn, Alvin Dinkin, Alex Neiman (via); Justin DiTullio, Armand Kaproff, Edgar Lustgarten, Jacqueline Lustgarten (vie); Kathryn Julye (harp); Bill Miller, Lou Levy (p/cel/harpsichord); Al Viola (g); Chuck Berghofer (b); John Guerin (d); Emil Richards (perc); Don Costa (arr).

Track 6 (My Way):

30-December-1968 (Monday) - Hollywood. Western Recorders (from 3 to 5 P.M.).

Conte Candoli, Bud Brisbois, Shorty Sherock (tpt); Milt Bernhart, Louis Blackbum, Tommy Pederson (tbn); Ernie Tack (b-tbn); Arthur Frantz, James McGee, George Price (fr-h); Buddy Collette, Chuck Gentry, Justin Gordon, Ted Nash, Ethmer Roten (sax/wwd); Thelma Beach, Maurice Dicterow, Sam Freed Jr., David Frisina, William Kurasch, Emo Neufeld, Lou Raderman, Sally Raderman, Mischa Russell, Joe Stepansky (vln); Alvin Dinkin, Alex Neiman, Paul Robyn, Barbara Simons (via); Nino Rosso, Lester Harris, Irving Lipschultz, Joseph Saxon (vlc); Ann Mason Stockton (harp); Lou Levy (p); Bobby Gibbons, Bill Pitman, Al Viola (g); Joe Mondragon (b); Irving Cottler (d); Alan Estes, Wallace Snow (perc). Don Costa (arr). [5]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[6] 3× Platinum 210,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Andrew Male Mojo, January 2010, Issue 194.
  3. ^ a b My Way at AllMusic
  4. ^ "The New York Times". Notes from the Chairman. 2009-01-11. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  5. ^ Put Your Dreams Away: A Frank Sinatra Discography. ISBN 978-0274963768.
  6. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 27, 2021.