The 'My Way' Incident
Too much of a good thing
Necessity is the mother of invention. So said Plato and almost everyone since, especially anyone was trying to find a creative solution to win whatever war they might be fighting. As entertainers, we have plenty of battles of our own but our weapons of choice are creativity and imagination.
As a Sinatra guy, My Way has been my go-to encore, pretty much since I started singing. It ticks all the boxes: it’s emotive, dramatic and very popular. Too popular, as it happens. On a recent cruise, four different acts closed their show with My Way! Can you imagine? Everyone was doing it their way and the audience was sick of hearing about it. So, I was politely asked if I could find a different closer.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTEprR9z-Kw[/embed]
After scouring my repertoire for something new, I found a bitter-sweet love song about attachment, loss and the passage of time called Once Before I Go. The Australian Peter Allen co wrote it in the early 80s and years later it was used in musical based on his life called The Boy From Oz. It’s quite similar to My Way but with the advantage of being largely unknown. This means that people really listen to the words and think about what it means to them. I can guarantee that after every show, at least two or three people will approach me in tears, deeply moved by the lyrics. I don’t like making people cry but I do love the power of a good song.
Music can take us back to a moment in our lives. Memories, good and bad, come to the fore and bring with them the sights, sounds and colours of a first dance, a woodland walk or a last goodbye.
It was a last-minute decision to include it on my new album. I hope you enjoy it. All the songs are special to me, and I hope at least some of them bring back a few good memories for you. Click here to order.
Mark Murphy
Jazz legend Mark Murphy is our featured artiste in this week’s Legends of Las Vegas ‘listen again’ podcast. He made some really terrific albums, which you’ll hear, along with two hours of the best music. Shame he didn’t to the hairdresser’s more often. Listen wherever you usually get your podcasts or click here.
