I've Gotta Be Me
Encyclopedia
"I've Gotta Be Me" is a popular song that first appeared in the Broadway
musical
Golden Rainbow
, which starred Steve Lawrence
and Eydie Gormé
. The musical opened in New York City
at the Shubert Theatre
on February 4, 1968, and closed less than a year later, on January 11, 1969. The music and lyrics for the musical were by Walter Marks
and were composed in 1967; the production was based on a book by Ernest Kinoy
. This song was listed in the musical as "I've Got to Be Me", and it was sung by Lawrence's character Larry Davis at the end of the first act. Lawrence released the song as a single
in 1967, and the following year it hit number six on the Billboard
Easy Listening chart, with little or no support from traditional Top 40 radio.
Singer Sammy Davis, Jr.
recorded the song in 1968 while the musical was still running on Broadway, altering the title slightly to "I've Gotta Be Me", and released it as a single late in the year. This version of the song was a surprise hit for Davis, since the musical was not among the more successful shows on Broadway that season. Produced by Jimmy Bowen
, Davis' cover
of the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in early 1969 and remained in the Top 40 for 11 weeks. This is Davis' third highest charting single on the Hot 100 in his career; "Something's Gotta Give
" had reached number nine in 1955, while "The Candy Man
" hit #1 in 1972. In addition, the song spent seven weeks at number one on the Easy Listening chart. The song appears on Davis' 1968 album, which was also titled I've Gotta Be Me
.
Although recorded past the peak of his musical career, both "I've Gotta Be Me" and "The Candy Man" are considered to be Davis' signature song
s, as both songs are identifiable with Davis although they had been performed by other artists as well. Other artists who have recorded or performed "I've Gotta Be Me" include Ella Fitzgerald
, Michael Jackson
, Della Reese
, Stevie Wonder
, Tony Bennett
, and The Temptations
.
The song was recently featured on an episode
of the hit musical television series Glee
Beginning in February 2009, the song was featured in a European advertising campaign for Diet Coke
in which Welsh
pop singer Duffy
sings the song while riding a bicycle. The 60" commercial was first aired in the end break of the 2009 BRIT Awards
on February 18.
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow is the title of a Broadway musical that opened in 1968. It starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé for its entire run until it closed in early 1969....
, which starred Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence is an American singer and actor, perhaps best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as "Steve and Eydie"...
and Eydie Gormé
Eydie Gormé
Eydie Gormé is an American singer, specializing, with her husband, Steve Lawrence, in traditional pop music, in the form of ballads and breezy swing. She has earned numerous awards, including the Grammy and the Emmy...
. The musical opened in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the Shubert Theatre
Shubert Theatre (Broadway)
The Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 225 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States.Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts, it was named after Sam S. Shubert, the second oldest of the three brothers of the theatrical producing family...
on February 4, 1968, and closed less than a year later, on January 11, 1969. The music and lyrics for the musical were by Walter Marks
Walter Marks (composer)
Walter Marks is an American film and musical theatre composer and lyricist.Walter Marks is noted for the Broadway musical scores for Bajour and Golden Rainbow. The song "I've Gotta Be Me" from Golden Rainbow was recorded by Sammy Davis, Jr...
and were composed in 1967; the production was based on a book by Ernest Kinoy
Ernest Kinoy
-Early life:Kinoy was born in New York City on April 1, 1925; his father and mother were both high-school teachers. His older brother Arthur Kinoy later became a leading constitutional lawyer. Kinoy attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School and later Columbia University, although his studies...
. This song was listed in the musical as "I've Got to Be Me", and it was sung by Lawrence's character Larry Davis at the end of the first act. Lawrence released the song as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1967, and the following year it hit number six on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Easy Listening chart, with little or no support from traditional Top 40 radio.
Singer Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
recorded the song in 1968 while the musical was still running on Broadway, altering the title slightly to "I've Gotta Be Me", and released it as a single late in the year. This version of the song was a surprise hit for Davis, since the musical was not among the more successful shows on Broadway that season. Produced by Jimmy Bowen
Jimmy Bowen
Jimmy Bowen is an American record producer and former pop music performer.Bowen was born in Santa Rita, New Mexico. He began as a teenage recording star in 1957 with "I'm Stickin' With You," originally the flip side of the hit record "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox, but ultimately a Top 20 recording...
, Davis' cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in early 1969 and remained in the Top 40 for 11 weeks. This is Davis' third highest charting single on the Hot 100 in his career; "Something's Gotta Give
Something's Gotta Give (song)
"Something's Gotta Give" is a popular song with words and music by Johnny Mercer in 1954. It was published in 1955. It was written for and first performed by Fred Astaire in the 1955 musical film Daddy Long Legs....
" had reached number nine in 1955, while "The Candy Man
The Candy Man
"The Candy Man" is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the film and does not appear in the original book or the 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...
" hit #1 in 1972. In addition, the song spent seven weeks at number one on the Easy Listening chart. The song appears on Davis' 1968 album, which was also titled I've Gotta Be Me
I've Gotta Be Me (Sammy Davis, Jr. album)
I've Gotta Be Me is a 1968 studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr.. The album includes covers of three songs from the musical Sweet Charity.-Track listing:# "I've Gotta Be Me" - 2:58...
.
Although recorded past the peak of his musical career, both "I've Gotta Be Me" and "The Candy Man" are considered to be Davis' signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
s, as both songs are identifiable with Davis although they had been performed by other artists as well. Other artists who have recorded or performed "I've Gotta Be Me" include Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Della Reese
Della Reese
Delloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese , is an American actress, singer, game show panelist of the 1970s, one-time talk-show hostess and ordained minister. She started her career in the 1950s as a gospel, pop and jazz singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, and The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
.
The song was recently featured on an episode
Born This Way (Glee)
"Born This Way" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 26, 2011. The episode was written by Brad Falchuk and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and is a tribute to...
of the hit musical television series Glee
Beginning in February 2009, the song was featured in a European advertising campaign for Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
in which Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
pop singer Duffy
Duffy (singer)
Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
sings the song while riding a bicycle. The 60" commercial was first aired in the end break of the 2009 BRIT Awards
2009 BRIT Awards
The 2009 BRIT Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 18 February 2009. It was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, and was broadcast live on ITV1 on 18 February at 8pm...
on February 18.