Some artists never go out of style, and Frank Sinatra is at the top of that list. Dad, Matt Clayton, and his young son Archie understand that fact very well, as seen in their viral video singing “Me and My Shadow”. The upbeat song, which was recorded by Sinatra with Sammy Davis Jr., is the perfect tune for Matt and Archie to sing a super cute family duet!
Matt does quite a good Sinatra impression, and sings in the charming and smooth style of Ol’ Blue Eyes. Young Archie, meanwhile, tackles Davis’s parts with a whole lot of style. Dad and son clearly have a lot of fun singing together, and the adorable family moment captured on video quickly went viral online.
Matt and Archie’s cover attracted 2.3 million views on YouTube. Believe it or not, that actually makes the Claytons’ cover of “Me and My Shadow” the most popular version of the song on YouTube – even more popular than the original recording. Viewers watching online enjoyed seeing the family bonding moment and were also quite impressed with the pair’s singing chops.
Viewers added comments such as “This is fantastic. How many kids know the lyrics to any of Frank Sinatra’s songs? You go, kid!” and “Did anyone notice the kid was singing harmony on the ending lines? You know how hard that is for a youngster that age to hear the harmony line and be able to do it? He has a future in singing!” There’s a great live version of Sinatra and Davis singing “Me and My Shadow” on YouTube, which you can watch below.
“Me and My Shadow” is a jazz standard that was first recorded in 1927. The song was written by Dave Dreyer and Billy Rose, who provided the music and lyrics respectively. Several artists recorded the song in 1927, with popular versions from that year including those released by Whispering Jack Smith, Nat Shilkret and Johnny Marvin. The song also became closely associated with American bandleader Ted Lewis, who used it to close his shows.
A large number of artists have covered “Me and My Shadow” over the years, including big names such as Robbie Williams, Bing Crosby, Dave Brubeck and Jeff Goldblum (yes, he can sing as well).
Sinatra and Davis, who were members of the Rat Pack, recorded the song in 1962. The Rat Pack version is notable for Sinatra adding the line “Closer than Bobby is to JFK”. The duo released the song while John F Kennedy was President, so the lyric referencing him and his brother Robert F Kennedy was contemporary. If you enjoyed Frank Sinatra’s vocal versatility, be sure to explore his artistry further by subscribing to his YouTube Channel or visiting his official website.
