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One of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, Frank Sinatra is not only considered one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen but also an icon in the music industry. The actor-singer has numerous accolades under his name, including eleven Grammys. Among many of his works, Sinatra would also go on to record covers of Elvis Presley’s hitLove Me Tender,along with Paul Simon’sMrs. Robinson.
And Simon was not too pleased with theGuys and Dollsstar’s cover of his song. The singer opened up about his initial reaction to Sinatra’s cover and how Warner Bros. got embroiled in the matter in a recent interview.
Paul Simon Expressed Discontent With Frank Sinatra Covering His Song
A year after the 82-year-old singer released the hit singleMrs. Robinson,Frank Sinatrareleased his cover of the song with some changes to the lyrics. And Simon has recently admitted that he was not a fan of Sinatra’s cover at first.
During a Q&A session at the MGM+ premiere of Alex Gibney’s docuseriesIn Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,he was asked if he knew theOcean’s 11star. And the Grammy-winning singer replied,“I met him once.”
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He shared that the meeting was “interesting” as the late actor had covered one of his songs,Mrs. Robinson.“And he changed the lyric[s],”he recalled as he explained that he was not very pleased with the alterations made by Sinatra. Simon told Stephen Colbert during the Q&A, as perPeople
“They were fantastic, but when I first heard it, it was like, ‘man, ring a ding, ding you Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more,’ and this is in the sixties, and I said, ‘He can’t do that.'”
TheGracelandsinger shared that he was not on board with the idea and was fixated on“stopping the record.”Despite Sinatra’s assertion that he“can’t stop a Frank record,”Simon was hell-bent as he claimed that no one even asked for his permission. The dispute between them later caused Warner Bros. to intervene and sort out the matter.
Warner Bros. Had to Intervene Between the Musical Legends
Paul Simon further recalled during the conversation that after he threatened to take action against the late actor-singer,Warner Bros.intervened to sort things out. He shared that after his confrontation with Sinatra, he received a call from a studio executive, who took responsibility for alterations and pleaded for leniency.
“And so a guy from Warner Brothers called me up and said, ‘Please don’t do this. It’s my fault I did it. Please don’t do this to me,’he recalled. And Simon eventually changed his mind.“So I said, ‘Okay,'”he shared. Over time his attitude towards Sinatra’s cover also changed.
“I’m the last guy you could threaten”: After Mario Puzo, Frank Sinatra Tried to Threaten 1 Actor from Joining The Godfather With Severe Consequences That Miserably Failed
He admitted that he“fell in love with that record,”and expressed his appreciation for Sinatra’s work, noting that his cover of the hit songMrs. Robinsonbecame a staple in his post-concert music lineup.In Restless Dreamsshares a comprehensive look at the singer’s illustrious seven-decade music career. It is set to premiere on MGM+ on July 05, 2025.
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3450
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
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