Frank Sinatra and U2’s Bono may not seem very similar when it comes to their music, but that didn’t keep the two from releasing a song together.
In 1993, Sinatra released Duets, a record of some of his biggest hits, sung with other artists. Included on the project is “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. Written by Cole Porter, Sinatra first released “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” in 1956 on his Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! record. Although Sinatra did not release “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” as a single when it was first recorded, it did become a mainstay in his live shows.
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” is a song about an insatiable attraction to someone else. It starts with, “I’ve got you under my skin / I’ve got you deep in the heart of me / So deep in my heart that you’re really a part of me.”
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was released as a single, becoming a Top 5 hit in the United Kingdom. It is Sinatra’s last successful song release to radio.
The Story Behind “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by Frank Sinatra
Sinatra spent decades as one of music’s most successful artists. Even today, his reputation remains as one of the most notorious performers of all time. So it’s not surprising that Sinatra held himself and others to a high standard, including when recording this song.
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was first part of his The Frank Sinatra Show, a radio program in 1946. A decade later, Sinatra decided to record “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” as part of his Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! project, a daunting task for the musicians in the studio. Sound engineer John Palladino remembers Sinatra doing an astonishing 22 takes of this song to get it right.
“Some of those takes could have been false starts where they got through a few notes and then stopped,” Palladino recalls. “I doubt there were more than four or five complete takes. Frank knew his own voice pretty well, and when he wasn’t singing well, he’d walk out of a session. I’ve got to give him credit for that. In fact, I’ve got no criticism of Frank at all. His criticisms of the musicians’ playing were really top-notch, because they locked in with what he was doing. He knew what he was doing, and he knew what he wanted the band to do.”
The Four Seasons, Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, and Sammy Davis Jr. are just a few of the many artists who later covered this song.
Photo by KMazur/WireImage
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