Elvis Presley - My Way - 25 June 1977 - Final Time Performed Live

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Despite recording the song in Nashville on 10 June 1971 it would be twenty four years before the studio recording would be given an official release in 1995 on The 5CD set 'Walk A Mile In My Shoes - The Essential 70's masters'.

Elvis first included the song in his setlist on opening night of his seventh Las Vegas season which began on 4 August 1972. https://youtu.be/we_O2mdJZQA It would be used in both of the TV specials which he recorded in 1973 and 1977 and these recordings would be issued on the corresponding albums.

In spite of it being introduced in August 72 and it's subsequent inclusion in the Aloha shows it was not until late 1976 before it became a standard inclusion in the show. In the interim it would be used sporadically making an appearance here and there.

Throughout all of the one hundred plus times that Elvis performed the song he would always graciously introduce it as being 'a song recorded by Frank Sinatra'. However on one occasion on 4 September 1970 in Las Vegas he sang one line of the song having just introduced the writer of the song's English lyrics - Canadian Paul Anka who was in the audience during that Midnight show.

During Elvis' final tour it would be used in only three of the ten shows of that tour and it's final rendition was that in this video during Elvis' penultimate live show in Cincinnati on 25 June 1977.

The version recorded in Rapid City on 21 June 1977 would also be released as a single with 'America' as the B-side. https://youtu.be/jsV3lLmjRC0

It is a common misconception that Elvis forgot the words to the song in the later years and was often photographed or filmed, as was the case in Rapid City, of reading from a lyric sheet. During most shows he would apologise for having to 'read the lyrics'.

However, this is likely to have always been the case because if you look closely during the close up during the first verse during the Aloha show, you can actually see Elvis reading the lyrics from Charlie Hodge's music stand. This was obviously quite a canny idea considering that this was a worldwide satellite telecast!