The Paul Anka Doc
This guy is DRIVEN! If for some reason his singing voice went, he could go on the road giving lectures on how to be a star, and remain a star.
First and foremost, he tips. That limo ride to the plane, he whips out a bill. This happens again and again. Maybe he learned this from the Rat Pack, but when you acknowledge someone’s presence, ask their name, share the wealth, that goes a long way. This is your audience.
Anka is well-adjusted compared to many, he’s got kids, family, but his career is number one. And he’s thinking about it all the time.
Now the difference between Paul and his initial contemporaries, between Paul and so many of today’s “stars,” is he writes the songs. Turns out that’s more important than name recognition, than seeing your moniker in lights on the marquee. Songs last. And they pay forever.
Where did he get this skill?
Well, first and foremost Paul was hungry. Living in Ottawa, raised by immigrant parents, his dad ran a restaurant, Paul realized the only thing he was good at was singing. Not schoolwork. His singing gained him notoriety. So he dug in deep, practiced the piano, bought the records and sheet music and traveled alone to New York City as a teenager and got a publishing deal.
That’s the difference between the wannabes and those who succeed. Their talent is undeniable. The gatekeepers recognize it immediately. Today the gatekeepers, to the degree they still exist, do not have the power of yore. So the channel is filled with both quality and the lack thereof. And this confuses the public. People get overwhelmed and detach. Or else attach themselves to a star believing it will make their lives whole while the rest of us scratch our heads and wonder what this devotion is all about.
But not only could Paul write, he could SING!
What a concept! Today you’ve got people who can sing but not write and vice versa. The two together? Seems like a lost formula.
Just like it was in the fifties when Paul Anka broke through.
Now it was a different era, one of ubiquitous Top Forty radio and one-nighter tours. If you could break through, everybody knew your name.
But you didn’t necessarily get rich. That came later, post-Beatles. Sure, there was Elvis, but that wasn’t the main motivation, it was the music, the lights, the adulation.
That’s what Anka needs, the people. These stars are different from you and me. Driven for attention, the love of the public. That is who Paul is married to. He sacrificed his first marriage, the mother of his kids, because she wanted him to retire and he still wanted to work, because the work is everything. Paul is better adjusted than many stars, but if you think he’s normal…
That’s what you get by the end of this documentary. This guy is different. He’s thinking about his career all the time. Not lying watching cartoons while drunk or stoned. Certainly not complaining. Looking at the future and wondering how he’s going to survive.
And taking advantage of opportunities. Not only finding and getting the rights to the melody for a French song, but turning it into “My Way” for Frank Sinatra. Sinatra told him he was going to retire, Paul always wanted to write a song for him…listen to the lyrics, they apply…I never knew this was the motivation. But all great art comes from inspiration. A light bulb goes off in your head and you have to run to the piano or your instrument of choice and lay it down. The thrill of creation…that’s what an artist is seeking, knowing that he can’t reach the mountaintop each and every time. But when you’ve got a thread, you’ve got to PULL IT! Paul sat down at the piano and finished “My Way” in five hours.
As for “The Tonight Show” theme… He knew Johnny Carson a bit.
If you want to make it in showbiz, you’ve got to know people, you’ve got to be nice, it goes a long way, it delivers OPPORTUNITIES! Most people are not open to these moments of luck, and they certainly don’t know how to capitalize on them.
So Paul goes home and writes “The Tonight Show” theme, Johnny loves it, but can’t use it, because Skitch Henderson, the bandleader…he’s got the right. Paul is an outsider, not part of the show’s machine. So, Paul sweetens the pot… How about if he gives Johnny half the song and cowriting credit. BINGO! Done!
You’ve got to give to get. If you need everything, you’ll get less.
Now in the past, acts got screwed. Today acts know too much. It’s a relationship business, and a leverage business, and you’ve got to act accordingly.
And learn.
Paul did at the feet of the Rat Pack, but he also had a great manager, Irvin Feld. No one’s career grows and sustains without a great manager, who is passionate about their work and strategizes about their future. You’ve got to find someone who believes, who wants to do the work. And your garage manager may graduate into the big leagues, but Paul had success before Feld found him and they decided to work together.
Now I’ll be honest, I’m of the rock era. This fifties stuff is a bit hazy. And it’s the black and white history that is truly intriguing, I’m stunned all this footage exists. From pictures on the road to “Ed Sullivan” to… This is history, this is the way it was.
Now unlike his contemporaries, like Frankie Avalon, who actually makes an appearance in this film, Paul’s career survives. But it’s through acknowledgement of the landscape and hard work. The Beatles came along and wiped everybody out, Paul accepted this, and focused on the writing.
And the writing… Never forget that Paul wrote “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” for Buddy Holly.
And to see Sammy Davis, Jr… His memory has faded, that’s what happens when you don’t write the songs, your fans remember you, but then they age and die.
Paul was part of that world. And he ultimately had a few more hits as an artist. But it was about writing and performing. It’s STILL about writing and performing.
And the goals were different back then… You worked clubs, you wanted to headline in Vegas. Which was seen as anathema by the rockers, but now everybody wants to play Vegas. Started with Celine Dion… You don’t have to go on the road, you can have a life, the people come to you.
But Paul eventually went back on the road, he’s still doing 150 dates a year, and he’s 84!
Now unlike so many legendary rockers, Paul’s still got his voice, and it’s amazing. But let’s be clear, he needs that love, that connection with the audience. And he’s cognizant of the importance of that connection, how without it he has no career. People have to be riveted, have to love the experience, SO THEY COME BACK!
Paul diets, works out and improves his appearance at the advent of his career, he’s got to look good to the audience to survive.
Paul is constantly delivering for those who write the check, the promoters, the Mafia, the people…
He’s aware 24/7, scanning the landscape, seeing where he sits in it, how he will maintain his status and continue to climb.
Yes, Paul is still hungry. He wants more. Like I said above, he’s DRIVEN! He can’t give up, he doesn’t want to give up.
Now this doc has got the usual elements, Paul’s accomplishments, the peaks, the screaming girls. But somehow it’s different from the run-of-the-mill efforts, because it transcends the facts. It ends up being a lesson. Akin to the books by Robert Evans and Jerry Weintraub. You watch this documentary and gain knowledge. It’s a good ride, especially the history, but it’s the little things that are so fascinating. Sure, there are the achievements, the songs, the stats, but more interesting is the person…how did he get here, how did he sustain. This is not “Behind the Music.” That is not the arc. Not success, failure and rebirth. No, this is a guy who is sui generis, who recognized the system and rather than denying it, or decrying it, made it work for himself.
Sure, the doc is testimony to Paul Anka’s greatness, but how did he do it? That is explored here, and that is what is so fascinating.
