William Shatner performs "It Was A Very Good Year"

William Shatner performs "It Was A Very Good Year" on The Mike Douglas Show, 1969.

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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Avram / Moderator

It almost seems like he’s doing it in character as Kirk, at least for the first and third verses. For the second verse (“When I was 21″), it’s like he’s doing an impression of Christopher Walken.
Halloween Jack

As with all of Shatner’s late-sixties singing, he comes off as being stoned to the gills.
Anonymous

Both Shatner and Nimoy suffer from tinnitus, which they blame on an explosion on the set. Shatner’s case was so bad that at one point he contemplated suicide.

Cut him some slack. He was putting everyone on. He’s always been a comedian, disguised as a dramatic actor. Now that he’s doing comedy full time, he’s as happy as he’s ever been.
aanhorn

Sublime.

Shatner is still the man.
jimkirk

Say what you like about Shatner’s singing, but he is truly excellent on “Has Been” with Ben Folds. Well worth a listen. Sort of like modern beat poetry.
Anonymous

My God, I want to put my eyes out. Please help me.
ill lich

To Shat’s credit, he has his own delivery and style of singing, it’s not Sinatra obviously, but it’s him, and that’s fine.
Antinous / Moderator

Wow. I just realized where Rpattz got his acting style.
Avram / Moderator

When I was thirty-three,
It was a very good year.
It was a very good year for green-skinned girls,
Whose skirts fit like a glove.
They never knew how to love.
One kiss could set them free,
When I was thirty-three.
Anonymous

Google “very good year waldorf statler” …
W. James Au

I love the psychedelic opening, too. Because you know, Shatner reciting lyrics while evidently stoned out of his mind on national television is not weird enough, so let’s get an Asian gong and a kaleidescope up in there.
misadventures213

Denny Crane.
Devon

Mr. Tambourine Man? Mr. Tambourine Man!
Anonymous

That’s Shat singing.
a_user

so he dressed like Captain Kirk on his time off?
- kossmikman
  
  That’s because he IS captain Kirk.
Anonymous

I could only make it as far as 1:05 before having to stop… anyone beat that?
RobertBigelow

Rhino Records released a compilation/anthology entitled, “Golden Throats” that included Shatner singing, ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and Jack Webb with ‘Try a Little Tenderness.’
n

It. Was. A very bad. Three minutes. And forty-six. Seconds.
Nash Rambler

It’s. . .it’s glorious!
Anonymous

I didn’t know that he was a small town girl… when he was 17. Go figure!
Anonymous

AMAZING! and creepy…
zebbart

When I was seventeen it was a very good year for Nintendo 64.

When I was 21 it was a very good year for Game Cube.

We’ll see about 35 and “the autumn years.”

So anyway, what’s a girl?
Anonymous

Say what you like; good, bad or indifferent. He’s got a unique shtick and that’s something special.
bigreddot

n: and this is the short version! The full version starts off with a reading from Hamlet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mj5qKOP2tc
Anonymous

I find that the distortion etc make the long shots especially creepy, even for The Shatman.

I think I finally get what it is about Shatner’s acting that makes up his signature. Where most actors will use an internal method to time their dialogue… Bill’s method is to mouth the bits a few times until finds his cue. A rare form of external acting method turrets.
TimDrew

OK, that – was – Awesome.
Charlie

I’ve been trying to find a recording of Boris Karloff doing “It Was A Very Good Year” on the Jonathan Winters show. Any help?
- David Pescovitz
  
  Wow, that sounds awesome!!! Please let me know if you ever find it online.
graphicsman

You gotta read a little book called “Up Till (sic) Now” to understand his method if you don’t “get it”. Similar to how a lot of people don’t understand British humor, he’s outside the box enough to be a curiosity…
leaded

this song always makes me jealous. i’ve waisted my life, the extended version with the hamlet soliloquy makes that abundantly clear.
Plum P

Bonsoir! Ah, a local hero! McGill U even named a building after him.

my favorite is still his cover of Pulp’s “Common People”. A true work of art…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXWEM4gZhg4
Phikus

1969 was a very good year for mugging the camera, apparently.