No two singers could be outwardly further apart than John Denver and Frank Sinatra. Denver was almost 30 years younger than Ol' Blue Eyes. He was folksy and country, while Sinatra was an accomplished crooner characterized by his debonair, jazz- and blues-inflected renditions of popular standards. Sinatra was tuxedos and Vegas. Denver was denim and nature. Yet their divergent styles converged on one classic hit song that Denver wrote in 1966 - "Leavin On A Jet Plane."
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Many artists recorded the song, perhaps most famously the folk trio of Peter, Paul and Mary. Their version was recorded in 1967 for an album, then dropped as a successful single two year later. Other artists who covered it included Brenda Lee, Ray Stevens, Andy Williams, and Bobby Vinton. But it was Sinatra who brought something very special to it, really a new dimension.
Frank Sinatra Recorded The Song 54 Years Ago
It Was On An Album Titled 'Sinatra & Company'
Per Showbiz Cheat Sheet, "Denver's version of the song was more folk-inspired than Sinatra's bluesy version. There is also a distinct version in the delivery of the tune. One was sung by a young man in his early 20s and the other, a road-weary entertainer in his mid-50s."
John Denver's songs were appreciated by Sinatra. He recorded others including "The Game is Over," "My Sweet Lady," and "Like A Sad Song."
Something else about these legendary performers, per the outlet: "Sinatra co-starred on Denver's 1976 ABC-TV special, John Denver and Friends. Subsequently, John guested on Frank's TV show, Sinatra and Friends."
What The Song Was Conveying
John Denver Wrote About His Peripatetic Life On The Road And His Yearning For Constancy And Love
In a BBC radio interview per American Songwriter via Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Denver explained the unique and meaningful origin of this song. "This is a very personal and very special song for me. It doesn't conjure up Boeing 707s or 747s for me as much as it does the simple scenes of leaving."
He further explained, "Bags packed and standing by the front door, taxi pulling up in the early morning hours, the sound of a door closing behind you, and the thought of leaving someone that you care for very much, It still strikes a lonely and anguished chord in me because the separation continues. Although not so long and not so often nowadays."
