 Sammy Davis Jr. recorded the song in 1968 while the musical was still running on Broadway, altering the title slightly to "I've Gotta Be Me", and released it as a single late in the year.This version of the song was a surprise hit for Davis, since the musical was not among the more successful shows on Broadway that season.Produced by Jimmy Bowen, Davis' cover of the song peaked at number 11 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart in early 1969 and remained in the Top 40 for 11 weeks.