Then 20th Century Fox insisted that, as they were financing the film, they must choose the composer, and it had to be Rod McKuen, to whom they had paid a lot of money under an earlier deal.

I was furious and had the job of calling Scott’s management and Philips Records to give them the rotten news.

We’ll release it anyway around the time the film goes out.’”[2] While credited to Hatch and Trent, journalist Joe Jackson writes in his article "The Fugitive Kind" that Walker wrote a significant proportion of the lyric.

Jackson quotes Walker as follows: "That whole verse about 'lived in your eyes completely' is mine and I wrote the last line in the song, 'you may remember me and change your mind.

"[2] "Joanna" was a major hit and is one of Walker's most popular recordings spending eleven weeks on the UK Singles Chart and peaking at number 7 in June 1968.