Dean Martin and Me

 Years ago I would NOT be caught with a Dean Martin CD in my collection, like he is so ancient. Now maybe I am getting ancient, I confess I really like his singing. My first encounter with Dean's music when during my part time school holiday work with my uncle who was a big fan of his. He would put on his record on and play it loud at his upstairs home pad while the whole office downstairs can hear it loud and clear. My auntie did not take too kindly of his fancy of Dean's music as she always complained aloud that her husband may be thinking of all his old girlfriends when he sang along with Dean's.

Later I followed The Dean Martin's Show on RTM because he always brought on many Motown stars. One thing I have always been amazed by this man is he always appear drunk during filming of his shows (confirmed later by many articles written on him) He would flung himself onto the grand piano and the poor piano player just was so shocked by his reckless display.

And I also remember went to watch one of his film as a super spy, "The Silencer" in Odeon cinema during the later years. One of the scene was when he walked into a room, the background was playing one of his hit songs, and he complained aloud how terrible was that song. Not many audience laughed as they most probably did not know that was his hit. He actually made 3 more movies on the same super spy character of Matt Helm. And yes, Dean also appeared having a glass too many in the films.


I own a few of his "must have" CDs, I begin to like more of his great singing. These Italians are just so hopelessly romantic.

Dean Martin - King Of Cool

Dean Martin was the King of Cool, sure, no mean feat for a member of the Rat Pack. But he was also the most well-rounded of the bunch as far as talent went. Big screen, little screen, recording studio, nightclub -- no venue or medium was beyond Dino's scope.

Dean Martin

Claims to fame:

• His personal style, sense of humor, and easy way with a song earned him the title "The King Of Cool"
• Perhaps the most well-rounded and versatile talent in the "Rat Pack"
• More beloved by his fellow Italian-Americans than perhaps any other singer
• Carved out impressive careers in the studio, films, and television
• Along with Jerry Lewis, one of the postwar era's most enduring comedy teams
• A major vocal influence on the young Elvis Presley

Born:

Dino Paul Crocetti on June 7, 1917 in Steubenville, OH; died December 25, 1995, Beverly Hills, CA

Styles:

Great American Songbook, Lounge, Adult Contemporary, Easy Listening, Pop Vocal

Early years:

Dino Crocetti sang at an early age, like many Italian-Americans of his generation; but, like most children of the Depression, he also took on most any job he could find, legal and otherwise, working in speakeasies and steel mills and even boxing as "Kid Crochet." He eventually ended up in nearby Columbus as a featured singer in the Ernie McKay Orchestra, then Sammy Watkins', where the bandleader suggested he change his stage name of Dino Martini to something less ethnic. After WWII, Martin was a fixture on the East Coast nightclub circuit, but not one with a signature style.

Success:

While working at New York's Glass Hat club, he met comedian Jerry Lewis, and the two decided to form an act; after a rough start, the two quickly became the toast of the city, and were soon picked up by Paramount. There, they made an astonishing 16 films in seven years, all while maintaining a national radio show. Trouble was, Dean had begun to feel that his "straight man" routine was overshadowing his singing, and he left in 1956. Though he'd already had a hit with "That's Amore" (a song he hated), his solo success really blossomed in the '60s due to his association with Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack" of entertainers.

Later years:

The late '60s and early '70s proved Dean was a triple threat -- adult contemporary crooner hits, movies (most notably his "Matt Helm" series of James Bond spoofs), and his laid-back TV variety show on NBC, featuring his lovable, boozy persona and a bevy of beauties called the "Golddiggers." Though Sinatra famously reunited him with Lewis on the comedian's charity telethon in 1976, the two never resumed their partnership, and Dean gradually drifted into semi-retirement. Martin, who never fully recovered from the sudden and shocking death of his son Dean Paul in a 1987 plane crash, passed away in 1995 from lung cancer.

#1 Dean Martin hits:

Pop:
"Memories Are Made Of This" (1955)
"Everybody Loves Somebody" (1964)

Adult Contemporary:
"Everybody Loves Somebody" (1964)
"The Door Is Still Open To My Heart" (1964)
"You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" (1964)
"In The Chapel In The Moonlight" (1967)
"In The Misty Moonlight" (1967)

Top 10 Dean Martin hits:

Pop:
"Powder Your Face With Sunshine" (1949)
"That's Amore" (1953)
"Return To Me" (1958)
"The Door Is Still Open To My Heart" (1964)
"I Will" (1965)

Adult Contemporary:
"Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" (1965)
"(Remember Me) I'm The One Who Loves You" (1965)
"Houston" (1965)
"I Will" (1965)
"Somewhere There's A Someone" (1966)
"Come Running Back" (1966)
"A Million And One" (1966)
"Nobody's Baby Again" (1966)
"Let The Good Times In" (1966)
"Lay Some Happiness On Me" (1967)
"Little Ole Winedrinker, Me" (1967)
"You've Still Got A Place In My Heart" (1968)
"April Again" (1968)
"Not Enough Indians" (1968)
"Gentle On My Mind" (1969)

#1 Dean Martin albums:

Pop:
The Dean Martin Christmas Album (1966)

Top 10 Dean Martin albums:

Pop:
Dean Martin Sings (1953)
Everybody Loves Somebody (1964)
The Door Is Still Open To My Heart (1966)

Important Dean Martin movie appearances:

"The Caddy" (1953), "The Young Lions" (1957), "Some Came Running" (1958), "Rio Bravo" (1959), "Ocean's Eleven" (1960), "Something's Got To Give" (1962), "What A Way To Go!" (1964), "The Sons Of Katie Elder" (1965), "The Silencers" (1966), "Bandolero!" (1968), "Airport" (1970), "Cannonball Run" (1981)

Covered by:

Bob Dylan, Celtic Frost, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chris Isaak, Michael Buble, Ben E. King, Julie London, Perez Prado, Cliff Richard, Petula Clark, Gale Storm, The Everly Brothers, Jim Reeves, Frank Sinatra, Little Richard, The Statler Brothers, Paul Anka, The Drifters, Bobby Rydell, Brenda Lee, Peggy Lee, D.O.A., Connie Francis, Brent Spiner

Other Dean Martin facts and trivia:

• Spoke Italian exclusively until he was five years old
• Was strongly influenced in his singing style by Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers
• The Dean Martin Show was turned into a series of popular celebrity roasts in 1973
• An avid golfer who had his own signature series of balls
• Was extremely claustrophobic in his younger years, but finally forced himself to ride elevators until he cured the sensation
• The inscription on his tombstone reads "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime"
• San Antonio,Las Vegas and Rancho Mirage, CA have all renamed portions of their highways after the singer

Dean Martin awards and honors:

• GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)
• GRAMMY Hall of Fame (1999)
• Hollywood Walk of Fame: 1817 Vine St. (recording), 6519 Hollywood Blvd. (movies), 6651 Hollywood Blvd. (television)

Other important Dean Martin songs:

"Sway," "Ain't That A Kick In The Head," "Memories Are Made Of This," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," "I'll Always Love You," "If," "You Belong To Me," "Love Me, Love Me," "Kiss," "I'd Cry Like A Baby," "Money Burns A Hole In My Pocket," "How Do You Speak To An Angel?," "The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane," "Mambo Italiano," "Let Me Go, Lover," "Under The Bridges Of Paris," "Young And Foolish," "Innamorata," "Standing On The Corner," "Watching The World Go By," "The Man Who Plays The Mandolino," "Angel Baby," "Volare," "On An Evening In Roma," "Love Me, My Love," "From The Bottom Of My Heart," "Every Minute, Every Hour" "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You," "You'll Always Be The One I Love," "Houston," "That Old Time Feelin'," "I Take A Lot of Pride In What I Am," "One Cup Of Happiness (And One Piece Of Mind)," "June In January," "Come Back To Sorrento," "Just In Time," "I'm Yours," "Hey, Brother, Pour The Wine"