Music to My Ears: Dean Martin

What luck! I just popped into a music shop downtown on the off chance that they have some Dean Martin recordings I don't already own. (Not that I have a lot, I just try to find some good live shows of his... and not many are available.)

Guess what? Two appeared right before my eyes. One turned out to be one I already own (The Essential Dean Martin), but this version (the two-disk Special Platinum Edition) includes a show in Tahoe from July 27, 1962. The other, also a two-disk collection (Cocktail Hour), features a couple of live tracks (such as "Takes Two to Tango") as well as some studio tracks I don't have (such as "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby") and a song with Jerry Lewis (The Money Song).

I hope to write more later this month for the anniversary of Dean's death... ten years ago this Christmas.

If you don't know much about Dean, whether you are young or old, I hope to give you what little insight I have. He should be remembered by folks who never even grew up with him... he was a true talent.

In the meanwhile, find one or two great songs from Dean (like Ain't That a Kick in the Head, June in January, or You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You... maybe even a Christmas tune) and remember his contagious good humor.