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[real01]

For a start, here's his most beautiful and most famous love song.
Before the performance, he cracks a lot of jokes - saying 'he doesn't drink anymore - he freezes the alcohol and then eats it as a popsicle.'

Also, listen how he changes the lyrics 'if I had it in my power'. Super-funny!

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ja32uS-bD0" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ja32uS-bD0</a>

Oh yes and 'A Hard Day's Night' was No. 1...until Dean Martin recorded Everybody Loves Somebody. 

Moreover...

With the British Invasion ruling the U.S. charts, few had hopes that an Italian crooner who had been singing mainly standards for almost 20 years would sway many teenagers. Martin resented rock n' roll, and his attitude created conflict at home with his 14-year-old son Dean Paul Martin, who like many teenagers at the time worshipped pop groups like The Beatles. He told his son, "I'm gonna' knock your pallies off the charts," and in August 15, 1964 he did just that: Everybody Loves Somebody knocked the Beatles "A Hard Day's Night" off the number one slot on Billboard, going straight up to the top of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the "Easy Listening" chart, the latter for eight weeks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Loves_Somebody

And I like Dean Martin's confidence: 'I'm gonna knock Beatles down...' 

Also, another great favourite of mine - Gentle on my Mind.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq9iPte8UOY" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq9iPte8UOY</a>

Again, after the nice performance, he speaks to the audience to thank them for their comments & letters after last week's show, adding... 'That's little strange... we weren't on last week.'

[Kevin]

 I remember as a kid enjoying his tv show. Apparently his drunken louche thing was fake - just part of his act.
And I remember liking his James Bond spoof movies. He made his talent look very effortless, but I imagine that in reality he worked quite hard.

[Hello Goodbye]

He made his talent look very effortless, but I imagine that in reality he worked quite hard.

I also enjoyed his show, Kevin.  I think he was a natural at what he did and what he made look effortless really was for a man of his talent.

I really like his 1958 love ballad Return To Me...


http://youtu.be/wdWBV0itiZQ




His duet with Perry Como, who also made it look all so easy, is memorable...


http://youtu.be/SYyGK118e3E



During those years, our neighbor across the street was Perry Como's musical arranger and orchestra leader.  I met Mr. Como a couple of times and he was as laid back in person as he was on his show.

[Hello Goodbye]

Dean Martin also had a big hit with Houston during The British Invasion...


http://youtu.be/Y7BG3lAbioM
1965





He was filming The Sons of Katie Elder when he performed it again on another one of his shows.  Watch what he does with his harmonica...


http://youtu.be/4Rt1VicF5-0





 

[Klang]

I have a soft spot for Dean, but let's be blunt about it. I'd be interested in learning if the chart placement was based on record sales or radio plays. He was "connected" and there was a lot of interest in those days in "knocking off the pallies." Musical ranking was not always on the up and up in the entertainment industry at that time - assuming it even is now. Just thinking out loud.