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"...Memories Are Made Of This..."
Capitol Records USA had begun the daunting process of CD Remastering their huge Male and Female Vocals catalogue for the Nineties Easy Listening aficionado. Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat 'King' Cole and of course the Real Deal Tuxedo of Schmooze and Booze - the fabulous DEAN MARTIN.
That's Amore! Indeed! I love this Goody Two Shoes June 1996 2CD Anthology and have owned it forever. So, even if it's completely forgotten nowadays (July 2023) and truth be told – is rarely ever seen on must-have wants lists – I want to big up the love for the man with the most Volare in his Napoli trilby. Here are the memorable details...
UK released June 1996 (30 May 1996 in the USA) - "The Capitol Years" by DEAN MARTIN on Capitol PRDFCD 2 - 0777 7 98409 2 2 (Barcode 077779840922) boasts 40 gorgeously clean and full audio tracks across 2CDs. It comes in a fat jewel case of old (black speckled spines) with a decent full-color 32-page booklet chockers with period photos, memorabilia and track-by-track liner notes from people who care – JOSEPH H. LAREDO and Compilation Co-Ordinators Bob Furmanek and Kim Niemi (The Dean Martin Association of the UK is even mentioned on the second last page of the booklet). It breaks down as follows...
CD1 (52:16 minutes):
1. Memories Are Made Of This (28 Nov 1955 US 78" Capitol 3295) - includes a few un-credited seconds of spoken dialogue by Dean Martin introducing the song - it was recorded 1955 for the US Radio Station WNEW and is segued onto the beginning. The song spent six weeks at No.1 on the charts
2. Powder Your Face With Sunshine (Smile! Smile! Smile!) (17 Jan 1949 US 78" Capitol 15351)
3. You Was (17 Jan 1949 US 78" Capitol 15349 - Duet with PEGGY LEE)
4. Dreamy Old New England Moon (11 April 1949 US 78" Capitol 57-545 - with PAUL WESTON)
5. I'm Gonna Paper All My Walls With Your Love Letters (10 April 1950 US 78" Capitol 948 - with PAUL WESTON and THE DIXIE EIGHT)
6. I'll Always Love You (Day After Day) (22 May 1950 US 78" Capitol 1028)
7. Solitaire (15 Oct 1951 US 78" Capitol 1817 - with DICK STABILE and Orchestra)
8. Night Train To Memphis (3 Dec 1951 US 78" Capital 1885)
9. Pretty As A Picture (10 Mar 1952 US 78" Capitol 2001)
10. Oh Marie (30 June 1952 US 78" Capitol 2140)
11. You Belong To Me (28 July 1953 US 78" Capitol 2165)
12. Susan (Recorded 2 July 1952, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
13. The Peanut Vendor (Recorded 2 July 1952, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
14. I'm Yours (12 January 1953 US Capitol EP Album 401 - from the film "The Stooge")
15. That's Amore (14 Sep 1953 US 78" Capitol 2589)
16. I'd Cry Like A Baby (Recorded 13 Aug 1953, Take 9, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Alternate Version)
17. Hey Brother, Pour The Wine (8 March 1954 US 78" Capitol 2749)
18. Every Street's A Boulevard (In Old New York) (7 June 1954 US Capitol EP 533 "Living It Up" - Transferred from Paramount Magnetic Film Track)
19. I'll Gladly Make The Same Mistake Again (29 Nov 1954 US 78" Capitol 3988)
20. Open Up The Doghouse (Two Cats Are Coming In) (29 Nov 1954 US 78" Capitol 2985 - Duet with NAT 'KING' COLE)
CD2 (57:47 minutes):
1. Carolina In The Morning (1 August 1955 US LP "Swingin' Down Yonder" on Capitol 576)
2. In Napoli (19 May 1955 US 45-Single Capitol 3238)
3. Innamorata (Sweetheart) (13 Feb 1956 US 45-Single Capitol 3352 - Taken from the Paramount Picture "Artists And Models")
4. I'm Gonna Steal You Away (With The Nuggets) (22 May 1956 US 45-Single Capitol 3468
5. Only Trust Your Heart (1 April 1957 US 45-single Capitol 3680)
6. Beau James (1 July 1957 US 45-Single Capitol 3752)
7. Good Mornin' Life (25 Nov 1957 US 45-Single Capitol 3841)
8. Return To Me (Ritorna Me) (17 Feb 1958 US 45-Single Capitol 3894)
9. It's 1200 Miles From Palm Springs To Texas (Released only in Palm Springs for 'Texas Desert Circus Week' 16-20 April 1958 - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
10. Volare (Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu) (11 Aug 1958 US 45-Single Capitol 4028)
11. On An Evening in Roma (Sott'er Er Celo De Roma) (8 June 1959 US 45-Single Capitol 4222)
12. All I Do Is Dream Of You (2 March 1959 US LP "Sleep Warm" on Capitol 1150)
13. Medley (Live):
You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It)
It Had To Be You
I'm in Love With You
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself A Letter)
(Recorded 9 May 1959 at the Moulin Rouge in Hollywood (Share Benefit) - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
14. My Guiding Star (Recorded 27 April 1960, Take 1, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
15. Until The Real Thing Comes Along (3 October 1960 US LP "This Time I'm Swingin'" on Capitol 1442)
16. Ain't That A Kick In The Head (8 August 1960 US 45-Single Capitol 4420 - from the Warner Brothers Motion Picture "Ocean's 11")
17. Just In Time (20 June 1960 US 45-Single Capitol 4391)
18. Be An Angel (11 October 1965 US LP "The Lush Years" on Tower Records 5006 in Stereo)
19. Non Dimenticar (5 February 1962 US LP "Dino: Italian Love Songs" on Capitol 1659 in Stereo)
20. Somebody Loves You (originally on the 5 Nov 1962 US LP "Cha Cha De Amor" on Capitol 1702 - Newly Restored Stereo Version)
The fat double jewel case is clunky for sure when they used to feel so substantial, but it still looks like a classy release - back and front. But it's the audio. I cannot stress how good the BOB NORBERG Remixes and Remasters are. Take a song like "Pretty As A Picture" on CD1 - Take 13 is the Master and Dino is accompanied by DICK STABILE and Orchestra (Stabile on Alto Sax) - you can hear the backing singers clearly but not in an overwhelming way - his voice had the timber too - it's gorgeous. It's like that throughout. And while the big brassy numbers can be too much, a ballad like "You Belong To Me" or the fun of "Susan" (she's got a certain air the boys call supersonic - the barbers are running out of tonic) where the lyrics and melody chime like a well-oiled clock - sound great.
Unfortunately you can so hear why stuff like "The Peanut Vendor" was left unissued - it's irritating and not in a Fifties good way either. And the in-joke to "Hey Brother, Pour The Wine" would later become a sick prophesy for his horrible decline into full-blown alcoholism in the late Sixties and Seventies (all those Smokey & The Bandit movies where we used to cringe in the audience). The unreleased "I'd Cry Like A Baby" is a nice find, fun too is "I'll Gladly Make The Same Mistake Again" - but I'm not so sure the Woke-2023 audience would sit still for the lyrics in "Open Up The Doghouse (Two Cats Are Coming In)" that starts out very funny but then ends on misogynistic lines about slapping the ladies and showing them who's top dog that should have men cringe even then.
CD2 opens with the vaudeville "Carolina In The Morning" - crystal clear sound and note-perfect players accompanying his silky vocal delivery (nothing could be finer). The girly chorus and strings schmaltz shimmies in with "In Napoli" and "Innamorata (Sweetheart)" - a pair of surrender-to-the-kisses ballads that he so excelled in. The quirky tenderness of young love continues with the fun "I'm Gonna Steal You Away (With The Nuggets)" - his backing vocalists bopping with the words (falsettos and bass) as he tells of squeaking windows and elopement. But they all falter against my absolute fave for the whole set - "Only Trust Your Heart" - a truly gorgeous breeze-softly-sighing ballad where our Dino implores us to ignore the naysayers of logic and concentrate only on the warmth of her kisses (will do).
Neither "Beau James" or Good Mornin' Life" with their big brassy Times Square tales do much for me - but I can never get enough of one of his masterpieces "Return To Me (Ritorna Me)" - his voice, the orchestra and those swooning girly singers - it is a hurry-home-to-my-heart moment that never gets old for me (a No. 4 chart hit for him). Martin is also forever tied to the Italian double-whammy of "Volare..." and "On An Evening In Roma..." - fly up to the clouds - away from the maddening crowds - that melody and its opening notes are instantly recognizable to generations - the Euro cool of Expresso Coffee.
Frank Sinatra territory looms with the jaunty and happy-go-lucky "All I Do Is Dream Of You" - another fab slice of period genius - skies are blue morning noon and nighttime too. His brilliant raconteur wit comes shining through as he works the crowd for the 1959 four-song live medley - a very smart Previously Unreleased way to show what fun he was when he was on (he jokes "everybody hates a smart ass!"). The Previously Unreleased STEREO take of "Be An Angel" is a treat - gorgeous Strings, Piano and Saxophone sailing out of your speakers - a song he recorded in February 1961 but fans would have to wait until October 1965 to hear it on the Tower Records LP "The Lush Years" (the latest release date on this compilation). Again beautiful sound for the ballad "Non Dimenticar" from the hugely popular album "Dino: Italian Love Songs" on Capitol Records, February 1962 (Stereo too). It comes to an end on another rarity - a restored Stereo Version of "Somebody Loves You" - a Cha-Cha shuffle that probably made your aunty shimmy on the carpet in 1962.
You can of course find Dean Martin Capitol Records stuff in so many places today (2023) - some like the gorgeous Bear Family multiple-CD Box sets even afford his artistry respect - regardless of cost. But spare an Uncle Sam for "The Capitol Years" with its beautifully Remastered Audio and tasty booklet full of love for its hero. I've seen it for less than four squid on retail sites - and as I say, that's an amore I'll take any day of the Italian-American week...
