1950s, Pop

Memories Are Made of This

April 22, 2015

First recorded by Mindy Carson (US #53 1955).
Hit versions by Gale Storm (US #5 1955), Dean Martin (US #1/UK #1 1956).

From the wiki: “‘Memories Are Made of This’ was written by Terry Gilkyson (‘Marianne’, ‘Bare Necessities’), Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller in 1955. It was first recorded and released in September 1955 by Mindy Carson.

“Gale Storm’s 1955 cover was the first chart in the US Top 40. The most popular version of the song was recorded by Dean Martin – backed by co-writer Gilkyson & The Easy Riders – in October 1955, becoming a #1 hit on the Billboard chart for six weeks in 1956 and also topping the UK Singles chart.”

Baby It’s Cold Outside

December 25, 2014

First performed by Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban and Red Skelton & Betty Garrett (Neptune’s Daughter, 1949).
Hit versions by Dinah Shore & Buddy Clark (US #4 1949), Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer (US #4 1949), Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan (US #9 1949), Dean Martin (1959) and Blossom Dearie & Bob Dorough (1979), Dean Martin & Martina McBride (MOR #7/C&W 36 2006).

From the wiki: “Frank Loesser wrote the duet in 1944 and premiered the song with his wife, Lynn Garland, at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party, and performed it toward the end of the evening, signifying to guests that it was nearly time to end the party. Lynn considered it ‘their song’ and was furious when Loesser sold the song to MGM. The movie it appeared in, Neptune’s Daughter, featured two performances of the song: one by Ricardo Montalbán and Esther Williams, and the other by Red Skelton and Betty Garrett, the second of which has the roles of ‘wolf and mouse’ reversed. These performances earned Loesser an Academy Award for Best Original Song.”

I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag

November 4, 2014

Inspired by “Muskrat Ramble” by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five (1926).
Also recorded (as “Muskrat Ramble”) by Dean Martin (1950).
Popular version by Country Joe & The Fish (1967).

From the wiki: “‘Muskrat Ramble’ was written by Kid Ory and first recorded by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five (including Ory, on trombone) in 1926. The song served as the B-side to Armstrong’s first solo outing as a recording artist, ‘Heebie Jeebies’. In 2001, the heirs of Kid Ory launched a lawsuit against Country Joe McDonald, claiming that the music of ‘I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag’ constituted plagiarism of ‘Muskrat Ramble’. In 2005, courts ruled in McDonald’s favor primarily because the original 1926 recording had fallen into the public domain.

Everybody Loves Somebody (Sometime)

September 21, 2013

First recorded (as a B-side) by Peggy Lee (1947).
Also recorded by Peggy Mann & Eddie Heywood (1947).
Hit versions by Frank Sinatra (B-side US #25 1948), Dean Martin (US #1/MOR #1/UK #11/AUS #12 1964).

From the wiki: “‘Everybody Loves Somebody’ is a song written in 1947 by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor and Ken Lane. By 1964, the song had already been recorded by several artists before finding chart success as something other than a B-side.

“The first recording was made by Peggy Lee in 1947 and released in March 1948 as the B-side to ‘Don’t Smoke in Bed’. Singer Peggy Mann also recorded a version in 1948, with bandleader Eddie Heywood (‘Begin the Beguine‘) before the onset of partial paralysis put an end to Heywood’s piano-playing career.

(You’re the) Best Thing That Ever Happened

June 6, 2013

First recorded by Danny Thomas (1973).
First single release by Ray Price (C&W #1 1973).
Also recorded by Dean Martin (1973).
Hit versions by Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #3/R&B #1/UK #7 February 1974), The Persuaders (US #85/R&B #29 March 1974).

From the wiki: “‘You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me’ — also known simply as ‘Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me’ — is a song written by Jim Weatherly, and enjoyed two runs of popularity, each by an artist in a different genre. The song’s first run of popularity, as ‘You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me,’ came in 1973. That’s when Country singer Ray Price took the song to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on October 6, 1973.

Tagged: Dean Martin