DEAN MARTIN - THE CHRISTMAS BLUES

THE CHRISTMAS BLUES

DEAN MARTIN

SONGWRITER: SKITCH HENDERSON

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: A WINTER ROMANCE

LABEL: REPRISE RECORDS

GENRE: CHRISTMAS SONG

YEAR: 1966

 

                   Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, recording artist and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool" for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

        Martin gained his career breakthrough together with comedian Jerry Lewis, billed as Martin & Lewis, in 1946. They performed in nightclubs and later had numerous appearances on radio, television and in films. Following an acrimonious ending of the partnership in 1956, Martin pursued a solo career as a performer and actor.

           Martin established himself as a notable singer, recording numerous contemporary songs as well as standards from the Great American Songbook. He became one of the most popular acts in Las Vegas and was known for his friendship with fellow artists Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., who together formed the Rat Pack.

              Starting in 1965, Martin was the host of the television variety program The Dean Martin Show, which centered on Martin's singing and comedic talents and was characterized by his relaxed, easy-going demeanor. From 1974 to 1984, he was roastmaster on the popular Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, which drew notable celebrities, comedians and politicians.

            Throughout his career, Martin performed in concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings and appeared in 85 film and television productions. His relaxed, warbling, crooning voice earned him dozens of hit singles, including his signature songs "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" and "Volare".

          The Dean Martin Christmas Album is a 1966 studio album by Dean Martin arranged by Ernie Freeman and Bill Justis.

           This was Martin's only album of Christmas music released on Reprise Records (his only other Christmas album, A Winter Romance, having been released in 1959 on Capitol Records). It was reissued on CD by Hip-O Records in 2008, retitled A Very Cool Christmas.

             Ricci James Martin, Martin's son, wrote in a biography of his father that The Dean Martin Christmas Album was the only one of his father's albums that was played in the Martin household, his parents seldom listening to Dean Martin's music.

            This was the fourth of five albums Martin released in 1966. Billboard magazine reported in its December 3, 1966 issue that The Dean Martin Christmas Album was on top of its "Best Bets for Christmas" chart.

           The release of The Dean Martin Christmas Album in October and The Dean Martin TV Show in November 1966 were accompanied by what Billboard described as a "merchandising avalanche" by Reprise Records and their parent company Warner Music. Billboard described Martin as running the "hottest streak of his career" and said that Reprise planned to sell $4 million of his records over the Christmas sales period. Billboard later reported that Martin had sold 850,000 albums in December 1966. 

The jingle bells are jingling

The streets are white with snow

The happy crowds are mingling

But there's no one that I know

 

I'm sure that you'll forgive me

If I don't enthuse

I guess I've got the Christmas blues

 

I've done my window shopping

There's not a store I've missed

But what's the use of stopping

When there's no one on your list

You'll know the way I'm feeling

When you love and you lose

I guess I've got the Christmas blues

 

When somebody wants you

Somebody needs you

Christmas is a joy of joy

But friends when you're lonely

You'll find that it's only

A thing for little girls and little boys

 

May all your days be merry

Your seasons full of cheer

But 'til it's January

I'll just go and disappear

Oh Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoes

But Santa only brought me the blues

Those brightly packaged tinsel covered Christmas blues

 

Oh Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoes

But Santa only brought me the blues

Those brightly packaged tinsel covered Christmas blues.