DEAN MARTIN - SILVER BELLS

SILVER BELLS

DEAN MARTIN

SONGWRITERS: RAY EVANS & JAY LIVINGSTON

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: THE DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS ALBUM

LABEL: REPRISE RECORDS

GENRE: CHRISTMAS MUSIC

YEAR: 1966

 

         Dean Martin(born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian of Italian descent. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool." 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 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 with several others 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 celebrities, comedians and politicians. Throughout his career, Martin performed in concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings and appeared in 85 film and television productions.

        His best known songs include "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?", "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", 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.

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks

Dressed in holiday style

In the air there's a feeling of Christmas

Children laughin', people passin', meeting smile after smile

And on every street corner you hear

 

Silver bells (silver bells)

Silver bells (silver bells)

It's Christmas time in the city

Ring-a-ling

(Ring-a-ling)

Hear them ring

(Hear them ring)

Soon it'll be Christmas Day

 

As the shoppers rush home with their treasures

(Hear the snow crush, see the kids bunch, this is Santa's big scene)

And above all this bustle you hear

silver bells

(Silver bells) silver bells

It's Christmas time in the city

Ring-a-ling

(Ring-a-ling)

Hear them ring

(Hear them ring)

Soon it'll be Christmas day.