Red Roses For a Blue Lady - Dean Martin

Red Roses For a Blue Lady - Dean Martin

2:45

(Remember Me) I'm the One Who Loves You, 1965
Written by Roy Brodsky and Sid Tepper, 1948

Just like the title says, this song is about buying flowers for a woman with whom the narrator has had a falling out — a "silly quarrel," as he puts it.  Listen, this guy is putting a lot of faith in this floral purchase: "And if they do the trick, I'll hurry back and pick / Your best white orchids for her wedding gown," he promises.  Buddy, I'm no marriage expert, but a few roses alone rarely catapult you straight from apology to altar.  It's a one-joke song, but it's sweet and brief, and Dean croons it warmly, light on the Rat Pack swingin' braggadocio, heavier on the soft-shoe charm.

I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine - Dean Martin

I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine - Dean Martin
1:57
single, 1950
Written by Mack David, 1949

This is a funny, playful song about how the narrator prefers the night time because that's when he gets to smooch his baby.  "I don't care if the sun don't shine / I get my loving in the evening time when I'm / With my baby."  It's a perfect song for Dean's carefree, swinging pubic persona.  His smooth, easy croon blends nicely with the big band and Dixie horns.  Fun fact: this song was written for the film Cinderella, but wasn't used in it.  Which makes sense, because it's just a shade risqué and doesn't really fit with the Disneyfied fairy tale tone of the film.

A Marshmallow World - Dean Martin

A Marshmallow World - Dean Martin

2:44

The Dean Martin Christmas Album, 1966

Written by Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose, 1949

This song was previously cut by Bing Crosby, Vic Damone, Jo Stafford, and others, but Dean's laid-back, warm version has become the standard when it comes time to play Christmas songs on the radio.  Yes, it's a syrup-sweet silly song, but Dean's treatment makes it an irresistible confection.  Who can resist "it's a whipped cream day," "marshmallow clouds," and "the sun is red like a pumpkin head / It's shining so your nose won't freeze"?

Fugue For Tinhorns - Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Dean Martin

Fugue For Tinhorns - Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Dean Martin

1:30

single, 1963

Written by Frank Loesser

The opening number from Guys and Dolls, of course, redone by three of the greatest voices of the era.  Singing over one another, they create a cavalcade of words, overlapping so you hear first one snatch of lyrics, then another.  And man, could Loesser — whose songs have been featured on this blog twice —write patter!  "And just a minute, boys / I've got the feed box noise / It says the great-grandfather was Equipoise."  It's charming, it's funny, it's even a little sad when you think how these tinhorns are so convinced of their slim chances to win big,

Blue Moon - Dean Martin

Blue Moon - Dean Martin

3:04

Dream With Dean, 1964

Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, 1934

A laid-back, sleepy version of the classic.  This sounds like it was recorded in a nightclub right before closing, and everyone has gone home.  Very sparse instrumentation, with a sultry croon of a vocal.  By the middle of the voice Deano is almost talking, a rough whisper, not really singing.  Overall, I prefer the Marcels' doo-wop reworking, of course, but there's always room for a standard done well by a great talent.