Maps of Music
Houston (1965)
Where the lyrics of Houston take you, and where it was really made.
Its title track, written by Lee Hazlewood, had already reached the Top 40 in the summer of 1965, before the album was in the shops.
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Tell us the placeAlbum story
Overview
- Houston: 1965 studio album by Dean Martin
- Produced by Jimmy Bowen
- Title track written by Lee Hazlewood
- Reissued on CD by Hip-O Records in 2009
Background
- Album released in 1965, the year of the title track's Top 40 run
- Houston peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200
- Bowen worked on the song choices and arrangements for the record
- The title track had appeared in the Top 40 in the summer of 1965
Cover
- Ed Thrasher credited for art direction and photography
- Artis Page credited for cover art
- Stan Cornyn credited for liner notes
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Tracklist
| 1 | Houston | |
| 2 | The First Thing Ev’ry Morning (and the Last Thing Ev’ry Night) | |
| 3 | Hammer and Nails | |
| 4 | Little Lovely One | |
| 5 | Love, Love, Love | |
| 6 | Down Home | |
| 7 | I Will | |
| 8 | Snap Your Fingers | |
| 9 | Everybody but Me | |
| 10 | Old Yellow Line | |
| 11 | Detour | |
| 12 | You’re the Reason I’m in Love |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Career
- Born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, on June 7, 1917; sang with local bands and worked as a casino croupier before his career began.
- Formed the comedy team Martin and Lewis with Jerry Lewis in 1946; the partnership ended acrimoniously in 1956.
- Launched a solo career as singer and actor; signature song "Everybody Loves Somebody" reached number one in the US in 1964.
- Member of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, known for Las Vegas performances.
- Hosted the NBC variety series The Dean Martin Show from 1965 to 1974 and the Celebrity Roast specials from 1974 to 1984.
- Died on December 25, 1995, in Beverly Hills at age 78.
Legacy
- Sold about 50 million records worldwide and was honored with a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
- Hollywood Walk of Fame stars honor his work in film, recordings and television.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- William Ruhlmann on AllMusic gave the album three stars out of five
- Ruhlmann praised producer Jimmy Bowen for shrewdly widening Martin's contemporary base beyond the formula records made after "Everybody Loves Somebody"
- Ruhlmann said the chart performance showed Martin's comeback was being sustained, not diminishing
- He noted that promotion on Martin's successful new television show also helped the album's chart run
Reappraisal
- AllMusic's review remains the main critical rating cited for this album in the source
Records
- Peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200
- Title track had reached the Top 40 in summer 1965
- Reissued on CD by Hip-O Records in 2009
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- The title track was written by Lee Hazlewood and reached the Top 40 in the summer of 1965.
- The album was reissued on CD by Hip-O Records in 2009.
- Jimmy Bowen produced the record, and Bill Justis is credited as arranger and conductor.
- Hal Blaine is credited on drums among the session personnel.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org