"Music, Music, Music" by Teresa Brewer (1950)

I suppose I could call this a recovered memory; I was waking from a nap this morning and a phrase was running through my head; it was only three words, but they struck a chord somewhere; and as I lay there, thinking, the word nickelodeon came to mind. Something was stirring  that went waaay back to my earliest memories. Then I had it! It was one of my parent's old records, which gave me so much pleasure as a kid. This one was a music hall number extolling the joy of dancing to a jukebox, which were sometimes still called nickelodeons by the older folks. It was also the preferred word for a jukebox in England at the time.

Before I even sat down to write this, I had remembered all of the lyrics, and the melody. This is one of those early records from when I was just shy of being 3 years old, in 1957. The recording had come out in early 1950, which is something I just found out by googling You Tube, my favorite friend. The record charted at Number 1, even though it was the "B" side of the recording "Copenhagen", which did not chart at all! So, it was a pure twist of fate that scored Ms. Brewer her first #1 hit record, as well as finding a permanent place deep down in my 3 year old mind. I wonder which is the greater achievement?

This was the original review of the record by Billboard;

"A gay, corny feed-the-nickolodean (sp) novelty is sung with infectious vitality, backed with an old-fashioned, thumping orking. Should be a good one in the boxes."

"Music, Music, Music" by Stephan Weiss and Bernie Baum

Put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is having you
And music, music, music

I'd do anything for you
Anything you'd want me to
All I want is kissin' you
And music, music, music

Closer, my dear, come closer
The nicest part of any melody
Is when you're dancing close to me

So, put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is lovin' you
And music, music, music

[Instrumental Interlude]

Put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is having you
And music, music, music

I'd do anything for you
Anything you'd want me to
All I want is kissin' you
And music, music, music

Closer, my dear, come closer
The nicest part of any melody
Is when you're dancing close to me

So, put another nickel in
In the nickelodeon
All I want is lovin' you
And music, music, music

"C'mon, everybody
Put some nickels in
And keep that old Nickelodeon playing"

Music, Music, Music
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
And music, music, music

Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
Dum-dee, dum-dee, dah-dee-dum
And music, music, music

Dean Martin - Live 1964

I am taking the day off; I have a sore throat, so it hurts when I type. This is a most unusual clip of Dean Martin from a 1964 TV special which I have never seen. What makes it so unusual is the slow, almost jazz-like, deliveries of the standards which Mr. Martin performs here.

"Everybody Loves Somebody", which had been previously released in this slower version in the late 1940's, was currently topping the charts, even eclipsing the Beatles in that pivotal year. So, I have to wonder why he chose to do the older arrangement. Mr. Martin initially resisted the turning of the tide towards rock n' roll, even telling his 14 year old son, Dean, "I'm gonna' knock your 'pallies' off the charts." On August 15, 1964 he did it; topping the Billboard charts for about 8 weeks with "Everybody Loves Somebody"; right in the middle of Beatlemania.

His soulful renditions of "Volare", and "On an Evening in Roma", are among his most earthy performances of those numbers. Never ceasing to clown around, and clearly a bit inebriated, he manages to slip in a reference to Jerry Lewis, as well as to kid his piano player, Ken Lane, who wrote "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime", before closing with a short, but very bluesy rendition of "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You".

Enjoy the show; they just don't make 'em like this anymore....