Everybody Loves Somebody
| "Everybody Loves Somebody" | |
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"Everybody Loves Somebody" is a song written in 1947 by Irving Taylor and Ken Lane. The song had already been recorded by several artists (including Frank Sinatra) by 1964, but without much success. But it was in that year that Lane was playing piano for Dean Martin on his Dream With Dean LP sessions, and with an hour or so of studio time left and one song short, Lane suggested that Martin take a run at his tune. Dean was agreeable, and the small combo of piano, guitar, drums and bass performed a relatively quiet, laid back jazz version of the song.
Almost immediately thereafter, Martin re-recorded the tune for his next album, this time with an orchestra and chorus. His label, Reprise Records, was so enthusiastic about the hit potential of this version, they even titled the LP Everybody Loves Somebody to capitalize on it.
Although still a major recording artist, Martin had not had a Top 40 hit since 1958. And with the British Invasion ruling the U.S. charts, few had hopes that a middle aged Italian crooner would sway many teenagers. And yet, defying the odds, Everybody Loves Somebody shot straight up to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The song also topped the Billboard "easy listening" chart for eight weeks. It ultimately replaced "That's Amore" as Martin's signature song, and he sang it as the theme of his weekly television variety show from 1965 until 1974. The song has become so identified with Dean Martin, that later cover versions are invariably compared to his hit take on the tune.
By 1964, Dino, Frank, Sammy and the rest of the Rat Pack's martini swilling lounge sound was out of synch with the Rock n' Roll now dominating the Top 100 Billboard. Dean in particular, resented and despised anything rock n' roll, which created conflict at home with his son Ricci, who like every other teenager in the Western world, worshipped the Beatles. Tiring of his son's infernal boasting of how great the Beatles were, Dino told Ricci, "I'm gonna' knock your pallies off the charts.".[citation needed] Having not had a hit for six year, Ricci rolled his eyes, and simply cast the prediction off as nonsense and forgot about it. That is until August 15, 1964 when Everybody Loves Somebody knocked the Beatles off the Number One slot on Billboard. Dino smugly remarked to Ricci, "I told you I'd knock your pallies off the charts.". Ricci stood there speechless and gazed at his father in utter amazement, wonder, and with a newfound idolatry. Dean Martin became the only person in history to ever predict he'd knock the Beatles off the charts, and actually succeed.[citation needed]
Following the song's peak at the top of the charts, Martin sent his close friend Sinatra a telegram saying "THAT'S THE WAY YOU DO IT". In the 1990s the song was licensed to Western Union for use in a series of television commercials.
The words "Everybody Loves Somebody" appear on Dean Martin's grave marker in Los Angeles[1].
References
- The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996
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