Ten Favorite Pop Songs: Memories Are Made of This (#9)

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Tomorrow at this time I'll be at a concert. Tonight I'm looking back -- way back -- at the great pop songs of...well, I was going to say "our time," but I think that only one of the songs on my list was actually released in my lifetime. So here's another one of my favorite pop songs from all time. #9: Memories Are Made of This - Dean Martin Ah, good ol' Dean Martin. I remember his variety show on NBC in the late 60s, with the Golddiggers and Dean opening the show sliding down a pole. I also remember his stab at country music, Dean 'Tex' Martin: Country Style, which my parents had in the record collection. Martin was the epitome of a "lovable lush." Oddly enough, it was an act: he really wasn't an alcoholic. His daughter told the L.A. Times that Martin's onstage "booze" was apple juice. But he sure made it work. And, honestly, he even sang like he was fresh off a gallon or two of scotch. All an act: much like the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast mainstay Foster Brooks (a Louisville native), who played a drunk perfectly but actually never drank, Martin's drinking was minimal and reserved. His career was more along the lines of careers. He was a successful businessman, actor, singer, nightclub performer, and comedian. Sometimes he was doing all of that at once, such as his TV show and the Matt Helm films and playing Vegas. "Memories Are Made of This" is one of Martin's most memorable songs. Over the years it's been covered by bazillions of people, but there's nothing like the beauty of Martin's version. And for your trivia: this song was co-written by Terry Gilkyson, who had the hit "Marianne," and who was nominated for an Oscar for writing the song "The Bear Necessities" in The Jungle Book. Memories Are Made of This Written by Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller Recorded by Dean Martin Released as a single, 1955 These are the dreams you'll savor (the three backing singers are the song's writers):