Dean Martin's 1947 Embassy 78

Dean Martin is, hands down, my favorite entertainer. My late Italian Grandmother would play his albums constantly on her wall length Sears console stereo. She had the scratchy vinyls stacked on the automatic changer spindle as high as it could possibly go. Every once in a while she would have to get up and nudge the needle that had became stuck in an endless skip. (I would later give her cd's of every Martin track, but as grateful as she was, she still spun the wax.)

Unfortunately, I did not come around to Dino's music until he passed away. Even though it was Christmas day, Grandma was not in a joyous mood. While one of his cd's was playing in the background, a song that I had heard countless times before, finally resonated with me...Innamorata. I saw how it brought tears to my Grandma's eyes.

Since I was just starting to collect 78's at this time, I thought it would be fun to also round up some of Dino's tracks. Purple Capitols were able to be found in abundance everywhere I looked. Even grabbed a few on eBay for next to nothing.

Then I discovered that he had recorded 10 sides...5 discs...before he embarked on his massive Capitol output. In the 16 years that I have been collecting Martin 78's, I have all but one of these five. It hasn't been the case of being outbid at the last second or finding it in an antique store, only to be cracked or unplayable...it's that I have never come across one...online or in person...for sale, on display, mentioned or otherwise.

In late November of 1947, Dean Martin recorded One Foot In Heaven and The Night Is Young And You're So Beautiful for Embassy Records just before a recording ban went into effect on January 1, 1948.

Of course this is probably the most coveted Dean Martin 78 out there...but I'm starting to wonder...are there any even out there...other than the pics found in a book included with the box set of cd's I have? (see below)