Al Martino - That Much of Your Love '2017

Tracks list

Tracklist:

01. Now
02. Nessun Dorma
03. Are You Lonesome Tonight
04. Granada
05. Because Youre Mine
06. You Cant Go on Forever Breaking My Heart
07. Sweetheart of Mine
08. Ive Got You Under My Skin
09. Make Me Believe
10. Dicitencello Vuie
11. Have I Told You Lately
12. Wanted
13. Close to You
14. Love Where Are You Now
15. Take My Heart
16. I Love You Because
17. Makin Whoopee
18. The Man from Laramie
19. Non Ti Scordar di Me
20. The Exodus Song
21. Rachel
22. No More
23. The Loveliest Night of the Year
24. Here in My Heart
25. The Story of Tina
26. Mattinata


 Read MoreIn 1952, Martino recorded a ballad called Here in My Heart as his
debut single. When he heard that Lanza was set to cut his own version, Martino
called him and begged him not to, knowing that Lanzas record would immediately
eclipse his own. Lanza relented, and Here in My Heart became a breakthrough
smash for Martino, selling over a million copies and topping the charts in both
the U.S. and U.K. Its success earned Martino a major-label deal with Capitol,
and he released three more singles -- Take My Heart, Rachel, and When Youre Mine
-- through 1953, all of which hit the Top 40.

Unfortunately, a few of Martinos new fans wanted in on the action; according to
legend, Martinos contract was forcibly taken over by a new, Mafia-connected
management team, which then ordered Martino to pay a 75,000 dollar fee upfront,
as a safeguard for their investment. Martino made a down payment to ensure his
familys safety, then fled to England, where his popularity allowed him to
perform successfully for a time; he even headlined the London Palladium. He
continued to record in Britain with moderate success, but his work received no
exposure back in the U.S. In 1958, thanks to the intervention of a family friend
with the local Philadelphia boss, Martino was allowed to return home and resume
his recording career.

The Exciting Voice of Al MartinoBy this time, Martinos initial momentum had long
since cooled, and he faced an uphill battle re-establishing himself, especially
since he hadnt been forced to contend with rock & roll the first time around. He
recorded for 20th Century Fox during the late 50s, but none of his ten-plus
singles reached the Top 40, and the label wound up dropping him. Undaunted,
Martino financed the recording of a new album, The Exciting Voice of Al Martino,
all on his own. It wound up landing him a new deal with Capitol, which issued
the LP in 1962; its updated version of Here in My Heart was also released as a
single, and barely scraped the charts. Martino quickly followed it with a mostly
Italian-language LP, The Italian Voice of Al Martino, and made several
high-profile television appearances to re-establish his visibility.

Thanks in part to those TV performances, Martino was able to score a major
comeback smash with 1963s I Love You Because, which heralded a newly understated
vocal style and had previously been a country hit for honky tonk
singer/songwriter Leon Payne. Arranged by Belford Hendricks, Martinos pop
version went to number three on the pop charts, and all the way to the top of
the easy listening charts. The accompanying album of the same name went Top Ten,
and Martino remained a regular visitor to the charts for over a decade
afterward, at first concentrating on country-tinged pop material with musical
director Peter DeAngelis. 1963 brought more hits in Painted, Tainted Rose (Top
20 pop, Top Five easy listening) and Living a Lie, and the accompanying Painted,
Tainted Rose album became his second Top Ten. He charted four more times in 1964
with Always Together, I Love You More and More Every Day (pop Top Ten), Tears
and Roses (pop Top 20), and We Could; all were Top Ten easy listening hits.

In 1966, Martino recorded what would become his signature song, Spanish Eyes, an
adaptation of an instrumental piece by German conductor/composer Bert Kaempfert
originally titled Moon Over Naples. Although Spanish Eyes only made number 15 on
the pop charts, it spent a month at number one easy listening, found tremendous
success all across Europe, and was covered by countless other traditional pop
artists over the years. The album of the same name went gold and became Martinos
third (and final) Top Ten LP. He scored two more big easy listening hits that
year with Think Ill Go Home and Cry Myself to Sleep and Wiedersehn, and in 1967
topped those charts twice with the folk-styled Mary in the Morning and the Bob
Crewe-penned More Than the Eye Can See.

Martino had a few more easy listening hits through the end of the 60s, including
a vocal version of Paul Mauriats instrumental Love Is Blue (1968) and a cover of
Elvis Presleys Cant Help Falling in Love (1970). However, his career momentum
was slowing down, and his albums failed to attain their usual Top 100 chart
placements. Fortunately, his longtime friend Phyllis McGuire (of the McGuire
Sisters) was familiar with Mario Puzos novel The Godfather. When Paramount
decided to make a film version, McGuire brought the character of Johnny Fontane
-- a fading pop idol who needs mob intervention to land the film role that would
resurrect his career -- to Martinos attention. Although rumor had it that
Fontane was based on Frank Sinatra, and his Oscar-winning turn in From Here to
Eternity, the role resonated deeply with Martino, and he wound up winning the
part. The Godfather, of course, was a huge critical and commercial success, and
Martinos appearance -- not to mention his recording of the films love theme,
Speak Softly Love -- refreshed his reputation and even made him something of a
cult icon.

StyleDespite radically shifting tastes in pop music, Martino was able to parlay
his Godfather role into a few more years of recording success. He returned to
the pop Top 20 for the first time since Spanish Eyes with 1975s To the Door of
the Sun (Alle Porte del Sole), an English translation of a popular Italian song.
He also scored a highly unlikely dance-club hit that year with a disco-fied
version of the Italian pop standard Volare, which was especially popular in
Europe. Martino toured the nightclub circuit extensively during the 70s, and
managed one more easy listening hit in 1978s The Next Hundred Years. Faced with
diminishing returns, he and Capitol finally parted ways in 1982. Martino
continued to perform in clubs, lounges, and casinos for some time afterward, and
returned to recording in 2000 with the album Style. ~ Steve Huey

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