Here’s a song I heard at work yesterday. This is Vic Damone, an American crooner born in New York City in 1928. When Vic was a young boy, his father, who was an electrician, was injured at work. Because of the injury, Vic dropped out of school to help support the family and got a job at the Paramount Theater in Manhattan. While working as an usher and elevator operator at the theater, he met the star singer Perry Como backstage. Vic sang for Como and impressed him so much that he recommended him to a friend for an audition. Vic started putting himself out there and eventually landed a job at a New York radio station singing on the Gloom Dodgers show, a Brooklyn Dodgers entertainment show. He finally signed a record deal with Mercury Records in the middle of 1947. He spent the next 64 years recording hundreds of songs, performing at nightclubs and venues across the world, and entertaining on television for the world to see.
Fun Fact: “How Deep Is The Ocean” was written by the great Irving Berlin in 1932. This song was created by adapting an earlier Berlin song called “To My Mammy,” sung by Al Jolson in the film Mammy in 1930.
Listen for: The incredible orchestration backing Vic’s smooth voice. The instrumental interlude around the 2-minute mark is extremely beautiful as well. I also love the ascending chromatic piano right around 1:38. On my first listen yesterday, the final chord of the song surprised me. I was expecting the last chord to be a I (one) chord (C major in this case.) But instead, they surprised me with the relative minor (A minor.) Spooky!
Hope you enjoy!
Song: “How Deep Is The Ocean”
Artist: Vic Damone
Album: Closer Than A Kiss
Year: 1958
How much do I love you?
I’ll tell you no lie
How deep is the ocean?
How high is the sky?
How many times a day do I think of you?
How many roses are sprinkled with dew?
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My name is Michael Sanchez and I’m an avid record collector and obscure song searcher. My goal is to post one song a day that’s been on my stereo/turntable frequently. If you don’t like the song… too bad 🙂 I do.
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Sanchez Song Of The Day 