Deep Dive: Dino, Desi and Billy, I’M A FOOL

When it comes to our recurring “Deep Dive” feature, wherein we take a look at albums which may have flown under the radar of some music fans, we hope you can appreciate that one person’s Deep Dive may well be another person’s favorite album of all time. That said, the fact that today marks the 53rd anniversary of Dino, Desi & Billy’s chart debut would seem to be an occasion that’s simultaneously worth celebrating and likely to inspire a number of readers to ask, “Uh, who’s that?” That seems like a deep enough dive to us. Given their parentage, both Dean Martin, Jr. and Desi Arnaz, Jr. were considered to be Hollywood royalty from the moment they emerged from the womb, so for the sons of Dean Martin and Desi Arnaz to join forces and form a singing group with their mutual friend Billy Hische, talk about a project that was always destined to get a heaping helping of publicity. Surprisingly, however, when the newly-minted trio released their first single, “Since You Broke My Heart,” it failed to chart. Fortunately, that problem was resolved when they released the title track to their first album, I’M A FOOL, as a single. This time, the trio’s tune caught on with radio programmers and listeners, climbing to #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Dino, Desi and Billy followed this song’s success with the #25 hit “Not the Loving Kind,” and between the two tracks, they secured the success of their debut album. Alas, this degree of success was not destined to continue: the guys were still in the public eye, as one would expect from the sons of famous actors/singers, but their chart fortunes failed to last. Still, if you’re looking for an enjoyable audio trip to the mid-1960s, you won’t feel foolish by checking out this album.