Description
Dean Martin – A Winter Romance – Vinyl Record
A Winter Romance, released in 1959, is the only full-length holiday-themed album recorded by Dean Martin, though it is less a straightforward Christmas record and more a seasonal collection of love songs and wintry standards. Issued on Capitol Records at the height of Martin’s popularity as a singer, actor, and member of the Rat Pack, the album perfectly captures his smooth, relaxed vocal style and easygoing charm, wrapped in lush orchestral arrangements that exude both romance and holiday spirit.
Unlike many Christmas albums of the era, A Winter Romance doesn’t confine itself strictly to carols or sacred songs. Instead, it blends familiar holiday fare with playful and sentimental tunes about winter and romance. The title track, “A Winter Romance,” sets the mood with a lighthearted invitation to enjoy love in the chilly season. From there, Martin croons through classics such as “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and “Winter Wonderland,” giving them his trademark laid-back swing. Songs like “The Things We Did Last Summer” and “June in January” extend the album’s romantic theme beyond December, offering reflections on love through the lens of changing seasons.
Martin’s interpretations are marked by his signature conversational delivery — intimate, warm, and never overly formal. Where contemporaries like Bing Crosby leaned toward stately crooning, Martin always gave the impression of singing directly to you across a fireside or a cocktail lounge. His phrasing on tracks such as “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (performed as a playful duet with Marilyn Maxwell) showcases the wit and flirtatiousness that made him such a beloved entertainer. The arrangements, handled by Gus Levene, are lush but never overwhelming, balancing strings, woodwinds, and gentle swing rhythms that complement Martin’s unhurried style.
While not as famous as Bing Crosby’s Merry Christmas or Frank Sinatra’s A Jolly Christmas, A Winter Romance has endured as a seasonal classic, in large part because of Martin’s charisma and the album’s distinctive approach. It’s not strictly a holiday album; rather, it evokes the atmosphere of the winter season as a whole — snow, warmth, companionship, and the bittersweet passage of time. In later decades, many of the tracks were reissued on Christmas compilations, cementing Dean Martin’s voice as a staple of holiday playlists around the world.
A Winter Romance is less about yuletide tradition than it is about capturing the cozy, romantic side of winter, with Dean Martin as the genial host. It’s an album that radiates charm and comfort, perfect for both holiday gatherings and quiet evenings by the fire, and it remains one of the most stylish seasonal recordings of the mid-20th century.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
A Winter Romance
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
The Things We Did Last Summer
I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
June In January
Canadian Sunset
Winter Wonderland
Out In The Cold Again
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
White Christmas
It Won’t Cool Off
