Poll: Dean Martin or Bing Crosby?

[StetsonHomburg]

Who do you like better, my friend and I have been argueing about this one for a while so I thought I'd put it upfor the smart people.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Der Bingle always seemed phony to me. On the other hand, Dino was a lovable phony! He didn't drink and carouse like the character he portrayed and was a good family man.

Hey, when did Harry quit beating his kids? [huh]

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"I had to Go with Bing, he had a such a very L O N G C AR E E R

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[Flat Foot Floey]

For me it's the early Bing, because I love jazzy big band swing and don't love 50s crooner big band pop.

I don't even like Frank Sinatra which seems to be a rare view among the vintage fans.

 

[dhermann1]

Bing

I really have to separate the performer form the man. Yes, Bing was pretty horrible to his family. But his legacy as an artist is tremendous.
I must say, I really like Dean, as well, and he was clearly a genuinely nice man.
And as for Sinatra, have you heard his early stuff with Tommy Dorsey? Pure magic.
These popularity polls are fun, and can produce some enjoyable bickering, but they don't really prove much. Bing, Dean, Frank, they were all great. Like whichever one you wish.

 

[skyvue]

Dean came much later than Bing. A more apt question might be: Bing, Russ, or Rudy?

 

[dhermann1]

The thing about Bing was he straddled the era starting with the first scratchy radio sets, all the way up to the video he did with David Bowie. There's really nobody who compares.
That said, if we compare Bing, Russ Colombo and Rudy Vallee, I'd still stick with Bing. I love Rudy, but Russ sort of makes me want to fwow up.

 

[Brian Sheridan]

As for the Dean being a family man, sleeping with your friend's wives doesn't seem to me to be either family man material or that of a good friend.

I love Dino though because he totally didn't give a sh*t! He was one of the few (maybe the only) to not do what Frank said and didn't get attacked by Frank. Of course, it came to a head during the 80's Rat Pack reunion tour but Dean simply did not want to be there.

Bing often gets forgotten as a great jazz singer because his most popular stuff is the mainstream hits.

Mosaic Records just released a 5 disc set that has Bing's studio recordings for his radio show - all done in a jazz format with a trio or quartet. He really swings on all kinds of standards. The thinking was record execs cared less what he recorded for the radio show so he did what he liked - which was jazz.

 

[Bingles]

Bing! Hence my nickname. lol

 

[Heather]

This was a tough one but I'm going to have to go with Dean. He reminds me of my deceased-Grandfather, who resembled him and was a big fan!

 

[RIOT]

Dean.

 

[Tomasso]

Dino.

 

[MisterCairo]

Dino. Hands down. Though Bing always looked like he was poured into those cardigans.....

 

[Greyfox]

Gotta be Dino!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Crosby for mine. Martin was a fine crooner, and an even better comedian, but Crosby was one of the consummate entertainers of the twentieth century.

 

[FountainPenGirl]

That's a hard one. We always watched Dean's TV variety show when it was on. But then again never missed one of Bings specials either. Especially the Christmas shows. The thing is even though these guys both popular entertainers during some of the same times they were really from different eras. Bing first became well known in the '20's were as Dean hit the big time in the '50's. Each one being a superior performer in their own times. It would be nice to have a choice like this of current performers

 

[Paisley]

And as for Sinatra, have you heard his early stuff with Tommy Dorsey? Pure magic.

I really like most of Sinatra's work. Some of his much, much later stuff, though...he should have retired earlier than he did.

I'm not a huge fan of either Bing Crosby or Dean Martin, but it's Dean Martin for me.

 

[vitanola]

Bing, of course!

Had Bing not existed we would have not had a Dean Martin (or a Sinatra, or a Como, or a Monroe etc.)

Crosby really invented the modern popular singing style.

Crosby's late work, the music with which a fan of Dean Martin would be familiar, does tend to be a trifle bland, though always well sung, but in the twenty years of his prime Harry Lillis Crosby was nonpariel.

His first hit recording, "I Surrender, Dear", with the Gus Arnheim organisation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXGv-rd-bvA

Bing in '28 with Paul Whiteman, a charming version of Kern's "Make Believe":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l-BgEbiV-k

He was in a class of his own as a jazz singer, as demonstrated by this 1931 recording with Duke Ellington:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk6uzUtvR1Y
Notice the exceptional "scat" chorus.

and this ARC side from 1932, "Some of These Days"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgzR4jINXF8

Even so, though a fine jazz singer, no one could put over a romantic ballad like Bing at his peak. Her is his famous Brunswick waxing of "I'm Through With Love":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y62ApRsQ51g


Whilst I find Dean Martin to be a fine singer, one of the best of the post-war period, and a skilled comedian, it is astounding to hear this question even posed.

One can but imagine that this is because the Dean Martin partisans are only familiar with Crosby's TV specials, and know nothing of his earlier corpus of work, which even such luminaries as Martin, Sinatra, Bennett and even Bowie admitted has not yet been surpassed.

 

[skyvue]

Had Bing not existed we would have not had a Dean Martin (or a Sinatra, or a Como, or a Monroe etc.)

Or an Elvis.

 

[Forgotten Man]

For me it's the early Bing, because I love jazzy big band swing and don't love 50s crooner big band pop.

I don't even like Frank Sinatra which seems to be a rare view among the vintage fans.

Yeah, same here! Early Bing with the Rhythm Boys and the Paul Whiteman Orch. He is tops in my book from 1928 to 1935 or so. I do enjoy his 40s sides but, his Depression Era skatting and or romantic singing was superior in my taste... he whistled so sweetly.

King of Jazz 1929 Rhythm Boys with Bing.

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Now live from the Coconut Grove in Hollywood!
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Many books have been written about Crosby, not all of them good. Bing (like most all of us) aren't perfect or near it for that matter, he was raised hard, and those parenting skills were passed down to him and his own family. Many people we appreciate from Hollywood's past have many issues regarding their personal lives... but, we should always just thank them and appreciate them for the art they did so well.

Dean Martin... an enjoyable singer for the post war era... a true talent, I believe most of those crooner's were friends in one or more ways. But, my true appreciation is for Mr. Bing Crosby... the first true American Idol.