Here In My Heart

Album

Single

Label

Capitol Records

Genre

Easy Listening

Composer(s)

Pat Genaro;Lou Levinson,;Bill Borrelli

Entered Chart

Jul 24, 1961

Peak Date

Aug 7, 1961

Released

April 1952

Recorded

April 17, 1952

Catalog #

Capitol 4593

B-Side

"I Cried Myself to Sleep Last Night"

Al Martino's friend Mario Lanza dropped his plans to record this when Martino told him he'd set his heart on recording this. Martino's first single, it went on to become a transatlantic #1. This was the first song ever to hit #1 on the UK charts. Al Martino knew this was a UK #1, but had no idea it was the first until someone told him he'd made The Guinness Book of Records. >> Martino died on October 13, 2009 at age 82. Born Alfred Cini in south Philadelphia in 1927, Al worked as a bricklayer before joining the Marines (where he was wounded in the invasion of Iwo Jima), all the while hoping to be a singer like his friend Mario Lanza. Upon his return he adopted his grandfather's surname and began work in New York nightclubs, eventually winning Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program and a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1952. "Here In My Heart" topped the charts that year and was followed by "Take My Heart" (#12 - 1952). Unfortunately, this drew the attention of organized crime figures, who bought out his management contract. Al fled to England and had no American chart records for the next seven years, until a friend was able to work out his safe return in 1958. Over the next twenty years, Al had six top 20 hits, including "I Love You Because" (#3 - 1963), "Painted, Tainted Rose" (#15 - 1963), "I Love You More And More Every Day" (#9 - 1964), "Spanish Eyes" (#15 - 1966) and "To The Door Of The Son" (17 - 1975). He is best remembered for the role of Johnny Fontane in The Godfather trilogy of movies, which many say was based on Frank Sinatra, a claim Al always denied.

Here in my heart I'm alone, I'm so lonely
Here in my heart I just yearn for you only
Here in my arms I long to hold you
Hold you so near, ever close to my heart
So, darling

Say that you care, take these arms I give gladly
Surely you know I need your love so badly
Here is my heart, my life, and my all, dear
Please be mine and stay here in my heart

Say that you care, take these arms I give gladly
Surely you know I need your love so badly
Here is my heart, my life, and my all, dear
Please be mine and stay here in my heart
Writer/s: Bill Borrelli, Lou Levinson, Pat Genaro