You can’t beat a man who doesn’t care.

And by all accounts, Dean Martin truly didn’t. He never claimed to be a great singer, only someone who could “carry a tune”. He wasn’t in the same league as Frank Sinatra. Yet Sinatra worshipped him because Dino’s good looks, quick wit and insouciant charm made him the epitome of cool. That relaxed, half-cut style gave him a reputation as a drunk, which he only embellished by claiming that when he shook hands with Pat Boone his “whole right side sobered up”. It was that couldn’t-care-less attitude that people loved, especially at Christmas. He sings this almost as badly as we do. And certainly doesn’t sound like he shook hands with Pat Boone before recording it.